What I’m Watching: Blindspot

Blindspot: Season 1, Episode 11 “Cease Forcing Enemy” (B)

One of the fall’s hottest new shows, which was renewed for a second season back in November, took a bit of a risk with its momentum, signing off after just ten episodes right before Thanksgiving and waiting a full three months to return with new installments. I remember that the show finally found the correct pace in the fall’s last episode, and now it’s back full throttle but not quite as solidly. The biggest issue is that there’s such a large web of mystery, and the revelation that Jane is the one who wiped her own memory is hardly shocking but also a lot to take in. She would have to know herself enough to know that Oscar feeding her slight clues and forcing her to try to trust him again wasn’t the best plan. Additionally, there are certain questions answered immediately, like the fact that she really is Taylor Shaw, while others remain completely open. What’s clear is that she is a dependable member of the team, excelling at both escaping her bonds and piloting a plane when she needed, and she was also bold enough to ask for her protective detail to be discontinued, a request that Mayfair acknowledged and made happen. The potential suspension of a very competent Patterson was an unfortunate distraction, and I’m not sure how I feel about the casting of funnyman John Hodgman as Chief Inspector Fisher. He’s capable of being matter-of-fact but hardly the go-to choice for this kind of role. We’ll see whether he returns or if that’s even a plotline going forward, or if Jane and her team will just take center stage.