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December 6, 2006: Crazy Guy Thinks We Taste Like Chicken!
So, it’s starting to look like Brett Hopper’s dad is even more connected to the conspiracy than I thought last time. We’re getting more clues, although hardly anything has been explained. “It’s a real shame what happened,” the weaselly cop who wasn’t Skinner on The X-Files says to Hopper’s sister. The obvious conclusion to draw from that statement is that he’s dead now. But since this show thrives on plot twists, I started to wonder if maybe they were going to say that he’s in jail for some reason instead. At least that’s what I was thinking before the cop tries to get Jennifer to say that her brother is crazy, seeing as how there’s apparently a history of mental illness in the family. Could Hopper Sr. have committed suicide? And then the head-honcho creepy conspiracy dude (who really needs a cool nickname, a la “Horn rimmed Glasses” from Heroes… any suggestions?) says that he has déjà vu as a result of dealing with two different Detective Hoppers! Clearly Brett’s dad tangled with these guys in the conspiracy once upon a time.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. This was a fairly atypical episode of Day Break, confined to mostly one day and one location. Hopper goes ballistic trying to get a murder file from his old partner Chad, and waving his gun around foolishly ends up spiraling into a hostage crisis.
Chad himself gets vastly more complicated: He’s not shy about flaunting his intelligence and the things he thinks make him superior over Hopper, yet he actually saves Hopper’s life at one point. So that sniper in the air ducts wasn’t going to merely subdue Brett but take him out for good, in complete disregard for protocol. If they’ve got random guys on a hostage-crisis unit on their side, you know this conspiracy is serious.
And my favorite Chad-moment of the night was his turning around the story that Rita once told about stopping to take care of the dog that was hit by a car. It’s an example of good writing that mirrors the premise of the show: The same event is retold from a different viewpoint, with a very different result. In Chad’s version of the story, although he still seems like a coldhearted jerk for wanting to ignore the dog, the experience makes him realize that he loves Rita. And it makes him understand why she left him and started dating Hopper — because she thinks he’s pathetic enough to deserve her sympathy. Of course, that’s the way Chad would see it.
I think, at this point, the show needs to put a moratorium on faking us out about the possibility that other people might be reliving the same day over and over again like Brett. First, crazy bearded dude in jail suggests that he knows what Hopper is going through, just before biting him on the arm and screaming, “We all taste like chicken!” (At least, that’s what I thought he said, it was kinda slurred.) Okaaaaay.… Then shadowy conspiracy dude mentions having déjà vu. Are we going to see more people affected by this time-repeating or not? If the answer’s no, I think the writers should retire this gimmick.
I keep waiting for Mitch Pileggi’s character to become more interesting, or at least more important to the plot. In fact, he’s so underused right now that I had to go to IMDB just to remember that his character’s name is Detective Spivak. Even so, Pileggi can play an insufferable superior better than anyone else in television-land, and he knows exactly how to sell dialogue like: “You forgot one thing…. People are stupid!” He has a way of just looking at someone that says he’s got them all figured out, and he thinks he’s a thousand times smarter than they could ever be. I hope he gets to do more than just stand around and glower in the near future.
So, all in all, another good episode that definitely proves Day Break isn’t a one-trick pony, but instead has the potential to take on a different format for the hour if need be. Some characters prove more trustworthy (Chad, Andrea for passing along info about the evidence), some look shadier (the hostage negotiator), some remain clichés even if they’re funny (Spivak), and we get a whole mess of clues hinting at where this might lead. If you haven’t heard the latest rumblings from ABC, the ratings aren’t so hot. It’s looking like Day Break might not hang onto the 9 pm Wednesday slot all the way through February. So tell a friend to check this show out so that we can keep it on the air until the finale — count me in for seeing how it all ties together.
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Dec 6, 2006 10:48 PM
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What's wrong with me -- I'm totally loving this show. Why do I care? Obviously it is a stinker -- no one watches it. I find it captivating. I love how it makes me hate a character one 'day' and love him the next. I'm as frustrated as Hopper by everyone else's inability to see the conspiracy. Every now and then we get a bone -- Chad saw the targeting dot on Rita, Spivak's partner realized that a D2 like Hopper would be smart enough not to hide the weapon he commited murder with in his own closet.
I'm foolishly keeping ABC to its promise that this show will, in its 13-week run, tell us what's happening to Hopper, who killed Garza, who construction pit man is, tie all the very loose ends from Andrea's IA issues to the safehouse security together and ultimately let us see Hopper make it to the next day.
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Dec 6, 2006 11:24 PM
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I will be ticked off if they take the show off the air without resolving the day. I have been entertained by the show. I don't get the numbering system they do. They showed Day 2 this time at the beginnning of the show. That makes no sense.
I didn't even think about Brett's father being alive after the detective said it was a shame what happened to him. That does seem logical that maybe the father snapped and is now in some mental institute. And I didn't even think about the word of CPM when he said he had to deal with two Detective Hoppers. I am thinking he meant Brett, but he probably meant the father. I guess I wasn't observant tonight.
I did laugh when Skinner said that people are stupid. That is exactly what Skinner would say.
