DISQUS

Ouch! What wasted potential. I would have watch every episode LIVE (with commercials) if the show continued, it was that good.

If only the major networks occasionally looked beyond the numbers and focused on the quality of the work. Many very shows didn't have high ratings in the first half of the season, but went on to be very successful.

"Things aren’t shiny for Wendy."

Richard, is that a Firefly reference? I've seen it ("shiny") used elsewhere and can't recall the meaning/origin. Any chance you could refresh my memory?

Thanks!

Yup, things do really pick up once Brian Austin Green arrives. I'll re-watch it.

I just wish there weren’t so many plot holes, inconsistencies and generally sloppy writing/storytelling in the first season. But I'll wait for season 2 to see if the writers strike and a rushed production schedule was the reason behind those issues.

As long we get a flashback or two that details the entire backstory of Danielle Rousseau, I'll be happy. Let them introduce a bus load of new characters... I just want to know more about the mysterious Danielle.

BTW - I just notice on IMDB that Vincent the dog has now officially appeared in more episodes than Shannon, Boone and Walt.

While it was a good, solid episode, Michael's got be a little more cautious about getting involved with these clients and their 'hard luck' stories. Last season Lucy Lawless played a character (Evelyn) who conned him by pretending to be a mom whose abusive husband took her child into hiding. She ended up being a professional assassin and almost killed him. While that ep had a nice twist and a crazy ending, this one was a little more run of the mill.

I think show runner Matt Nix has to be careful not to keep throwing these types of clients at Michael or it’ll become too repetitive. At some point he ought to turn down someone just to show that he will not fall for the usual “I’m in a real bad situation and my family is at risk” line every single time.

It’ll be interesting to see how Michael Shanks does in his 4-episode arc. With the exception of one or two SG-1 eps, I don’t think I’ve seen Shanks play an ‘intense’ character before.

“It was a really nice touch by the sound editors playing crowd noise beneath the early part of the scene, climaxing with the sound of a tire bursting into flames.”

“By the way, this might be the best, last chance to see that third tap in the shower. So rewind and take a look.”

“But at least she’ll have money from her new job at Vexcor thanks to Rosalie’s final gift: her identity.”

Richard, thanks for catching and mentioning these little tidbits of important information that I missed. Another wonderful recap to assist me in fully understanding what went down in the episode. I have to stop watching the show so late in the evening… I’m missing too many details.

I also liked the small touch of the first match (or was it two) not lighting and subsequent frustration on Ren Porter’s face during Karl’s interrogation scene. It’s so brief and yet other (lesser) shows with a similar scenario would’ve just let the first match ignite and attempted to make it more corny dramatic by showing a close up of it lighting. Well done.

I think this was one of the best episodes of the series thus far. I don't know exactly why, but I enjoyed it much more than the last few. Perhaps it’s because it had a slightly more grounded storyline and a really good balance of plot, camp, physical comedy, dialog, and pop-culture references.

Plus, it didn’t feel like there were any weak links in this ep. All the actors involved, even the guy playing Louis, did a superb job in their respective roles.

Not that there’s anything wrong with a flying fish-based energy drink turning people into zombies, intergalactic dictators posing as a boy band, or a cursed tuba that could drown people on dry land.

I agree. And you nailed it in the final recap. Everything that made the show so good. The premise, the acting, the production, the writing, the direction... but especially the relationship between Dan and Katie. Perfection! Actress Gretchen Egolf was perfectly cast in that role. She could do more with one look or expression than any line of dialog to convey the moment.

I attempted to read anything I could find on Journeyman as the series was coming to an end and of the lot, your recap was easily one of the best takes on the show. A show that was just too damn intelligent for the majority of TV viewers.

I will continue to check this site and read your work.

Yup Jason... it all comes down to casting. Sometimes shows like Survivor and The Amazing Race get a good, diverse group of people... other times, not so much.

I heard an interview with Jeff Probst who mentioned that they look for and intentionally cast people that have very unpredictable and perhaps volatile personalities, along with others that have very different and unique personalities in order to create a ‘combustion’ of sorts on the set/island/camps. Their goal is to mix those people together in order to stimulate drama and outrageous behavior.

Sneaky and sometimes underhanded strategy has been used on TAR. Rob and Amber plus a few other pairs of racers have done some of that stuff over the years (asking customer service staff to say a pre-scheduled shuttle or tour is sold out for a specific time slot, telling a bus driver to leave before others arrive, stealing someone else’s cab, giving out false information to other teams, hogging a computer with Internet access so another couple couldn't use it, etc.). Perhaps one or two teams who employed that type of strategy throughout the entire race have even won (Reichen & Chip in S4?), but it's usually an exception to the norm.

Generally, while 'playing dirty' may help a team get ahead on a leg or two of the race, in the short term, it usually just pisses off the other teams and you quickly get a bad rep within the group of other racers. In the long term, while TAR is more of an individual/couples competition, occasionally you do need assistance (money, food, directions, clothing, information, etc.) from other teams. Unless you come in first place on every leg, once you become the hated team, you immediately lose that help and/or karma will set things straight.

