First, the good news: It looks like we get at least one more episode of Journeyman, although it's still up in the air whether the final episode filmed before the strike will make it onto TV. Dan finally gets his own good news, too -- but he has to go through hell to get it.

I'll have a spoiler sandwich.

So, you know how Livia warned Dan that things could get ugly if he deviated from the mission? He gets proof this week, as Bennett, the psycho kidnapper Dan put in jail in the past last week  shows up at Dan's present abode with vengeance on his mind. He shoots Dan in the shoulder, but while he's monologing maniacally, as psycho bad guys are wont to do, Dan disappears into the past. Doh! Bennett is most nonplussed -- he had a full schedule of torture planned!

Dan ends up bleeding and in pain in a backyard in early-80s San Mateo. There's some suspicious twitching from the curtains upstairs, but no one comes to his rescue. Instead, Dan drags himself out to the street and gets taken in to the hospital, where the medical folks patch him up and Livia eventually shows up to answer questions, snag his iPhone from an inquisitive doctor, and generally smooth things over. Now it's time for Dan to figure out what his assignment is so he can go back to the present and save his family.

Dan breaks into the home he had been dropped at and finds a small boy cowering in his room. He's being punished, and he's afraid to come out. Dan persuades him to come downstairs and fixes him lunch -- ketchup on white bread, a pizza sandwich -- then tries to convince the kid to go with him to social services. The kid is too freaked to move, and we find out why -- his dad is an abusive schmuck who looks him in his room for days on end, doesn't feed him, and basically is a monster. He's also a cop. Doh.

Dan does some investigating and discovers that his cowering kid will grow up to be Bennett, the psycho kidnapper who shoots Dan. He's furious, vengeful -- what did you do to get punished? He bellows. Did you torture an animal, beat up a little girl, betray your psychotic destiny? Nope, l'il Bennett says -- I told Dad that I hated mom for leaving me with him. That takes the wind out of Dan's sails. Well, that and the raging infection he's gotten from his wound.

L'il Bennett helps patch Dan up a bit, offering him his dad's shirt to replace the blood-soaked garment Dan is wearing (and I'm having Rome flashbacks, seeing Kevin McKidd covered in blood), and offering him scissors to cut the duct tape (it really is good for everything!) Dan's using to bind his wound. Dan gets an idea when he sees those scissors -- hey, if I stab and kill the kid now, he won't threaten my family in the present! He tempters that impulse, and Livia arrives to pull him out. She gets him into an ambulance -- and then they both get flashed back to the present.

And what a present it is. While a wounded, infected Dan is dumped on the street, Livia ends up at the newspaper -- where she runs into Jack. Jack is incredulous -- this is a trick, a joke, it's not real! Livia convinces him that (1) Dan's been shot, and (2) Jack needs to get the hell over himself to help his brother. Then she disappears. Poor Jack's head explodes.

Meanwhile, Bennett has lured Katie back to Vassar Central, and is menacing her. He gets her to put on an apron and make her lunch, (highly squicky), and tries to lure Dan out of hiding. When Garrity, the FBI agent who's been hounding Dan, comes through the door, Bennett jumps out and shoots him.

This should be bad, but Bennett might actually have done Dan a favor. We find out that Garrity is rogue -- he's been investigating Dan in an unofficial capacity, and he's figured out the time-travel trick. He knows there are other time travelers out there, and he seems to want to use them for monetary gain. Sigh. Come on, Garrity -- be an evil genius! Think bigger!

Dan uses his knowledge of l'il Bennett to convince present Bennett to let Katie go, and to convince him he's still got a little humanity in him. I'm not entirely sure I buy that ending, but hey, everyone lives (except possibly Garrity), and Jack finally acknowledges that yes, Dan is a time traveler, and no, he shouldn't be such a hard ass, and it looks like everyone may live happily ever after -- for at least one more episode. Here's hoping it's more!

