Series Finale for Touch on Fox

11 05 2013

On Thursday, May 9, 2013, Fox Broadcasting confirmed what we all had been expecting: Touch would not receive a season 3 renewal. Friday, May 10, 2013 would be the series finale.

I think we could see the writing on the wall from the beginning of season 2. It was supposed to be aired in October 2012. Then it got bumped to January of 2013. Then it was pushed to Friday, February 1, 2013. Then it was changed to Friday, February 8, 2013. People in the science fiction community believe the Friday night slot is the place where shows go to get the final nail in the coffin. It was true for Fringe.

There was very sparse advertising for the show’s premiere. The shows the network had more faith in, like The Following, The Mindy Project, Ben and Kate, and New Girl got far more advertising both on-air and with the use of social media.

The first season struggled. Although 12 million viewers tuned in to watch it on Monday, a sweet day in the past for Kiefer Sutherland when he was on “24”, viewership quickly declined and it was moved to Thursday night after Idol, hoping to give it an American Idol bump. Fringe had that same progression. Monday to Thursday to Friday. For years now, people have been critical of the antiquated Nielsen structure to determine number of viewers and to target 18- to 49-year-old men. As a woman, that is really insulting to me. I have as much buying power as my husband, if not more. People have new viewing habits. The days of an actual TV in a home are limited as people go to the internet to watch TV shows now. But the methods advertisers base their rates are still built on the old model. In February, it was reported that Nielsen was going to roll out a new system. It would include people who watch over broadband, XBox, Playstation. Then next phase of the program would include any type of video viewing. It is also adding a new viewing measurement for social media to include people participating in tweeting and those exposed to those tweets (I am thinking this sounds similar to Klout). But it is too late for many of our cult favorites. Fringe would have benefited greatly from the massive fan support on social media.

The story also struggled. The biggest mistake was calling Jake autistic. After the first episode, many of my friends tuned out, turned off by the unrealistic portrayal by Hollywood AGAIN of their beloved children. At first, the show was about finding people who were hurting and help restoring happiness and wholeness to their lives. Shows are often a reflection of the times we live in. I think this is why The Following has had tremendous success–it is a very dark show. Then mid-season, Touch started building into it a mythos that sounded promising but moved a little bit too slow for an audience who needs to be on the edge of their seat an entire show to go out and convert others to watch it. When season 2 was introduced, people who gave up by the end of season 1 did not care to tune back in to see all the wonderful changes that were made. The story pace was quicker. It was building the mythos quicker, resolving things (like finding Amelia) in a timely manner, introducing an element of evil vs. good in the plot. Without a massive campaign saying, “Come try the show out again.”

Shows struggle in their first year to find their footing. I know this is true of Stargate Universe. It came from a franchise that had phenomenal fans and a lengthy history of good ratings, 10 seasons of Stargate SG-1, 5 years of Stargate Atlantis, 2 Stargate DVD movies. With the success of Battlestar Galactica, they wanted to try a storyline they had really wished to pursue on Stargate Atlantis but could not–the heroes were trapped without any way to contact Earth or the original SG-1 team for help. By the end of season 1, Stargate Atlantis knew it needed to connect back to Earth. In Stargate Universe, they used a unique way to do this. There was an active campaign from within the Stargate community to boycott the show and point out all the flaws. Free speech still governs our society and they had the complete freedom to express their opinion. Whether it played as a factor in the ultimate demise of Stargate Universe remains unclear. I do know season 2 of Stargate Universe was better than season 1. Season 2 of Touch was better than season 1.

I was concerned for the finale. In the last episode, Amelia and Jake had been kidnapped after Martin’s car was hit. Would we have a finale where someone’s life hung in the balance, and the viewers would not have resolved whether or not a character would live or die? Would they be endings that would leave us at peace? Would the people in season 2 who were evil or sometimes evil and sometimes good receive justice? Would a new threat be introduced? Would Avram be found or locked away somewhere that we will never know if he is freed?

After watching the show, I have a feeling Tim Kring saw the possibility that this show would not get a season 3, and he decided to write the final episode, giving emotionally invested fans a story to leave in peace. He gave us just that. And the ending was a sweet acknowledgement of the first episode with the same narratives. I did cry at the end. However, it was not like the finale of Farscape where I was so disgusted with the abrupt cancellation and the inability of the writers to give fans a proper ending that I talked about it for years and, in fact, boycotted the network (in my narcissistic narrow world, I thought it would matter) for years, missing out on Stargate SG-1 for quite awhile.

