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'Journeyman': Top hat, white tie and time travel
OK, so no one wears a top hat on Journeyman -- actually, do you see those anywhere anymore? -- but Dan does wander around in a tux for much of the episode. Rowr! If Daniel Craig gets tired of the Bond thing, Kevin McKidd could fill his dinner jacket nicely. Now if only he could get a handle on this unstuck-in-time stuff...
At last! My spoilers have come along.
I can only be but so funny and/or snarky here, folks -- what we've got is a compelling show, gorgeously acted. Great for watching, kind of a pain to recap.
Katie is preparing for a massive charity event that she's chairing, and she's stressed out. It doesn't help that Dan keeps disappearing (even in the middle of plumbing) and he's seeing his possibly-not-dead ex in the past. Katie claims that Dan seeing Livia is way down on her list of things that worry her at the moment, but I'm thinking she's kidding herself.
This episode really emphasizes how abandoned Katie feels when Dan just disappears on her. She understands, on some level, that it's not his fault, but she still feels shut out and forsaken. Gretchen Egolf sells it, as always. Why had I never heard of her before? She's fantastic.
Now Dan's time traveling when Katie needs him, and the cracks are starting to show. She's overwhelmed and needs support, and Dan just can't be there for her -- literally. He's back in '94, listening to the Spin Doctors. When Dan disappears as they're getting ready for her event, she just sort of breaks. Jack calls, and he's there to rescue her, but they play that prickly push-pull of ex-lovers forced into proximity with each other -- they still care about each other, and the danger of slipping back into the old relationship is always there, but they're both too gun-shy -- and, on Katie's part, committed to her marriage -- to actually go through with it. But you see their yearning and regret, their should we/shouldn't we tango, making it all the more impressive when they do the right thing and leave each other be.
Dan and Jack interacting is equally compelling. The scene of the two of them sparring in the bathroom at the event works beautifully. Jack is protective of Katie and distrustful of Dan, but he still wants to help his brother. Dan is equally suspicious of Jack, but what can he do? He keeps leaving. He wants Katie to trust him, wants to make everything ok, but he can't.
What's more, he can't talk to her about it. She wants to help, wants to be able to do something, but there's nothing she can do. When she hears that Livia is a fellow time traveler, and they keep meeting up, it becomes too much for her. You can see the panic overtaking her face even as she tries to keep it together. In the last scene, they're making out in the coat closet, but even then, Katie tells him it doesn't make things all right. And it doesn't. But it's still pretty darn hot to watch. (And yes, Katie does look stunning in her evening gown.)
Dan's time-travel mission is the least interesting part of the episode, actually -- he's tracking a nice young woman named Melissa, who has just broken up with her boyfriend and who is meeting someone new for a blind date. The Ex, Greg, has a hair-trigger temper and seems to be stalking Melissa. Dan and Greg engage in fisticuffs, and Melissa ends up meeting her blind date, William.
Melissa and William get together and start a software company that helps people do day-trading. Greg still may be stalking her -- in the present, Dan finds out Greg was accused of murdering Melissa -- but William's the one buying a gun. He later uses that to threaten Melissa when she won't give him a disk containing accounting data that proves some sort of financial skullduggery. Dan stops that murder, but ends up in the present with the gun (awkward!), and Melissa kills William. Next time he goes back, Dan drags Greg to the building in time to see William threatening her and Melissa shooting him (she had been convicted of his murder in the present). Dan plants the gun William had used earlier in William's hand, so Melissa could legitimately claim self-defense and have people buy it. Apparently, as Livia said, in the past, you can pretty much ignore the law.
Other good and/or important stuff:
- Dan contacts Elliot Langley, a tachyon researcher, in the present -- then gets a phone call from him in the past. Dun dun DUN!
- Langley tells Dan he knew his father long ago.
- Jack flirting with his own blind date, a comely doctor -- "You're like five pounds of trout on a two-pound line," he says. Hee! Being conspiracy-minded, I can't help but wonder if she has something to do with Dan's time travel, or if she'll end up helping him or opposing him.
Livia starts to quiz Dan on how he ended up with Katie, and he asks why he has to answer her questions when she never answers his "'Cause you're a guy and you can never resist talking about yourself," she replies. Funny part is: She's right. - Dan lays out his bad-boy street cred: "I'm a recovering gambling addict who travels through time; I've got some action."
