Forever, “Best Foot Forward,” was written by the team of Sarah Niclole Jones and Zev Borow and was directed by John Kretchmer. It features the excellent writing and acting we’ve come to expect from the show. The flashbacks to 1920a Paris fold into the main plot in interesting ways. The ending is one that fans have been waiting for for some time with Jo (Alana De La Garza) seemingly coming to the realization that Henry (Ioan Gruffudd) is more than just a friend. I thought the case at the heart of this episode was particularly nicely done. It’s a good mystery with just enough red herrings to keep it interesting.
The episode begins with the retirement of a prima ballerina – Odessa (Irina Dvorovenko). We’re told that “tonight is history. It marks the end of a stunning career.” Of course, the irony is that it actually marks the end of two prima ballerinas who are both hoping that their legacy will live on – and support them. We are also told that “Her legacy will live beyond the ages. Forever.” Have you noticed how often the title becomes an important comment on the episode? Clever writing! In this case both the present and the past storylines examine how one can live forever through art – in the memory of those who appreciate it.
The initial voiceover tells us, “Every human being on this earth knows that life is not without pain. For most of us it’s an inconvenience, a trial, to be endured or avoided. But there are a select few who seek it out. Who use it as a tool to create something so beautiful that it transcends this world and makes them immortal.” This pain extends beyond what the ballerinas are doing for their art and how they punish their bodies in order to achieve their art. Opening yourself to love can also open yourself to pain.
We also see that Henry and Abe (Judd Hirsch) are keeping secrets from each other. Henry has refurbished the pistol that Adam (Burn Gorman) gave him – the pistol that may finally be able to kill Henry. His death would be painful to both himself and Abe, but is it still something that Henry is eager to seek out? Abe has a lead on Abigail. Will the knowledge of what happened to Abigail send Henry back into a tailspin in which he seeks out death or is she still alive, putting the pain of losing her back into his future? What about Jo’s feelings? We see Jo finally open herself to possible happiness with Isaac (Cuba Gooding Jr) only to bail on him and go to Henry. Yet, she stops short of really declaring herself.
I have to admit that I felt more than a little bad for Isaac – and I’ll miss Cuba Gooding Jr. He re-awakens all of Jo’s senses. We see him feeding her blindfolded in their first scene together. He then reawakens her sense of adventure by offering to fly her anywhere in the world – he has a plane after all. They ultimately decide on Paris and this provides another link to the flashbacks this week as we are transported back to the salons of 1920s Paris – complete with Hemingway!
In 1929, we see Henry reluctantly arrive at a party – he’s been told it’s a house call, but he stays for the party nonetheless as he seems to be close friends with Valerie (Elizabeth Gray) the host. She is a sculptor. I loved the adversarial relationship he has with Hemingway (Aaron Dean Eisenberg) – one of my favorite authors. We learn Hemingway stole one of Henry’s girlfriends and Valerie forbids him to fight with him again! Like many artists, Valerie turns to drugs, in this case heroin, for inspiration for her art. In the end, it turns into a house call after all when Valerie overdoses and almost dies.
Henry visits Valerie the next day, and she is working on her next masterpiece. She appreciates Henry saving her but tells him, “Thank you for your help, but I can do without the lecture. Heroin helps to unlock something in me. My works will live so much longer than me.” Henry urges Valerie to have faith in herself. The statue she is working on brings us back to the case as it – or a replica of it – is the very talking statue in which they find the clue to find Eva. The statue is a terrific tie in to all aspects of the episode as it’s of a couple dancing – tying to the ballet but also the romance of dancing that we associate with Henry and Abigail – and the dance of romance that is also happening in the episode between Issac and Jo and possibly Jo and Henry.
The search for Eva (Carmen Cabrera) starts with her foot. Henry, as a connoisseur of all the arts, is quite happy to have a case centered on the ballet. Henry is able to determine she’s still alive, so they interview her brother who tells them she had a stalker (Sergei played by Adam McNulty). The stalker leads them to Odessa who was not happy about being replaced. I really liked that they had Hanson (Donnie Keshawarz) find the message on the mirror with the powder – maybe Henry’s rubbing off on him! However, Odessa isn’t the killer and is only using an old Russian trick of intimidation. Ultimately, Henry’s knowledge of the talking statue leads them to Dimitri (Michel Gill) who was having an affair with Eva and the hotel where they’d meet. Henry’s examination of the car leaves them with clues to track Eva from the motel to where she is lying in the sand dunes. I will admit that while Henry’s examination of the car is hysterical, he’d never be doing that as ME – a CSI would be doing that.
After finding Eva, the doctor (Tommar Wilson) is not sure when she will wake up. In fact, he can’t believe she’s still alive. Henry remarks on her extraordinary willpower, saying, “she chose to live despite the pain.” And she’s already overcome coming to America on a raft from one of the poorest slums in Havana.
Isaac is still suggesting places for them to go, and Henry wades in to recommend against Tanzania. Jo suggests that things are just going too fast for her. But Henry tells her, “if this case has taught us anything, it’s that you can live despite whatever pain you’re going through but you can’t let the fear of getting hurt stop you from opening up to someone you care about.” Jo maintains it doesn’t matter because she can’t just leave in the middle of a case.
