TVSquad

(S06E06) I always like the titles for The Dead Zone: They usually have a double entendre happening, and last night's episode is no exception: Switch for train switches on train tracks, and also for the switch Maggie pulls with the diamond necklace. Johnny helps a beautiful woman get her ticket out of the machine, and therefore ensures his interest in her when he touches her and sees her being thrown from the train.

Maggie is a smart chick and she immediately dismisses Johnny's "I'm psychic," schtick with some pretty apt predictions about other passengers on her own. I thought she read Johnny pretty accurately, too. Of course, she is good at reading people because she is a grifter. She is a female version of Sawyer from Lost, only much nicer.

She definitely had a 40's look about her too, with her dress, liptstick, and hair. Johnny mentions the connection to Casablanca at the end, but I wish he wouldn't have-- I had already been thinking about that myself. Everything about the train (except the poor guy, Phil's, refusing to help the damsel in distress because he was writing an email on his phone) could have been out of the forties. That was a neat directing choice, because the references to anything in the script were pretty limited to the end.

I liked the muted colors and very sepia-toned look of this episode too, in places. So, from a directing standpoint, it was a lot of fun. The show just relaxed and had a good time, despite the fact that Johnny was trying to prevent Maggie from being murdered.

Did anybody besides Johnny really think that guy was a cop? I guess he was a cop-- a very corrupt one. For someone who has seen as much as Johnny has, he certainly is still very trusting. But I think that is one of his more endearing qualities. He hasn't become bitter. But I wish we would see a little more grief for Walt on his part. Sometimes Johnny's lightness and goodness come across as a little vapid, a little lacking in depth.

Too bad we didn't get to see Bruce, whom Johnny was going to visit. But I do think that, without Sarah and J.J. even being present, we had a little more movement in their relationship. Maggie astutely points out that men like Johnny end up with women like Sarah. Even though I think Johnny and Maggie were flirting with each other, and did share a kiss and a righteously funny snuggle at one point, I think it was pretty clear for them both that his feelings were already entrenched.

From the scenes for next week, I think we are in for a treat. The show has been laying some very interesting groundwork, and I think it's going to be good!