(S01E11) "I'm not my father." - DanAfter episodes like this one, it's difficult to understand why people aren't watching Journeyman. It looked like the writers knew the cancellation ax was hovering above their heads when they wrote this week's episode because it was a payoff for loyal viewers and paved the way for episode 13, to possibly serve as a series finale.
Not only was Frank (played by The 4400's Joel Gretsch) back and Jack getting more likable this week, but we saw Livia in her "present" time and Dan's actions have once again an impact on his family and friends. What more can we want for this Christmas-themed episode? Okay, maybe answers on why Dan and Livia travels and how, but that was probably a gift that was too big to put under our Festivus pole!
Katie and Bennett
Don't get me wrong, I don't like seeing characters in pain, but I was glad that Journeyman decided not to forget about the tragic events that happened in "Blowback." So many series have major terrible events happen to their characters and then have them practically forget about those events the following week. Katie may be a tough cookie but what Bennett made her go through was a lot. Gretchen Egolf did a great job at portraying a Katie in distress. At some point I wanted to reach into the TV, give her a hug and tell her that everything would be alright. But someone, an unlikely ally, did that much better than I could have. Hearing Dan's mother support her had a bigger effect on Katie than if Dan said the same words. When someone that put a target on your back (even if Barbara said she didn't, she sort of did) acts like a friend and tells you the words you need/want to hear, it has a major effect. Katie can only go on a recovery path from now on (especially since she threw the apron in the trash).
Jack and Theresa
Now that Jack is on his brother's side, he is getting more likable. He even stepped up in my "likable-o-meter" ladder when he supported Theresa and told her he would be there throughout the pregnancy and beyond. It's clear that both Vasser brothers don't want to be like their father. Dan is a good husband and father (minus the fact he has to leave at the most inopportune times) and it looks like Jack will be too. As Theresa was going upstairs to get a sweater, I was afraid she would stumble on proof that Dan was time-traveling. I think it's best that not everyone in the family knows about his travels. It brings more tension. So I was glad to see her snoop in the pharmacy cabinet instead and still go for her "Dan may be suffering from a mental illness" angle. I don't think Theresa truly believed Jack when, near the end of the episode, he told her there was nothing wrong with Dan. She'll probably do more snooping in the future and, after her having more talks with Jack and investigating a bit more, Jack could tell her the truth. But not too soon.
Dan and Frank
Dan still hasn't learned his lesson about the effects of tweaking his past. When he sees Frank at the Christmas party, he immediately thinks he is there to prevent Frank from leaving his family. Livia warns him but the kid in Dan doesn't want to hear it; he is still hurting. Luckily, Dan is cautious when speaking to Frank. He does try to show Frank the errors of his ways but doesn't push it too much. (Dan could have done much more to prevent Frank from leaving! He could even have called home to warn his mother.) Frank is not dumb; he knows he's a failure as a father and husband. He listens to what Dan has to say and, has we learned in the present, even followed one of Dan's suggestion.
Not totally being over the theory that Frank was/is also a traveler, I thought that he discovered Dan was his son when the latter talked about his father leaving, etc. When Frank told Dan to come inside the office so Frank could tell him about his father, I thought Frank was talking about himself. I was wrong. I guess that theory is debunked. But somehow I can't help to think there is something more there, especially because I'm used to seeing Joel Gretsch in all sort of conspiracy theories!
Livia and Henry
Not so long ago, we learned that Livia lives in the past and travels in her future but didn't get much more info out of her. There was a reason she was so quiet about her life: she is seriously dating a man, Henry, back in her "present" time. (Wow, it's getting confusing to talk about Livia's present when it's in the past!) Since she was involved with Dan in her future (his past), she didn't want to let him know about Henry. But after Dan gave her back the locket she had lost, Livia had to come clean.This week, Livia was more eager than ever to get back to her own time. She had an important Christmas Eve date with Henry and didn't want to be stuck in 1979. It even turned out that the latter proposed to her. It wouldn't surprise me if her wedding comes into play in the remaining two episodes next week.
Other tidbits of interest:
- The Vassers sure know how to throw a Christmas party. They had a choir, beautiful decorations, etc.
