In essence, the leader of the Alt-universe super-soldiers, Mr. Newton, is trying to open a doorway linking Fringe Prime with Alt-Fringe. This would be a very bad thing, and Olivia is supposed to do whatever it takes to prevent it. As it turns out, Walter is the only person in Fringe Prime with the knowledge of how to create a doorway, and those memories were intentionally taken away from him. Mr. Newton fulfills a plan to restore those memories just long enough to get his answers, and Olivia chooses to save Walter rather than stop Mr. Newton and end the threat.

That summary doesn’t quite do the episode justice. For one thing, the method of memory restoration is interesting, because it implies a mechanism for memory that doesn’t quite mesh with how memory and consciousness has been handled previously on the series. Memory and consciousness have been a bit more ephemeral in previous episodes, implying that both are not necessarily linked to a physical anchor within the brain.

In this case, however, it appears that William Bell was able to excise small portions of Walter’s brain, thus removing Walter’s ability to access certain key memories and associations. The question is: does this imply that the information itself was held within those chunks of grey matter, or that the chunks removed were necessary for access to the information? Considering that the series is as much about consciousness and perception as it is about monsters and alternate realities, this is not an idle question.

We also get some insight into Walter’s past history. It seems very clear that Walter’s decision to open the door into Alt-Fringe and abduct Alt-Peter was a trigger point. It was the first such incursion, according to Mr. Newton, and I still believe that the abduction triggered a response from Alt-Walter that led to the war that has been heating up since. We have yet to see what kind of man Alt-Water might be, but there have been plenty of hints that the pre-psychotic break version of Walter Prime was not someone to cross. If Walter Prime had been advancing his “fringe science” all that time, who knows what kind of disturbing tech he would have created!

That leads to another interesting possibility. Was Walter’s mental collapse really all that it seems? Did he really lose his mind due to the death of a student? I don’t recall that the details of that incident were ever provided. The surgery conducted by William Bell on Walter could have further degraded his mental state, but it’s also possible that Walter’s original condition was engineered by Bell as well. If Bell was that concerned about the potential for Walter’s knowledge to be discovered by the enemy, eliminating that threat (while keeping Walter intact enough to be a potential resource later) would fit Bell’s apparent pattern.

Just as there were strengths to the episode, however, there were some inherent weaknesses. The first problem is something that might be explained later, but now stands as a glaring contradiction. If the soldiers of Alt-Fringe managed to cross over into Fringe Prime before, why do they need Walter Prime to tell them how to open a doorway back into Alt-Fringe now? The timelines still don’t quite add up for me, though I will give the writers some slack and time to explain away the apparent discrepancies.

More directly problematic within the episode, however, is Olivia’s decision not to take down Mr. Newton when she had the chance. I’m not talking about her decision once Newton made it clear that it was a choice between him and Walter; I’m talking about the moments before that. Why didn’t Olivia just shoot Newton in the head and be done with it? It’s not like Newton is technically human anymore, and she knows the potential threat that Newton presents. Capturing him, rather than eliminating him, feels like a plot contrivance, designed to ensure that the plot thread remains viable until the intended point of resolution.

Granted, the pieces of the “Fringe” puzzle haven’t always fit together in the most elegant manner; the first half of the first season seems a bit disconnected from the superior second half, after all. And I accept the limitations of the scope of the plot for what they are. I just feel like the writers aren’t quite sure how to get from point A to point B, and as a result, the seams are starting to show.

If the previous examples don’t prove the point, I can give one more. I noted in the review for “Snakehead” that the writers would need to use Walter’s decision to implant a tracking device into his neck for something momentous to mitigate the otherwise isolated nature of the episode. So I was a bit annoyed to see it used as a red herring of sorts just one episode later. It’s the sort of thing that could have used a little more forethought to give it more dramatic impact.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10

“Dollhouse” has been flirting with a purpose since the beginning of the series, and seemed to find it with the combination of “Epitaph One” and the first four episodes of the second season. The immorality of the Dollhouse is no longer a matter of debate; the writers are openly addressing the fact that the technology is being abused to subvert free will and eliminate identity. One gets the very strong impression that this is much closer to the kind of show Joss Whedon was trying to create.

Being the first part of a two-part story, it’s hard to evaluate this on its own. But it does have its own share of revelations, so it’s worth looking at it in isolation. This is the episode that reveals the truth about Senator Perrin, and it is completely in line with something I raised in reviews for the first season.

It makes perfect sense that Rossum and the Dollhouse network would want to take control of key government figures, and use those connections to protect their own interests. Senator Perrin cannot be the only example of a government official under Rossum control. It’s also telling that they left the basic personality and memories intact, changing only the aspects they needed for their long-term goals.

It’s that goal that seems a bit hard to fathom. The current “crisis” appears to serve two different but complementary interests for Rossum. First, it allows them to control the amount of information that reaches the public, while setting up selected individuals (such as the Los Angeles branch) as the only group that can been traced (using November). Second, it forces the Los Angeles group to take action to protect itself, therefore exposing those who would be willing to break protocol to do so. This gives Rossum the justification they need to act against Adele and her people.

In essence, Senator Perrin is a programmed agent for Rossum, designed to sniff out any leaks in the Dollhouse network. The extent of his research is a direct measure of the risk of exposure. But with everything feeding into his office, it is also the easiest way to contain the problem until it reaches a certain “critical mass”.

And that is the one thing that doesn’t quite add up at this point: why would Rossum ever let the situation go this far, to the point where November is making public statements and Perrin is making the link between Rossum and the Dollhouse network? It seems like a foolish risk to take. Even if it were somehow designed to place all the blame on the Los Angeles branch, the documented evidence linking to Rossum has been mentioned to the press.

One possible scenario is that Perrin was meant to reveal this much, so that it would prompt justifiable action against the Los Angeles branch. Once the action was taken, Perrin could be eliminated (or exposed as a Doll) and his documentation destroyed, leaving only information pointing to the Los Angeles personnel. Rossum could then claim that they were being blackmailed by the Los Angeles Dollhouse, which could be claimed to have been the only one.

If it is all about the Los Angeles branch, then the resolution would have to be strong enough to allow the Los Angeles branch to survive, perhaps by holding enough cards to bring down others. Or it may have nothing to do with the Los Angeles branch at all, and there may be a completely different endgame in store. Whatever the case, this is one of the most interesting situations to date.

As good as the intrigue was, it also represented a bit of an evolution for Echo. Echo has been slowly but surely integrating all of the lingering pieces of her former personalities, but there has been an inherent conflict between her “former selves” and her current identity in every case. This time, it seems like her saucy call girl persona (complete with super-revealing wardrobe) somehow managed to semi-consciously make use of skills from previous engagements. If that trend continues, Echo is going to be remarkably formidable. (And if nothing else, should Caroline be restored, there is now every reason to think that she would retain all these attributes.)

In other words, the second season seems to be more than just the process of how Caroline regains her core personality. It also seems to be the process of how the Dollhouse inadvertently causes the end of the civilized world, while also inadvertently creating the perfect resistance leader to bring the world back out of chaos. After all, if the integration process continues on the same pace, Caroline/Echo would be all but immune to remote wiping/reprogramming.

As if that wasn’t enough, this episode also introduced the uber-disturbing (and disturbed) character of Bennett, played by Summer Glau. Bennett appears to be the DC branch’s version of Topher, but with a lot more mental instability and an obvious cruel streak. What she might know about Caroline should prove to be quite a revelation, but it’s also possible that her intentions towards Caroline/Echo could jump-start the whole memory integration process.

