Overall: 8.7 - Though not quite as powerful as last week's episode, this episode is certainly a worthy successor. We see one despised character get his comeuppance - which is great - and we continue to explore the philosophical conundrums inherent in knowing our future.
Spoilers below the cut.
Plot Synopsis:
Tattoo Guy: Mark and Olivia are on vacation when Demetri calls Mark and informs him that they've just received video of a recent homicide in which the perpetrator had three stars tattooed on his arm - the same three stars Mark saw on one of his assailants in his flashforward. Mark and Demetri decide to track down the eyewitness who shot the video, Ingrid Alvarez, but when they arrive at her home, they discover that Ingrid's roommate has just been murdered. They bring Ingrid in for questioning; she tells them that the victim gave his murderer a case of some kind, and also gives them a hazy description of the murderer and his companion. She further mentions that the men, after committing the murder, started discussing something about "Q.E.D." Over Stan's objections, Mark decides to use Ingrid as bait to draw out the murderers. Mark, Demetri and Janis stake out Ingrid's bird shop, where a man with a three-star tattoo does in fact appear. Said man is promptly gunned down by Mark. Demetri suspects that this was Mark's intention all along - to kill his future attacker before "Tattoo Guy" makes his move - and, indeed, Mark confesses to Olivia that he was trying to prevent his future from unfolding.
Unfortunately, it is not quite so simple as killing one man; as it turns out, many men have the exact same tattoo. These men are working for a mysterious operation that is clearly connected in some way to the blackout. One of these men delivers rings similar to the one Janis spies in an enhanced photo of "Suspect Zero" to an apparent ringleader and is subsequently killed.
Tracy Stark: Tracy starts exhibited symptoms of PTSD, and Aaron pleads with Tracy to tell him what happened to her. After some resistance, she finally opens up and tells her father that two years ago, while on a recon mission, she witnessed a private military contractor - Jericho - massacre an entire village. She reported it to her commanding officer, but shortly thereafter, was attacked in her Humvee. Therefore, she is certain she cannot trust the military chain of command; this is why she did not return to her base after the attack. Aaron tells Mark that Tracy is home and asks for his help in pursuing Jericho. When Tracy learns of this, she gets very upset and prepares to flee, afraid that Jericho will now track her down, but Aaron insists that she needn't worry - according to his flashforward, they will both be alive in a few months time.
Could Jericho be connected to the blackout? To the three-star tattoo? I believe so.
The Poker Game: Lloyd, feeling guilty, sends an email out to his associates suggesting that they admit responsibility for the blackout. A very annoyed Simon pulls Lloyd out of his son's hospital room and demands that Lloyd put his guilt aside. He then suggests that he and Lloyd play a game of poker to settle the matter: if Lloyd wins, they will go public. At the game, Simon is supremely confident; he is certain that the future is already set in stone - and that he will be victorious. But Lloyd performs a little sleight of hand and wins the final hand. Everyone in the audience dances with glee as Lloyd faux-magnanimously leaves the task of writing the first draft of their announcement to Simon.
Miscellaneous Details: Janis is now looking into finding a sperm donor. And Mark buys Olivia the same lingerie she was wearing in her flashforward; determined to avert her affair, she tosses the lingerie in the trash.
Writing: 9
Though not quite reaching the bar set by last week's episode, Playing Cards With Coyote still has much to recommend it. First of all, it doesn't forget the consequences of Al's suicide. In all the characters, we see a brand new determination to embrace their free will, but we also get a sense - especially via Janis - of the magnitude of their loss. Janis' scene with Stan at the beginning of the episode is a true stand-out.
Second, this episode presents more evidence of Mark's gradual creep to the dark side, yet still maintains our sympathy for the character. Does a hazy vision of the future give one the right to commit preemptive murder? I'm doubtful on this point - especially since that murder turns out to be futile anyway. But I also understand why Mark does it. What sane person wouldn't be tempted to do the exact same thing?
Third, this episode also takes Simon down a peg or two, and it is delicious. When Lloyd whips out that pocketed ace and condescendingly pats Simon on the cheek - well, I must confess that I gleefully shouted some very unprintable things - and made some equally rude gestures - at the screen at that moment. Simon is the character you love to hate.