Once Henry learns that whoever took the foot didn’t want to kill Eva, they evidence leads them back to her brother, Luis (Andhy Mendez), who was a battlefield surgeon. When he runs and falls to his death, it seems the case is over. Jo decides on Paris – she’s going, she’s taking a chance. Henry is very enthusiastic about her choice of the “moveable feast” – a nice Hemingway reference and another nice thread between the storylines. Henry captivates Jo with his description of Paris: “the single best thing to do in Paris is get lost. This regime works best with someone you find very special.” De La Garza is excellent in this scene as we see the penny start to drop. We know who she thinks is very special even if she hasn’t quite gotten there yet.
In the end, Henry solves the case when he discovers that Eva orchestrated the whole thing because she has a degenerative bone disease that would have ended her career within year anyway. The final scene between Cabrera and Gruffudd is excellent. Henry has nothing but disdain for her now. Henry tells her “History will never forget you.” She’ll be frozen in time as the prima ballerina who “could have been the best ever.” Eva is completely cold – even about her brother’s death. She only works up emotion and tears when she gets in front of the cameras. In the end, perhaps she’s an even better actress than dancer.
Both Henry and Jo are disappointed, but there’s no way to prove the case against Eva. Henry starts the sentence, “Never underestimate what some people will do…” and Jo finishes, “to live forever.” Reece (Lorraine Toussaint) tells Jo to just go to Paris already.
Isaac is very excited to show Jo Paris. He has every minute planned. He tells her Paris is magic, but his itinerary clearly has not room for spontaneity. Jo asks him if there’s any chance of getting lost, but he’s shocked and tells her he won’t let that happen. The contrast between Isaac and Henry has never been clearer, and suddenly, Jo shows up at the antique store with her suitcase. But this is after the final voiceover which tells us, “There are moments in all of our lives when we are compelled to ask ourselves how far we are willing to go for what we want.” We then flash back to see the Henry arrive at Valerie’s to find the talking statue finished and Valerie dead. It’s perfect that this statue also carries a message from the past to Henry and us in the present.
The voiceover continues: “How much are we willing to risk, to sacrifice, to endure.” And we see Henry with his pistol – his way to end all pain forever. “Because it’s one thing to yearn for something but quite another to find the strength to achieve it.” Does Henry have the nerve to really kill himself? Does he still want that or does he want to find happiness again? It’s at this point that Jo arrives.
This is certainly the moment many fans have been waiting for. Henry is confused to see her. Jo tell him she realized that she didn’t want to go. At least not with Isaac. Gruffudd and De La Garza are both excellent in this scene. Jo is risking everything and her hope and fear are both front and center.
Henry is confused, but when she tells him she didn’t want to go with Isaac, he swallows and asks “why?” He’s enjoying having Jo as a friend, but is he ready to risk the pain he felt with Abigail again? Jo begins, “I don’t know. Maybe I thought…” but she’s interrupted by Abe from finishing her thought. The moment is broken and when Abe says he needs to talk to Henry, she back tracks and says it’s nothing and that she’ll see Henry the next day. Henry clearly knows it’s not nothing, however!
Abe’s news is the secondary plot in the episode as we see an hilarious team up between Lucas (Joel David Moore) and Abe. In order to get more information on Abigail, Abe needs an ME to obtain files from the hospital he’s traced her to. Abe has a good cover story as to why Henry can’t know anything about it. He tells Abe that it’s about his mother and that things got kind of dark for Abe after she went missing. Of course, we know that things actually got very dark for Henry then. But then the best lies have a touch of truth. Lucas is hilarious as he wants to help Abe but knows he sucks at lying to Henry – and his “Jedi mind tricks.” Abe uses flattery to get Lucas on board, and then gives him the long list of aliases his mother used. Lucas is a little shocked and very curious. Abe puts him of by saying, “It’s a long story.” About 200 years long in fact!
The first set of files yields no clues. Lucas tells Abe that Henry would have to put the order in himself to get any more information. Abe thanks him. Hirsch is wonderful in the episode as we see how good he is at both comedy and drama. His distress and sadness at thinking of his mother alone in a morgue without anyone to claim or bury the body are palpable – and affect Lucas as well.
It’s a nice testament to Lucas that it’s empathy for Abe rather than flattery that gets him to really take a risk and impersonate Henry – badly – to get the rest of the files – and these do contain the information they were looking for. I loved that Lucas put on Henry’s scarf to get into character!
Henry ends the episode with not one but two shocks – and reasons to risk everything. Abe tells Henry that he’s found mom. Will she be alive? What will that do to Henry’s budding relationship with Jo? Will it give him peace or will he want to simply go with Abigail? What did you think of the episode? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
We still have no information about renewal for the show, and it looks like nothing will happen before the upfronts in New York in May. What may not be good news is that Hirsch was just cast in the yet to film sequel to Independence Day. He’ll be reprising his role from the original. However the just released
press release on episode 1.22 calls it the SEASON finale - not the series finale. What makes me super excited about the episode is that John Noble is listed as a guest star! There’s still lots of opportunity to let the network and studio know how much you love this show and want more! Remember to use the hashtag #RenewForever every time you tweet! Visit the official facebook page for the show and leave a message – often! Or check
here for other ideas.
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.