This episode was simply stuffed to the gills, so much so that every moment is worthy of consideration. I especially liked the conversation between Paul and November, where she pointed out that his insistence on saving her was just another kind of control over her choices. The irony, of course, being that the Dolls are never quite themselves again, so November’s personal choice to board that plane may not have been her choice at all. The writers keep coming back to that same central question: do we really know who we are and what we want? The disturbing truth is that the answer may be “no”.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 3/4

Final Rating: 9/10

That’s not to say that the episode was bad. In many respects, it was a solid entry for the fourth season, continuing the slow and steady pace of the story. While a lot of people saw nothing worth following in the season premiere, I still think this season has been better than anyone could have expected. It’s not incredible, but I am enjoying many of the new elements and the format that has emerged.

After a couple of episodes that seemed to take Samuel in the wrong direction, the writers brought him back on track. I think it’s entirely possible to cast Samuel as something of a Magneto analogue, especially given his ability, while still giving him a self-interested basis for his actions. Whether or not he’s invoking sincerity about leading his fellow metahumans to some sort of “promised land” for personal gain can be irrelevant, if the writers approach it correctly.

I keep thinking back to how Samuel was portrayed in the earlier episodes of the season: dedicated to his family, but willing to step over the moral line to achieve his goals. It’s possible for Samuel to demonstrate a balance, and it all has to do with his endgame. If he is willing to do all of this to gain enormous power, what comes next?

If it’s just a matter of gaining the power to have the power, then building a sense of community and family as a safe haven for metahumans is a reasonable means to an end. He could look at his current actions as the cost for everyone to get what they really want and need. As much as it seems like he’s borrowing from his brother’s playbook when it comes to using the carnival as a sanctuary for their own kind, Samuel could believe it what he’s doing.

At the same time, he could have much darker intentions. If he wants to create a place where metahumans can be themselves without a need to condescend to mundane human demands, that could be a prelude to forcing a state of independence. Samuel’s own words suggest that he might use his enhanced ability to make demands. That could be his endgame, and having soldiers like Eli and Claire would only help his cause. In that light, creating a “family” develops loyalty.

I still think that Sylar is likely to derail Samuel’s plans, especially now that Nathan is no longer a factor. It’s just a matter of how quickly Sylar can arrive at the carnival. Peter’s decision to let Nathan go may have made a certain amount of emotional sense, but Peter had to be aware that he was essentially letting Sylar run free. While I have some hope that a likely conclusion to the series at the end of the season will push the writers to deliver a solid battle between Sylar and the “heroes”, I’m not sure why Peter wouldn’t have used Nathan’s last few moments to absorb Nathan’s flying ability, carry Nathan/Sylar as far over the ocean as possible, and then let him drop.

That wasn’t the only illogical moment in the episode. Noah’s character arc this season has been less than interesting, even taking into account his potential relationship with Lauren, and this hasn’t changed. But why would Noah and Lauren be shocked when Eli just leaves with the files and doesn’t stick around to kill them? Eli plainly states that he is there for something and would prefer to take it without resistance. Maybe Noah and Lauren were still too distracted by their personal drama!

This is the last appearance in the series by Adrian Pasdar, which is probably a bit overdue. That took a little bit away from the overall impact of the final moments between Peter and Nathan, along with a surprisingly subdued approach to the scene. I must, however, give Pasdar credit for his final performance. His ability to switch between Nathan’s weariness and Sylar’s menace was a highlight of the episode, especially in counterpoint to Samuel’s careful manipulations.

Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 7/10

This particular spin on the convention is broken into three parts, where the coming together at a family meal brings more than just the usual level of conflict and recrimination. The treatment of each Thanksgiving dinner is more or less a success, and has everything to do with the strengths of the characters involved.

The best material belongs to Samuel and his carnival family, as the truth about Joseph Sullivan’s death comes out. Suddenly Edgar’s displeasure with Samuel from the beginning comes into focus. Hiro finally gets to show a bit of backbone, even if he’s still mostly whining about Charlie, and one can only hope that this will lead to a permanent transition into a more serious character as a whole. (Especially since it is highly unlikely that we will ever see Charlie again.)

I still like Samuel, even if his motivations are now almost entirely villainous. Robert Knepper continues to give the character a sense of style and energy that has been missing from most of the cast for quite some time. Only Sylar seems to be given the same opportunity to stretch, and that had to be a concession to Zachery Quinto, to ensure that he remains on the show to the bitter end.

Speaking of Sylar, the Petrelli Thanksgiving dinner was a close second to the carnival festivities. While the carnival plot thread began to answer some lingering questions about Sullivan brothers, this plot thread took on the consequences of the third season finale. The emergence of Sylar brought on some deliciously evil moments, and I wasn’t entirely sure that Angela was going to survive the night.

It occurred to me, however, that the writers managed to sneak some muddled storytelling into the mix. When Peter needed to follow Nathan in the previous episode, he absorbed Nathan’s ability. But “Nathan” is really Sylar, programmed to believe that he can only use Nathan’s flying ability. The core ability is still Sylar’s innate ability to take on the abilities of others. So shouldn’t Peter have absorbed Sylar’s ability?

Of course, that would put Peter back on a level that is too high for the good of the plot, and would prevent the logical solution to the Sylar problem: getting everyone together at the carnival for one big “Heroes” smackdown. I still firmly believe that Sylar is going to return to the carnival, learn the secret of Samuel’s power, and absorb it. If anyone can learn how to decouple Samuel’s earth-moving power from the metahuman-cascade effect, Sylar could. And then the question would be: how do all those heroes fight Sylar, when just being around him suddenly gives him a massive power boost? (On the other hand, it could be the one thing that keeps Sylar in check, because he would have to stop killing everyone for powers to preserve his new power source.)

At any rate, this leaves only the Bennett family dinner, and as usual, that is far less effective than the other two plot threads. Those stories had Samuel and Sylar; this has Claire and the same Noah that has been grasping for a purpose this season. The antics with Sandra, Lauren, and Doug did provide a lighter counterpoint to the darker elements in the other plot threads, but it just underscored how little these characters have been measuring up.

I will say, however, that the return of Lauren was a nice touch, and the return of Gretchen was a pleasant surprise. The writers are doing a nice job of treading a fine line with Claire and Gretchen. While they are technically not together as a romantic couple, there are clear undertones of chemistry between them. I suspect the writers will keep riding that line, so that the viewers can draw their own conclusions, but this is less exploitive than it could have been.

The biggest problem with the episode is that it didn’t move the plot forward overly much. This season has been all about the measured pace, but this brought the momentum down a notch. Nathan and Sylar could have had their final showdown already, and Claire didn’t really need more time to decide that she was going to find Samuel. Hopefully this is simply the prelude to a more active next episode.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 7/10

It’s a convenient way to approach one of the key philosophical debates within human existence: predestination vs. free will. Are we bound by some complex law of cause and effect or the whims of a higher power with complete control, or do we have the ability to change probabilities and shape our own destiny? It is a question at the heart of humanity’s spiritual struggles, and as such, it rightfully serves as the center of much of our popular culture myths.

In a sense, “Smallville” has always been a story about destiny vs. free will on several levels. There are the obvious expectations laid at Clark’s feet by his father, and the question of whether or not he can find his own path within the confines of those expectations. But there is also the approach taken with the series: how closely must the story of “Smallville” conform to the expectations of the Superman myth, as known within modern culture? How far can the story deviate before it becomes too different for its own good? (Many might say that ship has long since sailed.)

The writers did themselves a favor by setting Lois’ experience of the future only one year ahead of the end of the eighth season, confining the struggle to prevent the fall of humanity to this season. It’s a fair bet that Clark will manage to prevent Zod and his minions from completing their bizarre plan to harness the power of an altered sun, but he cannot know which path will take him to what end.

