Whitty Whit wrote:But he didn't take the seat for her to fulfill her purpose though.
Yes he did, if he hadn’t taken her seat then she would have been on the plane and made it to wherever she was going (I assume if he hadn’t been on it wouldn’t have crashed) and she wouldn’t have been forced to reanalyze her situation by finding the psychic and realizing what was going on.
But as for that not being essential, you’re correct. Her story was not part of the main story of the episode. That seems to be what they’re doing most of the time, there are two stories that lightly connect, but one is part of the bigger picture and the other is a more self contained thing.
It depends on what you think is the main purpose. Him taking her seat had two purposes, both of which were fulfilled.
His, in that the plane then crashed so he didn’t make it where he was going so he would go back to his office and decide to save the building. But also hers, as I just explained.
Now we’re getting somewhere. Multi-episode storylines that require a ‘previously on Touch’ intro. Time to start making things make sense.
Noosphere Rising started abruptly by matter-of-factly letting us know ‘yeah, Dr. Teller is dead actually’ like it’s no big deal. That threw me.
The rest of the story was different too. There were hardly any connections at all, they were just several stories doing their own thing.
Video blogger brings a bunch of people together. Nice, but not connected to anything. Except for the reappearance of those Japanese girls and that phone again. But it had no affect on the other storylines that I noticed.
Guy tries to get his inheritance to sell it but can’t get it until he realizes where its true value lies. An unoriginal story, but one that is connected to the other happenings because Kiefer calls him to find out how to save the professor.
Professor and Kiefer then team up to set the thing with the poker girl right, which was this episode’s main story. In that story, there were some standard timing based connections, like Kiefer joining the first poker game and losing, so it would make the pot the right amount of money to pay out the exact amount to make the bill with the note come up, causing Kiefer to take notice and ask about the guy, enabling him to find him collapsed in his office and save him. That also put the bill back in circulation, which caused it to show up again later at the opportune time.
So the usual elements were there, but they weren’t used in the usual way. Perhaps it was because a good portion of the episode was used to continue the side story of the battle for custody of Jake which is underlying the whole show, but not one of the developing connections in itself.
One thing that puzzled me was how the professor knew the Amelia Sequence out to 23 digits when Dr. Teller only knew it to 18 digits. Maybe it’s because he used his math prowess coupled with poker experience to work out the others by trial and error, but I don’t know.
Also, when Kiefer writes in the rest of the sequence on the board at the end of the episode, he left out the 6 discovered last episode. It should have been there, because the professor’s version had it. An oversight by the show’s creators I guess.
Then don’t read my post yet, it has spoilers.
(For future reference (if you hadn’t noticed), all of mine will, because I write them after I watch. So if I’m the first to post about an episode, make sure you’ve seen it.)
Zone of Exclusion was interesting. There were two distinct storylines, there weren’t overlapping connections. But it was made up for by the multiple aspects of the first one. And the way they both worked out was straightforward and easy to follow.
It started right off the bat with Jake taking that phone so the lady would follow them into the museum and see the other lady on the screen. They recognize each other, so Kiefer tracks her back to the hotel and finds the long lost sister. That was good enough for me, but more layers kept being put on. Reuniting that family had a twofold deeper effect. First, it showed that one lady that her mom didn’t really die in child birth, allowing her to overcome her fear of having a baby. And second, it brought about justice for the baby selling doctor. The latter of which wouldn’t have happened if the taxi driver, the dad, hadn’t recognized him, so that was why Jake stepped in front of the taxi, so it would stop and the doctor would get in.
The second storyline was much simpler, probably because the focus was on developing the other one. But that’s okay, better to have one simple and one layered than have two overwhelmingly complex ones.
The astronaut loses contact on the radio, but is able to be saved because his wife put a HAM set in his suit. So they contact the HAM operator, and he’s able to deliver the message just in time. And as an added bonus, the ordeal provides the operator with an interesting story to broadcast, which finally brings in responses from the drivers, letting him know that people are indeed listening to him.
