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Double review time! Sorry for not doing a review of last week's Crisis, but I had a busy week and couldn't get to do it before the next episode. Therefore, here is my review of episode 5 and 6 of NBC's action thriller.
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In the next episode, the FBI attempts to lure out the kidnappers with a CIA file. This mission is seemingly accomplished when they see one of the captors and in turn follow them to a mansion. At that mansion, they get a positive ID on one of the kids and the FBI agents storm in. But, as always and forever, Gibson was one step ahead of them, using a parent mission to play the feds. Meg gives Jonas up to the CIA in order to get the name of the kidnapper from Widener, who reveals it's Gibson. Kyle attempts another escape from the mansion but it fails miserably. In the end, Finn and Dunley realize that the two soldiers were part of a Mirakuru'd group of soldiers that was and is functioning as Widener's personal hit squad. The side effect of the drug was that the soldiers' emotions faded away, which also happened during Operation Lennox. After realizing this, Finn and Dunley change the game and let the kidnapper call them, allowing him not only to explain his actions but also presumably to use them on parent missions.
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These two episodes were not as intense or interesting as the previous ones. Episode 5 in specific was a bit boring and had way too much drama at the mansion. Episode 6 was the better one of the two and it will be interesting to see how things are going to change. I'm especially looking forward to see how Dunn and Finley will team up with the kidnapper and what their missions will be like. Meg also knows the truth about the Gibson and the drug her company produced, so I am curious what she is gonna do with that information. Also, what will Kyle's punishment be for his escape attempt?
What did you think of these two episodes? Do you consider the FBI stupid or do you think Gibson is too strong to beat? How are things going to play out now that Finn and Dunley are on Gibson's side?
Promo for next week:
I agree, Ep5 was a bit slow, Ep6 was much better and looking forward to the next episode.
ReplyDeletethank you for the review! and for the promo that i missed!
Excellent review and you raise some interesting points.
ReplyDeleteBefore starting though, i have to say that Mulroney's performance as Gibson is incredible imo, i've never been a fan of his and was going to give this show a miss when i saw he was in it, but from the very first episode he's won me over so completely, that i've re-evaluated my entire opinion of him.
Anyway onto the key point you raise the incompetance of the FBi and how it in parallels the other shows you bring up.
On the face of it i agree, but i do think there's a big difference this time and that's GIbson himself and his playbook.
Firstly he was part of the system, a cia analyst who's job pretty much was to devise strategy to accomplish goals, he was also apparently very good at his job and has had a lot of time to plan the events we're now witnessing.
Unlike the following or other shows the groundwork as to why or how he can do what he does is pretty much laid out so the fact he's always been one step ahead works better imo.
We also have the fact that in his playbook he has the entire plan laid out, wheras the FBI have been scrambling from day 1 trying to figure out what's going on, we've gone from a simple kidnap, to using the parents, to a completely different agenda.
Gibson knows exactly what his endgame is, the FBI haven't a clue and up until now didn't even know he was the mastermind, so them being outplayed makes sense, now where we go from here is interesting.
They have been incompetent but it makes sense why imo, not only are they being played by Gibson, there's also the CIA angle and the wildcards that are the parents, it's a combination of all of this that creates the incompetance rather than them simply being incompetent.
The Crisis in this show is showing how STUPID the FBI can be in this situation. As soon as they knew the kidnappers were using the patents of the kid to do dirty work they should have rounded up ALL of them, put them in a confined space, took away their communications to the outside world and then looked for the kidnappers. If the kidnappers can not communicate with the parents, their entire plan falls apart.
ReplyDeleteThey don't call the FBI the "Fumbling Bunch of Idiots" for nothing...
ReplyDeleteI have to admit the crew on "The Following" are unbelievably dumb. This crew on "Crisis", as the other posters have pointed out, at least have the excuse that they're up against a major plan by a master planner.
But again, also as pointed out, it would be more interesting if the FBI actually did as suggested and simply controlled the parents to the point where the plan can't work. Gibson is ruthless, but he's unlikely to kill ALL the kids if his plan falls apart. He'd certainly kill some and of course the outcry over that would result in Senate hearings on the FBI's approach. There would be issues about the legality/morality of such FBI moves (but none but a few citizens seem to care about either NSA spying or the violation of suspect rights on ninety percent of cop shows), but at least the FBI would look more or less effective.
This sort of huge plot hole is common on TV - the producers just didn't think it through because they were too focused on how "cool" the show concept was. "Cool" is the enemy of "good"... Never let your writers run wild with "cool" plot devices. They invariably write themselves into a corner.
All that said, I find the drama around the kids to be terminally boring teenage stroke show crap and lousy acting. The show would be better if they were all injected with a narcosis-inducing drug and thus kept their mouth shut.
Not that it matters - the show is TV By the Numbers Cancellation Bear chow... :-)
So basically one idea to have the FBI not be incompetent that's being put forward is that they basically forget about the law and instead treat the parents as if they are terrorist's, seriously.
ReplyDeleteAren't the parents of these kids supposed to be the elite, hell isn't the president's son one of the kids kidnapped, not to mention Gillian Anderson's character is supposed to be incredibly powerful. We've seen congressmen, senators, already as parents of the kidnapped kids, but the answer is to round them all up, tramp all over their civil rights and that would show some people that the FBI isn't incompetent.
The plotline itself shows why Gibson is running rings round the FBI, the whole premise on why he picked the kids was because of who their parents are, it was all planned out right from the get go, knowing exactly what could and couldn't be done by the FBI and other agencies.
Basically since the get go Gibsons been the one with the agenda and the only one so far who knows just what the endgame to that agenda is, that's why the FBI has been so incompetent because they've been following his agenda.
The FBI put people on the parents, that's the limit of what they can legally do as none of the parents have commited any crime, they still have to follow due process, it's very easy to say that they're incompetent when your not sure what the rules of engagement are.
Gibson on the other hand can play outside the rules, the FBI cannot, they have careers to think about, something which the director himself mentions when he finds out how deep the CIA are involved.
The CIA on the other hand have been shown to be shady in the show so they don't need to play by the same rules, but again Gibson's playbook covers this since he knows how they respond.
Until someone goes against the playbook, like they did talking directly to him, GIbson will continue to have the upper hand, simply because he knows exactly what he wants to do next, they can only respond to his actions at this point, no doubt it'll change later but for now John Doe has the upper hand, sorry i meant GIbson lol.
I'm looking forward to the next episode.
ReplyDeleteLove when thing don't stop getting better.
Thanks for reading and commenting! I think you make a good point that Gibson knows it all and was part of their system, which is why he can't be beaten that easily. He has got everything planned while the FBI is gasping for leads and therefore, he always outsmarts the feds. What will be interesting to see indeed is how we go from here. I'm hoping that the end of episode 6 really changes the game, as in Finn and Dunley work with Gibson instead of against him.
ReplyDeleteThat might be a plot hole indeed, but do you really think all these powerful parents will let themselves get locked up and away that easily? Remember that the President is one of the parents, and I am sure he will never accept being completely cut off from civilization, and I think he isn't even allowed to do so. As has has been said in other comments, the FBI needs to play by the book even if this is a national crisis. They might be doing the best they can do legally speaking.
ReplyDeleteLOL, yes the children drama is not exactly a highlight of this show. I know that the show will be a likely cancelation, but as long as they wrap up the storyline and NBC airs all episodes, I am good.
ReplyDeleteGood show, but a waste of potential with all the great actors and i would love to see Gibson and the kids held hostage by the CIA.
ReplyDelete