What is interesting is that Tess and Clark both have partial knowledge of this future disaster now. Tess had her misgivings about Zod in previous episodes, but now she knows that standing with Zod will not end well for her. Just like Clark, Tess may try to shift her strategy in the hope of preventing Zod from executing his plan. The question is: will the attempt to prevent the future bring about the circumstances of its arrival?

It’s already clear that Lois’ memories depict a timeline of events that differ from the continuity of the episodes since the season premiere. The fact that Lois came back from the future altered the sequence of events. So it’s possible that everyone will be reacting to prevent a future that is already obsolete to some degree. Because they have very limited information, they could change things and actually make the future worse in comparison.

For that matter, I’m intrigued by this idea that Zod thought he was saving the world. It seems clear that the alterations to the sun brought about massive negative climate change (as one would expect), so how exactly was Zod creating this new Golden Age? He might have been talking about saving the world for his own people, except that Tess was almost fanatically convinced that following Zod to the bitter end was the right thing to do. So there is a huge piece of information missing from the equation.

I’m also not sure about how Zod’s scheme is supposed to work. The tower somehow alters the sun to shift from yellow (and its subsequent radiation) to red. Generally speaking, red stars are huge. The sun looked much bigger in the episode, but most estimates suggest that when the sun goes to red giant, it will have a diameter encompassing Earth’s orbit. So the writers were taking some creative license, without a doubt. (And this is “Smallville”, so of course they are!)

But more to the point of the mythos, it is the yellow sun’s characteristics that give Clark his abilities. The Kryptonians, living under a red star, did not have abilities. That is their default, normal state. So how would changing the sun to a red star give Zod and his minions their abilities, while taking Clark’s abilities away? It’s obviously just a plot device, similar to what occurred at the end of “Superman II”, but it would have been nice if it had made a little more sense within the context of the established series mythology.

The details of Zod’s plot, however, are a minor annoyance, and pale in comparison to the strength of the rest of the narrative. One can see the seeds of that terrible future in the current status quo, and it should be very interesting to see how the characters try to change things to thwart Zod. It will be a long wait for the new episodes to resume in January 2010.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10

I’m not going to suggest that this is some sort of sophomore slump; the season has not fallen into any self-destructive patterns. Nor have there been critical casting misfires, like the one that crippled some of the original plans for the second season of “Lost”. It’s just a feeling that the writers are still trying to satisfy the original intent: a mostly episodic structure with a few important serialized arcs.

Finding the perfect balance has always been the challenge. Networks prefer episodic formats, because it makes the show more accessible in syndication packages. (The nature of that market has changed dramatically over the past decade, but some essential rules still apply.) Shows like “The X-Files” suffered from the desire to tell a bigger story while sticking to a discrete anthology-style format. Characters would deal with momentous events in one episode, seemingly changing everything, only to shift back into a routine status quo with the very next episode. While it helps to make the show an easier sell for new viewers, it frustrates the fans that enjoy the big picture.

The flipside is a heavily-serialized show that manages to break up the story into bite-sized chunks in each episode. “Lost” and “Flashforward” are two current examples. While this allows the writing staff to tackle multi-layered concepts and complex storytelling, it also makes it hard for new viewers to jump into the series. I’m fairly sure it would be impossible for anyone to start watching “Lost” at the beginning of the sixth season this spring and make sense of it.

The balance is a constant work in progress. Even shows like “Supernatural”, where that balance has been nearly perfect since the series began, can suddenly lose the delicate equilibrium (as seen this season). The trick is making that balance a part of the DNA of every season. Shows like “Alias”, “Buffy”, “Angel” and “Supernatural” have excelled at putting together season arcs with a satisfying build and payoff, while keeping the format loose enough to allow for the episodic stories to be told.

While the season is still relatively young, I’m not feeling that sense of clear direction. For better or worse, the end of the first season made some compelling promises. It felt like the game was about to move to the next level. In many respects, it hasn’t. Even this episode, one of the best of the season, seems oddly disconnected from the whole. Only the connections to the unfolding story of Peter’s true origin keep it from being rather self-contained.

This episode was meant to expose startling information about the Observers, but I was left a bit underwhelmed. It certainly raised a number of intriguing questions, particularly about the nature of the Observers and why they are suddenly all over the place, but it was mostly speculation from the usual suspects.

I’m not at all certain that it was a good idea to pull back the curtain on the Observers in such a fashion. I think they were more interesting as something unknown and vaguely threatening, an outward sign of something worthy of wonder and dread. I really didn’t need to know about the Observers in more depth, other than their role within the story, and even that could have been saved for a moment when the revelation would be crushing. The unknown has an ominous strength that the known cannot possess.

That’s not to say this was a bad episode. I’ve always liked Peter Woodward, going back to his performances as Galen in the “Babylon 5” universe, and he made a capable Observer. He did a good job of selling the notion that a seemingly untouchable being might be compromised by emotional attachment.

That seemed to tie into the story behind Alt-Peter’s abduction by Walter, which is still unclear. I had forgotten the detail about the car accident, and how an Observer apparently saved their lives. The question is: how does this connect to Walter’s ongoing insistence that Peter was very sick as a child? I suspect that the real story is that Peter’s illness was a ruse, a way to explain the side effects of whatever process Walter used to scrub away Alt-Peter’s memories of his former life. Peter Prime may not have survived the car crash at all.

The unusual nature of the Observer’s relationship with time might also imply a unique relationship with alternate realities. Moving between realities has been shown to alter sensory perception; perhaps this is why the Observers need to spice up their food. Whatever the case, the involvement of an Observer in Walter’s abduction of Alt-Peter has been heavily implied. Is it possible that this impending collision of realities is, in fact, the result of catastrophic Observer interference?

The pieces don’t necessarily fit, and clearly that is intentional. The mystery of Peter’s abduction and its relationship to the conflict to come is a major element of the season arc. I’m just concerned that the writers are parsing the information a bit too much. The revelations at the end of the first season demanded a bit of plot acceleration, and I’m worried that we haven’t seen it yet.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 7/10

I’m very sorry to see Ellen and Jo go, especially since they were gone for so long and they were strong supporting characters. I was in the minority regarding Jo, especially when the backlash against her seemed to be based less on story and more on issues within the fandom. Ellen was sorely missed as a surrogate parental figure, though Bobby has shifted into that role more and more since the second season.

I expect that there will be some criticism for the killing of two recurring female characters, which seems to follow the pattern that minorities get the shaft on “Supernatural”. I even expect a few comments about sexism. I don’t see it that way. While some deaths might have been questionable earlier in the series, this is the apocalypse. This is war, and these are the soldiers. The characters themselves knew the risks, and they accepted that they might have to sacrifice themselves for the sake of the world.

Jo went down saving Dean, and she made a conscious choice to make her death count in the end. In other words, she went down like a Hunter. Ellen’s decision to stay with her daughter and sacrifice herself was both pragmatic and emotionally charged. In the end, if Ellen had not stayed, Jo wouldn’t have held out, and the bomb wouldn’t have gone off at the right time. I think it was a fitting end for two Hunters. If anything, they received the kind of heroic sacrificial moment that is typically reserved for male soldiers in war movies.

There is the small matter of the attraction between Dean and Jo. Frankly, I had no problem with this, and I really liked the fact that they had Jo deny Dean the “last night on Earth” play. While the writers never went down that road during the second season, they had clearly established the attraction, and it made sense to pay it off at the end. Had the apocalypse never come, would Dean and Jo ended up together? I seriously doubt it, but they had a history, and this was a good way to acknowledge it.

