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« Journeyman
Episode Recap: Perfidia
Well friends, it looks like the journey has come to an end. In what seemed to be Journeyman's final episode, Dan came into contact with a fellow traveler while in present day Jack went off to confront Dr. Langley and Katie's sister tried to convince her to leave Dan. But did it give us the closure we were looking for?
At the start of the episode Dan found himself in the courtyard of a mental hospital where he met Evan, a patient claiming to be another traveler who's medication prevented him from jumping again. As Dan learned more about Evan's experiences and his lost love, he began to see a bit of himself in the stories he was hearing and he agreed to help Evan escape. After instigating a fight with another patient, Dan disappeared back to his own time while Evan made a break for it.
Dan returned home to discover he had been gone for almost two days. His extended absence (not to mention the random blood trails he tends to leave) was starting to get to Katie who has been trying so hard to be accepting of her husband's situation. But with an intrusive sister whispering in her ear to leave and the knowledge that Jack is about to settle down and have a normal family life of his own, it was hard for her not to question her own marriage regardless of her feelings for Dan. These are just the prices you pay when your the time travelers wife I guess. Nevertheless, before he could deal with his marital woes Dan needed to figure out his latest mission if he ever wanted some answers. Upon researching Evan's current status however, he learned that after escaping the hospital Evan was hit by a car and died.
During his second trip back, Dan met up with Livia who was called away from her wedding preparations to help with the mission. As Dan filled her in on the details of the third traveler, he spotted the woman Evan claimed to have been involved with and Evan trying to work up the courage to confront her. With some coaching from Dan and Livia, Evan finally approached his girl but she claimed to have no idea who he was.
Back in present day, Jack was waiting to confront Dr. Langley about the picture of him and Dan as a child. Dr. Langley denied having any memory of the encounter but our man Jack was not giving up that easy. He decided to sit in on one of Dr. Langley's lectures in an attempt to get him to discuss time travel. Dan resurfaces at home where Katie (following advice from her sister to move out of the house) was waiting to finally confront Dan about how his random journeys are affecting their family. Later at his office, Dan learned that Evan was still dead (he was killed trying to break into the home of the woman he was once married to.)
On his last trip back, Dan had one more chance to figure out if Evan was actually a fellow journeyman or just a nutjob with an obsession for an unattainable love. When Dan and Livia caught up to Evan, he claimed to have proof that he and the senator's wife had actually been involved. It was a videotape of the two dancing in a salsa contest. Evan also explained the reason for his wife's memory loss. Apparently when he was traveling, he had an experience much like Dan's own encounter with Aeden Benett that led to his wife being killed. In his various attempts to save her, the result was always the same and so he just made it so they had never met. Dan and Livia help Evan get another shot to win over his wife. Just as things were looking up for Evan and he got his wife to fall for him again, he dropped dead on the dance floor. Mission accomplished? Ehh, sorta. When Dan and Livia left it was time to address their unresolved tension now that she was about to get married in her real life and both got the feeling their time together was dwindling. As they were about to share one last kiss, Dan's double from that time ran past and Dan realized it was the exact day he first traveled back. He and Livia watched Double-Dan disappear from the backseat of a cab and it became clear that Evan's death is what triggered Dan's journeys.
Once again in present day, Katie finally told her sister to butt out and let her and Dan's family drama stay within their family. Though its definitely understandable that they're concerned, it seems like every outsider of the Vasser immediate family exists just to try to bring an end to Dan and Katie's marriage. We then see Dan reading Evan's travel log. As he got on the elevator to leave work, Dr. Langley was waiting for him. The moment we've all been waiting for! Dr. Langley finally opened up about the mysteries of traveling. Though he offered no real explanation aside from it being a scientific anomaly, Dr. Langley did reveal that there are others out there with the same ability, groups of people looking to control someone who has it, and that Dan is the last living person with the ability to travel. Dan suggested he knew of one other (Livia) but he wouldn't give up the person's identity. Back at home, he and Katie discussed the possibility that Dan start taking the sedatives that seem to stop the journeys. Dan explained that although there is much risk involved, the journeys give him the chance to make a difference but that he loves Katie and always wants to come home to her. Katie drifted off to sleep but just as Dan was about to travel once again he woke her up to witness his jump for the very first time.
In the end, this episode would have made for a great season finale but it looks as though it will be the end to the entire series. Though we were given answers to a decent amount of our questions, it seems now more than ever there are so many places for this show to go. It would have been nice to have Dan and Livia's tension finally done with and have them separated for a change. My biggest issue with the show was always the Jack/Katie/Dan/Livia craziness. It was too much unnecessary drama and this episode seemed to finally resolve most of that. Regarding the Dr. Langley revelations, I was hoping for more. We realized last week when it was revealed that they were born during the same mystical phenomenon that Dan and Livia weren't the only ones. The interesting thing was that Dan was the last one left. I guess that means little Zack has no shot at getting in on his dad's journeys. Overall, I'm happy that this show was able to go out with some sort of a finale. So many shows on the air these days never get the chance to deliver the finale that its millions of fans waited for. I'm sure there are many of you out there who are still upset by the shows cancellation but at least we got something! But Who knows? Maybe we could get a tv movie? I think millions of boxes of the San Francisco treat have to get us a little bit more.
