Eph concocts a plan to make and distribute a bioweapon. Gus realizes Angel can be an unlikely ally. Kelly comes after Nora and Zach.
"Identity" isn't able to keep the tension as strong as last week's episode. There was a return to the jumping around to see what the various characters are up to aspect. But this episode also included a couple of key scenes that really worked wonderfully well. So while it continues to be frustrating to get just a small part of each story week after week, this show knows how to put together moments that can be incredibly tense and horrifying. Consistency remains the show's key problem. But these last two episodes have been a huge improvement for the show.Honestly, it is just so good that Kelly and the feelers have finally crossed paths with Zach and the rest of the team. They were a threat introduced early in the season with powers much different than the regular vampires. They have been seen in action a little bit. But it certainly hasn't been enough to keep the threat of their mission to find Zach tense. When it finally does happen, it's a great action sequence. However, Zach continues to feel more like dead weight than a character anyone should actually care about. People in this universe are concerned about him solely because he's a child. He hasn't made life easy for them. But there is still such a strong willingness to keep treating him like a child even though the world is radically changing around him. That's a story that hasn't worked all that well. He's still incessant that his mother is okay. Perhaps now that he has seen her in action that will change. Or the show could double down on it. It could make Zach even more devoted to the cause of finding a cure that can destroy the disease while saving the human inside. That doesn't sound like a great story but it's one that this show could easily think is a good idea. The show just hasn't done enough to get me not to think that that is a possibility.
But that action set piece in the church is really strong. Sure, Nora doesn't seem as good a fighter as she was previously this season. That's probably because she is now targeting the feelers with their enhanced powers. That didn't come across well. But it was still a good piece in the middle of the episode to ramp up the tension for the concluding third. There are some major problematic beats with it though. How in the world was Nora able to call Setrakian and company in order for them to come save her? That made no sense in a world where the phone lines are suppose to be down. It's a contrivance the show needed to introduce otherwise Nora and Zach would be no match for Kelly and the feelers. It tipped the battle to the heroes so that they can face off with these creatures later. Also, Fitzwilliam's death just has no emotional significance to it. Plenty of characters have died on this show because of being hit by the vampire stinger or the worms. There's just no weight or surprise to that anyone. Plus, Fitzwilliam was never a character who endeared himself to the audience despite appearing in a considerable amount of episodes. He wasn't even able to become a member of the team. He's with the heroes for one fight. He kills one feeler and then gets attacked. His presence wasn't necessary which made the story beat and the amount of time spent on that character seem like a waste of time.
The only thing of importance Fitzwilliam did for the team was tell them about the land properties Eldritch has been buying throughout the city. That's a story beat for a later episode. That information doesn't greatly impact the events of this hour. It's just more cryptic teasing of what's to come. The Eldritch-Eichhorst scene is much of the same as well. They talk about human laziness now being a hindrance to their plan. This is a show where human laziness is a major part of the story. That just seems like a wrong way of telling a story. Though Eldritch notes that they are about to turn the corner and enter the next phase of the plan which seems very promising. Again, the teases are meant to excite but it's about time some meaningful action takes place.
Elsewhere, the Eph story tries to do something a little different from the norm. He has been placed in an environment that has no understanding of just how bad things actually are in New York City. They know it's bad but they still believe it's being handled with by the government. As the TV reports show though, the government seems to be collapsing in this difficult time. The President is being impeached and senators are getting into fist fights. That's not a stable enough environment for Eph to get the support he needs for his bioweapon. And yet, his connections are able to give him enough traction to make it seem like a real possibility. He gets the National Guard's support as well as a chemical company on his side. Things aren't as tense but that's the point to the story. Eph is acting so completely different than anyone else. When they realize they should be just as concerned about who to trust as he is, it's too late. An assassin from Stoneheart kills them. That certainly adds urgency to Eph's story going forward. That's probably a better direction too because him getting involved with his female contact wasn't that great. It was largely just something to keep that part of the universe interesting.
All of these concerns are very important for the show to deal with as it moves to the next stage of its life. The Master has something big planned for the future of the city. That leads to his fantastic body transfer sequence. When the season opened with his transfer all those years ago into his current body, it was only a matter of time until he had to do so again in the present. That just seemed like a foregone conclusion. It wasn't even built as a mystery. He was hurt in Eph and Setrakian's attack last season and needed to change in order to continue with his mission. The true mystery was who's body would he take over? Would it be a character who has avoided the disease and tragically falls victim? Or will it be someone already turned who will be asked to do much more moving forward? The show went with the latter and choose Gabriel. Jack Kesy hasn't been asked to do a whole lot on the series so far. He has been connected to the plague since the very beginning. His transformation into the monster was a compelling story in the early parts of Season 1. And then, he just moved to the background without much purpose. Now, he will be the face of evil on the show. But the big transfer scene is told entirely from Eichhorst's perspective. Eichhorst is a character who has been so important to the narrative. Richard Sammel has been one of the highlights of the cast since the very beginning. He tragically believed he would be the Master's new body. As the Master hoists Gabriel up instead, Eichhorst only looks defeated and rejected. He served a master who is no more. The Master convinces him that he is still important to the cause. But how much of that was genuine? And how much of it was getting him back to doing his biding for him during this crucial moment in time?
Some more thoughts:
- "Identity" was written by Justin Britt-Gibson and directed by Howard Deutsch.
- Rupert Penry-Jones has officially joined the cast in the series regular role of Quinlan, the mysterious figure who came to the city at the end of last week's episode. He is the new soldier for the Ancients. But he seems to have more of a personality initially than Vaun ever did. It should be interesting to see how he plays into the narrative moving forward.
- Why is the audience suppose to care about Gus and Angel right now? Their back-and-forth bickering feels like it belongs on a completely different show. And then, vampires attack and they fight back. That may unify them. But the show is asking a lot of the audience for very little in return.
- Doesn't Zach's inhaler come and go based completely on plot needs? It pops up here just to draw out the suspense of that church action set piece.
- Nora also mentions trying to reach out to Zach's grandparents. Please don't let them become a future storyline. Unless it means the show can get rid of Zach for good!
- Where was Dutch? She has become a part of the core team. And yet, she was nowhere to be found throughout the entire episode and no explanation was given to her absence.