I also liked the portrayal of Meg and Lucifer in this episode. Rachel Miner is deliciously evil as Meg, and her interplay with the Brothers Winchester and Castiel was well done. I suspect that there may be a twist with Meg before all is said and done. A rather critical point was brought up by many of the characters: if Lucifer considers humanity a plague on creation, why would he keep demons around when they were just human souls twisted to become minions? If Lucifer wins, the demons are expendable. If Lucifer actually forces the final battle and then loses, the demons are finished. As Crowley says, the best option is to fight to maintain the status quo.

It doesn’t surprise me that the demons collectively never thought of that. After all, the angels collectively didn’t recognize that God’s absence might have been part of the plan. The minions bound to service on both sides were never meant to see their true role in the endgame. Only Castiel and Lucifer seem to get it: the entire point of it all comes down to the choices of those granted free will. It’s all about humanity, and in that sense, it’s been about the Brothers Winchester.

This is one reason why the interplay between Castiel and Lucifer was so compelling. Neither one of them seems to understand the true nature of the situation. Lucifer chose to rebel against the will of God, and his self-justifications cannot mask the ugly truth of his intentions. Castiel, on the other hand, rebelled against his fellow angels, who themselves had turned their back on God. Castiel didn’t fall; the rest of the angels did. It’s just that none of them have recognized that fact yet. The difference is faith: Castiel still firmly believes that God is still there and worth searching for, while the rest of the angels have assumed that God is dead.

For this reason, it occurs to me that God may not only be waiting in the wings, but he may have prepared himself a vessel. Thinking back on the analogy from “Changing Channels”, there were parallels drawn between Michael and Dean, Lucifer and Sam, and God and John Winchester. Assuming that John Winchester is not going to be brought back as some kind of avatar of God (which would be one predictable direction), who else could play that role?

The answer might lie in two unexpected but interesting possibilities. One would be the sole remaining father figure for Sam and Dean: Bobby. That might explain why he was paralyzed, and why the writers are having him struggle with finding a purpose as a Hunter and as a human being. Bobby may be on the path to be offered the chance to make a profound sacrifice on the behalf of his “sons”. Given Bobby’s personality and attitude, it would be an ironic choice.

But if the writers wanted to avoid the notion of having a human being act as God’s vessel, they may have already constructed an alternative. Castiel was brought back from the dead for a reason, and he has always served as the heavenly support behind the Brothers Winchester. Thematically, it would make a great deal of sense: Castiel searching the world for God, only to find God within himself. As the only angel to retain his faith in God, what better way to be rewarded? I think it would be a worthy end to Castiel’s character arc.

Whatever the case, this episode continued to demonstrate that “Supernatural” all comes down to human choices. Even during the apocalypse, it all comes down to free will. Things are getting dramatically worse, now that the Angel of Death has come on the scene, but the Brothers Winchester will keep fighting.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 3/4

Final Rating: 9/10

So it is a bit unfortunate that the time has finally come for Samuel’s motivations to become clear. As much as it was necessary for the good of the season arc, since it begins to answer some of the pressing questions about Samuel and his activities since the season premiere, it also feels a bit too simple. It renders Samuel a less compelling villain to have him searching for more and more power.

Essentially, Samuel has an ability that is somehow amplified by the presence of other metahumans. This makes him tremendously dangerous. The fact that he was basically the brother with more ambition than wisdom makes it very clear that his temper would be an issue. Tying Samuel’s story into the revelations about Coyote Sands was a nice touch, and it does explain where Mohinder has been all this time.

I’ve liked the slow and measured pace of the plot, if only because it gives the writers more time to delve into the characters. But I now have to wonder if Sylar was trapped within “Nathan” and Matt’s mind for so long because the writers needed to pace out the revelations about Samuel first. With Samuel’s amplified ability now revealed, I get the feeling that his time is short.

After all, Sylar is sure to get his body back sooner rather than later, and he will very likely retain some knowledge of the carnival. He will want to get back to it, and since Peter has a compass, that seems the most likely means. If Sylar discovers the true nature of Samuel’s ability, right down to how it can be amplified, there’s little doubt that he would want that power for himself. It would be like the ultimate fix.

This is not necessarily a bad thing. If this is going to be the final season, then it would make sense to have Sylar take control of the carnival (right down to killing Samuel and taking on his appearance, for example), and forcing the familiar heroes to band together to take him down, once and for all. Maybe, if the series comes to an end, the writers will finally have the excuse to deliver a fitting bloodbath of an ending.

For now, the trick is getting the characters in place for whatever climax the writers do have in mind. I can only assume that is the point of the subplot with Tracy and Claire. As much as I bought Claire in her pseudo-Buffy role at college, I have little interest in her latest angst. For that matter, Tracy has been all over the map this season, and I never liked her anyway. It’s clear they’re meant to go to the carnival before long.

I’m glad that they gave “Nathan” a little more screen time, since I think the actor deserves a better sendoff. I was expecting his inevitable exit to come in this episode, but I suppose the writers intend to drag it out a bit longer. That said, it should be interesting to see how Peter handles the truth about “Nathan”, as well as how Matt intends to get out of the mess that Sylar has made of his life. Could Matt’s apparent sacrifice have been foreshadowing?

Perhaps the most egregious element of the episode, however, had to be Hiro’s decision to place Mohinder in a mental institution. Never mind how that was supposed to work exactly; the writers fudged a number of details to ensure that Mohinder would be out of play until they needed him. It’s the fact that Hiro’s solution to his own problem was no better than Samuel’s decision to trap Charlie in some unknown time and place. Hiro’s character arc has been horrid this season, and that’s taking into account how much of the character’s development had been erased by the third season.

Despite some of the flaws of this episode, the story is still holding my attention. I’m not happy that Samuel seems to be shifting into a typically villainous role, concerned only with the accumulation of his own power, when something a bit more nuanced might have been more satisfying in the end. That said, the story is still moving forward at a deliberate pace, and this season is still solid. This episode just didn’t quite hit the mark.

Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 6/10

I will be the first to admit that enjoyment of recent seasons might be predicated on one’s enjoyment of the Clark/Lois dynamic. That element has certainly been ramping up this season, and by making it a critical part of the season arc, the writers resolve one of the issues with its treatment last season.

Unfortunately, there is a drawback. The writers are trying to play on the nostalgic factor of the Lois and Clark relationship. There is a certain degree of expectation and anticipation (and I say that personally). It’s not all that different from the anticipation of Clark donning the familiar red and blue, taking flight, or managing to craft a believable secret identity when everyone and their brother has seen his face without glasses for all this time.

It’s a game of inches, and the writers want to touch on the Lois’ constant suspicions about Clark and his true nature without pulling the trigger. But just as it became ridiculous after years of teasing during the Clark/Lana era, it’s getting old now. In fact, having seen it all before, patience is becoming elusive.

Maybe this is one of those few remaining constraints on the producers, something they’re not allowed to have happen on the show. That would be unfortunate. The writers have already strayed so far from the traditional canon that they really could ignore the “rules” and have things happen much earlier in the timeline. In my opinion, the show would be much stronger as a result.

Because it was clear that Lois wouldn’t get to the end of the episode with her realization intact, my pleasure over some of the more iconic moments was mitigated. The saving grace was how Lois was convinced that Clark was not the Blur. Having Chloe abuse her power as Watchtower once again was a smart move. I like the darker direction that Chloe has been taking since her experiences last season, and how it threatens her relationship with Clark. If Chloe’s death (once again used as a tease) doesn’t come to pass, I begin to wonder if she’ll go darkside in the future.

The introduction of the Wonder Twins didn’t bother me, even if there were indications that the writers once again assumed a certain amount of backstory knowledge on the part of the audience. I recalled just enough from childhood cartoons, I think! They served a purpose within the context of the story, helped indirectly elevate the legend of the Blur and the status of the familiar sigil as a symbol of hope, and gave Clark a chance to show some rare wisdom.

