(S01E09) Dan's been traveling a lot lately...- Katie Vasser
And the understatement of the year award goes to, Katie Vasser!
Watching the show, it seems like Dan makes multiple trips through time over the course of a single day. He has to be gone 3-5 hours daily and from what I understand his trips are only going to start lasting longer and longer as the show moves along.
I'm actually quite amazed Katie has stuck around for this long. How could any relationship sustain this kind of disruption? The disappearing part is bad enough, but when you add in the fact that Dan repeatedly sees his ex-fiance during his journeys, it's even more amazing that Katie has stayed put this long. My wife would've gouged my eyeballs out and thrown another set of balls out the window of her car so she could repeatedly run over them.
Katie Vasser
Speaking of Katie, she got absolutely pissed this episode, didn't she? When she was having the conversation with Dan about the situation getting worse and he disappeared mid-sentence, I thought she was on the verge of self-imploding. Can you think of anything more frustrating than confronting someone about their constant vanishing and having them vanish?
Katie goes back and forth from being a really patient, supportive wife (i.e. hiding the money in his coat last episode), to teetering on the edge of insanity (i.e. hurling the coffee cup against the wall in this episode).
As far-fetched as the whole situation is, I find myself wondering how my wife would react if she was in the same position. Something tells me she would have poisoned me right around the time I told her my ex-lover was floating around the ether with me...
Katie has a ton on her plate at the moment. She's got a husband with a perplexing (albeit fascinating) condition, she appears to be be consistently fighting latent feelings of affection for Jack, she's attempting to re-embark on a difficult career in broadcasting, and she has a son with a behavioral problem.
Which leads us to Zach.
Zach Vasser
Zach typically doesn't get a whole lot of face time on the show (mostly because he's not that great of a child actor...yet), but he played a pretty important role tonight. More specifically, Zach is acting out because his dad hasn't been around performing fatherly duties. Oh yeah, he also might be a little freaked out by the fact that he saw his dad disappear into thin air.
Zach's been talking back at school, he's been mouthy at home, and he got into a fight on the playground. It's all typical stuff that a child goes through, but does anyone else think there's a chance that Dan's condition has been passed down to his son, and that Zach is also behaving badly because he doesn't quite understand the strange powers?
That's the first thing that popped into my head when Zach complained about having a headache. Of course, Dan ended up finding him beneath the cupboard, but I wouldn't be surprised if at some point it's revealed that Zach can also travel through time. Hey, if it can happen on Medium with Alison's kids it can surely happen on Journeyman.
Jack Vasser
Just when you think Jack's starting to believe Dan's plight, everything goes and gets messed up. More on that in a minute.
I go back and forth between liking Jack's character and finding him way too overbearing. Tonight's episode I leaned more towards liking him which is exactly the opposite of how he made me feel the last two episodes, particularly with the entire hundred dollar bill fiasco.
Also, what's the deal with Jack's quasi-girlfriend? She really seems to have it out for Dan, and I can't really think of a reason why this is the case. She badmouthed Dan multiple times during the episode and even said that Dan should seek out some professional help. Like I said, I can't seem to pinpoint why she dislikes Dan so much, but I do know I find it incredibly annoying.
Olivia and Dan
Tonight's case-o-the-week wasn't all that interesting and really seemed to be more of a setup for the next few episodes than anything else.
Dan was transported back to the early 90's where he found a girl named Emily behind a brick wall. On a side note, he also came in contact with Olivia before they started dating, and I must say she can wave a glow stick like a pro-raver.
Dan and Olivia had a pretty big argument regarding the best way to approach these trips back through time to help people. Olivia thinks that Dan should "stay on the rails and trust his instincts."
The problem is, Dan is a really good guy and wants to help everybody that he can. Case in point, he identified the person responsible for holding Emily hostage and wanted to track him through time to prevent him from kidnapping another girl in the future.
Dan eventually thwarted the second kidnapping, got the guy arrested and ultimately changed the time line. Olivia's position was that he should have remained focused on helping Emily. While Dan's plan seemed like it worked (Dan went so far as to say, "See, Olivia. I was right!"), the end of the episode proved that not to be the case.
Since Dan stopped the second kidnapping from occurring, he prevented him and his brother from ever having the very conversations that were helping Jack believe Dan's tales of time travel. On top of that, the guy who Dan got arrested (Bennett) served 6 years of a 10 year sentence and was released on good behavior.
Guess who's making an appearance next episode?
TV Squad Ten: Cartoon women who should have Playboy centerfolds
Six Mad Men characters who are in limbo after the finale
Fact or Fiction: Big Bang, Brothers & Sisters and CSI
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
11-20-2007 @ 8:44PM
Paul said...
"She really seems to have it out for Dan, and I can't really think of a reason why this is the case."
Well, she was there when Dan disappeared and left Zach all alone, lost in the crowd. She's been questioning his problems ever since that point, and I don't blame her. Imagine if you were in her shoes in that situation and you saw him just completely bolt on his young son in a crowd (after hearing about other problems he's been having from his brother). As a doctor, you'd be more than concerned for his well being and those of his family.
I'm a little worried at how quickly everything seems to be moving along -- I fully expected all this advancement (both with the time-travelling and the characters) to take more than a season to start coming together, not within the first 10 episodes. I suppose with the ratings it's been getting, ending after a 13-episode run is entirely possible, but if NBC is smart and keeps the show around longer post-strike, where will they go from there?
Regardless, it continues to be one of my most-anticipated hours of television all week, along with "House", "Life", "The Office"/"Scrubs", and "Pushing Daisies".
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11-20-2007 @ 8:44PM
La-Di-Dah said...
Can't wait for what's to come!
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11-20-2007 @ 8:47PM
Vito The TiVo said...
