Ok, now that I have had my head rewired, we finally get to see an episode with a more serialized element, as this episode was originally meant to be the second episode following the Pilot.
The episode starts out with a man named Anton Cross who's running through the streets trying to find shelter, as he keeps yelling, "They're going to kill me!". Unfortunately a failed attempt to try and catch a bullet train, does Cross suddenly get shot when confronted by a train security officer. Anton Cross dies instantly on the scene.
Kennex, after a therapy session in which he proclaims his good fortune and deflects his own actual emotions by expounding on the misfortunes of others in the group, is called to the crime scene with DRN, Richard Paul, and Paul's MX.
The MX offers an overly detailed and scientific explanation on the fact that one bullet had actually hit 3 marks. His conclusion is that it has to do with provision of an angle (much like a game of Pool), but DRN quickly expresses another possibility, which is the bullet is somehow designed to track people and change it's trajectory in mid flight. The MX continues to yammer on about his own beliefs and tries to point out that the DRNs have faults John shoots the MX out of service!
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Back at the precinct Captain Maldonado yells and berates John for his negligence to shoot the MX in public, as Richard Paul tries to make it more about his MX, rather than John's public violation.With a stern warning Maldonado allows John to continue working on the case and tells Paul to go down and find himself another MX.
DRN had found out that Anton Cross has his own technology company and that his girlfriend Kira Larsen also works there DRN and John Kennex go the company to talk to Kira to see what they can find out. Kira, who's very upset eventually tells John that Anton had recently met with a bond-headed hedge hunter named Natalie, but she can't really believe that Anton would be involved in something bad. DRN had been observing the companies advanced advertising programs, in which he later disclosed to John that Anton's technology could all be programmed together to make a bullet follow someone specific.
Rudy then fills John in that the bullet was of Russian origin possibly belonging to an arms dealing-gun runner organization called Revolution Now. They conclude that Anton sold the technology to them and now they just turned around and killed him.
In the meantime Richard Paul harasses Valerie Stahl about her wealthy father (and with conversation about genetic enhancements in which Val tells Paul no matter how he looks, he'll still always be a jerk!), while John notices Captain Maldonado trying to negotiate a deal with Reinheart, a man apart of the raid on the evidence room in the Pilot, who did not escape. John walks into listen only to hear Reinhart say that what they wanted was so "big" and comments, "Do you really think I'm the only one coming for it?" and that a free walk is the only deal he will accept. For now the Captain declines his offer, which John tends to disagree with, siting that they owe to the families that lost loved ones in the bombing to everything they can to get to the bottom of it.
They then decide to interview Kira Larsen again, as Natalie the head hunter comes up as a dead end. We also know from another scene that the women alias as Natalie and her two cohorts are going to take Kira out. While on the street talking to Kira, DRN is able to notice the bullet and pushes John and Kira out of the way. DRN takes the bullet in his stomach region, but is ultimately ok and continues on.
After a reveal of her daughter, John goes to get her, and Kira's friend Janet, and brings them all to safe house. Harking back to what John may have failed to do at his own therapy session, he asks Kira to be honest with herself about sensing anything wrong with Anton.
John then gets a call from Valerie who was able to find parking violations in which Anton had illegally parked at Merrit Bank and that he possibly took out an account under an alias of Mark Cross. DRN and John go to the bank and are able to get access to Cross' safety deposit box. Inside they find extortion videos which prove Cross' innocence.
Feeling guilty, because she did sense something was not right with Anton, does Kira leave her daughter and Janet at the safe house. (How she could just walk out is beyond me). She goes to shopping center where somewhere underneath under one of the shops she visits a "scrubber", someone who wipes memories away!
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At the precinct John and Kira have a heart to heart. He shows her the videos that include scenes of her daughter playing on the playground. John says he also found a bunch of cut up little numbers and asks if she had any idea what they mean. She tells him a sweet story about how he used a pen, being old fashioned, to write his phone number down and gave it to her when they first met. She was so happy that he had secretly kept them as a momento. She pulls out the pen, also in the box, and gives it John as a token of appreciation for the uncovered memories.
Valerie comes up to John, who earlier John misunderstood her when she said she had something for him, not realizing it was just related to the case they were working on, but this time she actually has something little to give him...an energy chew!?! John in return also says he has something to give her and asks her to wait a second. He gets out a piece of paper and takes out the pen, which Valerie thinks is very entertaining and unusual. He writes down his phone number and gives the paper folded to her. Giggling a little, she walks a way nodding and smiling.