Perhaps the best part of the episode was the final scene, and how it dovetailed with the vision in the teaser. A lot of the small details from earlier episodes are coming together to form a bleak picture, and I like where it’s all going. As long as the writers keep their eyes on a solid plan for the whole season, this could turn out to be another winner.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10

I must admit that I had some concerns when I first heard that an episode of the fifth season would be held at a “Supernatural” convention. I thought the writers were perhaps going a little too “meta” in the process. I’m still not convinced that it wasn’t a very bad idea, but it certainly had its charms.

Eric Kripke and the production staff love the fans, and they like to show it by gently mocking some of the sacred cows of the fandom. Just the fact that they tolerate the creepy Wincest fans is a testimony to their inclusivity. I think the writers did the fans justice by addressing, on a certain level, some of the common insults tossed at the super-fanatic. And I would hope that the fans enjoyed the recognition for what it was.

That said, I thought the episode was trying a little too hard to push its theme and moral underpinnings at the expense of the story. The entire ghost story aspect felt generic, and when even the main characters are wondering why they are getting sidetracked from their main mission, it’s telling. Only the fact that Chuck was able to toss out an unexpected lead on the Colt made it workable.

I mentioned in the review for the previous episode that the current run of relatively light-hearted episodes and side missions seemed to be designed to mitigate the darkness to come. Hopefully this will turn out to be true, and hopefully this trend is about to shift towards the darkness. Because if this continues for much longer, this season of “Supernatural” threatens to become a parallel to the disappointing sixth season of “The X-Files”.

As I’ve said before, comedy is a lot harder than drama. Most people can understand and relate to the core principles of the dramatic material, because it always boils down to the relationship between the Brothers Winchester. It’s a common language. Comedy, on the other hand, is largely subjective. Appreciation of a joke relies on relative context.

I also find it harder to appreciate the comedic episodes when the focus is less about revealing something interesting about the brothers and more on something external to them. The previous episode worked because, in the end, it was about Sam and Dean and the big picture. This was closer to “Hollywood Babylon”, though this episode did manage to still poke fan at something actually related to the show.

So far, this has been a somewhat surprising start to the fifth season, and not necessarily in a good way. While it has been solid and above average, the fifth season hasn’t been as strong as the fourth season. I think there have been some great episodes, but I haven’t been as hooked as I have been in the past. At least some of that must be the effect of too much light fare. There’s still plenty of time left for this season to ramp up, though, so I’m not expressing too much disappointment yet.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 7/10

I’ve liked the Matt/Sylar battle since the beginning of the season, and it’s only gotten better with time. I thought that Sylar’s ploy to take over Matt’s body was very well done, but I think I like Matt’s chess game with Sylar in this episode even more. Both of them are playing for high stakes and adopting a “scorched earth” policy that fits their personalities. Sylar is willing to destroy Matt’s life and kill innocents to gain advantage; Matt is willing to sacrifice his own life to stop Sylar.

The best part about Matt’s decision in this episode, however unlikely it is to succeed, is the fact that this is his chance to redeem himself for the mistake of helping Angela with her plan at the end of the third season. He’s not talking about redemption; he just does what he feels is necessary. It’s far more believable and genuine when redemption, or the search for it, is unspoken.

Quite unexpectedly, I liked Claire’s subplot this time. I almost wish that Gretchen could have stuck around for a bit longer, since her swift departure plays into the notion that the lesbian angle was just used for shock value. But her departure does make sense in terms of Claire’s sense of isolation, and the circumstances could very well drive a wedge between father and daughter.

In the end, Samuel could get what he wants: Claire within the watchful care of the carnival. His plan may have been a bit more complicated than necessary (almost to the point of being impossible to follow), but the end game is still just as compelling as it has been all the while. I’ve always felt that Samuel was the saving grace for this season, and this just continues to prove the point. I just hope that the writers manage to make the inevitable revelations worth it. They have a bad track record with developing strong conclusions to their arcs.

Hopefully Samuel’s latest act has resulted in a more satisfying subplot for Noah. His character has been aimless this season, with several false starts, and it would be nice to see him finally get on a solid and meaningful course. Hunting down the truth about Samuel is a promising direction, but the writers definitely need to approach it carefully. It would be all too easy for Samuel to be rendered as an absolute villain; it would be a lot more interesting if the situation could be seen from differing perspectives.

Considering how Peter and his issues used to be one of the worst aspects of the series, I was shocked to discover how much I like his relationship with Emma and his struggle with the healing ability. I found his desire to heal more and more people, despite the effect on his own health, to be a logical extension of his earlier behavior. Emma’s medical scenes were a bit overdone, but when that’s the worst thing I can say about an episode of “Heroes”, that’s a very good thing.

With the ratings so low and the show essentially on its last legs, I get the feeling that the gloves have come off and they are just doing their best to go out swinging. Maybe that’s why, for the first time in a long time, I find myself looking forward to each new episode. I didn’t want this one to end.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10

What’s interesting is that this did not have to happen. Much is based on misunderstanding and anger. Zod’s behavior since his arrival on Earth is a direct consequence of his last memories: betrayal by his dearest friend. Clark makes the logical assumption that Jor-El was killed by Zod, and he refuses to take steps to restore Zod to the man he used to be. The real question is this: who killed Jor-El, and why?

It’s quite possible that Zod was not the one who killed Jor-El. It would explain why Zod knew how to find Clark; following Jor-El right to Clark would have been simplicity itself. But that seems a bit too easy. I think it would be a lot more interesting if someone like Tess had Jor-El killed, all in the hopes of becoming his ally against Zod in the coming months. Provided he never found out, it would allow Tess to get closer to the Traveler, while also correcting the mistake she made by unleashing the Kryptonians from within the Orb.

Julian Sands does a capable enough job as Jor-El, but it does create something of a discontinuity. Jor-El references his earlier time on Earth among the Kents (seen in “Relic”), but this Jor-El is clearly much older than the Jor-El (played by Tom Welling) seen in “Relic”. Also, the destruction of Kandor, while a fitting impetus to Zod’s plan to destroy Kal-El with a genetically engineered son in the eighth season, contradicts much of what had been previously revealed.

For example, in the supplementary animated material “Kara and the Chronicles of Krypton”, meant to flesh out the story of the House of El, it is General Zod that is attacking an intact Kandor that leads to the destruction of the planet, all as part of a plan concocted by Zor-El to fulfill an ancient prophecy. That prophecy has, in fact, been mentioned in passing throughout the past couple seasons, notably in ”Injustice”.

While one would assume that “Kandor” would be considered canon over the animated material, “Kara and the Chronicles of Krypton” was designed to fit the mythology as laid out in the seventh season. Also, other ancillary material has eventually been proven as canon, such as the Veritas organization. It would be reasonable to assume that Kandor was rebuilt on the ruins of the original city, but it seems like an unnecessary complication to the timeline.

Even so, I liked the other connections made regarding the Stones of Power, the use of blue kryptonite, and cloning. This seems to connect very well with “Blue” and the cloning that Zor-El conducted with Clark’s mother. (Granted, both the Stones and the Orb were supposedly much older than this episode would indicate, but this could easily be explained through oddities in the transit between Krypton and Earth.)

I’m sure the writers could figure out a way to make it all fit together, but I’m not sure it would matter. The purpose of the back story for this episode is clear enough, and while I’m sure there are a ton of insider references I missed along the way (for example, the reference to Black Zero), I still thought this was an excellent way to push the season arc into the complication phase.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10

After all, the treatment of this rogue consciousness was very similar to the reports of “shadow people” in the paranormal investigative world. Granted, such phenomena isn’t said to result in people turning into ash, but there were strong similarities, particularly in terms of the video evidence and the unusual electromagnetic effects. Merging the current legends and lore of “shadow people” to this particular story could have grounded it in the semi-familiar world. (At least, for those already with an interest in “fringe science”.)