Thoughts, highlights, and odds and ends:

• Dear Dan: Do NOT try to bust open a door with your shoulder when you've been shot in the other shoulder. That's just stupid.
• However, Kevin McKidd acted the hell out of bleeding, burning with infection, and passing out from pain. Perhaps that's training he got in Rome?
• He also does an amazing job menacing L'il Bennett when he realizes who the kid is. He's crazy, scary, desperate -- you really believe he could do anything.
• And then the kid gives Dan his dad's shirt, and Dan tells him not to -his dad will kill him. "That'd be good for you, wouldn't it," L'il Bennett snarks. And then he hands Dan the scissors, half expecting Dan to kill him. Oh, kid. Poor, poor, soon to be psycho kid.
• You see echoes of that doomed kid when Present Bennett shoots Garrity-and finds out he was an FBI agent. "OK! I've really stepped in it now, haven't I?"
• Dan and Livia figure out Livia's assignment when she met Dan may very well have been to get Dan and Katie together -- her "death" was the impetus for their relationship. In other news, it sucks to be Livia.
• The look on Dan's face when he contemplated stabbing L'il Bennett with the scissors was chilling. Well done again, Kevin McKidd.
• Speaking of well done: Oh, Reed Diamond, it was gorgeous to watch Jack realize how wrong he'd been. He tries so hard not to believe, and then he couldn't do it any more. The panic, the denial, and finally he acceptance crossing Jack's face -- Bravo.
• And finally, Gretchen Egolf rules again, some more, as always -- teetering from blind panic to resolve to hard-as-nails don't-mess-with-me attitude in seconds. She's fantastic.
• I really, really hope Garrity is dead. I'm sure the next guy who figures it out won't be so annoying. Seriously -- the only thing you think of when you discover multiple people are traveling through time is "Hey, I can make some money off this"? Most disappointing.
• Again, I love Hugh: "Weirdest family ever." You have no idea, Hugh. No idea at all.

Comments

This was a really good episode. Jack finally accept that his brother can travel through time and the scene with him Livia in the elevator was great. This is a great show and it suck that it will probably not be pick up the rest of the season, especilly with this writer strike.

LT | Nov 26, 2007 11:21:28 PM | #

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Every episode gets better and better, and NBC better not be lying with that whole "in 2 weeks" thing.

The Jack and Livia thing was my highlight. Just crazy shit.

Corey | Nov 26, 2007 11:28:03 PM | #

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I love your reviews. It's so nice to read a review by someone who actually seems to like the show they are reviewing. Hope they and this great show can continue.

I was a little disappointed in the ending with Bennett and wasn't sure I brought it. And little too neat. But the rest of the show rocked.

Totally agree with you on the acting as always it was amazing.

Think my favorite scene was when Jack spotted Livia in the hallway/window of the newspaper. The look on his face, when he's trying to figure out if she's real, a ghost or he's totally lost his mind was priceless.

SG | Nov 26, 2007 11:45:40 PM | #

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I don't know what would be harder for an actor to put across; the confusion or genuine anger that Dan had been put through with both versions of Bennett or the denial of Dan's entire situation that Jack has been going through. I too loved the scene between Livia and Jack and I feel so bad for her after her realization. Katie was great with trying to calm crazy adult Bennett down with the information she got from Dan. I'm glad that Zack wasn't there to see any of this.

I hope that the series does come back in two weeks and although I don't want it to end if NBC feels they must I hope they end it in a satisfactory way. Please don't end it with a never resolved cliffhanger!

Penny | Nov 27, 2007 12:47:11 AM | #

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Awesome episode - here's hoping for the unlikely and that the show makes it. Although would've loved to see something said/shown about Garrity's body lying there.

Tony | Nov 27, 2007 4:12:57 AM | #

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This show improves weekly, and with Life and Chuck getting full orders, it would be criminal not to order up this show as well. I suspect it suffered from Heroes' brief sputtering lead-in, but McKidd has earned this show a pickup all by himself.

Sarah, you're not the only one having constant Rome flashbacks, and that menace in the episode when he flashes anger at Aeden was pure Vorenus.

I would rather have seen him rectify the situation by saving Bennett and preventing the psychotic actions of the future (imagine if his wound healed instantly- geek out!) rather than flash back to the present to defuse the sitch. That would have re-altered the present yet again and perhaps the writers felt that has been overplayed lately.

The messy ending and the sad story of Aeden being unchanged left an uneasy feeling. Dan can't win them all, right?