I’ve always enjoyed The Amazing Race the most when the winners are couples that have played fair, treated others with some level of respect, don’t bicker, fight and argue with each other, and generally behaved like good people towards their competitors and the locals they encountered during the race. Among my favorite winning teams (I can’t recall all the seasons) are: Uchenna & Joyce in S7, B.J. & Tyler in S9, and Rachel and TK from last season.

Yo Mike:

Recently discovered this website and just read your December 19, 2007 recap of the final episode of Journeyman, one of the best new shows from last fall.

Man, that recap was spot on. Everything you wrote was perfect. Keep up the good work!

That's two episodes in a row where Michael has put in a lot of hard work and screen time in order to pull off ‘the plan’ and help out the client. Matt Nix is really showcasing Jeffrey Donovan’s acting range this year.

Was there a reward or payment for helping out the Ukrainian girl? Last season we occasionally saw him get some sort of payment for his services and expenses, this year, not so much. I wonder if that’s intentional.

Otherwise, another great ep. I wonder when Carla will come calling again?

And every Lost viewer knows, you just can't kill Patchy... no matter how hard you try.

Jason, I agree with Mike in that it is very difficult to utilize alliances in The Amazing Race. With the exception of the "yield" option, the way the race works doesn't really allow couples to align to intentionally oust other racers. The racers begin each leg at staggered times and complete tasks at different speeds sometimes rarely meeting up again until the next pit stop.

While I still enjoy Survivor, it has become way too alliance-oriented. As soon as the contestants hit the beach/camp, they are immediately sizing up people within their own tribe to determine who they ought to align with. Sometimes, like last season, the alliances turn on each other with unpredictable and interesting results (all the “blindsides” that took place). Other seasons, one strong alliance will dominate the entire game all the way to the final four, which is ultimately pretty boring. But lately, the biggest issue with Survivor is that the winner usually comes down to which of the final contestants can articulate their words better and ‘plead their case’ in front of the jury as to why they deserve the one-million bucks. Jeez, Amanda was in the finals the last two seasons, had many friends on the jury, but still couldn’t come up with the right words/responses at the final tribal council to convince those jury members who were on the fence to vote for her.

Survivor ultimately comes down to a popularity contest, whereas The Amazing Race is more of an individual/couples challenge.

Count me as someone who'd like to see Meyers do something different, a role requiring no prosthetics for instance. Although I was introduced to him during his stint on SNL and Wayne’s World flick, it was in “So I Married an Axe Murderer” that I noticed the guy might have a lot more range to his acting ability. Now, not so much.

Ax Murderer also allowed me to take a closer look at the beautiful Nancy Travis, who I’d only seen in smaller roles previously.

I really enjoy The Amazing Race and was more than a little pissed off when CBS decide to break the usual airing format and run two editions of Big Brother instead of the typical late winter/early spring season of TAR. I don't know if it was something Bertram Van Munster had control over or if it was strictly a CBS programming decision (I’m sure the call was made way in advance). Either way, it sucked.

I guess on the positive side, I’m now very excited knowing that TAR is coming back fairly soon.

I agree that one of the best things about TAR is the consistency of the shows format. Sure, they’ve made minor tweaks here and there (what happens at non-elimination pit stops, etc.), but for the most part, it’s a great show that allows the interesting filming locations to have just as much exposure as the contestants/race. And unlike many other competition reality shows, The Amazing Race basically boils down to the contestants possessing three attributes in almost equal parts: 1) brain (intelligence), 2) brawn (physical ability) and 3) simple luck. Those three components make the show so unpredictable and enjoyable to watch.

Thanks for the recap Richard. I look forward to reading the interview with Alex Epstein and, even more importantly, how the next set of episodes plays out.

I just hope Sci-Fi continues to air the series through the end... whatever that may be.

I too appreciate the recap. It is especially important with a show like CJ. When watching, it's easy to loose focus and get carried away with the unusual and stunning imagery, visuals and cinematography.

Question for anyone: Where and when did Charlie obtain his "tricorder slash sonic screwdriver slash magic wand"? Did he always have it on him from Alpha, did he steal it from 01 or from some other Vex-Cor office? I don't recall.

For what it's worth, this show needed much tighter editing… both on paper and behind the camera. It took too many episodes to finally reach the point where we see 01 travel between universes. In this episode for example, is it really necessary to spend 10 (or more) minutes on Reena in that room to convey the message that she's being held captive and tortured? Ditto on the scenes with Jasmine in Charlie’s former apartment. Throughout this series, the camera lingers far too long on too many scenes and useful information is doled out in miniscule bits and pieces. Because of poor pacing and a desire to place a cool visual presentation over plot development and forward momentum, what could've have been a very interesting show turns into a slow, plodding, convoluted mess. Perhaps more coherent if blocks of episodes aired back-to-back, but in weekly doses… well, I've already forgotten what took place 4 episodes back.

Ouch, you had to bring up the excellent, cancelled way to soon Journeyman! That really stings!

I'm still boycotting the majority of NBC's prime time programming because of their decision to yank it.

It's a shame it couldn't find a larger audience or move to one of the many cable channels NBCU owns.