This storyline was connected to the other, barely, because the HAM operator was broadcasting to the taxi drivers, including that dad. But it wasn’t affected at all by the other, which I think is a first. For the stories to have absolutely no crossover whatsoever.
And then, the inevitable happened. We could see it coming that if they followed Jake there would be trouble, and now it’s starting to break lose. Clea getting taken off his case is just the beginning I’m sure. I wonder how they’ll work this one out.
I’m also curious what the deal is with that director lady. I can’t tell if she has ulterior motives or what. Dr. Teller accused her of being paid off by someone, then Clea questioned whether she was being truthful about Room 6, which was yet again mentioned as if important but not explained. It seems like they’re trying to set up some kind of conspiracy about kidnapping kids for mental research or something like that. That’s the impression I’m getting anyway. I hope I’m wrong though, because that would be a strange way for the show to turn. I don’t think it needs that.
Music of the Spheres was well done. It was straightforward and easy to follow.
There were three storylines that developed through the episode, those two brothers, that musician, and Clea looking into Dr. Teller’s research. And once more two tied in while one stayed on its own. But that one was technically connected, because it was continuing the season long story of understanding Dr. Teller.
The first two stories were separate for much of their development.
Jake and the store owner collide, spilling the coffee. She continues to her store to interrupt the burglary, which drops the gun on the ground. The spill causes Kiefer and Jake to go home and change so they’ll walk by the alley a bit later and find the gun. They also notice the guy taking out the garbage so they’ll recognize him again later. Dropping the gun after the failed burglary causes the kid to go back and look for it, allowing Jake and Kiefer to meet him and learn about his brother, and so start to form a connection with them and want to help them with whatever is going on. Tracing the kid to the probation officer and seeing that guy from the alley again fill in the details, and enable them to set a trap and bring about justice.
Meanwhile, the musician tries repeatedly to win the heart of the café owner, but fails because she’s too concerned about losing the café, which she believes is her only connection to her family. To show her how serious he is he eventually sells his guitar to get the money she needs.
Now the stories connect. The lady gets a call from Kiefer because those brothers are related to her and need her in New York. This revelation finally allows her to let go of the café and go take care of them, because now that she has living relatives she doesn’t need the café to connect with her family. And the shop the musician sold his guitar to happened to be that same one the kid tried to rob, reinforcing the New York theme that was running though his storyline and solidifying that he and the lady were meant to be together. A tidy and fulfilling full circle.
On the other front, I was a bit frustrated by the scenes of going through Dr. Teller’s stuff. So much was revealed, yet so little was learned. Most of what they found out were things I had already pieced together throughout the season.
The conspiracy vibes were back, and it seems more and more likely that’s where this is all headed. They finally confirmed that there was indeed someone in Room 6, and they hinted that there was some kind of research project going on with shady leaders using questionable ethics. A new thought was also introduced, that perhaps Dr. Teller’s death was foul play. I hadn’t even considered that possibility.
I’m interested to see how much Dr. Teller’s friend is going to play a role in the rest of this. At first he didn’t seem to be related to anything at all, but by the end it was clear he knows more about what’s going on than he originally let on.
And Jake filled in the missing 6 in the Amelia Sequence, so it wasn’t an oversight that Kiefer left it out two episodes ago after all.
I was torn on Jake’s behavior this episode.
In the beginning I was very close to finally giving in and agreeing that he’s just an annoying brat. I’ve been waiting and waiting all season for him to show some kind of improvement, but it never came. I didn’t want much, I knew he wasn’t going to start talking all of a sudden, but is it too much to ask to have him at least point or nod sometime or something? Just give some sign that he’s making an effort to help Kiefer understand what he’s trying to convey.
The video screen last episode was a start, when he put his hand against that lady’s. I was very moved by that and thought it was going to mark some kind of transition. But it didn’t. This episode it’s back to the same old thing, no acknowledgement to anyone, stare blankly ahead. When Kiefer showed him the numbers to letters app I thought it was finally going to be a breakthrough, but no. He wouldn’t even give it a look.
