We step away from demons and hell to instead investigate something a little different: miracles and resurrections from Heaven.
This was a very different case than a possible demonic possession of a serial killer. A young woman coming back to life hours after being declared dead with no side effects should be something light, something hopeful, potential proof that there is something good in the world. We didn't quite get that. There was a lot of heaviness permeating almost every scene.
I wanted the miracle to be real if only for the poor priest that was thought to be responsible for it. He wanted so desperately for it to be real. That even with all of his shortcomings, God could choose him to do something good with. It's such a human hope. Hope that faith might be rewarded and confirmed. Although the concept of miracles does bring up a good question, which Kristen herself asked. What determines who gets a miracle and who doesn't? What makes someone deserve them?
Listening to Kristen talk about Laura and her heart defect was just, well, heartbreaking. That's every parent's worst nightmare. Laura has only ever been happy and energetic and normal, and yet there's a coin flip's chance that she's dead before she's 20. How does someone believe in God, in miracles when that's your daily reality?
The conversation between Kristen and David that covered that very topic was my favorite scene in the episode by far. They were both very thoughtful and considerate of each other's beliefs and experiences while still trying to stay firm in their stances. It worked. I totally buy that they're starting to care for each other, both as coworkers and friends. And romantically, if our villains are to be believed.
Leland being hired as a forensic psychologist by the prosecution did definitely stretch my suspension of disbelief a bit too far. He was in direct communication with a proven serial killer! One that he then testified was actually possessed! By a demon! Why would he ever get hired? At least Kristen immediately said something about Leland being a psychopath instead of keeping it to herself. It didn't do any good, but it preempted me from being more annoyed with all of this than I would have been otherwise.
Michael Emerson continues to be incredibly creepy and just fascinating to watch, though, which makes that one annoyance worth forgiving. He's never center on the screen. Something is always just a little off kilter, a little off balance, whether it's the camera angle or where he's positioned in space. It's a little obvious at times but incredibly effective.
What is Leland? Is he actually a demon? His ultimate goal is to undo all rights and continue all wrongs. Imprison the innocent and free the guilty. That's certainly demonic in nature. The scenes with David in his apartment at night certainly point in that direction too. Otherwise, how else could he be there poking and prodding at him? That's assuming that Leland is physically (spiritually?) there as opposed to some kind of guilty manifestation of David's own psyche. That second option might not be so far fetched anymore. David's visions from God are less visions and more hallucinogenic drug trips. I didn't see that coming. It fits nicely in the show, though. Something that seems to be unexplainably supernatural having a very natural explanation.
This extends to George, too. Seeing him again was a pleasant surprise. I thought that Kristen had banished him. The fact that he was a monster from a horror show was a fun twist. It was all set up rather casually, too. The oldest daughter had a throwaway line that Kristen mentioned that she had already seen it, which would explain why she had nightmares of George before Laura did. Everything points to him not being real.
Naturally, we did get a glimpse into something that seemed to be definitely supernatural. That white image of the ghostly angel can't be explained away by anything natural. I am admittedly a little disappointed that the Monsignor is so blatantly shady and cares more about the reputation of the Church as opposed to finding the truth. It's standard at this point, maybe even cliche, so I was hoping for something different. Oh well. Back to demonic possessions.
Random Thoughts
Apparently, there were puzzle pieces hidden throughout the episode, and in all the other episodes this season. I didn't notice any, but the Internet tells me that they exist and are the basis of a mystery the fanbase can solve.
We find out Laura's heart results in three weeks.
We met Ben's sister this week, and found out that they're Muslim. Or at least, the family is. Ben seems to have lapsed in his belief, similarly to Kristen. I really liked the sister. She was cool.
Also glad that Kristen is continuing to see Dr. Kurt, even if he's now banned from taking notes. That's another character that I like a lot and wouldn't mind seeing more of.
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An Honest Fangirl loves video games, horror movies, and superheroes, and occasionally manages to put words together in a coherent and pleasing manner.
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