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The Dead Zone: Deja Voodoo

Johnny: "What are you, the Vince Lombardi of existentialism now?"

This was like a cross between Groundhog Day and one of my favorite Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes, "Cause and Effect," the one with the repeating time loop. That long vision at the beginning (the one that we didn't know was a vision) really had me going. I actually jumped when she was shot. The second and succeeding times, though, I knew it was coming; I can see things when they're actually obvious.

There was a major clue during the first vision that it was a vision: Johnny wasn't getting more visions whenever he touched Natalie. I noticed it but didn't realize what it meant. During the second vision, he anticipated everything she did and said without telling her he was a psychic. The third time through, he told her everything, and he ended up going out a window. The fourth time was dialogue-free montage, which I found absolutely delightful. The final time showed us again what a basically good guy Johnny is.

The only thing I immediately picked up on was that Natalie was a target because of her job, the "big claim." But everything else was a surprise; each repetition made the story better and better. The final outcome – that it never happened – was poignant.

Bits and pieces:

— I never thought about it before, but John could get laid every night if he wanted. All he'd have to do is brush up against women in a bar until he found the one he was supposed to go home with.

— I'm assuming Dr. Larry is a Dr. Phil? I don't watch Dr. Phil.

— Green apple martinis? Bleah.

Quotes:

John: "I just had a vision of her kissing me."
Bruce: "I have visions like that all the time. Except mine don't come true."

Tearful woman: "It wasn't the inner me that wanted to eat that chocolate cake. It was the outer me."

John: "I'm a consultant. Futures."

Natalie: "I don't think I've ever met anyone like you before."
John: "That's probably a good thing."

Dana: "Oooh, a 'cute meet.' I thought the Internet had pretty much done away with those."

Well written, and tremendous fun. Even the title was good. Four out of four stars,

Billie
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Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.

2 comments:

  1. johnny meets a beautiful woman at the bar while on a night out with bruce and falls hard for her while trying to save her life through multiple visions. reiko aylesworth played the part well and michael kisses her after a light flickers. natalie was getting married to a great guy and she didn't want johnny to know about it while he was getting visions of her being shot and pursued. johnny finally tells her to marry the real estate agent that she's engaged to. johnny could have any woman he wanted to only if brushed up against her. natalie not only didn't know what she was headed for and john was there following her around getting to know her.

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  2. natalie had quite a night with johnny as he followed her through various places including a street a bookstore and a bar while spilling and buying her drinks. her coworker stemple ended in a fistfight with johnny after his vision of him killing her in the apartment. johnny has some weird visions in different places and it's clear to me that johnny's attracted to natalie. dana meets johnny and natalie at the bookstore and asks what he's doing with her i think dana is a little jealous about the women that johnny sees sometimes. that was only when johnny touched natalie that he had the vision with them kissing near a streetlight and a couple of men pursuing them.

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