Forrest makes a disconcerting discovery while researching conspiracy theories and finds himself on the run from a man-hunter.
"Conspiracy Theory" brings to a close another wonderfully hilarious and deeply tragic season of Review. This show is completely outrageous with the things it is willing to do. It has centered so many experiences around dark outcomes with a protagonist who is incapable of seeing the devastation he has brought into the world. It's a fantastic character study for Forrest as he only gets more entangled with the show and the legal and personal repercussions of all of his reviews. This finale was similar to the way things ended last year with Forrest fleeing to be with Suzanne and taking all of his anger out on his producer Grant. But it all came about in very inventive, tragic and hysterical ways. This season ended up being everything that the first season was while still expanding on the concept and the characters in the best possible way.A lot of really horrible things have happened to Forrest and other people over the course of the show so far. And yet, Forrest doesn't realize just how horrifying the entire process has been until it's spelled out for him during his latest review of believing in a conspiracy theory. He is always very in the moment. He commits himself fully to the review when it's asked of him. He doesn't focus on the consequences of the review. He solely thinks about during the review in the best possible way. If death is a result of him during the review, that's taken into his grade in the end. But as soon as he issues his findings, he is able to move onto the next review. Sure, some things have stuck with him in a truly profound way. Outside complications always make the situation more hilarious. A pleasant experience can get a really horrible review if Forrest isn't in the right frame of mind. But he's reluctant to believe that that reflects poorly on him. In fact, he's rather oblivious that all the death and destruction that has happened is because of him.
Forrest wants to commit to this conspiracy theory review like he does all the other ones. Sure, he is facing an upcoming trial over killing someone and has lost the entire support of his once close family. But that's only more reason to keep doing the show. It is literally all he has left in this world. He still deeply loves Suzanne. That has been made abundantly clear throughout the season. But he only commits to the show because she won't speak to him. He doesn't go into this review hoping to unravel everything that has happened during this time on the show. And yet, he becomes enlightened to the fact that he has almost died eleven times on the show. That is a very disconcerting number. He is devoted to reviewing life experiences. But that seems tragically high - as if it's happening on purpose. Of course, all of this is framed as someone targeting Forrest. He doesn't once question that someone is manipulating him that results in many other people dying. He still sees that as a consequence of the experience and nothing more than that.
Forrest fixates on the idea that his producer Grant wants to kill him. The audience knows that Grant is very manipulative of Forrest's actions. Grant simply wants to keep Forrest doing the show. That way he can continue to captivate a vast audience. Grant is a producer who manipulates the actions of his onscreen talent in order to create the most dramatic moment possible onscreen. It doesn't seem like he has a personal vendetta against Forrest. He is just interested in creating a good show. A show where people die on a regular basis. But one that has just as much ability to be seen as a revolutionary service for the viewing public. However, Forrest wants to believe that Grant has been selecting the various reviews in the hopes of getting him killed. He fixates all of his anger on Grant. He builds up his evidence against Grant. He concocts a story in his head about why and how Grant is doing all of this. It's very flimsy evidence that doesn't convince anyone else that it's true. But because Forrest is in the conspiracy mindset it's easy for him to get caught up in the emotions of the experience.
It makes for one extremely funny final episode for the season. Forrest brings his evidence to Suzanne. She wants him to see that he is the true monster in this whole endeavor. He is the reason why he has been placed in perilous situations so many times. Grant didn't move the fire extinguisher to a height where Forrest as a little person couldn't reach it. Grant didn't steal Forrest's oars and send him floating out to the middle of the ocean. Grant didn't get Josh and Tina to forget where they buried Forrest alive. Most of those are Forrest's fault - whether through his own actions or in placing his trust in dim college students. Grant only cares about the show. He needs Forrest alive. He insists on continuing the show at all costs. No matter how horrifying the review is, he gets Forrest to do it. When Forrest throws all this "evidence" in Grant's face, he has a rational explanation for all of it. Forrest was so certain about this story that he didn't care to do any actual research to see if it's true. In fact, Forrest comes out of the whole experience thinking he and Grant are actually best friends.
Of course, that all goes terribly awry in the final review of the season as Forrest is asked what it's like to be hunted - from a guy who conspicuously lives in Grant's hometown. Forrest has trouble shaking the paranoia out of his system. It's unlikely that Grant did any of this but the evidence is much stronger than it was before. It would be incredibly rare for all of it to line up like it did without it having meaning. In fact, this is the precise thing that gets Forrest to rampage out of the office in disgust and racing to be with Suzanne once again. He still believes that if he gives up the show that destroyed their marriage, he'll be able to win her back. And yet, his actions have already destroyed any kind of relationship they could have. This one gesture couldn't fix that. He is a monster and doesn't even know it. That's very dangerous. And that could lead to the show's latest fatalities. During the big confrontation, Forrest can't be reasoned with like all the other times Grant has talked him off the ledge. In fact, this animosity leads to both of them falling off a literal edge. When the hunter finds Forrest, they are on a bridge. He wants to take Grant down with him if he is going to die. They tumble over - leaving AJ Gibbs to close out the season with the final review once more. Neither she nor the show know what has happened to Forrest or Grant. She wants to believe that they are happily alive and have worked out their problems. But still, they are missing and she is able to issue the show's second-ever six star review. It's an uproariously funny beat to pair with this potential tragedy. A perfect way to conclude the season. But also this show needs to continue to see what will happen next.
Some more thoughts:
- The reviews for this final episode are: Believing in a Conspiracy Theory: Half a Star; and Being Hunted - Six Stars.
- For being told to get out of her life completely, Forrest sure does know exactly where to find Suzanne whenever he needs to. He knows that she is staying at her mother's following her calling off her wedding and him getting arrested.
- What was your favorite life request in Grant's production book that didn't get onto the show? Mine were "What's it like to wear someone else's pants?" and "What's it like to live in a yellow house?"
- How in the world did Grant and the rest of the production team get to that bridge before Forrest did. He left in a panic determined to get to Suzanne. Grant had to have left after that but still arrived before Forrest.
- AJ Gibbs says that if anyone has any information regarding Forrest and Grant's whereabouts they should email it to "findforrestandgrant@gmail.com." I wonder what happens if you send an email to that account?
- Forrest: "Well, you certainly learn a lot about a person when you ransack their office."
- Forrest: "I believed my co-workers were conspiring to kill me on national television."
- Forrest: "What kind of monster would make my dad homeless for a television show?"
- Forrest: "This was suppose to be a show about love. Grant turned it into a show about death. My death."
- Suzanne: "The only person you need to be afraid of is yourself."
- Grant: "People are constantly asking you to do dangerous things because they already know what the easy stuff is like. They can do that themselves. Living on the edge like this, things will go wrong. People will get hurt. And that is part of why we need you to help us understand about life. I need you! Why would I want you dead?
- Forrest: "As long as I do this work, my life will suffer. And my old life will remain in the past."
- AJ: "So it seems another season of Review must end with me, AJ Gibbs."
