Blindspot: Bone May Rot

October 13, 2015 6:43 AM - Season 1, Episode 4

We delved a bit more into the lives of the team, while a mystery at the CDC threatens millions and Jane Doe/Taylor Shaw continues to struggle to remember.
posted by Brandon Blatcher (9 comments total)

Getting to learn a bit more about the team members and their personal lives enhances the overall series, particularly scientist Patterson. But having your boyfriend get involved in the Jane Doe tattoos (and who may be an agent of some kind) may lead to complications and leaks further down the line.

But the overarching mystery gets suspiciously larger. Stolen CDC vials meant to kill millions for a completely messed up "save humanity" cause? Uh huh. Maaaaaaybe just tell the nice FBI agents wants going on rather than sending out subtle clues that only happen to be discovered in the knick of time?

I'm getting a LOST vibe from the show, meaning there's a great premise which may not have well thought out and so the show is lurching around for a bit. But at least LOST had compelling character moments from the beginning, Blindspot not so much, though hopefully this episode marks a change on that front.

The is she or is she not Taylor Shaw mystery is heading into overplayed territory. I hope she isn't and they're (whoever they happen to be) are just fucking with FBI Team Leader Dude.

Finally, I'm starting to feel the urge to call Jane Doe Agent Tank Top.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 1:30 PM on October 13, 2015

I'm loving the story and overall arching plot of the show, but I get frustrated every time I'm watching it because of the weird plot points. Like how Kurt Weller basically got physically bested by a engineer and then a CDC doctor, both times needing Jane Doe to bail him out, and yet he's definitely superior to her when they were sparring.

And like "hey, it's 4 o'clock, the BIOLOGICAL WEAPON should be going off now!" and the whole team is standing there watching! At least start backing away or something! And I've never seen a plastic tarp left by construction crews in a random renovation be that nice and hole-less.

Maybe I'm nitpicky, but for a show that is all about little details, some of these choices seem really strange. I'm still gonna be watching it though...
posted by numaner at 9:04 PM on October 13, 2015

Finally, I'm starting to feel the urge to call Jane Doe Agent Tank Top.

Yeah I like how everyone else is running around in long sleeves but she's always exposed. It's like "hey viewers! remember that she's covered in tattoos! because we don't already bring that up during the title card".

And speaking of reveals, I don't like that in the first episode they showed us that she and unnamed-trainer/accomplice-that-died-way-too-soon planned this. It makes every single instance of Weller going "WHO WOULD DO THIIIIS??" feels unnecessary to the viewer...
posted by numaner at 9:08 PM on October 13, 2015

Speaking of Weller, I originally thought he was straight out of Central Casting, but I'm starting to wonder if the show is smarter than that. Certainly he looks like an expressionless action hero, but I'm starting to see hints of a realistically emotionally damaged and sensitive person who is frantically keeping it covered up (successfully, until Jane/Taylor showed up). Ie when he's in the car and cuts Jane off with a gruff "Don't want to talk about it". I could have sworn that there was a little fear in his voice and some moisture in his eye, and that the character was worried about losing it while driving. Might just be wish fulfillment, but I am hoping.

Fanfic: Don't FBI agents have to have a degree? I'm hoping Weller's was Medieval English Poetry or something, and he spent his university years as a volunteer crisis counselor.
posted by Mogur at 11:32 AM on October 14, 2015

My only serious gripe with this show is how much of the dialogue is Network Procedural Standard English. They tell you what they're gonna do. They tell you what they're doing. Then they tell you what they just did. Thanks, show, I know the doctor you are referring to is the last one to access the vials because you just friggin told me that less than three minutes ago. I understand they want the show to be easy to follow for people who have trouble remembering that the number three follows the number two but c'mon.
posted by Justinian at 12:15 PM on October 14, 2015

that is par for the course TV writing for NBC, Justinian, I've been used to it since the early Law & Order episodes.

Of course this makes shows that don't treat their viewers like idiots, such as The Leftovers, Suits, Rick and Morty, etc, seem like a real treat.
posted by numaner at 11:45 AM on October 15, 2015

It's not really just because they think their audience is stupid; in part it's an artifact from pre-streaming/dvr times where you'd want someone who channel surfed their way to you mid-show to be able to hop on easily. Outside of drama, it happens a lot with true crime stuff like 48 hours/forensic files where the narrator will spend a good quarter of their lines recapping stuff.
posted by juv3nal at 1:48 PM on October 15, 2015

When they IDed Jane Doe as Taylor two weeks ago, I looked at my husband and said "yeah, but that could have been faked". I didn't expect it to be contradicted two weeks in. I still keep expecting on a subconscious level to see some kind of weird SFnal thing going on with Jane like time travel or parallel worlds or something, and am a bit disappointed by the ongoing mundanity.
posted by immlass at 2:00 PM on October 15, 2015

I appreciate a good recap when I'm really tired or stressed, but yeah, the rest of the time I need to tune it out.
posted by Mogur at 2:32 PM on October 15, 2015