We ARE Receiving!
This week's episode is what I had been hoping for all along with just some crumbs and/or continuation to what was introduced in the Pilot, ---although still knowing this was episode two and knowing that all the other episodes we have seen would have been following this, it isn't very reassuring unless we are coming out of the woods and will continue on and off to push towards the mystery and emotional story relating to John and Insyndicate.Karl Urban also gives a great performance here, as this time the story focused more on him rather than DRN, and where it would have felt natural to see this progression following the Pilot, but I think it feels rather out of place as episode 8.
And You Are Here!
One of my favorite scenes was surely the final scenes, as we see the
I also liked the therapy session scene too! I wish we would get a little more personalized not-at-work scenes from all the characters more often, because it just adds an additional emotional/personalized dimension to the over all story.
Before the season started, I also hoped there would be a running gag with Kennex killing MXs. And although it does appear that he had stopped killing them (thinking of this as episode 2), the MXs do still get killed a lot, as John says, they tend to be good "bullet catchers" ;)
No Really, You ARE Here...
Additionally it was nice to get confirmation that John's memories about "Anna" were not false, as other people know about it. So we don't have to worry too much about "The Recollectionist's" motives. It was also an interesting contrast to feature something sudo-opposite or something that could go hand in hand of a Recollectionist with the introduction of "Scrubbers", but it makes me realize how people in this reality could really be screwed up and how we could potentially have much more complex story lines down the road. (and Scrubbing is similar concept to Observers wiping someone's memory on Fringe during the final season's 2036-era)
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The show continues to be fun, but also at times have great heart and soul. This episode just felt much more organic than some of the other episodes. I just hope we get more episodes like this one, where we can have both our story of the week and an ongoing bigger story too, while also able to dance around the characters relationships with each other! Lets see what the original episode 4 & 9 bring!!
Notes: Anton "Mark" Cross may be reference to spiritual themes, something I noticed more of in the first couple of episodes. For a chunk of those, including DRN's serial number, see references section HERE on the "Pilot" & "Skin" Review.
Looking at the Press Release again, I am left to wonder if we have had some scene cut, as Chad Riley (Det. MARK Pellham) was listed under guest cast??
Looking at the Press Release again, I am left to wonder if we have had some scene cut, as Chad Riley (Det. MARK Pellham) was listed under guest cast??
Bad Robot Factor
Each week after my review I will bring this section relating to many things Bad Robot in relationship to the episode, as I feel certain Bad Robot often makes a point to reference themselves with similar characters, subject matter, riffs, easter eggs, aesthetics, contrasting situations, & occasionally shared pop cultural references. So this section is to explore the possibility of those things, which may provide some and insight speculation and at the very least food for thought and/or trivia. I also think it's just fun to be able to reminisce!
Each week after my review I will bring this section relating to many things Bad Robot in relationship to the episode, as I feel certain Bad Robot often makes a point to reference themselves with similar characters, subject matter, riffs, easter eggs, aesthetics, contrasting situations, & occasionally shared pop cultural references. So this section is to explore the possibility of those things, which may provide some and insight speculation and at the very least food for thought and/or trivia. I also think it's just fun to be able to reminisce!
Mystery Safety Deposit Box
The Mystery Box is J.J. Abrams' approach and metaphor in expressing that life can be a mystery to dig through is found as a signature in many Bad Robot's works. It's also most likely why various kinds of literal boxes appear in many series to emphasize this concept, although it can also be used to convey "containment" or "imprisonment".
Safety Deposit Boxes are also then one of the kinds of boxes repeatedly used. The most iconic safety deposit box scene relates to LOST's Kate Austen and her need to retrieve her childhood sweethearts toy airplane the two had dug up as adults from their childhood time capsule ("Whatever The Case May Be"). James "Sawyer" Ford also asks Kate a favor later in the series that if she gets off the Island if she can get to his safety deposit box to get a lot money his daughter Clementine. Anthony Cooper also asks John to get to one after he staged his death in the episode "Lockdown".
Walter Bishop is also another user of safety deposit boxes, as he used many of them to hide secrets and devices in and this is also featured in the episode "Safe", as ZFT led at this time by Mitchell Loeb, is recovering parts to Walter's teleportation device.
Note: The Alcatraz episode (and character), "Cal Sweeney" also plays to LOST criminals Kate and James. In addition special lasser key is hidden in the one in which Sweeney is tasked to steel from. There is also an "Officer Loeb" in Almost Human.
