I wondered some time ago when Dan would botch his first job. While he didn’t necessarily screw up this week’s mission, he certainly went off on a tangent that’s going to haunt him next week (and maybe even beyond.)

For the second time in two weeks, Dan traveled into one hell of a party scene – only this time it was an early-90’s rave (boy, did that take me back…). Amidst the club kids dosing on ecstasy and acid, he sees Livia – but it’s Livia from ’92! When he asks her what they’re doing there, she’s blissed out and doesn’t even recognize him. Once he realizes that this a version of Livia that’s never even met him, he moves on to do his token sleuthing. He notices a brick wall that seems unstable due to the thumping rave beats. He quite easily knocks a few bricks out of place and sees a young girl on the other side.

Afterwards, it becomes clear (at least to Livia and the viewer) that the mission is to protect the young girl, Emily, who grows up to be played by Indigo of “Weeds”. It’s Dan’s job to keep her on the straight and narrow. Unfortunately, back in the present, Zack is acting up both at home and at school. In one of the episode’s biggest leaps of faith, we’re asked to believe that Dan in turn acts out on his mission because of the way his son is acting up.

Anyway, Dan becomes convinced that this creepy realtor who holed up Emily will strike again. He enlists Jack in the present in his quest to put this guy away. Livia repeatedly warns him not play outside the Journeyman rulebook. He ignores her by insisting that he can do his mission and right this other wrong as well. He seemingly accomplishes both, but it all comes back to bite him in the ass in the episode’s final moments. In the present, the timeline has been altered: Jack has no memories of helping Dan and the creepy realtor guy has been released from prison and knows where Dan and his family live.

If it all sounds confusing, that’s because my recap didn’t do the episode justice. It played out in as uncomplicated a manner as one could imagine and delivered a true time travel mind fuck ending (although, admittedly, I kinda saw it coming). But certainly critics of the series who wonder about screwing things up in the past and the consequences they might have on the present should feel better after this episode. And the previews for next week – which showed Livia revealing herself to Jack – make “Journeyman’s” future look quite bright indeed.

And no – I’m not speaking of ratings…according to AICN, the show is on the precipice of cancellation (click here for this tidbit).

Keep an eye out here at Premium Hollywood for Will Harris’ upcoming interview with “Journeyman” creator Kevin Falls.