…but all of it’s going to burn.
Episode 5 begins with a rapid-fire back-and-forth conversation between several people at the bar that feels like a desperate attempt at capturing a “casual dialogue” feel. It flops miserably. Hopefully, they won’t attempt it again; seriously, it was bad enough to turn anyone away from the show.
There are several interesting developments this episode, though we get some cliches as well. The power’s back, and so are the phones…although the first voice anyone hears is from the director of Homeland Security, basically just saying, “Sit tight, don’t panic, we’re on the case.” There’s also a TV signal, but it doesn’t offer much, except to move from an emergency broadcast screen to that of the Presidential seal at the end of the episode; presumably, next episode will begin with a message from the President himself…or whoever’s running the country. The drama between Eric, his wife, and the bartender…I dunno, I’m just not all that caught up in it. Same with the New York accountant and the bankrupt farmer; enough with the flirtation already. It doesn’t ring true…much like the cliche of making the New York businesswoman be a complete bitch who complains about the small-town yokels. (Expect the follow-up cliche where she warms up to everyone due to the mutual distress they’re all in.) The fact that so many fires occurred around town at approximately the same time seems too coincidental – sure, it might just be because of the power spikes, but I’m skeptical – but, really, did we really need the obligatory child-runs-back-into-the-burning-building plot line? We get more teen angst, and there’s no real development on Robert’s mysterious history, except to see that he has the equipment to access the internet when no-one else can. (I have to say, I cringed when Jake was looking through the telescope at Robert and, though he clearly didn’t know he was being watched, Robert started looking around.) There’s further dancing around why Jake left town and where he went, but we don’t get any resolution on that…well, except for Jake’s passport photo on Robert’s laptop, which does, admittedly, raise my curiosity.
There are a couple of legitimately funny moments in the episode, starting with the power coming back on in “Jericho” and BTO’s “Taking Care of Business” playing loudly. You’re almost certain it’s going to be the soundtrack to a montage of people running through the town…until someone walks over and turns off the jukebox. It’s also smirk-worthy when, after Jake continues his ongoing false claims about what how he learned his various skills (when he knows how to turn on the water pressure to save a burning house, he explains, “I was a pool guy”), he’s called on it by Robert (he provides emergency power with the line, “I was a pool guy, too”). The best, though, is the teasing reference to another new series, which occurs when Emily gets zapped by a power line and is knocked unconscious.
Boy: Is she going to wake up?
Doctor: Yes.
Boy: (Hesitates) With super powers?
Doctor: Probably not.
All in all, though, we spend the entire episode waiting to find out what the government is going to say during their broadcast…and it ends without us ever finding out, which is a little annoying. Then again, it also ends with missles flying through the air, so there’s little question that I’ll be tuning in next week, anyway.