Casper | Nov 27, 2007 6:49:08 AM | #

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The lighting drove me crazy! I mean, it was good and effective and all, but seeing that it was such a dark (in all definitions) episode was a real chiller.

And this episode continues to drop clues about the newspape-- I mean the time-travelers: "money's always a problem for them." Future episodes can deal with just how deep the players are thinking and how far they're going to push their pawns. (Garrity getting shot as he closes in on putting the squeeze on Dan?)

pakopako | Nov 27, 2007 7:11:17 AM | #

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Can you say, "Bad editing!" The episode was great, and the acting by all was fantastic, but that last scene was sloppy. They abruptly went from the kitchen to the outside of the house. They did not show us how Bennett surrendered. Was there a struggle, or did he just lay down his pistol? The fact that he was looking at life in prison or death for killing the Fed makes me inclined to believe that Bennett would have resisted or killed himself before he surrendered. The fact that he had a really bad childhood would not have excused him for murdering someone. Then, at the very end, the scene suddenly went black. They didn't play the rest of the music or fade out.

Regarding little Bennett, I am not surprised that he remained the same. Dan was with him for only a short amount of time, and Bennett ultimately stayed home where his father probably continued to abuse him. Who knows? If Dan had taken Bennett to social services, the father may have reacted violently against the social workers. Thus, Dan would have produced another unintended consequence.

This show is without a doubt one of the best shows on Tv at the moment. It is a shame that NBC is going to be so short sighted and pull the plug so early.

Pete | Nov 27, 2007 7:28:31 AM | #

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Great review for a great TV series. And that was by far, the best Journeyman episode so far. Too bad there doesn't appear to be too much more on the way. We gotta write to NBC and get the word out about this show. Sure, we may come out empty-handed, but at least we can make some noise about how great this show really is.

Brad | Nov 27, 2007 7:55:11 AM | #

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Sarah, you have just mentioned all the reasons why I loved this episode, and why I love everything about Journeyman. I have signed petitions to try to get NBC to renew this show. I would hate to see only 12 or 13 episodes.

Kevin McKidd definitely deserved an Emmy nomination or two for his portrayal of Vorenus in "Rome". McKidd shows his versatility and range as he can also play modern day characters, like Dan Vasser. McKidd's performances make me cry in almost every episode of Journeyman.

The scene in the elevator with Jack and Livia was priceless. I'm so glad that Jack beleived her and was able to help rescue Katie. I'm also happy that the writers did not include Zack in the hostage situation.

I had a deja vu moment when Agent Garrity showed up at Dan's house while Bennett was hiding out with Katie. As soon as I saw it was Garrity at the door, I knew his character would have the same fate as Ryan Chappelle on season 3 of "24". Tough luck for Paul Schulze! :-(

Paige | Nov 27, 2007 8:09:33 AM | #

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Awesome show. I hope they don't cancel it.
They did seem to tie up a lot of loose ends in this episode. We found out Livia's true purpose. It was revealed what the FBI agent really wanted with Dan. Jack finally had an awakening. All this and the way the episode abruptly ended instead of fading out leads me to believe this may have been the final episode. Yes there was a brief preview for another episode. It may have ended this way in case it doesn't return, so fans would get some closure.

Shaggysteve | Nov 27, 2007 9:04:44 AM | #

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typical... this show is really getting good especially with jack in on the secret now... and we probably won't even see how that develops. hopefully nbc will give this show a chance or at least let them finish out the season and give us some sort of closure on the storyline.

joits | Nov 27, 2007 9:04:59 AM | #

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I hope that if NBC does cancel Journeyman, that it gets picked up by Sci-Fi or some other network. It's a really good show.

Siansonea | Nov 27, 2007 10:17:02 AM | #

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Premium Hollywood had the scoop with the producer himself

http://www.premiumhollywood.com/2007/11/23/a-chat-with-kevin-falls-producer-of-journeyman/

Hopefully the link works if not go to Premiumhollywood.com

Great episode last night, I nearly jumped out of my chair when livia was at the newspaper and the scene with jack was cool

Albert | Nov 27, 2007 11:34:23 AM | #

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Premium Hollywood had the scoop with the producer himself

http://www.premiumhollywood.com/2007/11/23/a-chat-with-kevin-falls-producer-of-journeyman/

Hopefully the link works if not go to Premiumhollywood.com

Great episode last night, I nearly jumped out of my chair when livia was at the newspaper and the scene with jack was cool

Albert | Nov 27, 2007 11:35:17 AM | #

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Wonderful show, wonderful episode. I do not know anybody else who watches JMan, so I love reading comments from others who appreciate it!