Coming on the heels of hearing of Touch’s demise was the immediate rumors that Fox Broadcasting is now in talks with Kiefer Sutherland about reviving “24” in a “limited fashion.” Some on the internet think it might be a 13-episode series. Some think it might be the movie he was hoping for. For others, they are speculating that a miniseries might work. With the number 13 episodes, I now wonder if they plan for this to be tied in with The Following next year given its phenomenal ratings as that would be about the number of episodes. The first episode could give us background for the new story and then the episodes could still be in a full-day fashion with each episode being: “The following takes place between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.” which would be more realistic in Los Angeles or New York traveling times (or wherever they plan for it to take place). Twelve episodes of 2-hour increments would give us “24”.

And so it goes….another well-written show that goes into our history. I want to thank the cast and crew for producing a type of show I was craving, something I cared deeply about. But in the end, thank you for giving us a happy ending.


Touch (S2E10) Two of a Kind Recap

26 04 2013

I was pleased to see two characters in the pilot who were also in “The Road Not Taken” reappear in this episode. We find out Dr. Nell Plimpton (Samantha Whittaker) is one of the 36. Please read Touch pilot episode I wrote for details. What I was not expecting was the ending which I won’t say until the recap is at that point.

As Martin (Kiefer Sutherland) and Trevor (Greg Ellis) sort out their grief and details of Lucy’s death, Martin realizes Amelia (Saxon Sharbino) was not in the car.


Martin and Trevor grieve.

Meanwhile a creepy man (David Ury) listens in to the conversation and then heads over to Guillermo (Saïd Taghmaoui) who is looking at Dr. Nell Plimpton who is coming to Los Angeles today bringing over an ancient artifact. After the homeless guy wants to get paid, Guillermo kills him. That is going to be some mess to clean up!


Homeless man blood splatter

And meanwhile Amelia is with Jake (David Mazouz) in his room. She wants to stay but can’t yet. Guillermo is coming to get them this date. The numbers are 10262000 (Jake’s date of birth and the day Guillermo’s family died.


Cipher number for tonight.

Over in England, Dr. Plimpton is an insomniac and since “The Road Not Taken” they have had another child. It was Simon’s (David de Lautour) cell phone that made it around the world and helped people find each other. She is going to a clinic for insomnia suffers while in the States [why do I think evil Aster Corps has something in the works.]


The Plimptons

Jake is feverish. He gets Martin to look at the cipher, the number and ultimately he speaks to Martin. “Find him.” Music to Martin’s ears. When Martin sees Avram (Bodhi Elfman) they discussed what happened with Jake and the “he” he has to find is Guillermo Ortiz.


Jake talks!!!!

Jake writes in his notebook the 10262000 but then there is dash for the first time: 10262000 1026 2013-1026 2013-1026.


More numbers. They are changing. The future is in constant motion, isn’t it? I learned that from Star Wars.

Calvin (Lukas Haas) sees a news report on Aster Corps given by Mrs. Nicole Farington (Frances Fisher) to the public trying to reassure them the bad parts of their company which completely denies knowing about have been taken away.


Mrs. Farington of Aster Corps

Trevor was able to discover a body at the morgue.

The building manager (Ravil Isyanov) goes to collect the rent and thinks Guillermo’s room smells “funny” [like death perhaps?]. The number on the door is 27.


You know when someone exaggerates and says “it smells like death in here.” For Guillermo it usually does.

Simon reads the book “Colors” to his daughter, red being on e cover. Nell calls from Chicago where her plane to stop and she was bumped. She wants him to make sure her package is picked up since it will arrive before her. Simon asks her what she sees. She starts saying the things in her surroundings. He asks again and describes the people who once were living on the land, a Potawatomi Indian Village where Chicago O’Hare is now.


Nell’s power. She can visualize history.

Her flight 1026 to Los Angeles was now boarding so she says good-bye.

