4x20 Terra Incognita - REVIEW



I think I deserve a medal just for enduring a second watch of this episode,just to give you a review. Maybe I should have written it after the first time,but I wasn't really in the shape for it.


Now,let's begin. Just note that this will be much emotional.

As you know,I haven't posted anything but the promo about this particular episode,because I wanted no spoilers...in retrospective,I'm not too sure that was a great idea.


Like always,I'm gonna go by the order of the episode,or at least I'll try to.

This episode was odd,and not just because there is a ghost in it,but because it's a whole mix of flashbacks and real time that are not always clearly perceivable. But let's go by order:

The shot at the beginning. Had to watch the episode twice to get what it was,or what I think it was...we can hear a woman calling John (or should I say "Jawn"?) and it's her...only her. Who else could that be?

Finch. He mentions Bear eating his rare books,which means we're past Contingency and Bad Code,and since he's out,I'd say something close to mid-season 2,if we need a time. My best guess is,right before Shadow Box (2x10). I'm talking about the flashback at the beginning of the episode,in case you hadn't noticed.

Not having seen pics or anything,I only knew she would be in the episode,I just didn't know how many scenes or how or why etc.,so,you see,at first,I was amused when Finch complained about Bear,but then the car door opens and...

That'd be me...

There is is. In all her splendor.

I found the timing simply perfect,I mean,just as Finch says something "some things simply cannot be replaced". Well,if that wasn't referred to her,then I'm definitely nuts (not that that'd be a real surprise anyway). It's like an elegant and a little dissimulating paraphrase of John's "there are some people the world can't afford to lose". Point one,Jonah. You win already. 

And another point is such a clear reminiscence of the old times...Reese and Finch bantering,Carter there with them...like a family,which is pretty much what they were....


Ans then John and Joss smiling at each other so sweetly and their bantering and their serious moments...wooo,that's too,too much.

Because they were great together. Beyond everything. Beyond ships and everything. They were friends,real friends,and only that scene brought back too many memories already.

We all remember how losing her was. We all remember how heartbroken we felt,because it was so abrupt,so sudden and so...unfair. Like often happens when you lose someone close to you. Actually,I've always felt like that towards this death.

Like she was a friend,one of the family that I just lost. Oh,don't take me wrong,I know I'm nuts for getting so emotional over fictional characters,but I guess it's one thing a reader learns to live with. I shared a tear when Sirius Black died,I had tears in my eyes when Dumbledore died,I almost cried when Snape died. All Harry Potter examples,I know. I'm a Potterhead,can't change that. Besides,I'd have other novel examples,but I bet you wouldn't understand them,unless you're a fan of the Throne of Glass series. Although I guess that Games of Thrones fans can easily relate too.
Honestly,I feel sad or happy along with my own characters,other fictional people couldn't be any different. (I know I'm crazy,no need to remind me that)

But I was saying...Joss. It's pretty normal to feel sad,you know. It was a character you don't easily find anywhere,actually,she was unique. Yes,like all the show is,but that's it,PoI gets right to the heart of people and it's only normal that feelings are amplified.

I said this episode was odd,and it was in many ways. For starters,if you sober up from your feelings and watch is more closely,you can see that there were hints at all of that being just a whole hallucination,at John...dying.

I think he imagined all of that because if there's one way he wouldn't bother passing away,it's with her close. Think about it,he's dying and while hallucinating he sees one specific person. Not Jessica,not his father...but her. That's a strong meaning,isn't it? Although,truth be told,neither Jessica or his father would have been apt to it,I think.

Just look at how he touches that box. With reference and affection and...many other things I'm not sure I could pinpoint.

What they had was beyond love or friendship. We've often used the definition "more than friends,less than lovers" to describer their connection,well,it might not even be enough. They were so,so much together and he knows. He knows there wasn't anyone better than her that could understand him and see past his exterior,read right through his life...not just because they shared a mutual military experience,but because they were just so connected.

I'm gonna be unpopular and say that she was killed off right because of that. I mean,the we all are on a journey that will end sooner or later was an excuse or maybe a reason,but maybe just the poetical one. I can't call myself writer,I'm not that arrogant,but I do write,and while writing and ready so much and watching movies and shows so much,I've come to recognize the patterns,and there is a thing: the main character cannot die,unless there are other characters ready to take his place and that will be accepted,even if just partially,but while not dying,he (or she),has to go through the toughest of periods,one that will shatter him,tear him/her into so many pieces that he/she believes he/she cannot even build him/herself up again. In no way.

