Scorpion, “Forget Me Nots,” was written by the team of Alex Katsnelson and Nick Santora and was directed by Jann Turner, whose other credits include Chicago Fire, Jane the Virgin, and Teen Wolf. I liked this episode much more than “Charades,” and I was really wishing they’d left the two episodes in the originally scheduled order, assuming they were trying to attract new viewers after the AFC Championship game. The case plays out a bit more tightly in this episode, but there were also some funny moments, and some sweet moments, giving us the best the show has to offer. Elyes Gabel (Walter) delivers an excellent performance in this episode, and Robert Patrick (Cabe) also has some great moments.
However, I think the episodes do flow better with “Charades” coming before “Forget Me Nots” as far as the emotional core of the show goes. In “Charades,” Paige (Katharine McPhee) begins to discover that she may have feelings for Walter, and she begins to see that he has feeling for her but especially for Ralph (Riley B Smith). In “Forget Me Nots,” Walter finally tells Paige what he’s feeling, and it was one of the best scenes in the show so far.
The team learns – through Toby’s (Eddie Kaye Thomas) eavesdropping that Paige is considering a move to Portland. When Walter finds the pamphlet on the gifted school in Portland that Drew (Brendan Hines) gave her, Paige asks Walter what he thinks. Walter tells her she doesn’t really want to know what he thinks. When she insists, he tells her that there’s no logical reason to take Ralph 3,000 miles from his home. When Happy (Jadyn Wong) asks if she’s moving to Portland, Happy also tells her it’s cold there. Paige says she doesn’t want a bunch of useless fact, but Happy points out that facts aren’t useless. They’re the foundation of rational thought, and in a strange way, they are also how geniuses express that they care.
One of my favorite scenes – possibly so far in the series – is Walter going to Paige at the end of the episode with a bunch of positive facts about Portland. Gabel is simply excellent in this scene as we see just a tiny glimpse into Walter’s heart. He starts by telling her that “My assessment of Portland was not the proper response for your query.” He’s learned about appropriate responses from Paige after all. He then goes on with his list of facts. He tells Paige that he cares about giving her a complete answer to her question. She tells him she knows he cares. And this response felt really right to come after the events at the end of the last episode, when Paige had seen evidence of Walter’s caring.
Walter goes on to really open up to Paige and to admit that he cares about Ralph. He also admits that she was right about him not having a real relationship with his own father, and that while he knows he’s not Ralph’s father, he still hopes that he serves an important purpose in his life. Perhaps most importantly, Walter acknowledges the important role Ralph has played for him. Walter tells Paige, “I know I said being human wasn’t something that I wanted but since I met your son? I know that’s not entirely true. These last few months, I’ve been less me. And that’s made me a better person. So. No. I don’t want him to leave. I care about him… and you.” Paige admits that she’d miss Walter too. It’s certainly clear that she’s never going to find anyone else who will so completely put Ralph first – maybe even ahead of her!
I like how the episodes have now fallen into a comfortable pattern. We open with the gang at the garage playing a game – this time it’s Toby and Sylvester (Ari Stidham) playing human bowling. Paige arrives and we have a scene about the team before Cabe arrives with the case of the week. The final scene is usually, though not always, back at the garage with another personal moment for the team. It works for me, as long as the case is interesting and well executed!
This week’s case involves US nuclear missile silos and a 16 year old attempted assassination on President Clinton, during which the “football” was stolen. The “football” is actually the briefcase that goes everywhere with the President that contains the codes to launch the nuclear weapons plus the actual button. It’s hilarious when the entire team manages to uncover all the information that Merrick (David Fabrizio) is trying to keep top secret. The best part is the little smirk on Cabe’s face as his team does it!
The big twist in the case is that the only witness to the theft 16 years ago is the Agent who was handcuffed to the football who was shot and sustained traumatic memory loss. In order to get Bruce (David James Elliott) to remember enough details, the team wants to zap his brain with electricity “to stimulate his neurons.” When Bruce resists, Cabe says he’ll go first. It was hilarious watching none of the team actually want to throw the switch in case it didn’t work! I did love that Cabe was happy putting his trust in the team. I also liked that he thought it hadn’t worked, until Walter tests his reflexes and it clearly has at which point Walter says, “Welcome to us!” I loved Cabe getting his hero moment jumping over the car and tackling Agent Khara (Navid Negahban).
The forget me not of the title has multiple meanings. It refers to Bruce’s loss of memory. But forget me nots are associated with lost love too. This is particularly poignant as Bruce’s injury has caused him to lose the woman he was in love with, and of course, he ditches Paige and Happy to try to find her. Guests rarely have an opportunity for much screen time, but Elliott delivers a great performance in the scene in which Paige and Happy track him down. And that lost love theme is looming over the possibility of Paige and Ralph leaving.
The final chase scene is fun. I really liked the solution of Happy stopping the train with the magnet. I also liked Cabe being reflective about getting old and Walter telling him that the effects from the zapping would have worn off hours ago. Cabe isn’t as old as he thinks he is – or at least he’s still got lots of hero left in him.
One more word about the final scene. Ralph’s big day was the science fair. Walter helped him build a rocket – which Drew criticized, wondering why he couldn’t have just built a volcano. Of course, Walter and Ralph’s project is much better and Ralph returns with a giant trophy! Ralph also has the news that one of the kids at school actually invited him to his birthday party. Clearly, Walter and the team are helping Ralph come out of his shell. It’s clear from the look on Drew’s face that he’s quickly coming to accept that Paige is not going to come to Portland, and there’s also a really nice moment of Paige looking at the giant trophy – clearly happy about the changes in Ralph.
I hope they aren’t going to drag out the Paige/Drew will she go/won’t she go story – it’s already clear to everyone, I think, that it’s not happening. It also seems clear to me that Paige isn’t ready to really enter into a relationship with Walter. How can you blame her? He’s come a long way, but I still think you’d want to strangle him several times a day! What I think would be hilarious is if Walter tells Paige that he doesn’t want to risk his relationship with Ralph by starting something with her!
What did you think of the episode? Do you think that Paige has made her decision? Do you think Drew may decide not to go after all? Did you like Sylvester getting to smash the football? Did anyone else notice that the phone number early in the episode is a real phone number? It’s not the usual fake 555 number shows use because Nick Santora and Nicholas Wootton hate them. Apparently, the number really works and if you call it, you’ll get a message related to the show “and something else”! Anybody try the number yet? Let me know if you have and your thoughts on the episode in the comments below!
About the Author - Lisa Macklem
I do interviews and write articles for the site in addition to reviewing a number of shows, including Supernatural, Arrow, Agents of Shield, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Forever, Defiance, Bitten, Glee, and a few others! Highlights of this past year include covering San Diego Comic Con as press and a set visit to Bitten. When I'm not writing about television shows, I'm often writing about entertainment and media law in my capacity as a legal scholar. I also work in theatre when the opportunity arises. I'm an avid runner and rider, currently training in dressage.