Avram talks out loud his theories on how the cipher is working. Baruch HaShem (thank God). Jake’s looking at a real map the whole time he is talking. He sees 2013 schedule LAXTrans: Take the 1026 bus to the airport. With Avram kicking the whole way, Jake is ready to take off and Avram has no choice.


Take the bus to the plane (wait, I think the jingle was take the train to the plane).

Down at the morgue, Trevor and Martin see Guillermo’s work. His toe-tag number is 2013-1026.


I hope I’m more than a number on a slab when I die.

When Jake and Avram get on bus 1026, they see a very exhausted Amelia.


Bus 1026 and a waiting Amelia.

Mrs. Farington pays Calvin a visit. She is looking for Tony Rigby (Adam Campbell). She offers Calvin a job. They are running a “sleep clinic”. They have 6 of the 36 [and I bet Nell will make 7 once she checks in]. Calvin looks like he just got a dose of the drug of his choice–a cure for William–and after talking to him, he will be more motivated and convicted to achieve his goal.

Avram tells Martin he has Jake and Amelia. Amelia says today he must find Guillermo or innocent people will die.


Jake, Amelia and Avram

The hotel was at 167 5th Street. The manager lets them in. They see the blood on the floor. Trevor hands Martin some trash.


You can always find great clues in the trash.

They arrive at LAX and Jake sees flight 1026 had arrived. The box is going to St. Matthew University, 2013 West Adams Blvd, Room 1026. Jake writes on a piece of paper and hands it to Avram. They are symbols. He needs to call Martin but there is no cell service. Famous last words “Don’t move!”


Another 2013-1026 connection

A man comes and takes the box away. Jake and Amelia follow. Avram and Martin talk via phone about the hieroglyphics. Nell bumps into Avram. She is wearing a blue shirt. After she gets in the car, Guillermo is right behind her. Guillermo sees a car, and stabs the man to get it.


Nell bumps into Avram at the airport.

Jake and Amelia get into the van going to St. Matthew University.

Avram goes inside and does not see Jake or Amelia.

Mrs. Farington gives Calvin a tour of what they are doing. Aster Corps has their own quantum computer now. They have an almost 90-digit sequence. Calvin accepts the job offer. Mrs. Farington asks Calvin if he knows where Martin Bohm is and he says no. So he is holding out on Aster Corps should they do something he does not like. Or as a backup plan to help his brother in case things go wrong.


I don’t know any Jake or Martin Bohm.

The package arrives. The kids get out.

Trevor tells Martin about the hieroglyphs and gets Martin connected with Simon. Simon says she is in Los Angeles. He asks what hotel she might be staying at. Simon has to think about whether to give this information out, saying “I can lose my job.” But deeper I think Simon recognizes Martin’s voice but cannot place where.

Martin and Avram update their situations. Martin says he thinks he knows where they have gone.

Amelia and Jake use 318 [the beginning number of the sequence] to open the security and then opened the box. Jake tries to leave her the numbers on the crate of what the hieroglyphs say. He does it with a red marker.


Code 318 — back to the beginning.

Dr. Nell arrives in cab 287 [three numbers in the God sequence]. Guillermo pulls up as well. Jake realizes he is there. After going into the building Guillermo follows Nell and attacks her.


I’m gonna kill you, but we have to wait.

Martin drives up. Nell asks Guillermo if he is going to kill her. He replies, “Yes but not until he arrives?” Jake talks telepathically to him, “She’s not the one.” It distracts him enough for Nell to escape.


Jake speaks telepathically through the floor to him.

Nell runs into Martin. Martin tells her to leave and then he calls 911. He then pulls the fire alarm. Guillermo comes out of nowhere and attacks Martin. They stumble into the church sanctuary. [At this point I think Guillermo will not be able to kill in a church.]


Martin and Guillermo struggle for the knife.

Martin has developed some fighting skillz that killz. Martin tells him it’s over. Guillermo breaks down sobbing. He says that today he is going to rid the world of another one of the 36. [I always knew he was going to, in the end, take his own life.

True to the character, however, Guillermo apologizes to God for not being able to complete his mission. He says, “I never found the nest of seven.” [Hmmmm. Now that Martin has found Amelia, I guess this is the quest for season 3, if they get a season 3]. Guillermo then slits his own throat.


Guillermo slits his own throat. He was such a great bad guy. Sad to see him go.