I wish we would learn more about Garza. We don't know much about the guy. It seems like the show should explain the significance of his death. I don't think they will go back to Andrea's IA issues. It seems they already explained that in the past.
This wasn't my favorite episode of the season. I kinda like it when he's racing around to different places instead of staying in one place.
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Dec 7, 2006 1:02 AM
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I had been trying to figure out whre I knew the head honcho creepy conspiracy dude from, and finally found out. He was the creepy Victor Maitland henchman who killed Mikey in the original Beverly Hills Cop.
I love this show, and not just because it gives me my Taye Diggs fix every week. I loved the end of the episode when Hopper left the money he owed Chad for coffee in the car when he got the murder book, and I wonder if they'll show Chad's reaction when he finds it.
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Dec 7, 2006 7:19 AM
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How can the ratings not be great for this show. It is entertaining and well written and acted and not the same old same old. Am I the only one that likes origionality?
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Dec 7, 2006 8:20 AM
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Man this could be my fav new show behind, Heroes and FNL. I have a theory that the same repeating thing happened to Hopper's dad but he couldn't figure it out so he went crazy. And Moon Bloodgood could be the hottest new chick since Jessica Alba. Sorry had to throw that in there.
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Dec 7, 2006 8:48 AM
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For some reason, I still think there is something deeper with the crazy guy. Maybe it's just me. Either way the show is formatted (several 'days' vs. mostly one 'day') I love it. Mainly because they give so many clues every episode. I feel like there are so many layers to this conspiracy and I want to figure it out! I really hope that ABC will give it a chance, any suggestions on how to save this show?
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Dec 7, 2006 9:36 AM
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I gave it a try. But I did not like it!
I don't like the permise and I cannot root for any characters.
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Dec 7, 2006 10:04 AM
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I gave it a try. But I did not like it!
I don't like the permise and I cannot root for any characters.
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Dec 7, 2006 10:05 AM
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I like Construction Pit Man (CPM) as a name for the head honcho guy. I also like Chad's theories on how this might be happening to Hooper such as time can be "sticky". Interesting. I hope they explore of these theories in more details.
I also agree with shoeman8520 that Hooper's dad probably experienced the same thing and either went crazy or was labeled crazy by others. This is very similar concept to "The Butterfly Effect" where Ashton Kutcher's character thinks his dad is mentally ill when he discovers that his dad had the same ability that he has.
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Dec 7, 2006 10:47 AM
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This show needs to seen to the end, and with that point you can call are write ABC and tell them we need to see how Day Break finshes.and tell them that you can put the show on Friday night at same time it is on now so we can see how Brett's day ends.
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Dec 7, 2006 1:03 PM
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This show is so good. More people need to check it out. It is fast paced, and every week we learn more and more. I hope all the people who watch Lost, but complain about not getting any answers are watching this show. This show would satisfy there need to know. It is an excellent fill-in for Lost.
Every week I can't wait to see what happens, and how it will play out. I wonder if his partner will continue to make the right choice in the morning after he spent a day trying to save her like she did last week? Every week it's a new show!
When ABC announced their plans for The Nine I wondered if I should keep watching this one, and bloggers said they would stick it out but ABC has proved that they can't committ. When they announce that the show will either end on 12/27, or move to another time slot do they know what they are doing? When you announce a show like this may not end, then people tune out instead of tuning in. That's what I did last year when NBC announced that they were taking Heist off the air after a couple more episodes. I just stopped watching that one. Why get invested when you know you will have no resolution? I am sticking with Daybreak though, 'cuz I really love it. And I hope ABC will let it play out.
I really have had it with ABC and will not be watching any new serials that they put out. I don't even think I'll watch the two sitcoms that they have sacrificed to American Idol, even though they look interesting. Why should I bother? ABC you're going to have to work hard to get me back. I bet I'm not alone.
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Dec 7, 2006 2:07 PM
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Well, at the very least, if they take the show off, they will more than like air the additional episodes online at least, so we can see this arc till it's end.
Did anyone notice how confused Brett was getting last night with all the versions of the day running around in his head? That could become a big problem.
I like the theory about the repeat happening to his Dad too. Perhaps, it's something that's also happened to the crazy dude (thus, why he's crazy). I have a feeling he plays a role in all this.
I'm heading over to abc.com to let them know I support the show. it's only 13 weeks. I would think they could support a short commitment like that. Surely game shows, repeats, and reality TV couldn't do much better.
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Dec 7, 2006 2:35 PM
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i really liked this episode... starting to shake things up a bit... i also feel the same way... if they're going to pull the show... do i continue to invest my time in it. i hope that regardless of what happens... i get to see the end of the series.
here's my one bitch... and maybe i'm wrong... but i don't like the little 'day 2'... 'day 3' text that occasionally appears on the bottom of the screend (ala x-files)... i could have sworn that they already did 'day 2' a couple episodes ago... and yet it was back last night. am i missing something?
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Dec 7, 2006 2:39 PM
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subpop2000, the "day" text at the bottom is indicating how many of the same day Hooper experiences within that particular episode. So every week it should reset to day 1.
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Dec 7, 2006 2:55 PM
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