The Nine

The format of tonight’s episode was wonderful. The way the flashback and present day scenes were tied together was very effective. I loved how as each of the family members finished describing their loved one the scene would switch to the loved one proving that their assessment was correct. As an example: Malcolm really did “take care of his own” by accompanying Franny to her mother’s house. The whole encounter at the mother’s house, by the way, was a bit unsatisfying. Eva’s integrity is constantly being questioned and each time she is fully exonerated and even proven to be a little bit nicer or purer than she was originally thought.

I also found it intriguing that the police were so interested in the hostages’ personalities. It never occurred to me, or I never really considered, how much of the action inside the bank was determined by how the individuals reacted, rather than the way the robbers conducted themselves. Of course, we have seen the way things played out due to Felicia making the phone call and how Nick’s police experience contributed to the situation, but a true understanding of how each individuals' personality really dictated a lot of what happened escaped me until now.

Tonight was filled with many of the little, and not so little — Hello Jeremy/Lizzie insight — answers to questions that have plagued us for weeks. We finally met Nick’s ex-wife Juliana, who was portrayed by Sasha Alexander. You may recognize her from NCIS, Dawson’s Creek or as the soap opera digest interviewer on Friends who Joey confesses to that he never actually watches soaps. (I watch a lot of Friends re-runs). Sasha gave off a very real cop-vibe — a little tough and a little rough. It was endearing to see the way Nick handled Juliana and was completely willing to put himself on the line to protect her.

Finally, we have the story of what happened between Lizzie and Jeremy. I was expecting it to be worked into the flashback scenes, but Jeremy describing it was much more gripping. I was also hoping for a more exciting explanation — something that would have justified waiting weeks to divulge — something really juicy. Instead we got a somewhat predictable story. Jeremy saw an opportunity to escape…he took it and didn’t give a second thought to Lizzie…. Definitely a valid reason to question their relationship, but harrowing enough to completely destroy them to the point that they can’t even talk about it? Well, I’ll leave that for you to judge.

A strong and very satisfying episode, but one question: What happened to Malcolm’s house being bugged? I guess we will have to wait to find out.

Wow, The Nine really knows how to throw a curveball. Who are those men in the van outside Malcolm’s house? Presumably they bugged the house, but why? I could understand Nick’s house being bugged, or even Franny’s, but Malcolm’s? Were these guys hired by the bank — maybe because of Malcolm’s attempt to blackmail them into offering the security guard’s widow more money? And on the subject of the security guard, I was surprised to see him sit up during the flashback. It appeared he only had a bad cut on his head, so how did it progress that he ended up dead? I guess we will have to wait for the answer to that question, along with the ever-present question of what happened between Jeremy and Lizzie.

And what is going on with Lizzie and Lucas? I felt some sympathy for Lucas when Lizzie shut him out during her first visit in the hospital. And I was shocked when we saw that Lizzie had sat up with Lucas all night talking. I almost like the two of them together. Is that sick? And did anyone else notice the love song playing in the background when Lizzie first sat down? And finally, why is Lucas the only person who knows what happened between Lizzie and Jeremy?

How perfect was it that Egan innocently scheduled a poker game at a gambling addict’s (Nick’s) house? The potential for trouble was so great; I was a bit surprised something more dramatic didn’t happen during the game. Although, the look of concentration on Nick’s face while he was challenging Egan was staggering. Tim Daly did an excellent job of making us feel the awkward intensity of watching an addict at work. Throughout the game, he would glance at Kathryn. But as soon as he and Egan were in their face-off, he couldn’t take his eyes away from the cards. I think my favorite part of the episode came about as an extension of the card game. Kathryn’s therapy sessions were a terrific way to learn more about her inner thoughts. It was a no-brainer that she has feelings for Nick, but I admired how she was able to connect her feelings while watching Nick’s fanatic betting to the reality that whatever they shared inside the bank might not be able to survive in the outside world. And apparently while Lucas was telling Lizzie a similar truth — the spiel about not being yourself when having a gun pointed at you — Jeremy and Franny were attempting to prove it all wrong. The whole notion of what happened inside the bank and how it affects the relationships the hostages now share is an interesting concept, and I hope it continues to be explored.

An excellent and very satisfying episode. The next episode not only looks good, but it also appears we may finally have answers to some of the more compelling questions.