I personally think the concepts at play in the show are complicated enough without adding alien consciousnesses to the mix. If there is one thing that has marked genre shows produced by JJ Abrams, it is a tendency to expand the frame of unusual reference a little too far. Keeping the scope of the series to the bizarre fringes of technological advancement between two parallel universes should give them more than enough room to maneuver. Adding aliens into the mix expands the boundaries a bit more than necessary.

Thankfully, the alien angle is incidental to the point of the episode. The central idea is the separation of mind and body, which has been a part of the series’ DNA since the beginning. In a show where memories can be downloaded into another person through technology or an altered state (or both), a consciousness without a physical body is hardly a stretch. (It also means that “ghosts” are at least potentially real in the “Fringe” universe; hence the potential connection to the “shadow people”.)

While the alien connection may seem excessive, I can think of one interesting possibility. The alien seemed to be able to keep the cosmonaut’s body alive under extreme circumstances, all for the purpose of maintaining its own existence. This encounter in Fringe Prime didn’t have any long-term effects, but what if this alien organism was discovered under very different circumstances in the Alt-Fringe universe? There are plenty of indications that Alt-Walter and his ilk wouldn’t let moral considerations get in the way of dissecting and experimenting.

Despite some minor disappointments with elements of the plot, I did like the episode for its focus on Agent Broyles. There have been some hints along the way that he has been involved in some badass covert ops, and this episode seems to confirm it. Broyles does not seem like the kind of agent one would want to cross, which makes his frustrations at red tape all the more intriguing.

Broyles also mentioned that the Fringe Division has been around for well over four years, and that it had fallen far out of favor by 2005. Taking into account the homage to “The X-Files”, one has to wonder how seriously the writing staff is taking that joke, given how the timelines sometimes seem to mesh. It also places an age on “The Pattern” that I don’t remember hearing before. My recollection is that it was a recent development, but it makes sense that there were events and discoveries long before any connective thread was suspected.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 7/10

Comedy is subjective, but I thought it was great to see the writers spoof their own most difficult timeslot competition. “CSI” has some truly awful writing and acting across the board, and “Grey’s Anatomy” is overwrought soap opera. I loved the sitcom opening credits and the “Knight Rider” spoof, and that commercial fooled me the first time through.

Not everything worked as well as it could have. I thought the Japanese game show segment had the right idea, but the real thing has a much more frenetic energy to it. I think the director played it too straight. And I was also a bit annoyed with the fact that Sam was getting the short end of the stick too often. Sure, the previous Trickster episode was rough on Dean, but it seemed a little one-sided.

I will give the writers credit for not beating the audience over the head with some of the context. When Sam brought up the idea of allying with the Trickster against the rebellious angels and demons, I was sure that Dean would rip into Sam with a laundry list of past transgressions. After all, after all that Sam did in the fourth season, making that suggestion is a questionable move. But Dean didn’t need to say anything; his expression more than said it all.

The heart of the episode, however, comes with the final act. I’m not sure about the revelation that the Trickster has always been Gabriel. While it does explain his ability to keep coming back for more and the similarity in powers, it does seem like unnecessary retroactive continuity. Despite that, it was a great opportunity for the writers to dispense some story exposition with a twist.

At this point, we must assume that the rebellious angels are unreliable in terms of information. They have their own perspective on matters, and that perspective is often skewed by their own assumptions and bitterness. Angel dialogue is as much about reading between the lines as anything else.

So I accept the idea that the Brothers Winchester were chosen because of their relationship to their father. It ties the whole second half of the series thus far to the first half, which is a brilliant move. Clearly the writers designed the whole God/angels/Lucifer dynamic around the earlier John/Dean/Sam dynamic, and that makes sense out of a lot of what has happened since the beginning of the fourth season. (And perhaps this will prove to those still insisting this is intentional Christian-hating blasphemy that they have been barking up the wrong tree.)

In fact, Gabriel’s explanation provides two strong clues that there is, in fact, a God waiting to be uncovered before the end. First, Gabriel says that Sam and Dean were always destined to play the roles of Michael and Lucifer, because the angels knew from the moment that God’s plan for humanity was set in motion that this was going to be the trigger for the end of the world.

While Christian lore is certainly different in the “Supernatural” mythos, this plays on the traditional notion that all things have evolved along a path that God determined was necessary for humanity. All the good and bad things are the product of events set in motion at the dawn of time. The subtext of that worldview is actually quite clear: God knew that this moment would come. In other words, if he’s absent from the perspective of the angels, it’s because that was part of the plan. And logically speaking, if the angels were always meant to stray and “go rogue” as part of the plan, they would not be privy to any outcome of the grand design that countered their anticipated result. The angels wouldn’t see another possible end to the apocalypse, because they were never meant to see the big picture. (Hence, why their perspective is unreliable.)

That means that God could still be out there, waiting for the Brothers Winchester and Castiel to find him, so that the real conclusion to the plan can unfold. This is supported by the “as above, so below” parallel. Sam and Dean both had their Daddy issues, and John was absent for a good long while, but John never really gave up on his sons. So it stands to reason that God is waiting for the right moment, and that he has his own ideas of the destiny for the Brothers Winchester.

To take the parallel further (and perhaps to reveal how long the hints of the parallel were right there to be found), John regretted bringing Sam and Dean into the hunting world. When he had another son, Adam, he chose to take a different path and give Adam other choices. In other words, Sam and Dean were given a path to follow and a life mission to obey, whereas Adam was given free will to make his own choices, good or bad. The writers clearly intended the parallel between the angels (Dean), Lucifer (Sam), and humanity (Adam).

It’s also worth noting that everything prior to this episode was simply the introductory phase of the season arc. This episode shifts the story into the complication phase, and that is typically when a lot of assumptions are proven wrong. At the same time, this is clearly the climax phase of the five-year plan, so even minor situations hold a powerful weight.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 3/4

Final Rating: 9/10

Some things clearly have been changed over the course of the series. Hiro’s original six-month relationship with Hiro is an obvious example, and Hiro’s adventure in historical Japan in the second season caused certain ripples. But this is on a much more substantial level. Maybe it’s just the fact that Hiro used to insist on preserving the timeline, and now he is not. And maybe it’s because time travel is a storytelling crutch that the writers can’t seem to avoid.

That said, I think it’s very interesting that Hiro would go so far as to manipulate Sylar into curing Charlie and then resuming his reign of terror. While it seems extreme at first glance, and therefore out of character, I would argue that it speaks to how important Charlie always has been to Hiro. People do terrible things for love, and this proves how far Hiro will go for her. And that, in turn, makes sense of Hiro’s decision to fall in line with Samuel’s desires.

I was wondering how Mohinder would factor into this season, and why he hasn’t made an appearance yet. I suppose we now know why Mohinder has been out of the picture. It makes for a nice twist, even if I personally haven’t missed Mohinder one bit since we last saw him. I get the feeling this will integrate the carnival with the rest of the known “Heroes” world a bit more, and that would not be a bad thing.

It was also great to see Charlie again, even if she looked noticeably different from her original run in the first season. I’ve also gotten used to the actress on “Glee”, so it took a moment to adjust. Considering how the episode ends, I have to wonder if Charlie is supposed to appear again later in the season. If not, maybe she’s trapped in the same temporal limbo as Caitlin, Peter’s erstwhile girlfriend from the second season!

