Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Blindspot 1x05 "Split The Law" (The Starting Point) [Contributor: Jen]


"Split the Law"
Original Airdate: October 19, 2015

In "Split The Law," the FBI sets out to stop a dirty bomb expert, leading to a violent confrontation with the CIA. As they struggle to close another case, Kurt and Jane discover that the answers they are searching for can't be found in the past.

CASE OF THE WEEK


In certain episodes, Blindspot will need to "stretch" the reality of Jane's tattoos. (Please forget the fact that an amnesiac woman with tattoos all over her body is nowhere near the vicinity of reality). This week was one of those episodes. Patterson breezes past the the 37,000 possible permutations of the ten digit number tattooed on Jane's upper thigh. Those 36,999 other possibilities are not important. What is important is that the tattoo matches the address of a current hostage situation. Oh convenience. How wondrous thou art. Oh and there's a tattoo database because... of course there is. Whatever. It's time to roll with it.

Conceptually, I know terrorist cells are extremely busy, but man... terrorist cells are extremely busy. There's a new one every week! Everybody knows television is steeped in accuracy (wink, wink). This particular cell is slightly unusual because of its multi-racial membership. It would almost be heartwarming, except for the fact they are building a dirty bomb with a radioactive isotope. When one takes that particular bit of information into consideration, the "kumbaya" feelings tend to dissipate pretty quickly.

Through a confluence of events, the hostage situation leads to a CIA black site. Jane realizes the hostage situation is actually a rescue mission, by the terrorist cell, so their dirty bomb expert can build a dirty bomb. Whew. The bottom line is that Team Blindspot finally met Tom Carter, Deputy Director of the CIA, and this leads to a fantastic FBI versus CIA standoff in the middle of a cemetery. With all the guns pulled, it had the flair of Face/Off. I could hear John Travolta gleefully saying, "Wheee! What a predicament!"

Ultimately, the CIA takes the dirty bomb maker for questioning, because Team Blindspot wouldn't give up Jane for CIA questioning.

TEAM BLINDSPOT


Which brings me to... hey guys! Team Blindspot wouldn't hand Jane over for questioning to creepy Carter! Or more accurately, Mayfair wouldn't hand Jane over. She makes this decision, of course, after stopping Carter from assassinating Jane in the middle of the cemetery. My Mayfield feels are strong this episode. Feel free to call me in as a witness for the defense whenever Mayfield goes down for whatever she did on Project Daylight. I'm a Mayfield fan. Any agency that says, "This is the part that doesn't hurt" is one Jane wants no part of. Since her tattoos are pointing to government corruption, it's probably a good idea for Jane to avoid CIA questioning. Excellent decision Mayfield. Bravo.

Of course, this doesn't stop Carter from working the inside angle. As expected, Zappata and her $40,000 of gambling debt make her the perfect traitor. It can't be Reade. While he is quite vocal about his distrust of the whole Jane situation, Reade is far too loyal to Weller to betray him. Reade can't even entertain a job offer from the CIA without visible disgust. It's a fair reaction. Carter is disgusting. Furthermore, who will Zappata frame when invariably Team Blindspot starts to sniff out the betrayer? It might be a good time for Reade to make some vocal pro-Jane comments.

KURT AND JANE


Kurt takes Jane to the world's most awkward family dinner since Oliver Queen dined with the Lance family. If you don't watch Arrow, let's just say Lance family dinners set the awkward bar really high. Blindspot met the challenge. Of course, Jane flips her lid at aforementioned dinner as more memories start to unravel. Kurt admits that maybe he's rushing things a bit. YA THINK, WELLER?

As for Weller's reaction to last week's pesky revelation that the isotope test means Jane may not be Taylor Shaw? REJECTED. Kurt's doubling down on the three DNA tests. He has science, law, and a whole bunch of fuzzy bunny feelings he can't vocalize backing him up. The isotope test is just wrong. Oh Kurt Weller... you are just the best. Under that gruff exterior, rumbling baritone voice, and manly scruff is a big old teddy bear. You are a unicorn more precious than all the other unicorns. And guess what?  I'm with ya, buddy! Solidarity! Forget the isotope test. DNA results for the win. #JaneisTaylor

Still, it might not be the worst idea to swing by the old neighborhood. Maybe dig through Jane's mother's stuff. Weller could get lucky and there will be a scrapbook entitled "The Two Years We Spent In Africa." Just a thought.

Unicorns and teddy bears aside, Kurt decides not to tell Jane about the isotope test. Generally speaking, I am not a fan of male characters making decisions for perfectly capable female characters. Let's not play that game, Kurt. You are ruggishly handsome, but don't push it.

Jane picks up on Kurt's need for her to be Taylor. It's not saying much. Anyone who can pick up on the rising sun can pick up on Kurt's need for Jane to be Tayor. She doesn't know how to be Taylor and, quite frankly, he's stressing her out. If she is Taylor, the little girl she was died the night she was taken. All that remains is the woman before him and Jane doesn't even know where to begin with dealing with her.