Tonight really was “All About Eva.” What I found most interesting was how easily Nick and Kathryn’s opinion of Eva was swayed. Granted, there was some convincing evidence that she may have been involved in the robbery, but the bond the hostages share seemed so strong that I was a little surprised that they seriously suspected that Eva was an accomplice. In the flashbacks, Eva does appear to behave suspiciously, and the connection between her ex-boyfriend Carlos and Randall seemed a bit too coincidental. In fact, the writers did such a terrific job of convincing me that Eva may have been involved that now I am not completely satisfied with how she was exonerated; there are some loose ends. One example: what did Randall say to her when she came back with Lucas? Another example would be the plane tickets to Phoenix, which are particularly hard for me to understand. It never seemed like the connection between Nick and Eva was that strong. It appeared that they had a simple flirtation — not enough of a relationship that Eva would move plane tickets three times hoping he might ask her out. Perhaps I am being too hard on the show, but some of these things were not fleshed out enough for me. I am still very interested in the story, and a lot of that is due to some strong performances on the part of the cast.

Chi McBride’s character is more likable as each week passes. He does an excellent job of simultaneously portraying strength and vulnerability. I feel very sympathetic toward him. Juggling work at the bank and his feelings of responsibility to the other hostages (including the security guard who lost his life) as well as to his family must be completely overwhelming. What I found particularly perturbing was the bank's offering the security guard’s widow $43,000 as a settlement. Essentially $43,000 for his life. It’s chilling to think about how much your life is “worth.” And apparently when bidding on a life, it is best to start low and see if you can get any takers.

Again, Randall was humanized a bit more this week. In the flashbacks, he shows some compassion toward the security guard. Actually it is Lucas who seems cold and calculating — running to find a getaway car, forcing Eva to talk on the phone, taking her outside of the bank while holding a gun to her head. Surely as more of the robbery is revealed, Lucas will emerge as the “good” one, unless we are being completely misled as to the hostages’ feelings toward him. But I have to admit that — based solely on what we have seen so far and while I understand why Lucas helped to save his brother’s life — I feel some sympathy toward Randall. The sob that escaped him as he realized Lucas’ intentions was really gut-wrenching. Betrayal is a very disturbing thing, especially between family members. Yes, I am sure that Randall was an absolute monster inside the bank. But the thought of completely abandoning your brother also seems like a monstrous thing to do.

One final thought: the flashback scene — in which Eva confided in Nick that she felt her luck was about to change and all the hard things she was going through were about to end — was extremely sad. Usually on television, when a character is in a life-threatening situation and says that he has a feeling he will be fine and make it through, he does. Not in Eva’s case. And that felt very real. The fragility of life is not always candidly addressed on television (for obvious reasons), and the people behind The Nine should be proud that they touched on something honest.

Contemplating the life (or death) of the man who held you hostage for 52 hours apparently makes for compelling dinner conversation. It was interesting to see which way each hostage voted. I wouldn’t have guessed Lizzie was the vindictive type, despite her earlier confession to Jeremy about her anger towards Randall. How twisted was the shot of Randall snickering after the nurse asked him to allow Lizzie to speak to him? The disagreement between Kathryn and Nick about the effect Randall living or dying would have on the group was thought-provoking. Both work with victims who have had experiences in common with the hostages, and yet they had two completely different opinions. I was agreeing with Nick’s assessment that Randall living would ultimately cause more pain until Kathryn made a valid argument for the healing that comes from seeing justice being served. Clearly, there is no right or wrong answer, but it will be interesting to see which way the writers take the story.

Wasn’t it just last week that Egan wanted to have a baby with his wife, Mary? Now, suddenly, they are divorcing? Mary did always seem to be dragging Egan down, but I think it is a fair judgment that previous to the bank robbery Egan was in a bit of a rut himself. Obviously, he was depressed (after all, he was carrying around a gun to commit suicide with later). I guess part of Egan’s awakening includes his realization that his marriage is unsalvageable. I liked in the end that Egan showed up on Nick’s front step. And that Nick (grudgingly) welcomed him inside.

I am really upset about where Jeremy and Lizzie’s relationship seems to be headed. How could they shake hands and be “friends” after everything they went through together? Granted, we do not know the whole story yet, but Lizzie is pregnant and they dated for two years. They thought they were in love. I really do not like Franny and Jeremy together. Where is their loyalty to Lizzie? With all the talk about the bond the hostages share, Lizzie seems to be left out in the cold as far as Jeremy and Franny are concerned. Sure, Franny doesn’t know about the pregnancy, but she does know that Jeremy and Lizzie were in a relationship. At least Jeremy offered to be there for Lizzie in any way she wanted. But the flirting between Franny and Jeremy just seems shameless and pathetic. For some reason I find the entire situation very unsettling.