Even with the time travel-related annoyances of the main plot, it was much, much better than the Noah/Lauren material. I really have no idea what the point of that was supposed to be. I understand that the writers enjoy going back and retroactively adding details to the story, but there should be a rule that such changes/additions be value-added.

There is a certain attempt at counterpoint between the Hiro/Charlie and Noah/Lauren relationships, but it doesn’t seem to matter beyond that ephemeral purpose. If Lauren never appears again, what was the point? And beyond that, did Lauren have an ability? We never see one in play, so it seems to contradict the long-standing Company policy of using normal/metahuman partners.

Episodes like this play a dangerous game. They harken back to popular moments from the heyday of the series, and remind us of all the things we loved about the show in the beginning. Yet that also tends to remind us of how the show has fallen from grace from those heady and fascinating days.

Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 6/10

As it is, there’s not much to the episode. The playful banter between Clark and Lois does speak to their chemistry. After so many years together on the show, they’ve fallen into a good rhythm and the verbal sparring comes naturally. Erica Durance has really settled into the role, even to the point where she seems to be enjoying the chance to be more than the eye candy.

I suppose the writers had to address Lois’ previous relationship with Oliver, especially now that he is back on the mend. It makes sense that Oliver would turn to Lois as “the one that got away”, and it’s a good mechanism for forcing Lois to admit openly that she’s in love with Clark. Thankfully, the writers didn’t try to leave the situation as a love triangle, because that would have gotten annoying very, very quickly.

I noted in the review for the previous episode that the writers were on the verge of repeating the mistakes of the past with Clark and Lois. It’s too easy to have the two of them run hot and cold like a yo-yo to maintain the tension. For that reason alone, avoiding the love triangle was a good move.

But it’s even better when taken in context. For quite some time, it’s been clear that “Smallville” is not bothering to align with the other versions of the Superman mythos. While some plot points still pretend to adhere to expectation, others are a clear departure. I like the fact that they’ve stopped stalling with Clark and Lois for that reason alone. I still think the writers undermined the credibility of this obvious plot progression with the Lana arc in the eighth season, but at least they’re trying.

The rest of the episode fell flat, particularly Oliver’s subplot with Mia. A little research has revealed that this is yet another example of the writers porting a comics character into “Smallville”, and I assume that this was supposed to be noteworthy, as it sounds like a fairly faithful representation. Unfortunately, to the uninitiated, it felt forced.

If Mia doesn’t appear in later episodes to give this subplot a point, then it will feel like an even greater waste of time. The sad thing is, I think this has potential, if handled correctly. My concern is that the writers tend to assume that the audience knows the character history, leading to poor characterization for the “Smallville” version. (Catherine Grant was also apparently a well-known secondary character from the comics, but her appearance here seems incidental.)

The business between Zod and Tess is clearly setup for the long-term story arc. I was a bit worried that the writers would forget that Tess is supposed to be deadly in her own right, especially after they kept having Mia, the underground fighter, forget her skills whenever it was convenient for the plot. I thought the reference to Krypton’s star was clever, and I look forward to whatever it is Zod is preparing to do.

Transitional episodes tend to be all about the setup for future payoff, and I can see how some of these elements could play into that kind of design. But the episode itself just didn’t seem to shine on its own. Fans of the Clark/Lois relationship will be pleased, but now that the November sweeps period is finally here, it will be good to see the writers turn their attention to something a little more substantial.

Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 6/10

“The Plan” is a direct-to-DVD film for “Battlestar Galactica” that promises to answer one of the more obvious questions from the series run: what exactly was this “plan” that the Cylons had, as referenced endlessly in the first couple seasons? Fans have been waiting a long time for this particular story, as told from the perspective of the Cylons. But as the old saying going: while all answers are replies, not all replies are answers.

So it is with “The Plan”.

After the second season episode “Downloaded”, which represented the beginning of the philosophical changes within the Cylon that would ultimately lead to their civil war, I noted in my review that it was fundamentally flawed. Caprica Six and Boomer had come to an epiphany that the original Cylon “plan” was wrong, and that they had to find a new path for their people. The problem was simply this: without a solid understanding of what the original Cylon direction was, any such epiphany carried little weight. Context is king.

The context was confusing because the actions of the Cylons were often contradictory. The overwhelming suggestion was that the Cylons wanted to wipe out the human race once and for all. However, they never seemed to take the necessary steps to achieve that goal after the initial annihilation was completed. The survivors were hunted down, both on Caprica and the Colonial fleet, but there was never the kind of relentlessness that could (and, story-wise, should) have led to a Cylon victory.

More to the point, the various hints from Head-Six and others, right down to Starbuck’s experience at the Farm, made it seem very possible that the Cylons wanted to cut the human population to a small but manageable size to eliminate a threat, while keeping enough alive to conduct the breeding experiments. After all, the Cylons conducted their experiment between Helo and Sharon/Athena over the course of the entire first season. The inability of the Cylons to reproduce was a vital concern.

That dichotomy was never explained, even though the creation of Hera was always treated as an important plot point for the series. And all those hints over the course of the series that the Humans and Cylons could only survive together eventually paid off. That being the case, the Cylon “plan” didn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense, even if it was only valid up until the point that the plan changed in “Downloaded”.

So this particular film needed to address that issue. If the goal was to explain the Cylon “plan” and fill those plot holes with reasonable explanations, then the story would have to delve into the motivations of the Cylon leadership structure prior to the attack on the Colonies and make sense of the actions that took place afterward. Not so much what happened on Galactica alone, but rather, the various activities seen on Caprica: the Helo/Sharon experiment, the Farm, and so forth.

In that regard, “The Plan” is a spectacular failure. It completely ignores the many inconsistencies within the Cylon agenda as it was depicted, and instead tries to simplify the Cylon “plan” and align it with the genocidal verve of the Cavil models. Some minor complications are added to the equation, but on the whole, most of the elements of the story were items that needed little or no explanation.

According to this story, the Cylon “plan” all evolved out of Cavil’s desire to punish his parents, the Final Five. He sent the Final Five to live among the Colonies to see how humanity’s sins justified the judgment of their creations. He believed that the Cylons were meant to finish the war that the Final Five had brought to an abrupt halt without mercy. As far as he was concerned, he expected the Final Five to be resurrected among their “children”, ready to acknowledge that they were wrong.

But that was already clear from the fourth season of the series itself. It didn’t need to be explained. What needed to be explained was the divergence from Cavil’s perspective. Surely there were many more copies of Cavil back with the Cylon fleet and Occupation forces after the attack. Why not focus on the debates between those versions of Cavil and the models that wanted to experiment with the survivors to foster reproduction? That would have allowed the writers to reconcile the various Cylon activities that didn’t fit the “destroy all humans” mold.

Instead, we got a story that served to connect the dots. All of the Cylon activities in the first season on Galactica were revealed to be the product of one Cavil’s orchestrations behind the scenes, culminating in his conversation with Chief Tyrol at the end of the second season. While it does make all of those seemingly disparate acts more substantial, it also doesn’t change very much.

After all, the end conclusion is that the other models, even with Cavil’s urging, couldn’t follow their orders because, like the Final Five, they came to love humanity. Cavil didn’t understand the powerful nature of love, because it was something he associated with humans, and therefore something he sought to reject. It makes sense, given what we know happened and what we know of Cavil.

But that only makes the error in focus more obvious. Cavil’s lack of understanding of love, and the difference between Cavil and the other models, would have fed beautifully into debates within the leadership of the Occupation. The models that oversaw the Helo/Sharon experiment could have justified their activities in spite of Cavil, thus placing that subplot within a clearer context.