- Hugh asking Dan what he knows about tachyons, then cutting him off. He's one of the more convincing editors on TV at the moment (although the only other editor I watch is on Smallville, so that's not as high a compliment as it should be.)
- Hugh's reaction when he guesses Dan is writing a book -- "Oh god, not a novel!"
- This exchange between Jack and Dan: "We used to get along better." "We were like brothers." What happened?" "I dunno, there was something a girl, I forget."
And finally, a question: Did the rights to "At Last" just expire or something? I'm hearing it everywhere these days. Not that I mind -- it's a great song -- but I have to wonder.
Just wanted to mention that the Spin Doctors - who haven't been heard from since 1994 - get mentioned/played on 2 shows in 1 night (also on How I Met Your Mother tonight).
Oh yeah, and it was cool to see Elvin again (Geoffrey Owens)
Rishi | Oct 16, 2007 2:14:26 AM | #My personal favorite quote of the week from this show, when Dan is explaining his "novel" to the editor ...
"With the cuts at newspapers these days ..." hell yeah, thank you NBC from a long time reporter here.
What about that cell phone call Dan received while he was in the PAST! The call was from the future, crazy!
The World | Oct 16, 2007 7:58:10 AM | #Sarah, once again your review was great. I was thinking the same thing about Kevin McKidd in the tuxedo -- who needs Daniel Craig as Bond? ;-)
I am impressed with Gretchen Egolf's acting in this series. I recognized her from "Roswell", but her name wasn't familiar. Her role as the suffering wife could have been annoying, but she plays it very sympathetically. As always, excellent performances from McKidd and Reed Diamond.
I like that the writers are starting to hint at a scientific explanation for Dan's time travel. I was really surprised when the researcher was able to call Dan in the past (1998?), even though Dan had only made contact with him in the present. **No Spoilers** I have a feeling that Dan's father was involved with time travel also.
I'm glad that someone else remembered Elvin from the Cosby Show. :-) Also, I recognized Jack's blind date as Larkin from "Invasion".
Paige | Oct 16, 2007 8:17:57 AM | #Oh, and every time I heard Dan say tachyon all I could think about was tachyon fields, Data, Whoopie Goldberg and Samuel Clemens.
Janelle | Oct 16, 2007 8:27:19 AM | #Kevin McKidd was great in "Rome", so if you like his work here, you should check out that series. I wonder if McKidd's former costar Ray Stevenson will be reappearing on my TV screen anytime soon? That would be awesome. Ray Stevenson is HOT.
So far the show is interesting enough to keep me watching for 'at least one more week', but it's not a favorite like "Chuck" and "Reaper". If they keep throwing in things like the scientist's phone call from the future, I'll keep watchin'.
Siansonea | Oct 16, 2007 8:30:58 AM | #Dan seems like he's trying to control when he leaves now or at least he can tell when it's going to happen. That seems interesting. At least he got to write Katie a note once so that was good. Both Katie and Livia seem to be jealous of the other. I am not a fan of triangles so I hope nothing comes out of that especially since they were friends and Katie and Dan are married. The phone call Dan got while he was in the past from the present surprised me. I will give this one more week unless something more interesting is programmed against it. I doubt it though.
Penny | Oct 16, 2007 9:39:10 AM | #I also like Kevin McKidd and Ray Stevenson from Rome. I agree with the person above that Ray Stevenson is HOT. I will continue watching Journeymen and hope that Ray Stevenson appears on TV soon.
Gussie | Oct 16, 2007 10:30:43 AM | #Last night was the first time I watched Journeyman. I'll be watching it again, I was really, really surprised by it. It doesn't focus itself completely on the time travel stuff, it's more of a character show. which I really enjoy.
Corey | Oct 16, 2007 10:36:46 AM | #I think what I really liked about this episode was that they mixed it up. Instead of the time traveling suddenly happening, they start with it. It's a small change, but an interesting change.
I'm also quite intrigued by the Langley aspect. That said, I worry that they brought in another mystery way too early.
The dialogue in the show is fantastic, though. A lot of subtle nuances that makes things more interesting, and some good comic moments as well.
I wish they would've said something about what happened with the search for the gun that happened in the present time. And was the gun planted well enough that Dan's prints weren't on it in the past, which would make things complex?