Safety Deposit Boxes are also then one of the kinds of boxes repeatedly used. The most iconic safety deposit box scene relates to LOST's Kate Austen and her need to retrieve her childhood sweethearts toy airplane the two had dug up as adults from their childhood time capsule ("Whatever The Case May Be"). James "Sawyer" Ford also asks Kate a favor later in the series that if she gets off the Island if she can get to his safety deposit box to get a lot money his daughter Clementine. Anthony Cooper also asks John to get to one after he staged his death in the episode "Lockdown".
Walter Bishop is also another user of safety deposit boxes, as he used many of them to hide secrets and devices in and this is also featured in the episode "Safe", as ZFT led at this time by Mitchell Loeb, is recovering parts to Walter's teleportation device.
Note: The Alcatraz episode (and character), "Cal Sweeney" also plays to LOST criminals Kate and James. In addition special lasser key is hidden in the one in which Sweeney is tasked to steel from. There is also an "Officer Loeb" in Almost Human.
Pen Theory
Pens seems a very iconic thing to see in Bad Robot works. Fringe fans might be reminded of both the episodes "The Northwest Passage", where Police Officer Mathis, gives her love interest's Detective Fergusson's Pen (which reads "Find The Crack" = Find the truth or hope) to Peter Bishop, and/or when drug-experimentee Milo Stanfield could use objects, such as a pen, to cause chain reactions to prove his ability to predict upcoming outcomes of the near future in "The Plateau".
But LOST also used pens (and other writing utensils) thematically as objects used at critical times in the 815-ers lives such as Claire Littleton in "Raised by Another", Boone Carlyle trying to save Rose in "Pilot Pt1", oung James "Sawyer" Ford writing a letter to Anthony Cooper in "The Incident Pt1", Kate stealing Jack's pen (Flash Sideways) in "LAX Pt2", and Jacob telling Hugo he needs to find a pen to right down his instructions in "The Lighthouse".
It tends to represent fate/trajectory, communication, and ultimately the preservation of ourselves in physical proof of existence (memory).
Note: In LOST Penelope Widmore/Hume was also sometimes called "Pen" by Desmond. In Fringe September's Notebook was also another way in which we see "notes" (and some of his experiences) being collected like a scientific diary, which much like Walter's white tulip, concept borrowed from Alistair Peck, do we see again both instances the significance and emotional resonation on being able to pass messages in time.
Pens seems a very iconic thing to see in Bad Robot works. Fringe fans might be reminded of both the episodes "The Northwest Passage", where Police Officer Mathis, gives her love interest's Detective Fergusson's Pen (which reads "Find The Crack" = Find the truth or hope) to Peter Bishop, and/or when drug-experimentee Milo Stanfield could use objects, such as a pen, to cause chain reactions to prove his ability to predict upcoming outcomes of the near future in "The Plateau".
But LOST also used pens (and other writing utensils) thematically as objects used at critical times in the 815-ers lives such as Claire Littleton in "Raised by Another", Boone Carlyle trying to save Rose in "Pilot Pt1", oung James "Sawyer" Ford writing a letter to Anthony Cooper in "The Incident Pt1", Kate stealing Jack's pen (Flash Sideways) in "LAX Pt2", and Jacob telling Hugo he needs to find a pen to right down his instructions in "The Lighthouse".
It tends to represent fate/trajectory, communication, and ultimately the preservation of ourselves in physical proof of existence (memory).
Note: In LOST Penelope Widmore/Hume was also sometimes called "Pen" by Desmond. In Fringe September's Notebook was also another way in which we see "notes" (and some of his experiences) being collected like a scientific diary, which much like Walter's white tulip, concept borrowed from Alistair Peck, do we see again both instances the significance and emotional resonation on being able to pass messages in time.
The Bullet That Could Ruin The World
Although there were no direct ties or allusions to Fringe's "A Brave New World" and "The Bullet that Saved the world", I definitely was reminded by it due the key words themselves and the general idea expressed by John Kennex that if these bullets would come to exist, it would be a brave new world for 2048. It also occured to me that the technology perhaps could still be out there, as one of the trio of arms dealers got away and who's to say if they did not sell and/or trade these bullets or the programs use to control them are not still out there somewhere let alone used again later by their own organization! -This could be a sign of foreshadowing down the road.
Note: we could also make a parallel to DRN with Olivia Dunham as well too, as each took a bullet (at least for now in DRN's case) saved the day and points out both their incredible beyond human abilities.