I'll give you an example (trying not to give spoilers,in case you decide to read the book: Throne of Glass): the main character is kind of like John,she's lost many people already,she's lost her home,she was deprived of her childhood...she's been through more than Hell (she's been a slave also),and yet she carries on. In one way or another. Well,maybe she just attempts (till she finds a reason,but that's another story),but...when someone really close to her gets killed,she does go berserk (just like our John did while hunting down Simmons),like every badass characters would (and believe me,as for badassery,Celaena Sardothien is a master),but in the end...she gets to the downside of it. Feeling lost,shattered,more than before,like nothing and no one can save her anymore,like life doesn't even have a sense anymore...see the similarities here?

What I'm trying to say is that,one reason for killing off Carter was the fallback,the relapse,the gutter John would obviously fall into. That's the basis of every plot pattern: main character has beloved one (be it girlfriend,wife,sister,friend,mother...whatever),beloved one is murdered/kidnapped,main character goes berserk,main character faces grief and all its consequences. It's not criticism,it's just a consideration. That's a normal pattern for stories,those that aren't all roses at least. It's up to the authors to be creative and we know ours are incredibly talented in that.

But I'm losing the point here,like always. I was saying,she was killed off for a purpose. Let alone that I'm starting to think it was also the very simple fact that Taraji was to star in Empire and could no longer be in PoI (not sure if she'd been cast already,I'm just guessing,maybe bitterly),I'm just saying that all of that journey thing was to sugar the pill.

But back to the episode...it was masterful,to say the least. Like I said,if you pay enough attention,you can see there are hints. Like...John finds the photo in Carter's box,but then he shows it to her in what's supposed to be a flashback. That's already one sign that's all an hallucination. Then when he asks her how did she wind up there..there's a a changing in colors for a moment. All of their conversation in the car,it was mixed and there are hints that show that. If that's not mastery,I don't know what it is.

Carter mentioning the "police shrink" already alerted me anyway. How could she knows about Iris? Unless it was all an hallucination? Then the heating thing,John touching his shoulder like it hurts already in the beginning,the mixing of things...all signs that it was an hallucination. I'll admit I got to it only after having seen it a second time. Because the first time I was just too caught up in feelings.

It was all so entwined. For the first time the Irrelevant was truly irrelevant,because the point wasn't saving Chase Patterson,the point was John finally giving his farewell to Joss.

I won't be unfair and mention that some Jim Caviezel just the other day admitted that he (John) fell in love with her (Joss) but too late,that'd be just a blow below the belt for non Careesers (Moreesers in particular,yeah,I know,you guys hate me for this :P ),but it was all about John and Joss,which,by the way,sounds like an awesome name for a sit-com...mmh... anyway,it was all about him finally saying goodbye to her,which,as you recall,he never did,because he didn't even go to the funeral and I bet whatever you want that he's never even gone to the cemetery to see her.
He has to move on,especially since now his life is changing. Beyond all of this war between AIs (of gods,as Root would say),there is John Reese struggling to have a normal life,one where,hopefully, he doesn't lose every single soul he gets attached to.
I can understand him fully. He's lost too many people already. He couldn't endure losing somebody else.

Him saying,about that path he was headed on when he met Joss,that he'll get to it soon anyway,makes me think two things:

1. he pictures his death as a suicide one (not really credible)
2. he's thought of committing suicide after Joss died too

Although,it was more credibly only another hint at what was really happening,namely, our poor John freezing to death in the car.

And yet...he didn't tell anyone about the case,about where he was going...because he wanted to be close to her. Just him and her. I could say that's the possessivity lovers show most of the time,but I don't want to mention that,it was more like a simple needing to have one last moment with her. Because he regrets not opening up,not exploiting all the time they'd had. He regrets shutting her out too,because she was the one and only that could really,really understand him.

How to break millions of hearts with just one episode.

This one was the part that really got me over the edge and I would have cried if I hadn't held strong enough...

- Will you stay with me? Just for a little bit?

- Yes. Of course. Just hold on,John.

 

And then she was gone... and his face when she was gone...my... too much in one episode. Too,too much!