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Disclaimer & some personal notes:

Its TNT and/or NBC playground – I don’t really know which. They own the characters, dialogues, plots, quotes etc. These analysis are for pure entertainment only – mostly my own.

About the analysis:
Ok, this will NOT be an episode guide, though you will find plenty of spoilers! My analysis are purely subjective, my opinion, my take. Simply for the reason that I’m the one on the keyboard!

Disagree with me? Let it be heard! Give feedback and gimme hell if you want! Write a note or your own take!

Special Note:Don’t expect me to go into any length about the pretends, because I won’t. For me its only about the characters, their individual development in each episode and their interaction with each other. The central theme for me is the Centre-related story, and only when the pretends and the people Jarod meets along his travels, are important to his character development or the Centre-related-plot, I will pay attention. And more often than not you will wonder if the series’ main character might be Miss Parker and not Jarod. She of course is as important to the show as he is. Even when her scenes are only short in an ep., you might be surprised at the length I can go about it. It’s a personal thing. I was drawn into the series by her character, and I do regard her not only as very important but also as my favorite one. Go, and hate me for that. *grin*

Oh, and of course, obviously these have been written all AFTER I saw it all. So sometimes I can go ahead of the series – I will try to not do it too much though and try hard to not dwell on it a lot.

And take into account that these analysis are NOT betaed! My first language is German so please don’t mind the inevitable errors!


Review of ‘A Virus among us’
Season 1
Ep. 107


For the Centre-related part this episode is quite low key but important nevertheless. Important for two reasons. One, we get finally a real good look at Raines. He has his first open appearance and it is creepy. As he walks in with his trade-mark oxygen tank on his side and the tube crossing his not really appealing face. A voice crispy and low. From the first second, we know he is the evil in personification. And we immediately know that he has no love lost for Jarod’s hunting team, especially it’s leader.

Richard Marcus is admirably good in being evil and he seems to revel in his badness! He has a creepy Halloween-quality that fits well into the horrific surroundings of the Centre. From this ep. on, it was always a chilling joy to watch Marcus!

The second important revelation is around the Jarod-Sydney relationship. We know from earlier episodes that the two share occasional phone-calls. Sometimes they seemed more friendly but on some, Jarod was questioning Sydney’s motives and actions. But in this episode, Jarod is much more blunt. He is accusing Syd openly for his involvements and we see how hurt the psychiatrist is by that. By Jarod’s words as well as by his own feelings of guilt. We witness some serious self-flagellation especially at the confessional. Not even God could forgive him, Syd is certain. But he remains caught up in the same trap that conjured up this guilt. It’s a no-way out scenery for him. Though he believes that, if Jarod could forgive him, he would be able to overcome some of this guilt. It’s not entirely believable but still believable. Complicated I know, but the good doctor is in a complicated situation.

Forgiveness by those who you have hurt is important for you to move on. But if you are still in some respect hurting the same person, how can you ask of this forgiveness? I do understand Syd’s quest for J’s forgiveness, but I also very well understand Jarod.

In the playback we see how Sydney ‘used’ Jarod but also witness how much he cared for the boy. The common theme ‘refuge’ was introduced here, and by using it again, prodigy and mentor meet again in a bar.

That Sydney tells MP that he finally agrees, that Jarod should be returned was unbelievable from the first second. I didn’t need the later revelation by Syd, that he sent her on a fake lead, I didn’t buy it then and there.

When the two of them meet in the bar, I thought it was a subtle love-hate moment for them. Jarod wouldn’t forgive him, because in his opinion he needed to forgive himself first. And he tells Sydney, that he can’t do that either. I think the ‘black-mail’ comment of Jarod, that if Syd told him about his parents, he would forgive, didn’t fit into the conversation. Precisely because Jarod suffered from his own guilt too much and saw the same – and more - guilt in his mentor. Telling the truth, wouldn’t change the past, just as all the good things Jarod does now in the free world, couldn’t bring him the peace of mind he seeks.

About the box of newspaper clips: Sydney mentions that MP had sent it to him. I don’t really know what to make of that. Why would she? Just to be cruel? To show the doctor that he himself carried some guilt as well, so she wasn’t the only baddy in the game? I dunno, and it was never really followed up later on, so…. go figure.

The pranks Jarod played on MP were fun to watch. Giving her the flu the way he did was almost predictable. He knew how curious she would be and he played on that. Getting her stuck in the apartment though, was certainly a hilarious move, completely worthy of a genius! I was laughing my fool head off, watching her incapable to move in those high heels and pushing the mighty but similar helpless Sam backwards on the bed!

The pretend, well, I don’t have much to say about it. I quite enjoyed it. It was interesting and very creepy. The truth is, deadly viruses are a creepy and horrible fact. And to hear about an outbreak of, be it Ebola, Marburg or as it is called Mutaba in this ep., is giving me nightmares.

The side-side plot with Ben, the unfortunately untalented but determined musician, was a nice touch. Funny, but also moving. I felt for Ben. He is dreaming, hoping against hope, and this kept him going. There is nothing more crushing than a dream that proves to be just a bursted bubble. Jarod was able to open up a new door for the sympathetic would-be-artist before Ben really became aware of the impossibility of his dream. A way for him to truly pursue his real natural gift that he did not consider as such before.

I give that one 3 ½ points of 5! It was a good hour of tv, not a ‘winner’ though. For that it had one too many question marks and the very good moments were cut just a little too short in my opinion.









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