This episode was a lot of fun: the road trip, Johnny and Sarah as refugees from the "totally eighties," Sarah at seventeen with long hair at the Elysian Fields.
It was great to finally have an episode about something that was important to Sarah: her music. The Jim Morrison plot was okay; I found Darren to be rather petulant, but I did like Roy, and I liked the subplot with the reporter who turned out to be a decent guy in the end. I thought Darren really died when the car went over the cliff, and I didn't guess that it was the disabled friend who had murdered Aubrey, so good on them.
Sarah said to Walt in the bedroom scene, "You are just the most amazing man." And he is. We know from Johnny's visions as well as Walt himself that Walt would never have married if it weren't for Sarah. But could even the most trusting of husbands feel okay about their beloved wife going off on a road trip with her former fiance, love of her life, and father of her child?
And (to continue with this general theme) it would have been nice to see more of younger Sarah and Johnny together. It saddened me a little that the sparks between Johnny and Sarah appeared to be irrevocably gone. I still want Johnny and Sarah to be together. And I want them to do it somehow without hurting Walt. Yes, I know that's impossible.
Bits and pieces:
— I absolutely loved the scene where Johnny ("I feel like a peeping tom") walked past the motel room doors, touching doorknobs and seeing a "puking prom queen and a traveling bus tour of Cats."
— So Sarah and Johnny went to Woodstock. I assume they meant the more recent version, not the one in the sixties.
— Where the heck is J.J.? His absence is becoming conspicuous.
— Okay, Roy mentioned the motel in the liner notes where he lived while he wrote the album, right? But Nathan the manager said that they were in the middle of a North American tour. That didn't make sense.
— The outdoor concert scene looked a little CGI.
— Who really wrote "Six Feet Under"?
— Did Johnny really have a mullet? God forbid.
Three out of four stars,
Billie
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Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.
Loved it! Episodes are just better with more Sarah. There may not be many "sparks", but NdB and AMH have great chemistry. Sarah has been through a lot and it was great to see her at peace with the way her life unfolded. I genuinely enjoyed the rock star plot, but what made it work was the way it connected to our main characters, their pasts and interests. And I really enjoyed the music, especially Darren's (more my generation than Roy's). I'd buy the CD, if CDs were still a thing. I agree that it would have been nice to see some young Johnny with young Sarah, and there could have been a JJ connection too, I thought of him when Darren said he only recently learned that Roy was his 'real father'. But small quibbles for me, this was one of the best episodes of the season. It flowed nicely, didn't feel rushed, and drew on and developed the characters we care about. That's what makes stand alone episodes good, being main character centric. And good music. KES
ReplyDeleteHow random to find another commenter from a recent time who stumbled upon this. Been rewatching the show a little bit lately, decent nostalgia, easy time waster. I love the Jeff Buckley connection with this episode
ReplyDelete"I still want Johnny and Sarah to be together. And I want them to do it somehow without hurting Walt. Yes, I know that's impossible."
ReplyDeleteWalt is a cop. Cops do occasionally die in the line of duty. Especially on TV shows. Just sayin': it could happen. : )