- The case of the week was interesting and not totally predictable. Most of the time I suspected Nancy was the killer. I even thought that maybe Livia was the woman found in the office and that Dan was the anonymous tipster. Maybe I was too tired to try to find the other suspects and make different connections.
- Even if Dan and Nancy saved everyone's job, it doesn't mean the paper will be able to keep everyone on the payroll. Dan's job may be safe because he knows the truth and can blackmail Dennis but he'll need to pick up the pace.
Remember that we get two episodes next week, episodes that could be the series' final two. Episode 12 will air in Journeyman's regular timeslot while episode 13 will air on Wednesday, December 19, at 10 p.m.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
12-11-2007 @ 2:46AM
sitruc said...
"After episodes like this one, it's difficult to understand why people aren't watching Journeyman."
I came away feeling just as mixed on this show as I had in the past. Some of the holes and missing logic make it hard for me to fall in love with the show. I've watched every episode and I normally catch it in its timeslot, but some of the characters and parts of the premise can still bug me. He's altering his life as well as others, but in the end the results are so small in the show. His father tells them why he's leaving, but that doesn't change him, his brother, or his mother other than his brother telling him at a Christmas party dad told me why he left. Every show has a formula and Journeyman is no exception. I just wonder how long I can go on with the current formula. I keep wanting something more and bigger in the end. If somebody ends up being mayor, I want them to end up with higher property taxes and living in an apartment or something. The guy who raped and killed women is killed or locked up... he was a mentor for me and everybody in my housing project. Now I have nobody to keep me on the right track and instead of a youth baseball league we form a gang and terrorize the west coast and become the largest organized crime group in the US. I'm over Dan being "missing" for the time he spends in the past instead of just returning where he left off. Other than the logic, it's a good show. I just want consequences that are shown to change more lives.
Dan's mom really made me think "Damn, that's f----d up" towards the end.
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12-11-2007 @ 9:30AM
Bghis said...
>>I just want consequences that are shown to change more lives.
12-11-2007 @ 11:02AM
Blair Mitchelmore said...
If *any* time travel story really examined the non-superficial changes it makes, there would be no time travel stories to enjoy. Because their writers would still be following the domino effects the very first change create. I mean, the first and most pivotal time travel story (A Sound of Thunder) had bizarre non sequitur changes in the present from crushing a butterfly 60 million years in the past, something which probably wouldn't effect a change in our timeline. The fact is our puny monkey brains, even the slightly less puny monkey brains of brilliant writers, can't comprehend the massive changes that any change in the past could possibly create, so we cope with that by limiting the changes to very direct, superficial changes that are advantageous to the plot.
12-11-2007 @ 9:42AM
Bghis said...
The series creatore revealed that the people Dan is visiting are -- for the most part -- related in some way. If the series continues, we will increasingly get a better sense of this as well as how they are related.
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12-11-2007 @ 9:47AM
JC said...
Am I the only one totally in with Katie? Gretchen Egolf is great! (As is the rest of the cast) I love that no one is completely annoying, everyone has their endearing qualities and problems (yes, even Jack). It's a very enjoyable, comforting hour of television.
http://save-journeyman.blogspot.com/
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12-11-2007 @ 9:52AM
No1Dad said...
"After episodes like this one, it's difficult to understand why people aren't watching Journeyman. "
I really don't get it either. I watch tons of TV and for me, Journeyman is up there with shows like Lost and Heroes in terms of quality. But oh well...
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12-11-2007 @ 10:37AM
fred said...
Oh come on, this show is nothing like Heroes, I mean not only does it feel like writers have an idea of what theywant to do with the show, but also you can sense there's some quality writing here!
Still, I've never been a fan of this one, for some reason, and there are still things that troubles me. For one, consequences. I agree that I wished they had more impact on the present, I mean even Jack's reaction with his girfriend can't be linked to what Dan changed in their past, I don't think.
Also, when is it gonna be about time traveling again ? I mean the last episodes not only have not dealt with that whole things, but now Dan's travels have become more "selfish".
He's not going back to "fix" the past anymore, only to learn info that he can use to change his present, and save his family or his job.
Really, we need to find out who's controlling this and why, I really hope we will next week...