To be fair, Jane isn't going to feel like much of anyone right now. Weller could have told her she's Angelina Jolie and she'd feel exactly the same way: lost. Kurt tells Jane he doesn't mean to put pressure on her and simply thinks of Taylor as a starting point for her. Swoon.

Jane remembers a man taking her down a flight of stairs. There are dozens of children, chained, and on beds. Most look like they've spent the better part of six months in a concentration camp. This is when I officially formed Team Amnesia. Team Amnesia does not want Jane to get her memories back. Whatever happened was a horror show and some things are better left forgotten. Jane, you do you, girl. Start fresh and make some FBI Weller babies. The end.

... Yeah, that's not going to happen. As Jane freaks out –– because homegirl seriously needed to FREAK OUT –– Kurt puts Jane's hand on his chest. She feels his heartbeat as Weller says, "Do you feel that? I'm here. I'm here with you. You're okay. Keep breathing, Jane." It is intense, emotional and super hot. I may have paused the DVR to fan myself. Then, Reade interrupts because he insists on being a pain in my butt.

Apparently amnesia and being a human map is punishment enough, so Jane gets a new apartment. Anything is a step up from her bed in hell, but the purple walls are a nice touch. Kurt wants to check it out and make sure it's safe. Yes, Jane is a super ninja, but Weller is that guy. Back in the stone age we called them "gentlemen."

Weller's offer to back off, and apology for unfair expectations, immediately morphs into an apology for letting "them" take her that night. His guilt over Taylor's kidnapping is always brimming at the surface. Even though he's heard it wasn't his fault all his life, Weller cannot accept that. But Jane counters: "You never heard it from me. It wasn't your fault." Just like Taylor, the person that Kurt was died the night she was kidnapped. As much as he's searching for Taylor, Kurt is also searching for absolution. An absolution only Taylor can provide and one Jane just gave.

Then, Jane takes Weller's hand, puts it over her heart, and says, "You told me Taylor was my starting point. I think you're wrong. You. You're my starting point." To which I fell off my couch. SHIPPER DOWN! Get ready to see that on hundreds of Tumblr blogs, Twitter handles and Blindspot t-shirts. A fandom's tagline has officially been born.

All joking aside, the sentiment behind the statement is very real and very powerful. On a basic level, both Jane and Kurt are searching for their identities. Both are lost and need somewhere to begin. But the beginning isn't in the past. It's in the present. Knowing they are not alone, that they have each other, is more than a starting point.

It's a foundation for something real.

Stray Thoughts:

  • Kurt joked. Jane laughed. Kurt smiled. Is the earth still turning?
  • "Do you want a drink?" It boggles my mind that no one has offered Jane liquor until now.
  • How is Kurt's father out of prison?
  • Obviously Kurt still thinks his father had something to do with Jane's disappearance. Given the circumstances of Jane's last memory, I'm hoping the writers resolve this soon. Otherwise, I cannot tolerate Grandpa playing with the little boy.
  • "This has nothing to do with what I want." Umm... sure buddy. And I don't want a million dollars and Gisele Bundchen's body. Let's own our dreams, okay?
  • "Some of these things are going to be tough." Yeah, like the not going to jail part.

5 comments:

  1. All right, thank you for the tension relief, because this might've been the most intense episode of Blindspot yet. And your review has allowed me to laugh :) Thanks

    Have you noticed that Jane is always, covering Kurt? Take a look to the cementery/FaceOff sequence and check who's she pointing at. I'll add to that the hospital Candymen, Dr Crazy from CDC and Mr Chinese at the Statue of Liberty.

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  2. I never thought Kurt's father was in prison. I took it that everyone, including Kurt, but excluding his sister, thought his father had killed Taylor but nothing could ever be proved. Kurt even said that his father shouldn't attend the annual gathering for Taylor because it made everyone uncomfortable. I just assumed that Kurt always blamed his father and didn't want anything to do with him. And his sister is always trying to patch things up between the two, especially now when the father is supposedly dying.

    Enjoyed the review!

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    1. Oh! Yeah, I totally missed that. Makes way more sense now. Thank you!

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  3. There is nothing hotter than Weller and Jane. I can't even say why...they just have that spark. The same kind of Olicity spark...the kind that you don't have any good reason why it exists, it just does. I love how close they already are. Im gonna be bummed if she's not Taylor. I also think it's curious that even though Weller is convinced she's Taylor, he keeps calling her Jane. Do we have a ship name yet? Jeller????

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  4. Your reviews are the best! They make me laugh and I get to enjoy the episode all over again through your eyes :). Please tell me you review other shows too! I'd love to read more! PS I'm an Arrow fan too...perfect awkward dinner reference;)

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