Summary: Reese is sent to work on a case that Carter worked on. He chooses to tackle the case alone. Reese is able to resolve the case but is fatally injured in the process. Reese has a hallucination about Carter, giving him some closure and examining his inability to let other people in. Eventually, rescue arrives for Reese. Meanwhile, the conflict between Elias and the Brotherhood takes off.
The Good: If Taraji P. Henson had to return for one episode, I wouldn't be able to come up with anything better than what we got here. This was a perfect way to bring her back, and I appreciate this so much more than just a simple cameo. Using Carter to actually further Reese's character arc and provide a fantastic character analysis was genius and made for an original, emotional episode. Furthermore, the return of Carter gave the episode a bit of a nostalgic feeling, making the scenes between Reese, Carter, Finch and Fusco in the car have some weight as I was able to fondly recall the POI cases from seasons 1 & 2 which feel so different from the type of stuff we have in this season. The storytelling in this episode was so damn good. The twist that there weren't really any flashbacks and that everything we saw was just a hallucination or fantasy in Reese's head was surprising and emotional. It was so sad to see that Reese dreamed of opening up to Carter about Jessica yet he was never able to bring himself to do it. It's one of those great plot twists that both surprises and hits you emotionally. I really liked all of the conversations Reese and Carter had. The acting was phenomenal as Jim Caviezel gave his best performance yet, perfectly portraying Reese's insecurities and fears. Furthermore, I loved that Carter was used to portray Reese's inner conflict, chastising him for his hesitation in reaching out and keeping everyone out of reach from him. The case was pretty solid too. I loved that the case allowed Reese to think about Carter once again, and it allowed him to get some much-needed closeness with Carter in heartbreaking fashion. It was a perfect way to show us how much Reese does miss Carter, and I think it even makes their romance from "The Crossing" a little more plausible. I also enjoyed the splicing of Carter and Reese's investigations, giving a cinematic feel for the episode while providing us with exposition in a clever and original way. I have a couple of stray thoughts . I love how the twist was foreshadowed early on with Reese curiously upping the temperature while sitting in the car with Carter. Also Root coming in with a wedding dress on was quite funny. The Bad: Gil's story is convoluted and it doesn't make any sense why he waited so long before trying to kill Chase. I was also confused about why Chase went to the cabin, and how he knew who Gil was without being aware that they were stepbrothers. The plot confused me a lot and left me scratching my head. It's especially disappointing to have such a poorly defined plotline after the introduction of the case was so well done. Lastly, we got no closure on what Chase's fate was. I guess he just died then. Reese's gunshot wound mysteriously moved from his shoulder blade to his midsection halfway through the episode. Strange. The Unknown: What happened to Chase? Did he die? Who was that in the car at the end of the episode? Was it Finch/Root/Fusco or somebody else entirely? Best Moment: The final ten minute conversation between Carter and Reese was ridiculously powerful. Reese revealing exactly why he didn't go back to Jessica was really sad, and it made the motives of his character clearer than ever. We knew exactly why Reese wouldn't have reached out because of this, and that makes the reveal that Reese imagined himself reaching out to Carter all the more painful. In the end Reese is still a human being with emotions and he has been holding them inside for far too long. This conversation brilliantly made Reese realize how destructive his current mindset is, and he was able to come to terms with how bad it is to be so self-contained. Reese was able to fully examine why all of his relationships failed, and even got the heartbreaking truth that Carter would have been completely open to him talking about Jessica, but he never gave her the chance. Character of the Episode: Reese. This was his episode through and through. Conclusion: This was a magnificent episode that is easily one of the best hours the show has ever done. While I don't think it's quite as tense or imaginative as "If-Then-Else" (a high bar, I know), this made up for it with a truckload of raw emotion, making for a memorable standalone experience that I had a wonderful time watching. It's no surprise that an episode focusing on character ended up being a massive success, and I certainly wouldn't be opposed to more focused episodes of the show like this. Score: 83
3 Comments
Ben
7/2/2019 01:33:06 pm
Excellent episode. I wonder if you caught Carter's mention of Iris? Like you said, the foreshadowing was great, and it was just brilliant when everything came together, yet also tragic knowing that these were things John never really got to say. It's a depressing thought to think one could so easily blur the lines between what they've actually revealed to people and what they've only wanted to reveal. I agree that it made me feel a bit better about the romance between Carter and John last season. I also thought the break-up with Iris made sense after the events of the episode. John really doesn't see himself having much of a future outside of helping the numbers and Finch. It's sad but he hasn't really changed that much since the Pilot. Or, at least, he still thinks he's heading in the same direction as he was back then.
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Aaronic
7/3/2019 03:27:22 pm
Great observations, they only add on to my enjoyment of the episode. I must have missed the bit about Iris, or perhaps it was overshadowed by the many other brilliant moments throughout the episode. Either way, it's definitely something for me to watch out for during my inevitable rewatch of this episode.
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Joe Y
8/14/2020 05:11:26 pm
You nailed it. This really is a haunting, beautiful outing that is so well-constructed it boggles the mind. The resolution to the case is perfunctory, and yet it hardly matters. This is about Reese and Carter, and man......it is so good.
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Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
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