The Flash: The Present (2016) Season 3, Episode 9
The best parts of this episode are the small moments, continuations of these from previous seasons, not just its place in the Savitar story-line. It's cool to see Jay on Earth-1 and being a Flash mentor to Barry. Joe's talk with H. R. right after Cisco's struggle with his dead brother is the best continuity. Joe once got schooled by fake Harrison Wells. "From what I know of Barry. Once he sets his mind to something... doubt is his real enemy Joe and as long as you continue to doubt him, he'll keep doubting himself." Joe was later able to *teach* Harry Wells about Barry's relentlessness and how pointless it is to get in his way once his mind is set. Here he gets schooled by H. R. Wells along almost exactly those same line. Wally comes to H. R.'s defense when Joe gets in his face. Joe gets in H/R.'s face again and Wally just walks dejectedly away. H. R. Explains in his own words why he's helping Wally. For no other reason than the kid is special and he needs someone to encourage him. He's not being selfish, just helpful.
He tells Joe "The longer you deny someone thier potential, the more they're going to look for it elsewhere." In other words "Your son needs you to believe in him. So start believing in him." And for what might be the first time ever, Joe listens to a Wells. And H.R. finally earns this rather tough cop-dad's respect. By the end of the episode, Joe accepts his son Wally West as Kid Flash. And H. R. as a friend.
Earth: Final Conflict: Déjà Vu (1999) Season 3, Episode 4 8/10
More unexplored Possibilities than actual Exploration
Okay,
so Liam is experiencing memories of the SI war, something that is
impossible because he never actually served during that conflict.
They quickly figure out that this is someone else's memories being
hijacked and put into unsuspecting users. But one possible
explanation for the false memories that is never explored is that
these are memories given to him because of his assumed identity. When
Liam first showed up, he claimed he had served under Captain Boone in
the SI war. So as far as the rest of the world would know, he'd have
memories fo that war. By this same token, that Liam never served in
the SI war was a dangerous thing to say in front of Ms. Palmer. Renee
doesn't learn about Liam's actual origins for a few more episodes.
And yet this duplicity or double life is never even mentioned. And
never really considered. Missed opportunity there I think.
Da'an
asking Liam why he would refuse to share his memories if he is not
ashamed of them, using it as a comparison to the present situation is
pretty slanted. Liam Sharing the memories is one thing. Like a
consensual mind meld. Or like Da'an Sharing himself with Lilli back
in Wrath of Achilles. What's happening here is not only worse --
stealing one persons memories and giving them to another -- is done
without the consent of either the person who's memories are being
Stolen or the individual implanted with these memories, who not only
didn't consent, has no clue where they come from. It would drive most
people mad to have memories as if they were your own that don't make
any sense showing up out of NOWHERE. The conversation about
perspective and privacy does make some good points and it pushed the
comparison of commonality vs. Individuality along. But they seriously
could have found another vehicle for that debate. Instead it's just
pretty jaundiced account, Da'an's question in the first place is a
slanted half-applicable inquiry which presumably Liam would
recognize. And for some reason Liam doesn't rebuttal it. He drives
forward with Human ideals... and not even the most relevant ones.
The ending is pretty awesome, there is no denying that. Liam finds the man whose memories he had received and gives him a disc of those memories back. Unlike his backstory, that is unlike the false identity Augur created for him which he wears for the first time since Boone's funeral, unlike what Major Liam Kincaid never served in the war. So he finds a way to recognize an honor a man who did.
The Pretender: Hazards (1998) Season 2, Episode 8 10/10 Ghosts laid to Rest
...for
both Jarrod and Sydney. When Sydney is being refreshingly comfortable
and easy going with his co-workers he sees a man from his pas t and
suddenly he has one thought on his mind "Get the Gun, Get it
done." In the flashback Sydney is having Jarrod draw this man's
face and he is clearly troubled, already haunted. He shows Jarrod a
picture of him and his brother, his twin at thier first communion and
that right there tells you everything you need to know, almost. I was
wondering if we knew before this whether Sydney was Jewish or
Catholic. We knew he was old enough to have lived in WWII and was
from a particular region in France, that had been occupied, but not
that he'd actually been in a concentration camp. That is the only
explanation for his enraged, single-minded pursuit of the man. And
Sydney had gone to confession in a season 1 episode, so we did
already know he wasn't Jewish. When he's holding a gun to the man
"This is for John Mikael, and this is for Greta", Ms.
