After Jake murdered Frank Dunning in order to save Harry’s family, the third episode of “11.22.63” veers away from that story and focuses more on Jake’s intended mission in the 1960s: preventing President Kennedy’s assassination. In “Other Voices, Other Rooms,” we see what happens after young Bill Turcote confronts Jake about the future. As Jake explains his mission, Bill wants to help. But will he be a benefit or a hindrance to the investigation?
This episode starts in 1960 but soon jumps to 1962, around the time Lee Harvey Oswald returns home from Russia. Of course Jake is waiting at the airport when Oswald arrives. From that moment forward, he begins monitoring the suspected assassin.
But amidst his spying duties, Jake is also living a normal life. After deciding he needs a real job, he takes a teaching position in a small town halfway between Dallas and Fort Worth, since Oswald frequents both cities. There Jake sees an old acquaintance: Sadie Dunhill, the woman he met on the park bench who left her purse behind. He was intrigued then, and he’s still smitten. Good thing Sadie is the new school librarian!
I really enjoyed the Jake-Sadie scenes. The two serve as chaperones at the high school dance – and even get a chance to dance together! They have wonderful chemistry, which left me wondering what Jake is going to do when his mission in the past is over.
Overall this episode moved at a slower pace; we don’t see as much of the past fighting back as we did before. And the creepy/thriller element is toned down. I found myself missing the Frank Dunning story. The time jump also felt a little odd. I couldn’t understand why Jake needed to arrive in 1960 if the story was so quickly going to jump ahead two years.
But this change in emphasis wasn’t all bad. The story takes its time developing Jake and Sadie’s romance, and investigating Oswald’s life before everything hits the fan. Getting that behind-the-scenes glimpse into Oswald was fascinating. His character is mysterious and intriguing. You don’t quite know what to think of him. You can also expect more fun details of the era in the music, costumes and historical context.
Slow pace or not, I am still very interested to see where this story is headed. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
You can check out “Other Voices, Other Rooms” Monday, February 29 on Hulu. (Then come back to the comment section here and let us know what you think!)
How are you liking "11.22.63" so far? What are you excited to see in episode three? Join our discussion in the comments below.