The writers had the perfect means of making that happen. The Cavil that wound up with Anders and his resistance group could have been in regular contact with the Cylon Occupation forces. In fact, it’s hinted that the Cavil on Caprica is in contact with them. So why not shift more of the focus on Cavil’s debates, especially when Caprica-Cavil ultimately decides that the plan to exterminate humanity was flawed? For that matter, it’s never entirely clear why or how Caprica-Cavil changes his mind; he just seems to do so in order to align with what was seen in “Lay Down Your Burdens”.

I will give the writers and Olmos credit for taking what could have been a glorified clip show and weaving it into a suitable story. Like “Razor” before it, it manages to tell a side-story without too many contradictions to the original material. The approach is confident, the effects are spectacular, and most of the new footage matches the original footage very well. But “Razor” promised to tell the story of Pegasus and did so. “The Plan” tells a good story with a near-perfect lead in Dean Stockwell’s dual-Cavil performance, but it makes a point to dance around its stated purpose.

So the bottom line is that “The Plan” doesn’t actually address the elements that it should, and instead seems to justify the improvisational nature of the series (and therefore, the apparent discontinuities) by pointing out that the Cavil on Galactica was forced to improvise. In other words, the point of “The Plan” is there was no plan. That makes the title about as misleading as it gets.

Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Rating: 6/10

The idea of a 900-year-old card shark witch certainly capitalizes on the popularity of televised poker, but it does rely on a bit of cliché. As usual, the most experienced players are the ones who lose, and the rookie walks in and manages to buck the odds and win the pot. It’s about as predictable as it gets, especially when one would expect a player with Patrick’s kind of expertise to see through Sam’s façade without a second glance.

Given the predictability of the plot (which was only partially saved by the revelation that Patrick’s partner wanted to help the Winchesters), it all comes down to the emotional core of the character development. It’s not surprising that Dean would put it all on the line for Bobby. Bobby is their father figure, and Dean definitely has a host of lingering daddy issues. He couldn’t prevent Bobby’s injury, and he couldn’t prevent John’s death, so why not make up for both at the same time?

And of course Sam would put anything on the line for Bobby and Dean, even if he started with the notion that he would simply have to keep playing long enough for the spell to be cast. Sam may have been forced to keep playing to the bitter end, but he was more than ready to leave the table and forfeit those years if it meant having a chance to save Dean. It just goes to show, once again, that the Brothers Winchester will sacrifice anything for each other, no matter what else has passed between them.

All in all, it was a nice, solid stand-alone episode. It was a bit too predictable to be among the best of the season, but it did everything it needed to do and continued to focus, despite the high concept ideas, on the characters.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10

Now the rest of the story emerges, and if anything, it’s even worse. Priya really never had a chance to prevent what happened to her. It wouldn’t have taken much for her to be overpowered and drugged, and once that took effect, the deck was stacked against her even more. It’s tragic to see how she was trying to communicate the truth behind her mental condition to Topher, but it just wasn’t getting through to him. It’s almost as if the mindwipe at the Dollhouse was a blessing in disguise, stripping away the awareness of what was being done to her.

But it does make her overall experience in the Dollhouse even more disturbing. It’s easy to forget that she was first brought into the Dollhouse in the series premiere; it feels like she was there for a bit longer. That means that within months of becoming an Active, on top of serving the desires of her rapist, she was also being sexually abused by her handler.

The implications don’t escape Adele, and her reaction is rather interesting. She sees a serious problem with what was done to Priya, as anyone with a shred of moral fiber would. (Even Topher sees the moral bankruptcy of it all. Topher!) But as the Rossum executive rightfully points out, the line is being drawn awfully fine in this case. Setting aside the knowledge of how Priya came to be in the Dollhouse, Adele was still happy to let a repeat customer do whatever he wanted with her.

Adele’s self-delusions have been apparent from the very beginning. She convinces herself repeatedly that the Dolls are performing a necessary and even altruistic service, yet the sex clients alone must represent a substantial percentage of the business. And considering that she was using Victor for her own personal satisfaction for a time, she can’t be blind to what happens. That finely drawn line is an illusion.

Adele also seems to employ quite a bit of transference, along with Boyd. Adele rips into Topher about his complete lack of morals, and how he love to play with the Dolls and use them as unknowing subjects for his experiments. Topher is amoral most of the time, but Adele seems to cut a little deeper in this episode, perhaps to make herself feel better in comparison. As long as Topher is more depraved, she can hinge her self-delusions on the scale of moral relativity.

It’s hard to say how this experience will change Topher. After all, his confrontations with Whiskey in “Vows” seemed to have little or no effect, given how he jumped at the chance to play with Echo’s body chemistry in “Instinct”. This situation was much worse, so one would expect that there would be some lasting consequences. Could carrying this secret around for Priya be one of the triggers for his eventual mental breakdown?

I also wonder if Boyd’s decision to help Echo with her development and eventual resistance is a product of his own guilt. Part of it may simply be due to his time as her handler, but Boyd has always been positioned (along with Paul) as someone who might eventually help Echo bring down the Dollhouse. Is he allowing and fostering Echo’s development and Victor and Sierra’s relationship for those reasons?

It could be that all these irregularities, and Adele’s decision at the top to allow them to continue, is meant to be a plot point. After all, many of these incidents have involved influential members or associates of the Rossum corporate hierarchy. If there are other Dollhouses and a higher reporting structure above them as well, then Adele may soon find herself fighting to retain control of her house. That would introduce a significant external pressure on Echo to become the resistance leader “Epitaph One” suggests she will be.

There is much more to the episode than the moral aspects I’ve mentioned here. The brutality of Priya’s objectification is unforgiving, and Boyd’s solution to the overall problem is graphic as it is pragmatic. It all adds up to one of the best episodes of the series to date.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 3/4

Final Rating: 9/10

The writers have mined this particular plot device before: “Mercy” and “Committed” spring to mind. It’s a variation on the good old “sink or swim” method: place a person in crisis to push them into revealing their true strengths or weaknesses. It’s a method to be used when internal sources of conflict aren’t getting the job done, and external pressures are the only remaining recourse. Of course, there is the drawback that any such method is as much about the motives of the individual behind the “game” as it is the needs of the individual being forced to play.

Just from the way it was initially framed in the teaser, I was certain that this was all an elaborate setup to push Oliver in the right direction. And it was equally obvious that Clark had absolutely nothing to do with it, because he’s not this clever or willing to use psychological stress to force someone to see the light. (At least, not intentionally.) It didn’t take long for me to suspect that Chloe was behind it all.

If I wasn’t already sold on the idea of Oliver pulling himself up from the floor and getting back in the hero saddle, Chloe’s involvement would have been more than enough. To me, this is precisely the right direction for her character to take. Her own experiences have pushed her at moral odds with Clark more than once, and it makes sense that she was apply those life lessons in her role as Watchtower. The Chloe seen at the end of this episode is confident, strong, and delightfully pragmatic.

Considering the focus of the plot, most of the episode centers on Oliver and his experiences. Clark is barely present, which could be an issue for fans that expect him to be the subject each and every episode. This is beginning to feel, however, like preparations for something that will be vital to Clark’s overall season arc as the story progresses. This process puts Oliver and Clark on roughly the same footing as heroes in their own right, which is an important step. With his issues more or less resolved, Oliver can stand with Clark during the battles ahead.

This also seems to be designed to allow the Kryptonian subplot to percolate a bit in the background, and throw some complications into the Clark/Lois relationship in the process. The writers need to be careful with how many twists and turns they throw into the mix, however. Right now, it’s starting to feel like the most frustrating days of the Clark/Lana relationship, when Lana was trusting or distrusting Clark for whatever reason on an episode-to-episode basis. The writers are trying to keep things from progressing too quickly, obviously, but too much zigzagging can be counter-productive.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10