Big life changes occur as a result of all the team went through in the prior episode. I noted this last week but I love that the show used Cameron’s near death as a catalyst for change for every single character. The writers could have easily had the notion of change be a one off in the season premiere but instead they took the idea and expanded on it. This is still the same show as last season but it seems to be maturing which is a natural progression for any show that successfully survived its freshman outing. The show can now focus on character evolution and further explore the mythology of the show. Both of which begin to happen in this episode as we start to see each character start down the path they will be traveling this season.
The biggest change to any character started in the last episode as Kirsten was reunited with her emotions and luckily this change seems poised to continue. It wasn’t just a change to the character but a change to the very core of the series. Such a big change in any character is a bold move but to make it within the lead was risky. However, the series knew what a powerhouse they had in Emma Istha and she is beautifully guiding Kirsten and the fans through this emotional evolution. What could have been a bad decision on the part of the show has turned into a brilliant centerpiece for the season. With Kirsten reconnected with her emotions she is now capable of experiencing all the good and bad emotions in the world. That was evident when Kirsten joined Cameron on his shopping trip to buy a motorcycle.
Cameron risked everything for Kirsten and the program and though he survived it the experience did have a profound effect on him. He needs some excitement and change in his life. I love that Kirsten accompanied him but I got the impression it was for the sole reason of getting him to help her understand the memory she had regarding her dad. At least this whole sequence provided several opportunities for Kirsten and Cameron to explore their dynamic now that she’s changed. It is still weird for me to see Kirsten able to smile and enjoy the nuances of life. I’m glad they gave Kirsten back the ability to feel and experience emotions because it has opened up Istha to show off how truly gifted she is. The way she can now interact with her costars on screen has brought a whole new element to each relationship. The old Kirsten would have never been able to pick fun at Cameron or pick up on the social cues of sarcasm at the motorcycle shop. Istha got to smile and enjoy the moment which in turn allowed Kirsten to enjoy the moment with Cameron. Both Cameron and Kirsten have this undeniable connection, but with Kirsten’s life in a constant state of flux I doubt they’ll be able to initiate any sort of romance anytime soon. Hopefully once things calm down and Kirsten gets some of the answers she’s seeking they can give a relationship a try because I think they would be an amazing couple.
While Kirsten and Cameron seem destined to one day unite Camille and Linus seem to now be on diverging paths. Linus made the big decision to move out of his parents’ home and while Camille is supportive of him and still loves his parents their relationship seems to be that of just friends. Both of these characters are at a place in their lives where they need to figure out their place in the complicated world they live in. I am glad the show seems to be allowing them to remain friends and supportive of each other. It was nice that Linus’ parents appeared in this episode and I hope it isn’t the last time we see them this season. They mean a lot to Camille and I hope they continue to embrace her even though their son and her are no longer a couple.
While Linus is building a new independent life for himself Camille is transforming herself. The show has paired Fisher and Camille up so he can train her and guide her evolution into a field agent. I was worried when I heard about this storyline that they were priming Fisher and Camille for future couple status. Thankfully the relationship between these two characters remains as that of friends who love to tease and annoy each other. All signs point to Camille starting a new relationship this season but we shall wait and see how that plays out. I’m just glad it’s not with Fisher because I like the dynamic these two have as mentor and trainee. Fisher already knows Camille and knows how to handle her snarky personality making him the perfect person to train her. She even got to show off her field potential when she digitally pick pocketed that suspect. There are bright and fun storylines in Camille’s future.
Speaking of Fisher I love the new garage set they have for him. It is very true to his personality and it was fun to see the team hanging out there. I think this will be a set we see a lot more of this season as Fisher trains Camille. What I don’t think we’ll see much of is Fisher being allowed to use a computer. I completely sympathize with Kirsten’s irritation over how slowly Fisher was hitting and pecking at the keyboard. I think everyone should be made to take typing lessons especially in a world now dominated by computers. I hope the team never allows him to touch a computer ever again.
Maggie earned herself an unwanted promotion in the wake of Turner’s death. The show also finally introduced us to Mitchell Blair (John Billingsley) who is just as mysterious and slightly creepy as you’d expect from Turner’s boss. Blair isn’t going to make things easy on Maggie and I think his prime objective in giving Maggie the promotion was to bring her even more under his control. I think he realizes that she has a soft spot for Kirsten and the team which makes her a big security risk should she divulge any information to them that he wants kept secret. Maggie, once again, finds herself stuck between the agency and the team she’s come to care about. I’m really interested to see what if anything changes now that she has Turner’s job.
The big case of the week involved the team having to figure out who hacked the insulin pump of a hacker turned government asset. This led the show to introduce us to Ellie (Cassidy Freeman) as the aforementioned hacker of the insulin pump. Ellie led the team on an interesting journey as she made life very difficult for them and came very close to killing Linus. The interesting part is that Ellie found a kindred spirit in Kirsten and while she went about everything the wrong way she thought she’d found a friend. It turns out that Ellie wasn’t as good as Kirsten and the team but Ellie does have valuable insight into how a person can disappear. That is information that Kirsten desperately needs if she ever hopes to track down her rogue father. The juxtaposition between the characters was brilliantly played out as Ellie was desperately trying to escape her emotions while Kirsten has been learning to embrace hers. These characters are opposites yet in a way Ellie is one possible scenario of the person Kirsten could have become had she not had Camille as a supportive friend or the stitchers program to guide her down a different path.
I was very impressed by Freeman and the way they shot her scenes to avoid revealing Ellie’s handicap. It was a fun way to maintain the mystery of the case and keep the stakes high. I do hope that we see Ellie return in some capacity because I think she and Kirsten could really help each other. With a bit of mental rehab and some psychological help she could one day aid the team on the right side of the law. I also really liked how vulnerable Freeman played Ellie. Her acting choices made it hard to not sympathize with Ellie just a tiny bit even though she was a psychotic murderer. She felt as if the world abandoned her and she dealt with her pain in the worst possible way. Yet, at her core she was just broken and damaged and all she really wanted was for someone to care for her. It is hard to feel any sympathy for a character that commits such a vicious crime but when you see her at her most vulnerable state it’s easy to understand how she wound up in the position she did doing what she did.
This was a fantastic episode that built on the season premiere and started each character on their season long journey. All good shows know their characters have to evolve. The truly great shows act on the need for evolution long before the fans demand it. The show could have easily maintained the characters as they were from last season just with a few minor tweaks but instead the show took the bold steps to start major character evolving early in the season. This gives the show plenty of time to take these characters on dynamic and life changing journeys. I look forward to seeing where the show goes from this point and how the mystery of Kirsten’s father unfolds.
Be sure catch the next episode on
Freeform on Tuesday, April 5th at 10/9C.
Hit the comments with your thoughts about this episode. Did you love the Kirsten and Cameron moments? Do you hope to see Ellie back one day? What do you make of Blair? Are you excited that Camille is being setup to be a more active member of the team?
About the Author - Aimee Hicks
Aimee works for a newspaper in North Carolina and has a BA in Broadcasting and Cinema. She has been a TV lover since before she really understood what TV was. She has a long list of shows that she loves to watch and can be found on twitter (@ahicks83) live tweeting about each new episode whenever she can. If the show is sci-fi, fantasy, comic book based, drama, or action the odds are good she watches it or has at least watched a few episodes of it. She also has a love for comedies 2 Broke Girls and Mom. She was the original creator and co-founder of LOST Video Island (lostvideo.net) which is still operating under the management of the very capable and skilled group she turned it over to.
You can email her at aimee@spoilertv.com.