Acting: 8.5
The past few episodes, Joseph Fiennes has adopted a growling tone of speech that I think he's overusing a tad; his performance could stand to have a little more variety. There is also something about the man in the warehouse at the end that strikes me as a little off; quite frankly, there is no menace in his performance. Perhaps that is the point - I don't know. I suppose we'll have to see whether this choice is deliberate. Other than that, I have very few complaints. Even O'Byrne is showing improvement.
Message: 8.5
Now that a private military contractor has been thrown in the mix, I'm a little nervous. It's possible that Jericho will turn out to be a rogue agency with no mandate from the highest levels of the chain of command, in which case I will relax. But I also know that Hollywood has no love for these contractors, which means this plot could also tip into rank vilification of the military. I dearly hope that is not the direction we're heading.
On the other hand, this episode continues to defend the concept of free will against determinism. Here, the writers make very clear that fatalism is the opium of men like Simon - sociopaths who wish to escape the consequences of personal responsibility.
Highlights:
(Janis puts her gun and badge on Stan's desk.)
STAN: If this is supposed to be your resignation, I don't want to hear it.
JANIS: You're not even going to let me explain myself?
STAN: You were attacked. You were shot. You returned to work to find out a coworker jumped off a building. Am I in the right ballpark here?
JANIS: My life is not making a lot of sense right now, and I think I need a little time off to figure it out.
STAN: Totally understandable... but... I need you here.
JANIS: I know we've been short-handed since the blackout... but ever since Gough... since Al...
STAN: This isn't about Al.
JANIS: Yes, it is. When I found out about what he did... and why he did it, it just made me think about my own future. I don't know what I'm supposed to do. Do I lean into what I saw? Do I fight it? What if my getting shot was... I don't even know... some... some sort of sign that this baby is not meant to be?
STAN: You're going to let a bullet decide whether or not you bring a baby into this world? If Al's death proved anything, it's that our choices still matter... now more than ever.
SIMON: Fate is fate. We're not responsible, Lloyd.
LLOYD: What about free will?
SIMON: No such thing.
LLOYD: Oh, since when did you become such a hard determinist?
SIMON: Simple quantum suicide theory. I win this hand and every subsequent hand we play. Ad infinitum. QED.
LLOYD: Don't you get tired of hearing yourself pontificate?
SIMON: Don't you get tired of being a self-righteous prick? We're scientists, Lloyd - not attention seeking reality show contestants looking for their fifteen minutes of fame on a talk show.
LLOYD: You always do this.
SIMON: What's that?
LLOYD: Use intellectual arguments to defend your own behavior. You sleep with Cabrini's wife and call it 'electromagnetism.' You fire your assistant and you blame it on Darwin.
SIMON: Shut up, Lloyd.
LLOYD: And now you've upended the entire world and you hide behind determinist rhetoric. - As I said above, this is an excellent critique of the motive that usually drives one to accept determinism: it vitiates any personal responsibility.
(After Lloyd wins the final hand at the poker game...)
SIMON: How'd you beat me?
LLOYD: Did I tell you Dylan really loves magic? (He pulls out an ace.) Sleight of hand's his favorite. You know, there are some things even I won't leave to chance. That being said, I'll let you have the first pass at drafting our announcement. Alright? (He puts the ace in Simon's pocket and pats his cheek. Simon scowls.) - YES! MUAHAHA!
(After Mark kills the guy in Ingrid's shop with the tattoo...)
DEMETRI: This about taking Tattoo Man off the streets... or putting him under it?
MARK: What the hell are you talking about?
DEMETRI: Look, I know you said if we get this guy, we might have a chance to change our futures.
MARK: But?
DEMETRI: I just want to make sure that the plan here wasn't to kill him so that he won't kill me or come after you in your office.
MARK: Whatever gave you that idea?
DEMETRI: Because I had it. (A beat.) The second you suggested that Tattoo Guy might be the guy who is going to kill me, I thought, 'I'm gonna kill him first.'
MARK: But now you think I actually did... that I went that far.
DEMETRI: I would've. - And so would a lot of other people.
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