I think a few things some may not have liked were intentional and clever. Dan did not change li'l Bennett: Livia had told him of trying to do too much, and the resulting messy consequences. Dan's rescuing the second kidnapped child and getting Bennett arrested is what caused the problem in the first place. The solution could not involve his going further back and making even more fundemental changes. He could only deal with the messy consequences he created.

The abrupt ending reminded me of a local news video feed. Of course, the perhaps abrupt impending cancellation of the show, and the unevenness of things with the writers strike also resonated for me.

Thomas G. | Nov 27, 2007 11:35:39 AM | #

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Outstanding episode, even if the usual "let's take a cast member hostage by some crazed psycho" plot tends to be a step closer to the shark tank (as in jump the shark). Still and all, it was actually realistic this time around, rather than tacked on as a reason to pump up the suspense for a sweeps month episode (hello, Desperate Housewives). My favorite moment, though, and the reason why I so love this show was the attention to detail: the set dressers could have been lazy and not bothered to research props that would've been in an early 1980s refrigerator, but instead they took the time to get a GLASS Heinz Ketchup bottle. True, what came out was probably 2007-issue product, given how quickly it plopped out of the bottle, but still...any show that takes the time to be that specific with even little things like a ketchup bottle deserves to be lauded and watched by many more people than are (or seem to be, if one only looks at Nielsen ratings). Also a big hurrah to Raphael Sbarge for giving his character enough sympathy that we didn't really want Jack to blow his head off (unlike most in shows like this). His complete shock when Katie mentioned the pizza sandwich was perfect, and it makes me wonder why Mr. Sbarge never has gotten his due as an actor (well, setting aside the horrid My Science Project...ghastly movie, that was). It's nice to know that NBC is giving Journeyman one more week, at least, if the "in two weeks" promos are to be believed. If a low-performing show like "Life" can be renewed on a tough night, there's really no logical reason why Journeyman can't be given the same treatment. We can only hope.

Dark Disciple | Nov 27, 2007 12:15:21 PM | #

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I love the show, Let just hope it stay's around for awhile.

John D | Nov 27, 2007 12:33:07 PM | #

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Last night was great. Now that Jack knows the truth, things might get interesting. You do have to wonder, why haven't any time travellers picked up shares of Microsoft or Apple or Dell or some other wonder while it was dirt cheap? Having a little extra cash on missions would be handy.

anlette | Nov 27, 2007 1:16:12 PM | #

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hmm ... looks like a slight uptick in numbers in the 18-49 and viewers. That has be a positive sign, as I wasn't expecting much since this was a back end of a 2-parter. It's a shame it won't be on next week to benefit from Heroes finale ... here's hoping in 2 weeks we can kick the numbers up some more and make them rethink the decision. After all, Bionic Woman looks to be in the tank, and how long can FNL really last? A slim hope ... but hope nonetheless.

Tony | Nov 27, 2007 2:05:01 PM | #

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Ratings were the same as last weeks, but there were more viewers this time around, and was second in that time slot for total viewers. I don't know, the viewer increase might be nice from NBC's viewpoint, but what matters is the ratings, and that didn't change a lick

Corey | Nov 27, 2007 2:57:00 PM | #

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Let's stop wishing the show stays around...make an effort and write and email to NBC ASAP....I'm doing it every week...come on people...start writing!!!!

Bill | Nov 27, 2007 3:21:46 PM | #

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where do we write to? i'm a little skeptical, but if that one show on cbs got renewed because of fans, i'm all for it.

joits | Nov 28, 2007 8:48:23 AM | #

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Please write NBC and beg them not to cancel this show.

http://www.nbc.com/Footer/Contact_Us/?__status=1

Jessica | Nov 28, 2007 2:00:37 PM | #

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Best episode of any show. Ever.

AC | Nov 28, 2007 2:30:07 PM | #

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