Jake comes in. He rips the Tree of Life necklace off Guillermo’s body. Amelia follows and Martin and Amelia hug.


Jake takes the Tree of Life off of him.

The police officer (Mykelti Williamson) questions Martin. He does not believe Martin. He tells him he needs to come down to the station tomorrow.


I really don’t believe anything you’re saying Martin “Bishop”

Martin talks with Nell. Jake goes to Nell and grabs her hand. Martin tells Nell he thinks Jake wants to show her something.


Jake wants to show you something.

Jake takes her to the artifact. Nell is very excited Jake cracked the code.


The gift of numbers.

Amelia and Jake play chess at the house. Martin asks Avram about the nest of seven. Avram shrugs it off as ravings of a madman. [And I think Avram just lied to Martin].


Avram lies to Martin.

Martin tells Amelia they are going to have to find her father. Amelia tells him he can try, but he won’t.

[There is a book on the table called “Aloft” by Chang-rae Lee; I looked it up and it does not seem to pertain to anything related to Touch…yet].


The book on the table doesn’t appear to mean anything.

Martin tells Jake that Amelia is part of their family now. Jake gives him a small smile with direct eye contact. Jake likes the sound of that indeed.


Jake smiles at Martin.

Touch (S2E6) “Broken”

23 03 2013

Martin (Kiefer Sutherland) wakes up startled and checks on Jake (David Mazouz) but sees Lucy’s bed (Maria Bello) has never been slept in. Believing she had gone to the police, Martin wakes Jake up to leave.


Lucy’s bed remains untouched (red flowers)

Calvin (Lukas Haas) lies on a red/white striped pillow in the middle of the floor. Lucy has him tied up. [A tad bit unbelievable that she dragged an injured Calvin all the way up to his loft].


Lucy and an injured Calvin

Guillermo (Said Taghmaoui) recites the passage of Jesus surviving 40 days out in the desert, being tempted by the devil, while walking through the desert himself. A park ranger (Ransford Doherty) finds him. The ranger is looking for a missing man. He is in Tonto National Forest. [That is a real name, a national forest in Arizona].


Guillermo and the park ranger

Jake tunes into radio station 89.2. That is the number for this evening.


Tonight’s number 892

Jake hands Martin the notebook that is red, white and blue, the blue in the butterflies, which is like the case that Amelia had in a previous episode. The notebook belongs to Soleil (Isabella Acres). Jake wants Martin to go there. When Jake turns the car radio to that station, which at the moment is just static, Martin asks him to turn it down.


The Notebook

Jake narrates: “In a vacuum, radio waves travel at the same speed as all forms of electromagnetic radiation–that is 299,792,458 meters per second–but human beings do not live in a vacuum. Wherever we are we are surrounded by stimuli, both positive and negative. When negative stimuli is perceived, it travels from its source to its destination, sensory cortex, at a mere 100 meters per second. But regardless of its relatively slow speed this unpleasant sensation registers as something we call pain, and as humans, we are conditioned to do anything and everything to avoid it.”

Lucy tries to get Calvin to tell her where Amelia is by inducing pain. He admits to knowing where she is but tells Lucy he would never hurt her.

Jake and Martin go to Soleil’s house. Jake goes into the house and gets a picture album out and shows Martin a picture of Carl Hirsch (Randy Oglesby) and Frances Norburg (Linda Gehringer) together. He gets a license plate number off the picture–6RHI892.


Frances Norburg’s license plate

Calvin tries to explain that mapping Amelia’s brain is the key to helping his brother and her gifts could change the world. He asks Lucy to get him painkillers from his bedroom and then he will give her back Amelia.

Carl did not know Frances had a son. Carl says he calls her but she never calls back. Jake goes over to turn the radio to FM 89.2. Amelia is listening to the same station. It is a station that reads scripture. Amelia says, “They’re coming.”


Amelia’s tuned in, too.

Guillermo climbs and appeals to God to speak to him. He sees an injured man below him. The man (Eric Lange) asks Guillermo to kill him.

Martin and Jake head over to BreakWire to find Lucy. [There is a red nutcracker or maybe Pinocchio behind Trevor next to the scales of justice]. Trevor tells him about the address he gave Lucy the night before, 2305 Fifth Street. Martin leaves Jake with Trevor.