This show is ridiculous and continues with terribly written dialogue, bizarre directorial choices and more than a few acting faux pas. You should never react with a "wha?" that many times in an episode to unintentional mistakes and logic leaps.
http://www.recapist.com/2007/11/20/journeyman-emily-episode-109
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11-20-2007 @ 8:56PM
pokermuse said...
I love this show. It and Heroes are the only ones on right now that I can't wait to see what will happen next.
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11-20-2007 @ 8:55PM
Ian said...
I'm on the edge of my seat! Next week sounds like it's going to be hell for Dan and Co. By far my favorite new show of the season, squeaking out even Dirty Sexy Money for the top slot. Shame it probably will never see a Season Two because it's too bloody smart for most.
I call it Studio 60 Syndrome.
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11-20-2007 @ 10:38PM
Aberdeen said...
Fantastic episode - can't wait for next week!
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11-20-2007 @ 9:45PM
Thomas said...
The thing that bugs me about the Dan and Jack situation is that it seems like it would be pretty easy for Dan to convince Jack that he was time travelling, much like he did with Katie.
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11-20-2007 @ 11:16PM
Akbar Fazil said...
JJ, the characters name is "Livia" not Olivia.
Vito, what specific unintentional mistakes and logic leaps are you referring to?
Thomas, I agree that Jack needs to be in on the whole thing but then I am enjoying the storyline of how Dan is dealing with his brother.
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11-20-2007 @ 11:53PM
Oreo said...
I think the most amazing thing about the show is that it hasn't been canceled yet with the numbers it is receiving.
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11-21-2007 @ 1:42AM
Will said...
As I've posted before, Journeyman is my favorite new season show, so I really hope the ratings pick up or NBC gives it a long while to try.
I kind of wish we had some time frame clues becuase it does seem that Dan travels several times in one day and then nothing for a long time. I don't see why, if this is the case, when he pops back into town get Jack over to whereever he is, pronto, and Jack can see him go with his own eyes. Of course, I suppose this is too logical, but then he thought up something to convince Katie pretty quick. Jack not believeing him, though, does create conflict. Eventually he will have to believe him.
I thought this was another great episode. Anyone know how many episodes are left that are already written?
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11-21-2007 @ 9:28AM
Ian said...
AN interesting show, but it seems inevitable that Dan and his wife will split up. If the show continues he will still be "travelinmg" so his wife will up and leave. That's sad.
Oliovia's role is weird. How come she always arrives well B4 Dan and just happens across useful stuff like cars and period clothes etc? SHe has to be "in" on what's going on more than Dan. Whosoever is playing with Dan knows he will not keep his focus.
Somehow the producers musyt have a direction for this show, but I can't see it.
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11-21-2007 @ 10:49AM
it-s said...
I LOVE this show. Its about so much more than just time traveling. I love the interaction between the members of the quadrangle and can't wait until Livia surprises Jack in the elevator.
I only hope that this show doesn't get cancelled, as I read recently that NBC is thinking about pulling it if the ratings don't improve. On the good news side I also read that the ratings improved by one million viewers last week over the week before, so if the trend continues, perhaps we'll have Journeyman to enjoy for some time.
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11-21-2007 @ 11:23AM
Jim said...
Who is "Olivia"??
Oh... you mean "Livia"... OK, then...
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11-21-2007 @ 1:01PM
Jake said...
Will: There were 13 episodes scripted and produced, so four are left.
Chances of a full season pickup or a second season seem very slim. The ratings are now running below any of the four shows that ran in the same time slot last season, including "The Real Wedding Crashers."
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11-21-2007 @ 2:54PM
Fyten said...
Just an interesting thought about the last episode. It is an example of why Livia is there. She can't screw her life up because she changes things in her future. Dan will run into all of the paradox scenarios because he changes his past.
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11-21-2007 @ 3:23PM
Marianne said...
Still love this show. BTW, did anyone pick up on the fact the Livia might be very old. If they only travel in their own lifetime (still not sure if thet is true), then Livia is much older the she appears. She "bought soup from the vendors great-grandfather" and the newspaper was from when Israel became a country. I thing this show gets more intersting every week - I hope it's not cancelled before it's time!
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11-21-2007 @ 9:00PM
Bash said...
Marianne, it only means that she's MIGHT still be alive in 2007 - making her about 2007-1948+30ish = 89 years old in 2007.
Dan might be able to find her in the now BUT we haven't been told whether she is still alive in the now but only that she left years ago, around 2000 when her plane crashed. So at that time she would've been 80ish, alive somewhere on the planet while Dan was together with her 1948 self.
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11-23-2007 @ 6:46PM
Steve said...
I read online that this past weeks episode and next weeks episode needs to get good ratings or NBC will pull the plug. You can see (or not see) there hasn't been any promotion of it by NBC. If they decide to cancel it maybe scifi might pick it up.
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11-24-2007 @ 6:53AM
Mike L said...
Since NBC owns SCIFI Channel I doubt there is much chance of the show being picked up by it besides SCIFI doesn't seem real interested any original and high brow programs anymore. Journeyman is also one of my favorite shows and I hope NBC will give it a chance and not do what they have always done in the past and cancel it because it doesn't beat out the "Reality" themed shows a lot of people for some reason find so compelling. I am looking forward to this week's episode as well. It looks like Jack will finally have the evidence he needs to believe Dan, provided the arrogant b*stard doesn't convince himself he is dreaming or hallucinating or something.
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11-24-2007 @ 12:02PM
Juanita said...
Save Journeyman Chat Sunday Nov 25th 10pm EST
We need to gather as many of us as possible in one space in real time before Monday nights episode. Please spread the word, and post this link on other boards that may be interested:
http://boards.nbc.com/nbc/index.php?showtopic=776949
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