Scorpion, “Father’s Day,” was written by Nick Santora and directed by Milan Cheylov. Exec Producer Santora also wrote the teleplay for the Pilot, and among Cheylov’s many credits are Bones, 24, Agents of SHIELD, and Touch. I really liked this episode, primarily because it really felt like the show hit its stride. The actors seem settled into the characters now, and we get some really great insights into them. As always, watching geniuses solve a case is also entertaining, but the episode is cleverly plotted to weave the theme of fathers into the entire episode.
Paige (Katharine McPhee) is clearly having an effect on the team. She has taken on almost a mothering role with them, bringing them healthier, brain-food for snacks and making sure that their clients actually pay their bills – even if she does have to impersonate a lawyer to do it. We also see this at the end of the episode when Paige coaches Sylvester (Ari Stidham) in throwing the fire bomb. She tells him she believes in him – unlike his father who stuck him in right field. In turn, the team has really taken Ralph (Riley B Smith) under their collective wings. Unfortunately, that input isn’t appreciated by Paige when Ralph’s father Drew (Brendan Hines) shows up. Paige’s dilemma throughout the episode is whether or not to let Ralph see the father who abandoned him.
Drew’s appearance affects the team in various ways, but has a real impact on Walter (Elyes Gabel) and Happy (Jadyn Wong). Happy’s own father abandoned her to grow up in foster homes after her mother died in childbirth. Happy resists stepping in to the discussion until she overhears Paige ask Ralph what he remembers about his father. Ralph remembers that his father was tall, liked his toast burnt, and left them to go see a movie. Ralph then goes on to tell Paige how many theaters there are and how many movies play in them and how long the average movie is – all an explanation for how long it’s taken his dad to return. Happy waited at the windows of her foster homes for a dented red truck. She tells Paige, “we have both spent our whole lives waiting for someone to come home just to prove we matter, so if there’s even a chance you can end what Ralph’s going through? Then you do it.” It’s Happy’s experience that makes Paige’s decision for her. She will let Ralph see Drew – not, she tells Walter, Drew see Ralph.
Paige is reluctant to take their advice in regards to Ralph because it isn’t an analytical decision, it’s an emotional one – something they are all ill-equipped to deal with due to their lack of EQ. Yet, Toby (Eddie Kaye Thomas) steps up to find out information on both Drew and Happy’s father. He hacks into Social Services and gets her record. There are pictures of her parents in the file which he gives Happy. She tells him she’s not interested, and she also tells him she’s not his patient. His response is, “No. But you are my friend.” There’s also a nice moment when Happy is punching through the wall at the prison when Toby turns to Sylvester and says “I’m so turned on.” I also loved the two working together with the laser from Toby’s laptop dvd player to make the bad guys think they were SWAT. Certainly looks like the writers are moving Happy and Toby in a romantic direction.
Both the case and Drew’s appearance stir up things for Walter. The flashbacks fill us in on the Walter/Cabe story and we see the beginning and the end of their early relationship. We see young Walter (Daniel Zolghardi) returned to his family by Cabe – and I’m sorry but the soft filters and wig are not doing it for me for “young” Cabe! However, Cabe does value young Walter and understands his skill set while his parents are completely baffled by their own son. Cabe gives Walter a computer with the only stipulation being that he use it to keep in touch. Later, we see teenage Walter (Robert Smythe) with a black eye, being asked by Cabe to work on a program to deliver aide – the project we know will ultimately be used for bombing. Again, Cabe takes an interest in how Walter got the black eye, and teaches him how to defend himself – always go for the nose! But Walter still harbors resentment for how Cabe used him. And he cautions Paige that telling Drew about Ralph being enabled carries risk. Walter is worried that Drew will take advantage of Ralph for his own ends the way Cabe took advantage of him.
Meanwhile, the team, and especially Walter, see one of their own at the heart of the case that Cabe brings them. Percy (Rocky Marquette) is a well-known hacktivist who it appears Russian mobsters have kidnapped and broken out of jail. He’s one of them, but not quite at their level. They are all somewhat envious that his 150 IQ leaves him in the sweet spot of being mentally gifted but not EQ-challenged. Walter identifies with Percy being taken advantage of – much like Walter feels that Cabe did to him. Walter takes offence when Cabe mocks Percy. Walter also points out that it’s easy to take advantage of the gifted because they are so focused that they lose their peripheral vision and that’s where ulterior motives exist. Sylvester tells Cabe that geniuses state facts and simply assume that others do as well.
Walter further explains that “If you are ostracized at an early age for being different” – remember the bullies in Walter’s flashback – “or someone targets you because they have something to gain” – how Walter feels about Cabe – “you don’t see their motives until it’s too late. After a while, it affects your core self. You trust no one and grow up to be distant” – Walter – “angry” – Happy – “a condescending jerk” – Toby – “or scared of your own shadow” – Sylvester.
Cabe cautions Walter not to let the chip on his shoulder cloud his judgment, but of course, that’s exactly what happens. When Walter finally realizes that Percy has been playing them all along, he’s determined to take him down himself. When they try to get actionable intelligence for Cabe and almost get shot, Cabe is more annoyed that they might have been hurt than that they lost the bad guys. In the final confrontation, Walter takes one of the bad guys down by punching him and Cabe is impressed that he remembered to go for the nose.
Cabe is curious as to why Walter let Percy get so under his skin. Walter opens up to Cabe and tells him that it wasn’t about Percy so much as it was about Cabe having betrayed Walter when he was younger. Walter tells him that Cabe was the closest thing he had to a father and that he’s never really forgiven him for betraying him. Cabe then sees that Drew coming around is what stirred up these feelings and Walter is clearly worried that Ralph will get hurt. I thought this exchange was just a bit to on the nose. We may not all be geniuses, but we did get that!
By the end of the episode, we have three father reunions. Paige brings Ralph to meet Drew, and Happy shows up at her father’s garage. She offers to help him work on a car – though she doesn’t identify herself as his daughter. Walter tells Paige that he won’t interfere – he’ll just be close by in case Ralph needs him – which Walter being Walter, he means literally! As Walter watches the reunion, Cabe pulls up and comes to stand beside Walter. He tells him “You look after the kid. I’ll look after you. Just like it used to be, ok?” Walter agrees and takes one of the Peek Freans that Walter offers him.
There were lots of nice little touches in this episode, and the Peek Freans was just one of them. I’m actually old enough to remember that ad campaign – that Peek Freans were serious cookies. It was supposed to be one of those reverse-psychology type commercials – only older people would want Peek Freans because they were serious – but that just increased the desire to have them. You can hear the jingle here.
It’s always fun to watch the team figuring things out – like the message that Percy leaves at the gas station and then the Amber Alert that they leave that has to hit the “sweet spot” of being easy enough for Percy to get but hard enough not to attract a lot of math geeks. Sylvester trying to use the fruit test on Drew and then Cabe failing it was hilarious – though telling as their father-figure. I loved when they were watching Percy’s camera feed and figure out how to determine what’s being said. They all say of course at the same time and run off from the computer leaving Paige and Cabe just staring at each other. I also liked when they determine they need to use Cabe’s voice to simulate Russian tones and Walter tells him to say the alphabet. Cabe starts with the regular alphabet, but as soon as Walter calls him on it and specifies the phonetic alphabet, Cabe just carries on. I doubt that I could remember the phonetic alphabet. It was also a nice touch for Toby to mess up the morse code.
While the team may be enabled, they are still relatable. They all have flaws, and while they may not have a highly developed EQ, they clearly care for each other and Ralph. I really do feel like the show is finally hitting its stride. What did you think of the episode? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