Lastly, thank you to everyone for continuing to check out the blog! It's been a bumpy ride with this show but in the end, the suits won the battle. But hey...at least we got Jericho back.
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Dec 20, 2007 6:55 PM
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This is the kind of intelligent, thought provoking show that television needs. And if this is truely the end, I am terribly sad to see it go. Good bye Journeyman, it was a pleasure treaveling with you.
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Dec 20, 2007 7:07 PM
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Jeers to all the Journeyman fans for not pulling a Jericho and complaining so much the network has no choice but to bring it back. It you love is so much then fight for it!
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Dec 20, 2007 7:48 PM
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Did anyone notice the bell go off in Jack's head when Dr. Langley denied knowing anything about the photo, saying he couldn't remember something from 25 years ago? Jack never told him how old the photo was. That was brilliant.
As pointed out, the character tension (Jack/Katie/Dan/Livia) really caused a lot of confusion for people, I'm sure, in the beginning. I'm glad I stuck with it, because for the last three weeks, the show really picked up steam!
At the very least, there was some kind of closure. When Livia and Dan said their goodbyes, it really felt like they characters were saying goodbye to the audience as well. It was also great that Katie got to see Dan "jump".
And finally, may I just say that the very early cancellation of the show, while disappointing, did offer at least some closure. I'm grateful that the series didn't end with such a dramatic and monumental cliffhanger in the form of CBS' "Now and Again" moment.
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Dec 20, 2007 8:36 PM
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It seems I am doomed to watch new TV shows that end up getting canned in the first season... It's happened so often in recent years, I've already lost count. Maybe I should just stop watching TV altogether.
Anyway, I thought this was a great episode, and did offer some sort of closure, unlike many of the other shows, for which I had to buy the DVDs to watch the unaired episodes.
Even though Langley said that Dan is, apparently, the last journeyman, I thought the psychic from Monday's episode said that the comet under which Dan and Livia were born was only near twice in the last hundred years. If indeed the comet is the only way for there to be more travelers, that just means there will be more when that comet comes around again.
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Dec 20, 2007 9:11 PM
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Thank you NBC for not pulling a Fox and making us pay to see the unaired episodes by buying the DVD. I hate that!!
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Dec 20, 2007 9:40 PM
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There are some people out there who are sounding like this show is over but there has been nothing yet from NBC saying they are canceling the show they just didnt pick it up in time but they still can so please dont give up now. We have come to far to simply stop, everyone needs to keep fighting. Especially now that the season has come to an end. we need to continue to:
1. SEND OUT RICE-A-RONI: we have $1304 raised and over 400 boxes have been shipped out but we still need more, and this isn't counting the individuals who sent stuff out on their own! Also with your rice-a-roni send a letter from the future like the one that JO and IZ made up at savejourneyman.net, it is hillarious you have to go read it.
2. SIGN THE PETITIONS IF YOU HAVENT DONE SO ALREADY: The Second Season Petition is currently at 7846 signatures and the Save Journeyman Petition is at 4903 signatures but we still need a lot more of those too
3. EMAIL, WRITE OR CALL THE PRODUCERS AND EXECUTIVES OVER AT NBC: be creative when you write to them but dont insult them please we need them to like us not hate us for insulting them. we need to convince them that Journeyman is worth saving, explain how much you love the show and why, also explain how it is a show that makes you think and you dont want to leave the tv for fear that you would miss even a second of the show. explain how the nielson ratings are an outdated way of measuring the viewership. Make them see that it is in their best intrest to renew this show.
4. TELL YOUR FRIENDS, COWORKERS, TELL EVERYONE TO HELP US OUT AND JOIN THE FIGHT: We need all of the help we can get. we have many people working on saving this show right now but the more people the better. We will make more of an impact if a lot of people do a little bit each then if a few people do a lot! If you ask someone to help and they say they would like to but have never seen the show then first of all explain the show to them then send them to nbc.com. nbc.com now has all of the episodes ready for viewing on the journeyman page. so go there to get caught up on something you missed or to start the journey of a life time.
5. GO TO THE JOURNEYMAN WEBSITES, SIGN IN AND VOICE YOUR OPPINIONS: sign in and tell others how you feel and let us know if you have any new ideas. We need to get our feelings out there and we are always looking for new ideas!
6. PLEASE DO WHATEVER YOU CAN BUT PLEASE DO SOMETHING!! LETS SAVE THE SHOW WE LOVE!! WHO IS WITH ME!!
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Dec 20, 2007 11:29 PM
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I found this episode quite satisfying. I loved the "full circle" effect when Dan saw himself travel for the first time in the cab (realizing, then, that Evan's death triggered Dan's start). I thought Evan's story--wherein he erased his marriage to protect his wife--was also very well done; it caught me by surprise and so added a nice twist.
My husband didn't watch this show with me but in the last two or three episodes he started "overhearing" it and then joining me. He watched this entire episode and thought it was a quality show. I kept telling him how impressive the "unfolding" of this storyline has been.