But then, at the end of the episode, everything changed. And I think this time for real. He not only interacted with Dr. Teller’s friend, he actually touched him. And not only that, but he initiated the contact. This is finally a promising sign, and I hope it continues.
On Jake, as the season goes on at at this point and later you hope, and yet he just keeps on being annoying like that. I'm definitely hoping they turn it around next season. My guess is he will say something in it's finale.
To LGBT ToOers: The world is so much wider than your family and church. There are accepting people out there.
Tessellations had the same format as the last episode. Two connected outside stories, and then one continuing the unraveling of Dr. Teller’s research and its role in the bigger picture.
The first story didn’t have much to it, it was mostly used to provide the final tie in to the other one. A Jew and Palestinian Romeo and Juliet story about love and trust, with the boy deciding to take the risk and pass on the message from the girl’s brother.
The other story wasn’t very complex either. Kiefer notices the company on those crates at the beginning so he’ll take notice when it comes up again later and go check it out, getting him involved in the robbery attempt. After some twists and turns, the previously mentioned message connects the two stories by giving the final piece needed to turn things around, leading to the discovery of the stowaways. And as a side benefit Kiefer is able to help out that guy and his wife.
On the other storyline, the conspiracy isn’t just a possibility anymore, it’s real. The director lady is in on it, under orders from some mysterious third party. We found out Jake’s aunt is in on it too, or at least her company is. I didn’t expect that. I’m not sure exactly where they’re trying to take this.
I finally watched the finale yesterday. I went into it with absolutely no idea what to expect, just hoping that things would make sense in the end.
It started by paying off some of the conspiracy stuff. It seems Jake’s aunt did know something was going on, but she may actually be on the right side. She claims to be fighting for custody not to spite Kiefer, but to protect Jake. Then we start learning more about Amelia, uncovering a classic faked death situation.
A Japanese boy displaced by the tsunami attempts to break a record to improve the family situation. This gets them on the news for later purposes. Meanwhile a beachcomber is salvaging objects washed up from the tsunami hoping to reunite them with their owners but has no success. He’s driven by the memory of being in Japan when the wave hit and watching a woman being swept away. We see the return of that cell phone, somehow making its way back to Japan. The boy’s father doesn’t get his job back, in his distress he causes his son to lose the record, in his frustration he breaks a sword stand on the wall. Obviously the sword that belongs on it was lost in the tsunami, as we kept hearing the family is descended from samurai. The news is still there, so they broadcast the incident. Cut back to the beach, and the symbol on the stand is the same as the symbol on a washed up sword. Finally, a match. I saw all that coming. What I didn’t expect was the extra layer; the lady on the broadcast was the one that guy met that day. She survived. I should be anticipating these kinds of things by now, we know this show pays off the connections as big as they can, but I’m still caught off guard sometimes.
Now back to Kiefer, he begins investigating Amelia and somebody actually tries to kill him. There’s no doubt about it now, this is serious business. Whatever it is. He finally had real evidence, something that could really do something, and now he’s lost it.
Second shocker, the lady helping the beachcomber turns out to be Amelia’s mother! I did not see that one coming at all. She caught on to what Amelia was doing like Kiefer did with Jake and followed the numbers, but she thought they would reunite her with her daughter. She didn’t realize it was so she would meet this guy and help him find that family. Or maybe it was for both, since he helped her realize that the location changed. We’ll have to wait and see.
Back to Kiefer again, and it looks like things are over. Clea ends up betraying him, sort of, and he loses custody. If he had trusted the aunt sooner they might have been able to work something out, but it’s too late now. However this is going to end, he’s on his own now. No more clues from Jake. I don’t know how things will be resolved, it seems pretty bleak to me. The only thing I can think of is maybe now that Kiefer isn’t split between focusing on Jake and following the clues that he’ll turn all attention back to finding Amelia and that will somehow help something.
Time for part two. (This part is being written as I’m watching by the way, in case you can’t tell.)