One last note: as far as Randall is concerned, we are given no reason to feel sympathetic towards him. In fact, we are given every indication that Randall is an absolute maniac. All the while Lucas is portrayed in an almost saintly manner, sacrificing his well-being so that the wishes of the hostages can be fulfilled. Suddenly, we (the viewers) are subject to the same feelings of pity and compassion towards Lucas that the hostages feel. It is almost a perverse feeling, to have empathy for a bank robber. Maybe is it a natural inclination to want to believe the best about people? Lucas is certainly a provoking character — to be able to commit a robbery but to also have a sense of obligation to the people he affected. Just something to think about as the rest of the story unfolds.

And finally — where was Felicia this week?

The Nine’s third episode proved to be its strongest thus far — or at least in very close competition with the pilot. While last week I found my mind wandering, this week I was completely drawn into the story and its characters. Randall is alive! Albeit barely, but he is breathing. The whole explanation about the potassium chloride was somewhat believable, but wouldn’t a doctor know that investigators would still be able to detect an excess amount of the chemical in Randall’s bloodstream? OK, Jeremy didn’t necessarily want Randall to die; he just wanted him moved away from his IC unit. But wouldn’t it appear suspicious, regardless of whether he lived or died, that Randall suffered a massive heart attack? Especially considering that it happened to a man that at least eight other people probably wanted dead?

There were several stand out performances tonight, most notably was Jessica Collins (Lizzie). She delivered a strong and very real performance in the doctor’s office, wondering about bringing a child into a violent and unpredictable world. People who have not gone through traumatic experiences ponder this very same thing, so it is almost unimaginable to me what being held captive for 52 hours would do to your world perspective. I am also interested in the relationship that is forming between Lizzie and Kathryn. Their personalities are completely different, so what is drawing these two characters so tightly together? Was it something in particular that happened in the bank? Even at Eva’s funeral Lizzie confided in Kathryn. Kathryn must see herself in Lizzie — with the unplanned pregnancy and possibly wondering what her life would have been like if she had taken a detour on the road to becoming a powerful attorney and had had a child instead. Speaking of children, the scene where Egan tries to discuss having a child with his wife was touching, but I found it hard not to focus on their age. Egan’s wife, Mary, must be at least 50, right? Maybe he was suggesting adoption? It seemed as though one, or both, of them were unable to procreate.

Chi McBride’s (Malcolm) scene with Dana Davis (Felicia) outside of the bank was also commendable. The combination of exasperation and love that he portrayed was astounding. McBride’s voice is so powerful that I admit that I was even a bit afraid during his rant. He seemed to push himself right to the edge of self-control and then came back to remind us that he is a father and all he wants to do is protect his daughter. And don’t discount Dana Davis’ performance, either. She handed back every ounce of emotion that McBride dished out. And apparently, Felicia did push the right buttons, because in the final scene Malcolm gathers the hostages to help her remember the standoff. That final scene could have been just a few minutes longer; I keep wanting more, the clues are slipped in so subtly at times that I am beginning to anticipate information at every turn. After a small lag last week, The Nine is back on track and ready to roll. I am anticipating the complications that are sure to arise between Lizzie, Jeremy and Franny now that the baby is no longer on the hush-hush. There was no Kathryn/Nick interaction this week, but hopefully we will see some soon. Oh, and the previews suggest that Randall may still die and Egan may ditch his wife. It only gets better, folks.

My mouth is literally hanging open right now — Jeremy (Scott Wolf) just killed Randall? I didn’t see that coming at all. Throughout the episode I kept thinking how strong Jeremy seemed and how well he was handling the entire ordeal — that he was the least affected by it. Wow. What was his motivation? Was it Lizzie saying she wished Randall were dead? Did something snap inside his head when he lost the heart-transplant patient? In the previews for next week they are already suspicious of Jeremy’s involvement. On a side note, couldn’t they have moved Randall to another hospital, considering two people he help captive for 52 hours have to work there every day?

There was so much going on in this episode — I am dying to know what is going to happen between Lizzie and Jeremy. It was interesting to learn they have been together for two years. Good that Jeremy stayed away from Franny in this episode; I really want Lizzie and Jeremy to work things out. The scene with Egan (John Billingsley) on the morning show was great, with the scores of screaming girls and people wanting his autograph. And how can you not cheer for him when he stood up to his prepubescent boss and was fired? The music and his little dance outside were fantastic, too. Someone expressed in their post last week that with all the intensity on this show, there was going to be a need for some form of relief. It is safe to say that Egan Foote is going to supply that relief.

