For anyone who’s been following the past week’s off-screen “Journeyman” drama – much of which was inspired by our own Will Harris’ interview with creator Kevin Falls – this week’s episode probably packed an even bigger punch than usual. It was written by Falls himself, which alone seemed to rack the tension up above the norm. I wondered how many people may have tuned in for the first time last night after possibly hearing about the show this week? Or how many newbies may have tuned in because a friend made them watch it?
Even being the second half of a two-parter, the action felt fairly standalone once you realized the danger present in the form of Aeden Bennett, who shows up and promptly shoots Dan in the kitchen. But then Dan disappears…
He finds himself in 1980 at the house of a child. The promos pretty much gave away the identity of the child (a young Bennett) and while Dan wrestles with what he assumes is an abuse situation, back in the present, Bennett concocts a scheme to get Katie to the house.
Again, the show skillfully weaved back and forth between past and present and I think this is an episode that would come across even stronger on a repeat viewing. Back in ’80, Dan (still bleeding) makes it to a hospital and Livia appears to get him through that hurdle. There’s a tender scene between the pair in which she asserts that without her initial presence in his life, he and Katie would not be together, therefore, they’re “meant to be.” I’m wondering if Livia wasn’t jumping the gun a little there, because without Katie, the current Dan/Livia dynamic might not be as tight either. To quote Doctor Who’s “Blink” episode, “wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey…”
Another great moment – Jack finally saw Livia! So no more can Jack be in the dark as to what’s going on. He’s in the time travel loop, so to speak. And what of Agent Garrity (Paul Schulze), who was also shot and seemingly killed by Bennett? Was that swept under the carpet or what? Is the guy still alive somewhere? I’m sticking with “if there wasn’t a dead body at the end, then he isn’t dead,” until I see differently. And is/was he indeed operating as a rogue FBI agent as Dan’s boss, Hugh (Brian Howe) seemed to discover? And isn’t a pizza sandwich about the nastiest thing you’ve ever heard of?
“Journeyman’s” taking next week off (I’ll still be here though, blogging Sci Fi’s “Tin Man” miniseries), but it will be back on Dec. 10th with Episode 11, “Home by Another Way.” Will that be all we’re going to get if NBC can’t find a place for 12 on the schedule? Hopefully, with all the commotion this week, NBC will figure out a way to play fair for all the fans. At this point they’d be silly not to. And who knows – we may even get a back 9 order within the next few weeks.