Turns out I was wrong, having Jake gone doesn’t let Kiefer focus anywhere else. Instead he decides to storm the place and get him back I guess, so he goes and buys a gun. Nice touch bringing back the pawn shop guy. So he goes in and all I’m thinking is ‘this is a mistake, this is a mistake’ and then all of a sudden Jake’s gone. Clea redeemed herself. Now we have a scene with that guy from the pilot that’s already been brought back once, that must be going to go somewhere later.
Jake’s leaving his clues through a phone now apparently. Interesting angle. And now there’s the reappearance of the Invisible Prince. Wow, how many past characters are they going to bring back?
Lottery guy’s numbers are back, taken from the blueprint and put into a sextant. He said he was waiting for the next sign to show him where to go next, and this is going to do that, literally, on a map. Very nice.
On the other side, seemingly unconnected to anything, we still have Amelia’s mother driving around, I assume on the way to that new location pointed out to her last episode. She picks up a hitchhiker who has his own story going on, but I don’t see any connection between them yet.
Now Dr. Teller’s research is gone and Kiefer and Jake are trying to flee the state, I really have no idea what is going on. Are they going to fight whoever is behind all this or are they just trying to get away? The hitchhiker is being dropped off now, I still don’t see how he fits into anything.
Now I see what lottery guy’s deal is. He said he had to deliver that message, but I was confused because he already had, on the phone all those episodes ago. But of course, only we and Kiefer know that, he doesn’t know if it was received or not, and he doesn’t know it was Kiefer he was calling all along. Now they meet up and he finds out. Excellent resolution to this storyline, closing ties all the way back to the pilot. And now that he’s finally found his purpose he doesn’t have to leave anymore, which provides Kiefer and Jake transportation to get away.
The hitchhiker’s story is resolved, and still has no apparent connection to anything else that went on at all. I don’t understand why he was thrown in here.
Kiefer and Jake get to California and meet up with Amelia’s mom, and Jake finally touches someone.
...Is that seriously it? I’m getting pretty fed up with Fox’s show design. I’ve followed three of their series now, and each one ended with a very disappointing letdown. This show had such potential, but there was no climax. Ever. It’s not just disappointing, it’s frustrating! What now, Kiefer and Jake just hide out on the other side of the country forever? How is that supposed to be a decent wrap up to everything that’s happened throughout the season, and even just in the two episodes of the finale? There are no answers to anything! We don’t know who the masterminds are or why they were doing what they were doing, or even really what it was, and nothings happens to them either, that whole part of the story is just dropped. And what in the world is up with Amelia? The whole season has been building up to that, and we know now that she’s still alive somewhere, we find her parents, and then that’s dropped too! There was no resolution to anything at all. I am very displeased.
Got around to watching the bonus episode. It was okay, not sure where it fits in the timeline though. Nor if it's set on their way to California how Oregon's on route.
To LGBT ToOers: The world is so much wider than your family and church. There are accepting people out there.
The bonus episode seems to come after the finale. That’s going to make it interesting to follow for me.
After the way they wrapped things up (or didn’t) there is a lot they need to do to win me back, so I hope that’s what the second season is about. If they set it up this way intentionally, knowing they were going to have another season and choosing to save the resolutions and wrap ups for that, then that’s fine. I’d rather have the time and opportunity of a whole season for resolving everything than cramming it into the end of the finale if a choice between the two is possible, because that way it’s unrushed and can be done right.
So I will be looking forward to where they’re going from here, but I’m afraid if it doesn’t start off by clearly making moves to answer some lingering questions then the bad taste left from the finale won’t go away and will cloud the new season.
I can give them a pass on this one episode, in that I understand if this is going to be a stand alone bridge between the seasons, but it would be nice if some answers are at least hinted at sometime.
(The above paragraph was written a few minutes into the episode. I will now watch the rest before writing further thoughts.)