Parker stops him and talks him off that ledge... sort of. The Jarrod
part of the story is full and well paced and opens in a very unusual
and attention grabbing way. Jarrod sees someone intentionally step in
front of a bus because he thinks he's responsible for the death of a
co-worker. I love Jarrod's adventures that he doesn't plan for and
this was up there on the list of good ones.
Sydney was still
haunted by uncertainty if Jarrod still thinks of him with warm
feelings, or is too bitter about what happened to him at the Centre.
About his part in the secrets and lies all those years. Jarrod
assures him, over the phone. "You're not a monster Sydney and
you're still...my family." It's a beautiful moment. Which
follows another gorgeous moment between Sydney and Ms. Parker.
The Pretender: Stolen (1998) Season 2, Episode 18
10/10 One Powerful Question is Finally Answered
The
question being from Jarrod to Sydney near the end "How do you
face your past, Sydney?!" While working at a hospital Jarrod
inadvertently becomes involved in a kidnapping, by posing as the boys
father to the kidnappers. A situation which understandably floods his
mind with memories fo his own kidnapping. He tries to talk to Sydney
about how to deal with his screwed up past. Stopping there for now.
Ms. Parker is doing a pretty good job of convincing herself that
Jarrod is just playing mind games and that she has moved beyond being
susceptible to them. She tells Sydney this, along with her belief
that the emotional umbilical Sydney has with Jarrod is becoming a
problem. Which for a moment actually seems to be true. I could
probably count on one had the number of times Ms. Parker and Sydney
actually apprehend Jarrod, if even for a couple of minutes. During an
incredibly tense confrontation/ apprehending, a thoroughly desperate
and ticked off Jarrod yells "How do you face your past
Sydney?"
A question which has been posed by Jarrod A-Lot
of times in the past. And this is simply the first time Sydney
actually provides an answer. Sydney deals with what happened to
Jarrod in the Centre, or is comforted in knowing that the good Jarrod
is doing now out there in the wide world is proof that something
right did come from such horrible wrong. It's something Sydney
himself had been struggling with more and more up until now. And he
is almost ready to finally do something about it. And finally
choosing a side now, makes it easier for him to act in the season
finale. Cute little sneak that Sydney actually answers the question
posed before Jarrod asks it that final, dramatic time in the hall:
That some great good came out of something so Egregiously hellish and
stupid. I think Jarrod stops asking the question after this. And
that's why season 3 Jarrod and Sydney can be so beautiful together.
The Pretender: Crazy (1998) Season 3, Episode 1 8/10
Speaking
as someone who is schizophrenic and disassociatve, I love this
episode. In high school and college I did personal research on the
different kinds of schizophrenia and other related disorders, for Gen
Psych class and for my own research so I knew that writers of the
show must have done almost as much research as Jarrod had in order to
blend in among people with these problems. And Jarrod's description
of a place that was perfectly real to him, deliberately told in such
a way to convince people he was crazy was jaw-dropping acting. He was
always, in every episode doing research not for his own sake but to
pull off whatever he had to professionally pull off in that episode.
Sydney realizes this, that his research wasn't because he thought he
was crazy, but in order to fit in among crazy people. The doctor in
charge of the facility doesn't do a half bad job either of figuring
out that for whatever reason, Jarrod wanted to be put there.
At
the end of last season Sydney finally took a stand against the
Centre's work, casting ALL loyalties except to Jarrod aside. He
couldn't fix what happened to Jarrod but he could help now. And that
allows for the growth and closeness in Jarrod and Sydney's
relationship for this entire season. He had this attitude already but
now he flat out states: I'm not interested in saving myself. This may
be my last chance to help Jarrod...or you. Talking to Ms. Parker. It
was pretty brilliant! Everything that is built here is destroyed not
too far into season 4 but so what? For right now things are growing,
peoples connections are deepening. All our charters are in thier
prime. It's bleeping amazing. I don't watch the scenes in the female
patient's room. The one Jarrod actually is there to help. Which is
why despite my glowing report of the episode, I only gave this 8 out
of 10 stars.
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