Overall: 8.5
This is another strong game changer. The questions this episode raises will, I'm sure, keep fans at least somewhat entertained during the ridiculously long hiatus. (March? Are you trying to kill us with the suspense, ABC?)
Spoilers below the cut.
Plot Synopsis:
Mark & Demetri: Against their expressed orders, Mark and Demetri take a trip to Hong Kong to track down Demetri's mysterious caller. They are confronted at the airport by Agent Vogel, who claims to be from the FBI; Vogel urges Mark and Demetri to reconsider their trip, but they refuse. Then an irate Stan calls Mark on his cell, and Mark basically tells Stan to get stuffed. Mark is bound and determined to find the woman who seems to know something about Demetri's killer, to the point that he's willing to cover for Demetri and take full responsibility for violating orders (and do a good deal more, as we find out later).
Mark and Demetri then trace the signal of the mysterious caller to a Persian restaurant. The owner of the restaurant denies knowing the woman in their recording, but Mark can tell he is lying and, after sending Demetri out of the restaurant, threatens the owner with detention if he doesn't spill. The restaurateur gives Mark the woman's name - Nhadra Udaya - and the name of the dim sum establishment she patronizes every night. Mark and Demetri confront Udaya (and her entourage) at the dim sum restaurant, but she is, at first, extremely reluctant to divulge what she knows, stating that she fears doing so will negatively affect the future. Mark and Demetri, however, don't accept this answer and insist on dragging more out of the tight-lipped woman, who finally reveals that Demetri will be shot with Mark's gun (!).
A disbelieving Mark goes ballistic, turning over the table and taking Udaya hostage, but he is forced to stand down when Agent Vogel arrives. Vogel seems to know Udaya and her men and convinces Udaya to order her men to put down their weapons. Mark and Demetri are then arrested, after which they are escorted back to the airport by Vogel. Mark by this point has figured out that Vogel is not FBI at all, but CIA, and he announces his suspicion to Vogel. Vogel replies that the interest in Mosaic is more universal than one might think. Just then, Stan calls Mark again; he has just seen footage of Mark tearing it up in the dim sum restaurant and orders Mark to turn his gun and badge over to Demetri, which Mark does.
In a scene late in the episode, we see that Udaya knows D. Gibbons (!).
Lloyd and Simon: Lloyd and Simon, as representatives of the National Linear Accelerator Project (NLAP), finally hold the press conference Lloyd won at their recent poker game. At the press conference, Lloyd reveals that NLAP was conducting an experiment in Proton-driven Plasma Wakefield Acceleration on October 6 and that this may have been the cause of the blackout. Simon is quick to interject, however, that NLAP does not know for sure that their experiment was responsible for the catastrophe. The crowd goes wild; in particular, one woman gets hold of a gun and takes a shot at Lloyd, who has to duck for cover. Outside, Simon takes Lloyd to task for trying to assume the guilt even though there is no proof NLAP was at fault.
After seeing the NLAP press conference live, Stan, who has already broken a television over Mark, is further enraged and demands that both Lloyd and Simon be brought to his office post haste. Janis reports that both men disappeared shortly after their statement, but she remembers that Dylan Simcoe, Lloyd's son, is still in the hospital. Stan sends her to the hospital to wait Lloyd out. In the meantime, Simon appears in Stan's office of his own accord and asks to see the Mosaic data, reminding Stan that no one will fund Mosaic now that his group has taken responsibility for the blackout. Holding his nose, Stan agrees to show Simon the 1991 satellite photo of Somalia. Simon informs Stan that the towers are for specialized pulse lasers for a plasma afterburner - a concept he designed. There's only one problem - Simon came up with the idea in 1992 (!). Someone has apparently stolen Simon's research. Stan shows Simon an artist's rendition of D. Gibbons. Simon does not recognize the man, but he's now fully willing to cooperate with the FBI, if only to see who has beaten him to the punch.
Meanwhile, Lloyd finally arrives at the hospital, where he is met by Janis, who offers him FBI protection - an offer Lloyd declines. He has difficulty getting his son transferred to a more secure facility, however; no one is inclined to help him out. Thus, Olivia has to step in; she arranges for Dylan to be transferred to a private children's hospital. A grateful Lloyd thanks Olivia for her intervention, and she tells him she thinks what he did was very impressive. Through their conversation, it is revealed that Olivia might've met Lloyd at Harvard if she had not followed Mark to L.A. Lloyd shares with her the multiple universes theory and suggests that in some other universe, they may have come together. Uh oh - things are getting just a little too close.
At the end, Olivia goes to see Lloyd and Dylan off. The "ambulance attendants," however, pull out guns, shoot the security guard, and grab Lloyd, pulling him into the ambulance (!). They then drive away, leaving Olivia and a screaming Dylan behind.
Zoey: Zoey tries to get in touch with Demetri's parents to convince them to come to their wedding in the hopes that she can make her flashforward happen. But then, while at a colleague's funeral, Zoey realizes she's misinterpreted her vision; that scene at the beach was not her wedding, but Demetri's funeral. She seeks out Demetri's mother - who confirms that what she saw was Demetri's funeral - and pleads with her to accept her relationship with Demetri, telling her that the future can be changed. Having seen Zoey's love for Demetri in her own vision, Mrs. Noh seems to want to agree.
Janis: Janis decides she wants to start trying for a baby. Bryce gives her a recommendation for a local sperm bank.
Writing: 9.5
I love how this episode changes the playing field once again - and adds further nuance in the process. I had an inkling that Lloyd's admission of guilt would not settle the question of what caused the blackout - it's far too early for a resolution on that matter, after all - but the way this episode cast doubt on Lloyd's theory exceeded my wildest dreams. Now, we as viewers are in the uncomfortable position of having to accept that Simon - a truly contemptible piece of work, I must say - is probably right about NLAP's innocence. It truly makes you wonder: if Simon is innocent, then how vile are the guilty parties? "D. Gibbons is a bad man," indeed!
Then there's Mark, whose arc is definitely becoming one of the most interesting. The revelation that Demetri may be killed with Mark's gun - if the flashforwards come true, that is - ranks just below Gough's suicide on the list of classic FlashForward moments. And Mark's reaction? I really fear for him now, as he is clearly beginning to lose his mind. I can't wait to see how this further unfolds when the series returns next year.
And lastly: I was deeply touched by the scene between Zoey and Mrs. Noh. I wish I had the means to transcribe that (I'm not getting a good signal on Hulu right now, so I'm afraid the highlights will have to wait) because it was a lovely, lovely moment.
Acting: 9.0
Everyone is in top form this time around. In particular, I think I'm starting to fall a little in love with Gabrielle Union. Number one, she's an absolutely gorgeous woman. Number two, she is extraordinarily talented. The emotions she brings to the table in this episode - particularly in the aforementioned scene with Mrs. Noh - are wonderful.
Message: 7.0
The CIA's involvement here is as potentially sketchy as the apparent involvement of a military contractor; the CIA is, after all, another favorite Hollywood bad guy. If the blackout turns out to be in part the work of U.S. intelligence agents, I will be quite disappointed, not only because it would give the show an insulting anti-American government spin, but also because it's been done. Repeatedly. That horse has been beaten so much by our popular media that it's long been deceased. (Insert the appropriate Monty Python sketch here.) Granted, I don't think I'll stop watching the show if it does go down this road - after all, I am quite practiced at watching otherwise good media that takes pot shots at what I stand for - but I won't have quite the same respect for it that I do now.
Highlights:
Will be added at a later date.
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