I liked the reappearance of the kitchen supplies guy from all the way back in the pilot. And they kept continuity intact by mentioning his new clients in Iraq, which of course was the climax back in that episode. Those new clients have given him a promotion, but his wife doesn’t want to move, even though she knows it’s a great opportunity, because she’s still attached to the memories of their daughter.
A kid goes out to prove himself and finds an injured man. They get back to the truck because they hear the guy on the radio, who is tying the whole episode together through his theme of helping others. The kid has to drive the guy to help, but doesn’t know how, which comes into play perfectly later on.
Kiefer learns his old boss in trouble because of a story he’s working on. He goes to help his boss finish his story, but finds out he was the one that set it up in a reversal of what had happened back when Kiefer lived there. Great twist, totally unexpected. He tries to make a getaway but the kid and the guy are coming down that road. Because the kid can’t drive, he forces the car off the road so he’s captured.
There’s a reappearance of that phone yet again, brought about by the guy on the radio. His request for acts of kindness prompts the person currently in possession of it to contact those Japanese girls, causing them to ask someone to take their picture. That someone is kitchen supply guy’s wife, who passes out so they get her to a doctor and she and her husband learn she’s pregnant. This finally allows them to bring closure to their first daughter’s death.
Throughout the episode there were hints dropped about Kiefer’s past and some kind of trouble he had caused for the town when he lived there. When we found out what the story was, like I said it was an exact reversal of this one. Back then there was a real bad company, he reported on them and closed them down. But because that cost lots of people their jobs, people turned on him for it. This time the company was framed, so by preventing the story they stayed in place and brought jobs.
To close things out, the radio guy makes one final contribution. His broadcast caused the kids that found Kiefer’s keys to call in, which allowed them to be brought back to him. It was a perfect and fulfilling full circle wrap up.
I absolutely loved this episode, it’s possibly my favorite out of all of them. It was just perfectly done all around. The only thing I may have liked more was if Kiefer had stayed there now that he had restored his reputation. I mean, now that the head reporter is caught in extortion I assume he’ll lose his job. I thought it would be nice if Kiefer replaced him, bringing full circle to his personal life in addition to all the connections he’s brought about.
Perhaps that would have happened if there wasn’t another season coming up. That would have been a pretty neat way to do a final wrap up, if this was all there is. But with a new storyline ready to start it probably wouldn’t fit in with where they want to go. But who knows, maybe after the show is done for good they’ll bring it back here and it will happen then.
So absolutely no progress was made in resolving the confusion of the finale, but I didn’t notice and didn’t care. I still want the new season to work on that when it starts, but I thoroughly enjoyed this singular episode as is nonetheless.
Last edited by bookworm on Fri Oct 12, 2012 12:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Alright, I was finally able to start up on this again.
Went into the new season with no idea at all what to expect, just hoping to get some answers to the cliffhangers from the first one.
First thing I noticed was that this episode picks up immediately after the last episode of the season, so apparently that bonus episode didn’t actually happen after that one, but during it. Sometime between when they took off in the car and the final scene on the beach.
So now they meet Amelia’s mom and Jake is starting to act slightly less, well, Jakeish. It seems things are moving along. This episode was similar to how the ones at the end of the first season were, with the external connection storylines minimized, there actually wasn’t a single one this time, and focus now on developing the real story.
I’m still not sure what exactly is going on here. There’s definitely a kidnapping conspiracy going on with AsterCorps ‘killing off’ the various seers by faking their deaths so they can experiment on them or whatever they’re doing. But now there’s also some crazy guy killing them off for real. And each seems ready to target Jake next.
And now there’s hoodie guy, another seer, who has actually been working with AsterCorps, perhaps the one who got them started on this thing in the first place, but is now having second thoughts as he begins to realize what’s happening. He seems like one of the good guys, until the end when we find out he is the one that has Amelia. What?
So far this season has not impressed me. There's nothing exciting. And with the way it's going I don't see anything conclusive happening until the end of the season.
To LGBT ToOers: The world is so much wider than your family and church. There are accepting people out there.