I'm not going to consider this cancelled until we get the full word on that. We should all continue to do what we can to promote its return.
I have to say that as annoying as the Writers' Strike is, if it continues now well into the spring, Journeyman will probably have its best chance for return because there won't be pilots available. I'd be willing to forego the regular season of everything else to get this show back.
Thanks for the blog - I've loved reading it and then reading people's comments.
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Dec 20, 2007 11:59 PM
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It might be a better idea to try to convince NBC/Universal to pick up "Journeyman" on USA, where it would be a good fit, and where, with the departure of "The Dead Zone" and "The 4400," there would be room.
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Dec 21, 2007 1:36 AM
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I'm glad this episode at least had closure. I also felt that the 2nd part of the 2-part Bennett storyline could have served as the "series" finale as well, with Jack finally learning Dan's secret (and seeing Livia for the first time).
There's still so much this series could have explored: an expanded look at Livia's life in the past, Katie seeing Livia in the present, more Langley, etc. But given the state of network television, I'll take what I can get.
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Dec 21, 2007 3:00 AM
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I was left wondering if Dan ever used Google to see if Livia was still alive in his timeline. It was possible since she was born in the 1920s. Also, if she had died sometime after 1948, would she be able to travel beyond her own lifetime?
Alane
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Dec 21, 2007 6:47 AM
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Cancelling this show is a big mistake!! This show has some of the best actors on TV, great writing and unpredictable story lines.
We don't want more blood and guts TV dramas, juvenile & crude comedies or reality shows.
Finally a rare show that has all the qualities of a cult favorite - Don't cancel this show NBC!!
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Dec 21, 2007 8:58 AM
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I think all that Dan/Jack/Livia/Katie drama got settled a few episodes back when Livia told Dan she had someone in her real timeline and maybe her mission was to bring Dan and Katie together. It was handled nicely. There's still some tension there, but just a tiny bit. But I loved Katie's excitement over the possibility of another traveler who "wasn't a woman and hot."
I do hope Journeyman can be saved (I donated to the Rice-a-Roni cause.) I'm so tired of almost every TV show I love getting canned. This one is so good - NBC just never gave it a chance, esp. since they don't own all of Journeyman. Fox owns part of it. This was the same situation with Rome, which was also expensive and not entirely owned by HBO. Kevin McKidd's had a rough year. He's such an awesome actor. See him in Dog Soldiers for something completely different.
This was a bittersweet finale. But at least it was something. I'm still bitter over Deadwood's cancelation this year.
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Dec 21, 2007 10:09 AM
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It's not like there's alot of orginal storylines out there that they cancel a perfectly good orginal show.
The ending was satisfying but bittersweet.
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Dec 21, 2007 10:54 AM
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Instead of sending Rice-A-Roni to a tv network to save a canceled show, it would be so much more productive to send all that food to aid people who are economically distressed, poor, and hungryespecially during this time of year.
To repeat what I said earlier, Journeyman is over.
I love the show, I really genuinely do. Kevin McKidd and Gretchen Egolf are fantastic and the storytelling has been terrific.
However, the ratings are --in a nutshell -- disastrous.
Monday's episode registered a 4.4 Neilsen rating. It's 18-49's were worse.
Wednesday's episode registered a 4.6 household with a measly 1.7 18-49 demo. (Per Hollywood Reporter).
That's just fatal. I applaud the efforts of those who want to save Journeyman and I would support any effort to get the show moved to SciFi, for example. But even I would cancel its NBC run with numbers that low.
These days, due to the internet and instant reactions, every time a great show is cancelled prematurley fans tend to rebel and act as if it is the end of their world. But the truth is that the television landscape has been a brutal, unforgiving place for-practically-ever. Fantastic shows like Eastside/Westside (60's), Executive Suite (70's), Palmerstown USA (80's), EZ Streets (90's), and Profit (2000's) are a teeny sample of shows that should have lasted longer but didn't. The way that some fans carry on you'd think networks didn't start "punishing" them until the axing of Wonderfalls and Firefly, although the facts, history and common sense tells us otherwise.
The bargain that you and I as viewers have made since commercial television began was that the networks would put on shows and depending on how many people watched on what night in what time time slot depending on the strength of the competition, the show would survive or the show would be cancelled and something else would take its place. There is no expressed "right" to have any show on the air, as some fans now like to think.
Journeyman is a show, despite its passionate following, did not gain enough traction and in fact failed even to hold steady to enough households or 18-49's or any other measure that would keep it on the air.
I can understand the desire to save one's favorite shows, but a lot of the response we see here and elsewhere to a doomed show like Journeyman amounts to little more than mass hissy fits among the faithful. 4-5 million viewers trending downward is guaranteed cancellation on broadcast prime tv and I think a whole lot of fans should be grateful that the show lasted through its 13 episode pre-order because otherwise it would have surely been ditched long ago.
Thanks to Kevin Falls for a fantastic series, to the stars for putting on a hell of a show, and the writers for such interesting stories. I, for one, will be purchasing the complete series when released on DVD.
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Dec 21, 2007 11:51 AM
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