Tony | Oct 16, 2007 10:55:54 AM | #Please for the love of God would more people watch this show?! Its the second best new show on TV and may become the best depending on how Reaper develops(I fear they may already have painted themselves into a corner). With this show there is so many directions they can go its head spinning. I will keep watching as long as its on and hope for the best, but i think it will probably wind up two of my other faves, Tru Calling and Day Break. Moon Bloodgood really must like the sci fi type stuff.
steve | Oct 16, 2007 11:05:10 AM | #I like when the priest in the beginging said oh boy like sam from Qauntem Leap
Jerry Ratliff | Oct 16, 2007 12:32:06 PM | #Katie, Katie, Katie...for some reason, every time she gets that hurt look on her face when Dan goes poof, I think of the song "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel. No idea why, but there it is. Gretchen Egoff (hope that's right, and me a former German, shame on me) does wounded and confused very well, and while I hope it's not going to be the hallmark of every single episode, I do enjoy how the writers are making such a bizarre concept seem real-to-life, and how it would probably affect a wife or husband or child (as will happen in next week's episode). Gifts like his are always countered by the curse-like aspect of having it, and in this case, Dan's curse is two-fold, in that not only is his traveling possibly harming his marriage, but he can't tell anyone about it except for the person he is unintentionally hurting. I don't see this show being on for long, given its tiny box o'plot possibilites, but I hope the writers are given enough time to at least wrap up some of the underlying mysteries. Oh, and to paraphrase a certain fedora-wearing archaeologist..."Sex and Candy...why'd it have to be...Sex and Candy..."
Dark Disciple | Oct 16, 2007 12:42:34 PM | #I'm loving this show, and thought last night was the best episode yet. I really hope it doesn't get canceled. By the way, something nobody has mentioned, but that I found very refreshing, was that Dan told his wife the truth about seeing Livia, and that she time travels too, etc. I'm a big fan of Lost and Heroes, but it was really nice to see a character on a tv show just tell the truth for once, which in the long run makes everything so much less complicated.
| Oct 16, 2007 2:13:27 PM | #I LOVE this show and I hope it lasts a while. Anyone who likes this show should read "The Time Traveler's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger. It's pretty much the literary version of the show. It's great.
Kerri | Oct 17, 2007 6:19:36 AM | #Love this show. It's my favorite new show this season. Loved the homage to Quantum Leap. And to the poster who said they will run out of ideas, Quantum Leap ran for five seasons.
tv | Oct 17, 2007 4:23:15 PM | #this is my best show of the new season. i love kevin mckidd and all the mysteries still left wanting. kinda like what heroes used to be.
what i can't stand is the way the women are written. katie and livia may be acting the roles well, but i haven't seen such insecure, unpowerful women characters in a very long time. they're both very 1960's.
how can katie be so unsympathetic towards dan's situation? it's not his fault. he has no power over it whatsoever. which she seemingly understands...and it's really an amazing thing that he's doing. but it's all about her. she's forsaken and feels shut out. even to the point of hinting at leaning on the ex for support. how pitiful. she should be completely absorbed in what's happening to him. it's just too unbelievable to think any other way. she can see how much he hates what it's doing to them. where's her empathy?
same with livia. with all that's going on all she's concerned about is that he's with katie. like he's supposed to be alone and celibate even tho she's supposedly dead? what does she want of him? what does katie want of him? he has no control. how can they not understand that?
it keeps being mentioned that this show is very much like the time traveler's wife. i loved the book and can't wait for the movie, but i see no similarities except that there are couples involved in both stories. katie, or whoever's writing her, should read that book for an understanding of how a truly loving partner would handle such a situation. that wife rings true and is plauditory. katie just gets on my nerves. every time i watch the show i get more angry at her. she really is spoiling it for me.
KR | Oct 17, 2007 9:14:36 PM | #oh, and the reason the time traveler's wife is nothing like this one is because the crux of that story is his visitations to his wife thru time as she ages...beginning when she was a young child. it's far more complicated than journeyman, because he knows when he meets her as a child he's going to marry her, and there's a lot of logistics involved to get to that point. they're both about time travelers and there's lovers involved, but otherwise they're completely different. those who think so should read, or watch, a few more stories about time travelers.
KR | Oct 17, 2007 9:24:17 PM | #Steve, It's funny that you mentioned Tru Calling as I thought (going into this ep) that Livia was going to be revealed to be kindof like Jason Priestly's character in Tru Calling - i.e. What Dan tries to fix, she tries to leave the same. After seeing this week's ep though, I am no longer thinking this to be true.
Rishi | Oct 17, 2007 9:46:04 PM | #
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