The scales of justice versus “I want to be a real boy” statue.

Calvin sent Lucy on a wild-goose chase and gets himself free. He pulls a gun on her and tells her he could have left and/or had HER arrested for kidnapping [that takes balls Calvin to even say that]. He wants something from Lucy–JAKE.

The hurt man was a doctor out on the trail to clear his head from a mistake he had made. Guillermo says he is doing the same. The doctor was drinking before a pediatric neurosurgical procedure to fix an AVM and the boy died.


Please kill me. Trust me, he can.

Amelia is ticked off at Frances for lying to her and she won’t eat. Frances says she cannot give her back to her mother because there are people that want to harm her. Amelia tries to leave and is fighting with Frances when there is a knock at the door.


Danger Will Robinson!

Calvin tries to convince Lucy that Martin is a liar. “There are miracles inside your daughter’s brain.”  Martin arrives at the apartment. Calvin shows Lucy video of Amelia from 2 days ago.

Guillermo tosses the pictures of the people he has killed into the fire that warms the doctor. When he looks at Jake’s picture, he hears Jake speaking telepathically about his pain.

Calvin will bring Amelia to The Valley Reservoir, to bring Jake there by 2 PM, the access road at Woodlee. Martin uses 892 as the code to her into the apartment when smashing the lock did not work. He sees the blood on the floor and a car squeal off.


The radio station number unlocks the door. Wouldn’t Calvin have picked a bigger number, though?

Guillermo uses a hand crank to power the doctor’s phone. He tells the doctor that he is one of a handful of people on the planet who can interfere with fate. The doctor screams that God wants him to die. Guillermo says who is he to speak for God [which is interesting because Guillermo also speaking for God in his own mind. By the way, how does Guillermo’s shirt stay so white in the desert?]

Lucy looks for Martin at the house. Martin calls Trevor. Lucy calls Trevor and finds out Jake is there. Jake knows she is coming. They drive to the San Fernando Valley Reservoir East Access road. Martin goes back to BreakWire. Lucy tells Martin to come to her. [Of course] Martin leaves his phone in the car.  [Red cubbies at BreakWire].


Red cubbies

Guillermo can’t get a signal on the cell phone and tosses it. It was 89 days ago that the boy died. He says to the doctor how many children will die if he does not go back to his practice. One boy died, but how many need to be saved? He said that his story reminds him that there is acceptable loss [I don’t think that is the lesson Guillermo; what I get out of that statement is that there is always the possibility of redemption]. He plans to help the man out.

Martin meets Lucy at the reservoir and tells Jake to get in his car. He tells her Calvin played her, gave him the time to get away with Amelia.

Calvin gets to the house (number 7729) and finds the door opened. As Martin and Jake drive home, he turns back around to Lucy. She still believes Calvin is coming. Jake dials 89.2 on the radio. He tells Lucy to get in the car. They see a radio tower.


An unlocked door that is thumbprint protected is never a good sign.

At the Tonto National Park, the ranger’s search and rescue command post is also picking up this radio signal. Guillermo and the doctor walk out of the canyon.


Take a life, save a life, take a life, save a life…

As they approach the tower, Martin sees the license plate of Frances’ car. Martin tells Jake to stay in the car. They see Frances Norburg in the car with a bullet to her head. Calvin is with her. He says, “They killed her.”  [I’m thinking Aster Corps–remember when Tony had the GPS tracker in the laptop?]. Amelia is not there.


There’s no coming back from that.

Calvin leaves and tells them not to follow him or he will kill them both.

Guillermo looks down on Los Angeles. [Not quite sure how he got there so fast from Arizona. From Tonto National Forest to LA it is about a 7-1/2 hour drive and he would have had to provide the police with a statement, too]



Touch S2E5 “Eye To Eye” Recap

22 03 2013

As much as I abhor the phrase “taking it to the next level,” the writers of around just did. The show is picking up its pace in storytelling. Jake and Amelia come so close to meeting. Lucy makes a decision that starts her down a path of darkness. Guillermo takes an innocent life (i.e. A life deviates from his supposed path to glorify God or ridding the world of the 36 righteous ones. Does this make him a Godless murderer per Avram’s description? If he took the life of this holy man (Father Esteban), what is to stop him from killing Avram?

