What I’m Watching: Defending Jacob (Series Finale)

Defending Jacob: Season 1, Episode 8 “After” (B-)

This didn’t feel like the emphatic conclusion I was hoping for, doing what series finales often do and skipping ahead to a scene further in the future that necessitated a quick sprint through the events that got us there. Patz confessing and killing himself meant that Jacob got exonerated right away, but of course both Ben’s father was still convinced that he had done it. Father O’Leary stepping in to protect them from him revealed to Andy that he was working for Billy, who, perhaps not surprisingly, had sent his henchman to go take care of Patz, who very well may not have been guilty. Deciding to go to Mexico seemed innocuous enough, and Jacob’s fast friendship with Hope was a positive thing for the teenager who had been exorcized from society. But it all came flashing back when Hope went missing, and, most problematically, Laurie was reminded of what she believed her son to be capable of doing. Their drive to get him a haircut turned into something far more intense, and he, for the first time, seemed even more scared than she was. Turning the wheel so that they would hit the wall was a bold and, by all indications, purposeful act, one that did manage to prevent Jacob from hurting anyone since he couldn’t go anywhere or function on his own. Laurie getting cleared of all charges while Andy now has to live with the uncertainty of not knowing if everyone in his family except for him is capable of killing was definitely haunting, but it didn’t feel like the right way for this to end. All performers involved were strong, but this resolution makes this limited series feel less essential.

Series grade: B
Series MVP: Michelle Dockery as Laurie

What I’m Watching: 12 Monkeys

12 Monkeys: Season 4, Episode 5 “After” (B+)

I remember when Christopher Lloyd first appeared on this show as Zalmon Shaw, with his time-traveling history as Doc Brown in the “Back to the Future” series a completely different role, far jollier and nobler than his frightening villain here. What we saw in the opening moments of this episode reframed that, as he contends on a regular basis with painful memories of losing his wife and yearns for the post-time red forest in which joy will always overwhelm sadness. Sacrificing his life so that a young Pallid Man could get away wasn’t the most important of his presence in this hour, but rather the fact that he convinced Cassie of the appeal of the red forest, suggesting that she may not be in this fight in the same way anywhere, which could prove dangerous. I’m not sure that I support the logic of Gale and Jennifer writing the words whose presence in history is what brought them to that place to begin with, and it reminds me of the crucial scene in “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” where a character saving himself doesn’t actually make sense. Still, it was worthwhile to see Jay Karnes as Gale again, who knows the drill and didn’t need Jennifer to explain it to him, and for Cassie to go back in time and hide from herself so that she could save Cole. On that note, Cole’s knowledge that he had to survive is a similarly risky gambit, but it means he’s not going to hold back from doing anything life-threatening. We’re close to the end, but not quite close enough for major characters to be dying for good.

What I’m Watching: The Handmaid’s Tale

The Handmaid’s Tale: Season 2, Episode 7 “After” (B+)

I know it’s a dangerous thing to be so far behind on this show when two more episodes have aired, but I’m doing my best to catch up after a busy few weeks. This post-attack installment was very effective, for the first time in a while linking the three main threads of the show and displaying what was happening in relation to the same events in each place. Fred survived the attack, which is a surprise but also means that he’s incapacitated, forcing Serena, Nick, and Offred to work together to ensure that their house won’t be impacted by this investigation, which, to help maximize the impact of the terror, is punishing entire homes for what one member did. Serena sharing that she used to vacation with Cushing before all this was a vulnerable moment, and one that gave Offred the energy to stress the importance of making sure that he believed she was taken rather than having run away. Serena is asserting herself in a major way now that Fred is no longer able to be in charge, and having Offred copy-edit the new orders was a huge gain. Maybe while she’s inciting individuality by introducing herself as June to other handmaids, she can also help change the world they live in to something more tolerable. Serena handing her a pen was a big moment. Seeing how Little Canada hears the news of the attack with actual names reported rather than a funeral ceremony with red veils was intense, and I can now understand why Emily and Janine were sent away to prison since their crimes can be forgiven as long as the roster of handmaids remains full.

What I’m Watching: The Walking Dead (Mid-Season Premiere)

The Walking Dead: Season 4, Episode 9 “After” (B)

There’s no way this episode could have topped the incredible and devastating drama of the fall finale, in which the Governor was finally killed after wreaking irreversible havoc on the tranquil life at the prison and killing one of the show’s most sentimental characters, Hershel. In typical fashion, this episode didn’t feature most of the show’s token players, leaving their fates up in the air as three of the most hardened survivors fought for their lives in the miserable aftermath of the prison standoff. Rick is in really bad shape, and this episode went to great lengths to showcase Carl as a bona fide adult, obsessed with beating his father and the walkers, triumphantly carving into the door a message about how the walker got his shoe but didn’t get him. That kind of mentality isn’t always present on this show, and while Carl continues to be a nuisance and Rick has become truly decrepit, it is useful to see them in this dynamic. It was jarring, however, to see Michonne immersed in seemingly idyllic life, holding her young son and chatting casually with two men. When that wonderful memory turned into a nightmare, it felt far more real, and things quickly got back to Michonne leading new jawless, armless walkers around and practicing her decapitation skills on a handful of walkers. Without the Governor, this season might not be as exciting, but the wandering nature of all its characters might just make it compelling and infinitely thrilling and tense again.