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Eureka: Blink

... in which Carter investigates a hit-and-run accident that Taggart believes to be the work of Gigantopithicus Americinas (Big Foot), but turns out to be the result of excessive speed.

Although I didn’t find ‘Blink’ overly compelling, I did like how the main plot put a very Eureka spin on the hyper-competitive, pressure-cooker environment --- present in many of today’s educational and corporate spheres --- that often leads to cheating and drug use to get ahead (or just keep pace). In a town like Eureka, there’s no escaping the demand for excellence and the pressure to perform at all levels. Dylan feels compelled to live up to his parents’ success; Fargo and Milton need to meet their boss’s demands to gain (or retain) coveted Section 5 status; and while Stark’s expectations may seem unreasonable, he, too, is getting pressure from above to produce results. If he fails to meet the Pentagon’s requirements, Global Dynamics and Eureka could suffer the consequences. Is it any wonder someone would turn experimental drugs into super-speed just to keep up? Or that Stark would subsequently create a Section 5 project to continue studying and possibly develop the drug (disturbing as the notion is)?

While I didn’t find the main plot terribly engaging, I did enjoy the character dynamics. Stark and Carter sniping at each other is always amusing, Henry and Carter subverting Stark was fun, and we got some very good stuff with Stark and Allison. She’s fairly reserved with him, but Stark clearly still has strong feelings for Allison. I enjoyed the brief glimpse behind his uber-confident, snarky persona, which revealed a genuinely thoughtful and caring side. When Allison told him that Kevin seemed more focused and connected to her, and he responded with a small smile and “That’s what we’re all hoping for,” I could see that he truly cares for her and her son. This was further confirmed by his confession that he cheated on the drug trial because he couldn’t risk exposing Kevin to the unknown side effects of a new drug. Given all the crap we’ve seen men doing to their lady loves in this town, this lie actually seems quite sweet. He also gave her a nice boost of confidence by telling her “Any progress that Kevin has made is because of his relationship with you.” Awww. Yeah, I’m now on Team Stark.

Other Thoughts

The Monday Morning Minute --- a very Eureka twist on the town meeting.

I know the Eureka folk are primarily nerdy, science types, but I still find it hard to believe none of them would be interested in a pick-up baseball league. Are we supposed to believe that excessive IQ means you have no interest in playing sports whatsoever? Or just that they thought Carter’s notion of baseball was quaint?

Jo: “How’d you get here so fast?”
Taggart: “Heard you on my scanner.”
Jo: “And what? You were just passing by in full camis and night-vision goggles?”
Taggart: “Yeah.”
Jo: “[Ponders for a second.] Nice.”

Stark: “Be prudent, Sheriff. I wouldn’t want you to end up in Federal prison.”
Carter: “Yeah? Well I wouldn’t want you to end up with my foot shoved up your ass!”

Fargo’s “bug” was pretty nifty.

Zoe the antagonistic teenager doesn’t do much for me (especially when she’s getting all flirty with boys), but I did enjoy her giving Dylan the brush off after he tried to kill her dad. “We are so broken up!” Not that I would expect any less, but it is nice to occasionally see that, despite all their issues, Zoe truly loves and wants to be with her dad.

Was this supposed to take place at the beginning of a new school year? It seemed like Zoe was attending school for the first time. Given that she’s been around since the end of the second episode, I would have expected her to start attending school before this, if it had been in session. So we’re in, what? Late August? September?

The ear stuck to the tree? Right up there with the dog from the pilot. Ugh.

Stark: “Your damning evidence is a healthy appetite?”
Carter: “Well, when you put it like that, it just sounds dumb.”
Stark: “I know. Look, Sheriff, I’m gonna need something a little more conclusive than the munchies.”

Visually, I thought the moment where Carter takes down Dylan on the beach was very effective. BUT, wouldn’t that hit have killed Dylan? He was moving so fast, I had a hard time believing it wouldn’t have been a fatal blow. Or at least a critical injury, not just a knock out. But Zoe and Carter didn’t seem too concerned. OK, then.

Final Analysis: This one certainly had its humorous moments, and I enjoyed the minor sub-plots with Stark, Allison, and Carter, but overall ‘Blink’ was just average for me.

Jess Lynde is a highly engaged television viewer. Probably a bit too engaged.

4 comments:

  1. I enjoy Taggart. Actually I think I enjoy Matt Frewer in anything. :)

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  2. This was actually one of my favorites from Season 1, and is a good template for the show. Take a fairly commonplace theme(ultra-competitive workplace, using drugs to keep up, etc), shine it through the sci-fi prism of Eureka, give Carter some chances to show that not everything needs a high-tech solution, and highlight the excellent character relationships of the show.

    This episode had some of the best Carter/Henry collaboration of the season, and some of my favorite lines. In particular, Carter's "NOT HELPING!" at the end is something I've found myself saying a lot in real life. :)

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  3. This reminded me of an episode of the original Star Trek.

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  4. The baseball game was comedy gold. The rest of the episode didn't really work for me (you knew the guy was a creep as soon as Zoe was interested...), but the baseball game was priceless.

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