I do understand they needed a mythology but if one reads about the righteous ones in the Talmud, there really is no way to rid the world of them. If one loses their way, God puts another on this path. Once any of these individuals knows they are part of this group, they are no longer one of them. But I’ll go along with this because the story is so compelling.

This episode also ponders if the end justifies the means. Even love can be corrupted. All the people are operating from this point of view. Guillermo’s love of God is his motivation. Lucy’s mother-bear instincts to protect her daughter make her do the unthinkable in order to find her. Calvin’s love for his brother, and in part his guilt that arose from tragedy, motivates him to kidnap Amelia to find a way to heal his brother. Even Martin tells Calvin he will kill him if he touches Jake. Love is such a powerful motivator but it often blinds us on the path.


Jake (David Mazouz) and Amelia (Saxon Sharbino) both dream of the moment they meet on the pier 29 at Marina Del Rey.


Jake and Amelia meet in a dream

“Human beings are hard-wired to connect. We are drawn to one another by our own chemistry. We produce attachment hormones that create intimacy. We build neural bridges that bond us, brain to brain, heart to heart. Those bonds, once formed, are not meant to be broken.

[Red flower in flower pot where Martin stands in the kitchen.]


Red flower

Jake combed his hair for his first-ever play date with Soleil (Isabella Acres). But first waffles! Jake makes the microwave explode so the timer reads 8877. Tonight’s number. That means breakfast on the way to Soleil.


Tonight’s number is 8877.

Lucy (Maria Bello) is wearing a red-striped shirt. She tells Martin (Kiefer Sutherland) a sweet story about falling asleep with Amelia, but she has not done that for 1100 days.


Martin and Lucy

Kase (John Boyd) enters the restaurant and plays the arcade game next to Jake. Martin pays for breakfast [big red tomato on his plate]. Kase calls Calvin (Lukas Haas) and Calvin tells him to follow them and find out where they live.


Red everywhere

In Mexico? [red in flag]


More red

Father Esteban (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) is asked to administer the sacrament of reconciliation.


Father Esteban

Martin passes a 7-Eleven (ironically the same colors of the Mexican flag) and sees Kase following them. Martin pulls into a parking garage, Kase follows, but Martin stops Kase’s car, pulls him out and beats him up. When security catches up to them, Martin leaves the scene.


7-Eleven looks like the Mexican flag.

Jake heads into Soleil’s house where Martin and Lucy meet Soleil’s mom, Beth Friedman (Wendy Benson-Landes) and Soleil’s grandfather (remember that Frances Norburg and Carl Hirsch (Randy Oglesby) know each other from her former job). They go to make cupcakes. Jake takes Carl’s cell phone and scrolls to Frances’ name.


Frances Norburg’s cell number

Guillermo (Said Taghmaoui) feels he needs absolution to continue his mission to kill the 36, and Father Esteban is the unlucky priest to hear it. He says, “As a servant of God I know what I must do; as a man, it hurts”. [Remorse!] He confesses that he is one of the 36. [Talk about the ultimate self-hatred. That means that he ultimate plans to kill himself once the 35 are gone]. Father Esteban leaves the confessional when he cannot give him absolution. Guillermo runs out after him and they both see what each other looks like.


Guillermo meets Father Esteban

Lucy and Martin tell Trevor what Calvin has been up to with Amelia and Jake. Martin confesses he lied to Lucy about the meeting with Calvin, and she gets all righteous about keeping secrets yet I do not see her tell him she went to the police. She says, “Truth–not truth–it’s either one or the other”. Martin tells Lucy that this has to be on Jake’s schedule.

Amelia takes Frances’ phone and some money. The phone rings; it’s Jake! He puts 8877 into the phone. Amelia is so smart to cover her trail too. Kase comes into the kitchen and Amelia doubles over in pain [faking it, very well I might add by collapsing to the floor]. Kase and Amelia go to the hospital. She is whisked away while the doctor takes Kase to treat his injuries.



Trevor finds information on the web about Frances Norburg. She has another child, William (David Hoflin)! She is on the board of directors of The Greyber Institute (where William is) a private residence for neuroeducation made possible by a grant from–ta-da–Calvin Norburg. Martin and Lucy head over there. [The symbol of the Greyber Institute is the tree of life, the same symbol that is on Guillermo’s blade cover].


