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The Dead Zone: Netherworld

Johnny: "It's me. Johnny, damn it. Johnny coma, coma Johnny, with the visions? Come on. Serial killer, mom-alive-in-Saigon Johnny?"

This episode was fascinating. We knew that something was very wrong, but what could possibly explain it?

It started right off with Johnny in a different reality. Alarm clock, which meant Johnny had a job. No cane, no visions, wedding ring, Sarah in the kitchen. Johnny junior knew who his father was, and Johnny and Sarah also had a daughter. Walt was Johnny's good buddy, and Johnny was the county commissioner, essentially Walt's boss. Bruce didn't know Johnny. The doctor had no record of Johnny's accident and coma. Johnny's mother was alive and married to Purdy, a big clue that Johnny's accident had something to do with her death.

Everything seemed perfect. But nurse Elaine's daughter did die in the fire in the pilot episode. Burn victims began appearing all over the place. We saw "Fire Sale" on the building across from City Hall. The fire engines went by during the meeting in city hall. Sirens wailed as Johnny made love to Sarah.

So, okay, the visions of the explosion at the mall were so overwhelming that his mind couldn't accept them, and he passed out. The rationale for Johnny's alternate life fantasy was a little flimsy, but it didn't matter because the episode itself was just excellent.

Bits and pieces:

— This episode was filmed fifth, but aired eighth. I think it would have worked better as fifth.

— The balloons at the party were red, orange, and yellow, flame-colored, before there were flames. And there was a painting of a burning barn.

— If Johnny's vision was a vision instead of a fantasy, it gave us a glimpse into what Johnny's and Sarah's marriage would have been like. Sarah seemed happier and a lot more relaxed with Johnny than with Walt.

— Johnny and Sarah's daughter was never called by name. Theoretically, she couldn't be the baby we saw in "What It Seems," since she was too close to little Johnny in age.

— Fun irony in Sarah coaching Walt on how to pick up girls.

Excellent. Four out of four stars,

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

4 comments:

  1. This episode was filmed fifth, but aired eighth. I think it would have worked better as fifth.

    This is episode five in the DVD set I am watching through Netflix, so I guess the PTB agreed with you. :-)

    Anyway, another episode that had me fully engaged until the end. I don't really understand why Johnny had to slip into such a real, and wish fulfilling, alternate reality to see the vision of the fire.

    I was so sad throughout because I knew, and Johnny knew, that it would never last. I am glad, however, that he used the opportunity to have sex with Sarah again. He's not completely selfless, bless him.

    But damn close. The scene where he hugs his kids and says goodbye to Sarah was heartbreaking. I don't know he keeps walking away. A strong person!

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  2. johnny can't figure out what vision he is in and walt is a single guy who has sarah teaching him how to talk to women during the birthday party scene was really cute. sarah and johnny's two kids were adorable eating their breakfast while sarah is giving little johnny his spelling test.no one knew who johnny was and his mother was still alive even though she died a while back.people with the side of their faces burned was creepy, but that is stephen king for you. johnny having blackouts at the mall while bruce was with proves that johnny tries to save whoever he can but can't.

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  3. johnny was having a vision of himself being married to sarah and had two kids with her while at a mall with bruce. sarah was trying to get walt to talk to women at a birthday party with purdy and johnny but wait a minute isn't sarah married to walt and not johnny. elaine's daughter died in the fire and johnny was in a different vision again when his mother was at her birthday party and at his office.

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  4. john woke up and hears sarah preparing breakfast and getting her son to do his spelling test when johnny comes down and asks her if little johnny knew why he called him dad when sarah told him what would you like him to call you. johnny and sarah's little girl comes down for breakfast saying i'm hungry when johnny holds her on his lap then walt comes in to take johnny to the mall. johnny is walt's boss. johnny walks in a mall with walt when he has a terrible headache before walt takes him to a doctor and sees elaine his nurse from his coma and asks the doctor if elaine had a daughter and the nurse says she died in a fire. johnny walks by a guy with the side of his face burned before bumping into bruce. walts drops johnny off at work when he sees his mother vera and asks him for a surprise at her birthday party later that night. johnny walks into a conference when he sees police cars and firetrucks going by. johnny goes home and looks through photos of sarah and him and little johnny when johnny tells sarah that all of this won't last and he has another life.

    ReplyDelete

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