Also, I for one do not really care about Livia's own present. We already have much to deal with Dan and his whole extended family, that's enough distraction from the time traviling business, please.
http://88.191.26.34/i_watch_tv/2007/12/11/journeyman-home-by-another-way/
PS: One line reads funny because you wrote Dan instead of Jack I think : "I don't think Theresa truly believed JACK when, near the end of the episode, he told her there was nothing wrong with Dan."
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12-11-2007 @ 11:02AM
bb said...
"Also, when is it gonna be about time traveling again?"
That's the thing - the primary premise of the show is the relationships of the four major characters. The time-traveling is secondary to that, and sets the stage for character interaction. Most of the trips back throughout the series have focused on the personal lives of the four lead characters as well as the mission at hand. That's what sets the series apart from others - the richness of the characters and the strong writing regarding their relationships.
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12-11-2007 @ 11:41AM
kw said...
This blurb is from Futon Critic about the episode two weeks ago ("Blowback"):
......Additionally on Monday, "Journeyman" posted week-to-week gains of 9 percent in 18-49 and 8 percent in total viewers, and ranked #2 in adults 18-49, total viewers and other key measures, outperforming the regular slot season debut of ABC's "October Road."........
(link: http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20071204nbc01)
Hopefully yesterday's ep registered a similar (or any) increase. If so, I can easily see NBC bringing Journeyman back after the strike is settled.
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12-11-2007 @ 12:23PM
Ry said...
"After episodes like this one, it's difficult to understand why people aren't watching Journeyman. "
I tried to give the show a fair shake when it started. Set the DVR for it and everything. The first couple episodes were so boring that I'd turn it off and come back later to try and finish the show. Why would I come back later to watch again?
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12-11-2007 @ 1:57PM
Vito The TiVo said...
Yes, but does ANYONE know when "Clash of the Choirs" begins?
http://www.recapist.com/2007/12/11/journeyman-home-by-another-way-episode-111
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12-11-2007 @ 8:22PM
mike said...
Has anyone else noticed that Dan & Katie's house,from the outside,is the same one that the Halliwell sisters lived in on the TV series Charmed?
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12-12-2007 @ 6:49AM
Will said...
I love this, have seen each one as they aired, but I'm a bit confused. On the last show they showed Livia letting Jack see her. Then in this one, they went right into Jack supporting Dan and acknowledging his travels. Did I miss something? Were we just suppose to think that it was self-explanatory, that there was no need to show the conversation between Jack and Livia? Because I expected that to be a pretty interesting conversation and they didn't show a second of it, unless I fell asleep and missed it. I'm serious, it felt like they had jumped over an important scene, and I don't get why.
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12-12-2007 @ 9:11AM
John said...
I personally think Frank (Dan's dad) is a time traveler. Did anyone catch him say "I feel like a freak", "I'm always traveling". Also, did anyone catch that Frank took a few pictures of Dan? I don't think we are done seeing Frank. My theory is that he is a traveler and that is why he left his family. I think we will see him again in a later episode.
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12-12-2007 @ 10:15AM
Michael K Pate said...
Personally, I thought the most interesting interesting moment in the whole episode was when Dan asked Jack about their father's leaving. As we have learned before, when Dan changes the past, it affects the memory of everyone except himself. It may turn out that Jack will prove to be a different person because of that moment, but that is something that Dan won't share.
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12-12-2007 @ 10:51AM
claudiusturner said...
Am I the only one who things that Livia's clothing and hair is really stylish and "chic" considering she is coming from 1948. Nothing we have seen her in looks "dated" at all.
Also I can't decide if she is Japanese, Philippine, or Hawaiian. Something that can make a big difference in her lifestyle in 1948.
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12-12-2007 @ 1:04PM
Dan said...
Fantastic episode of a fantastic show. It is complicated, intellectual and well written. I loved this week's mission, it was very relevant and gave Dan a lot of help in his present time with the information he now has. I was very pleased to see the Aeden Bennet storyline continue to haunt the family, that is one of the reasons why I love this show...every action has a lasting consequence, from the money, to the Bennet story to his 1979 office party. KEEP JOURNEYMAN ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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