Once there Martin finds a door that requires a code and he puts in 8877 which he remembered from the microwave. They see Frances and William. Martin wants to get information first before they confront her. He pretends to have a wife at the facility. Frances seems like a decent human being. William was in an accident 4 years prior when the car Calvin was driving went into the water. William is in a “persistive vegetative state” but Frances believes he can understand her. Calvin is trying to find a way to get William communicating again.


William and Frances Norburg

The cupcakes come out of the oven. [There is a bottle of oil on the cabinet that has the brand name “Star” next to another bottle that has red in it.].


“Star” brand oil. And more red.

When Soleil looks for cupcake wrappers, Jake leaves out the back door. [Lots of red references on the cabinet island.]. Jake heads out to meet up with Amelia.


Lots of red.

At the hospital Amelia uses a hospital computer to find out where 8877 is. She leaves [with a red ambulance parked outside as she exits].

Martin tells Lucy what he learned. Carl calls Martin to tell him Jake is gone. He tells Lucy to take the car and see what she can find out. Meanwhile Kase calls Frances to tell her Amelia is gone.

Father Esteban shares his encounter with Father San Felipo (Castulo Guerra) and says when he looked into Guillermo’s eyes it was like seeing the devil himself. He questions which is worse–to the break the seal of Canon law or to remain silent and allow others to die?

Lucy visits with William and sees Calvin’s cell number 416-506-01?? She tells him there has been a breakthrough with his brother. Calvin is in his way.

Martin sees bus 8877 heading to Marina Del Rey. Martin hops on.


Bus 8877

Jake enters the Oceanfront Arcade at 8877.


Oceanfront Arcade at 8877

He heads over to the Donkey Kong game [remember he plays that at BreakWire]. He scores 29 and puts in his name.


Donkey Kong

Lucy introduces herself and threatens to kill William with a syringe filled with something. Security comes in and Lucy has to run for it (the syringe was filled with water). When she gets back in the car she calls Trevor to see if he can find more information.


Lucy and William

[Isn’t that the same security guard who was at the desk at the building where the law firm was?]

Amelia arrives at the arcade.


Amelia gets closer to Jake.

Kase and Frances figure out where she is headed and leave to get her.

Amelia sees the Donkey Kong game. She plays, gets the same score and leaves her name [I guess it would be too easy if Jake hung out and just met her at the game, huh?].


Amelia plays Donkey Kong

Martin arrives. He sees the Donkey Kong game, takes a picture of it, sends it to Lucy and tells her to get over there now; it’s time.

Father Esteban contemplates going into the police station.

Calvin talks to William that he is making progress, getting closer. William shocks him when his thumb closes in on Calvin’s hand.


William holds Calvin’s hand for the first time since the accident.

Lucy meets up with Martin and he tells her to look for something with number 29.

The sequence that was shown in the dream seems to be happening. Martin and Lucy find pier 29 and Jake. [There is an extra wearing a red shirt standing next to something that is also red.]


More red

Lucy spots Amelia and runs towards her. Amelia smiles when she sees her mother.  However Kase and Frances pull up, Frances opens the door. Kase grabs her and throws her in the car. Frances jumps in the back seat, Kase hops in the driver’s side and they drive off as Amelia hands hit the window. Jack embraces a grieving Lucy.


A grieving Lucy

Frances tries to justify Amelia’s abduction to Amelia, but all Amelia right now wants is her mother.

In Mexico, Father Esteban wants to report a crime, but of course, he has to go to the bathroom first. Guillermo gives him a last chance to give him absolution. [Hard choice-absolution or death? I think I would pretend absolution with my fingers crossed behind him and the turn him in].


Poor Father Esteban; we hardly knew him. The ultimate red: Blood!

Martin goes in to console Jake and gets the surprise of his life–Jake takes his hand and holds it. Martin cries.  [I cry.]


Tears and a red blanket.

Trevor calls Lucy with a lead to the foundation, “Mandelbrot”. [Mandelbrot was a famous mathematician where we got fractal geometry who recently died in 2010]. They just bought a loft downtown. Lucy goes alone and sees him. And she runs him over into the fence.


This is not good. What a mother will do for her child.