Note the idea of Russian arms dealers/gun runners: "Revolution Now" and bullets operating like little missiles is reminiscent to things in Alias and by extension Person of Interest and Revolution.
Although there were no direct ties or allusions to Fringe's "A Brave New World" and "The Bullet that Saved the world", I definitely was reminded by it due the key words themselves and the general idea expressed by John Kennex that if these bullets would come to exist, it would be a brave new world for 2048. It also occured to me that the technology perhaps could still be out there, as one of the trio of arms dealers got away and who's to say if they did not sell and/or trade these bullets or the programs use to control them are not still out there somewhere let alone used again later by their own organization! -This could be a sign of foreshadowing down the road.
Note: we could also make a parallel to DRN with Olivia Dunham as well too, as each took a bullet (at least for now in DRN's case) saved the day and points out both their incredible beyond human abilities.
Note the idea of Russian arms dealers/gun runners: "Revolution Now" and bullets operating like little missiles is reminiscent to things in Alias and by extension Person of Interest and Revolution.
Group Therapy - I feel Good
In Almost Human we see John Kennex maybe isn't cut out for group therapy, as he tells the group instructor that he feels good, despite that his partner is dead and his ex-girlfriend is apart of some major terrorist organization and instead turns the tables on the others in the group saying his life is better than theirs, that he would probably blow his head off if he was ""! On LOST John Locke also goes to a recovering therapy group ("Orientation"), but opposite to Kennex, he tells everyone that by having been coned by his biological father in loosing one of his kidneys, how way worse he has it compared to everyone else there.
Note: In Felicity characters Ben Covington and Molly also go to group therapy sessions during the third season. In LOST Christian Sheppard also goes to group therapy and the song "I Feel Good" by James Brown is sung by Hurley to try and help Charlie get baby Aaron from stop crying. A Sunflower is also painted on the wall in John Kennex' therapy room. Last week I had noted that flowers tend to be recurring symbolic objects in Bad Robot works. The sunflower is most iconic to LOST characters James "Sawyer" Ford's and Juliet's romantic relationship.
Not Playing Nicely
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In this episode we have these extortion tapes where we witness Kira's daughter playing on the playground. This may be a riff to LOST, where we see Ben Linus present an extortion video to Juliet featuring her sister Rachel and Rachel's son Julian (named for Juliet) also playing on the playground.
Actor Andrei Kovski, who played one of the Russian Trio named Radovan, is also known for his stunt work in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. And actress Sunita Prasad playing Janet was also a waitress in a Fringe episode "August".
Chewable Pick-Me-Ups <3
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In the Fringe episode "Letters of Transit" we see character Simon Foster give what might have been potential love interest Etta Bishop a "coffee chew", which is very similar to Valerie Stahl giving John Kennex an "energy chew". (The color red might also be a wink at the red matter we saw in the Pilot and to Walter Bishop's love of candy such as red vines liquorice)
So what did you think of "You Are Here"? Have any favorite lines? Were you glad to get back to some things that relate to the Pilot? Do you think the "Magic Bullet" and programs are still out there? Do you think Valerie's dad is anyone important? Let us know in the comments below?
Note: In Felicity characters Ben Covington and Molly also go to group therapy sessions during the third season. In LOST Christian Sheppard also goes to group therapy and the song "I Feel Good" by James Brown is sung by Hurley to try and help Charlie get baby Aaron from stop crying. A Sunflower is also painted on the wall in John Kennex' therapy room. Last week I had noted that flowers tend to be recurring symbolic objects in Bad Robot works. The sunflower is most iconic to LOST characters James "Sawyer" Ford's and Juliet's romantic relationship.
Not Playing Nicely
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Actor Andrei Kovski, who played one of the Russian Trio named Radovan, is also known for his stunt work in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. And actress Sunita Prasad playing Janet was also a waitress in a Fringe episode "August".
Chewable Pick-Me-Ups <3
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In the Fringe episode "Letters of Transit" we see character Simon Foster give what might have been potential love interest Etta Bishop a "coffee chew", which is very similar to Valerie Stahl giving John Kennex an "energy chew". (The color red might also be a wink at the red matter we saw in the Pilot and to Walter Bishop's love of candy such as red vines liquorice)
So what did you think of "You Are Here"? Have any favorite lines? Were you glad to get back to some things that relate to the Pilot? Do you think the "Magic Bullet" and programs are still out there? Do you think Valerie's dad is anyone important? Let us know in the comments below?