The beginning clips in the bank were disappointing. What did we learn that really matters? Sure, Egan thought quickly and made up that story about throwing his wedding ring in the toilet. Kathryn (Kim Raver) showed a lot of bravery trying to talk some sense into the robbers. Malcolm was extremely calm and in control during that first hour, which is a huge change from how we found him last week at the end of the stand-off — shocked and almost unable to function. And Felicia was hiding undetected in the bathroom. Understandably, they do not want to give away too much just yet, but I was looking for something more to pique my interest. The conversation in the jail between Felicia and Lucas was also a little dissatisfying. After waiting all week to find out what was said, very little was revealed. It consisted of absolutely nothing of interest, which may have been part of the point. I did like how both episodes ended with Felicia going to visit Lucas. Not surprisingly, Lucas is beginning to emerge as having a softer, even heroic (?) side. He stood up for Felicia with complete disregard for the consequences he might have to face.

Nick (Tim Daly) is also adding an intriguing element to the plot. The story line with him going after the Feds was a little bit much, and I was wondering how they would really pull that off without ruining the integrity of the show. It seems as though it would have overshadowed the other characters and their stories. It is much more interesting to have him (pretend?) to go along with the Feds. Based solely on what has been shown so far, this is definitely not the end of Nick’s crusade to nail the people at fault for the blotched robbery. And his likeability stock went way up — with him backing down not to protect himself, but to protect Egan and Franny.

A solid second episode, but hopefully next week more relevant and interesting information about the robbery will be revealed. Oh, and it appears that the question of exactly which characters count as The Nine has been answered. In the promos Eva (Lourdes Benedicto) is counted despite the fact that she dies in the pilot episode.

Jeremy (the delightful Scott Wolf) asks his girlfriend, Lizzie (Jessica Collins): “It was just a moment.... Does it have to mean everything?” This seems to be one of the questions The Nine is setting out to answer. And the answer appears to be “yes.” In the grand scheme of life, the 52 hours the nine main characters spent together in the bank were essentially “just a moment.” But the repercussions for the hostages are endless. It is the events destined to follow that are going to make or break this show for me. Scott Wolf has been a favorite of mine since his Party of Five days (before the alcoholism took over his story line), but I wanted to ring his neck when he kissed Franny (Prison Break’s Camille Guaty). Especially considering how adorable and wholesome and pregnant his girlfriend is. Although I have to say, something about Jeremy and Lizzie’s relationship seems off. Obviously, they were pretty serious. Lizzie was excited to tell him about the pregnancy.... She had met Jeremy’s parents.... And then she goes back to work without him even knowing and doesn’t bother to return his phone call about riding together to the funeral. Whatever Jeremy did inside of that bank must have been pretty horrific. Right now the question I most want answered is what the heck little Felicia (Dana Davis) is doing visiting Lucas (Owain Yeoman) in prison. Yes, Lucas is a terrible person — he held up a bank. But there seems to be clues that perhaps he isn’t as bad as he seems. When the police stormed the bank, Lizzie screamed not to hurt him. Maybe he is really just misunderstood — a young man influenced by his especially creepy-looking brother, Randall.

The cast was well chosen. John Billingsley (Egan Foote with an “e”) did an excellent job portraying the humorous yet eerily suicidal man. I loved how his facial expression changed once he sat down inside of his cubical on his first day back to work. I think most people can relate to that feeling. I also enjoyed Kim Raver (Kathryn) and Tim Daly (Nick). Their relationship should also be interesting to watch as it develops. They seem to have the law-enforcement bond on top of everything else. And 24 fans can relax; Kim Raver will be back in her recurring role at some point.

The reality of time is an interesting concept and one that is played with in the pilot. The hours the hostages spent inside of the bank have caused their lives to be connected indefinitely. Think how separate and different each person’s path was until they collided in the catastrophic robbery. The idea that life-altering events can unite people in a way that is almost impossible to explain or understand is terrific and one that I truly think is original. I am anxious to see if the show is able to really reveal to viewers just how deep and complicated these new relationships are. Based partially on Matt Webb Mitovich’s interview with Nine creator Hank Steinberg, I feel confident the show will be able to successfully communicate that.

This was the fourth time I watched the pilot and I was still captivated. In fact, it was even better with the commercials — honestly. The breaks came in just at the right moments, when you are left hanging and could use a minute to collect your thoughts.

One last observation: Did the hallway/police station seem particularly sinister to anyone else? What was with the smoky green lighting?