Wow what an episode Admissions was. Duval certainly went through a rollercoaster of emotions – and Tim delivered a stellar performance. The cat was out of the bag and Jimmy and Duval had a LOT to talk about. Add to this a psycho villain targetting geniuses, and that made for the best episode so far. What did you think about this week’s episode? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Expect spoilers for the episode – so if you haven’t seen the episode yet and don’t want to be spoiled, you should avoid reading the comments on this post until you’ve watched it.
(The usual disclaimer: You do NOT need to register for an account to leave a comment, and your email address is for comment approval/anti-spam purposes only – it won’t be published or shared!)
That was just an incredible episode. And Tim was just AWESOME. Everything I love so much about him. The intro scene was so intense, and you could just feel all the turmoil Duval was going through.
I’m so digging the Jimmy/Duval scenes! Rob and Tim are so good together! And that’s really one complexe relationship, but also very emotional. Loved the snarky comments. Everything.
Actually I enjoyed almost every bits of this episode (just not completely sure what to make of Duval’s sister). The case of the week was actually interesting in that it gave us a great scene between Otto and Mary, and the imaginary friend twist was fun.
It was also nice to see more of Gracie, and see Gracie and Duval together.
And so much Tim! and the humor!
This really is getting better and better, just like the NY Times review said it would.
Even if I liked nothing else about this episode (which I did), Duval’s explosive reaction to learning that Jimmy was not his half-brother, but instead his not-so-lamented late father, was fearfully and wonderfully intense, the moment loaded with disbelief, anger, fear, and even, in spite of it all, a slight glimmer of hope. TDK’s ability to effortlessly pull a tangled bag of raw emotions from the depths of his characters’ soul is a beautiful thing to watch.
My favorite aspect of this show continues to be the family dynamics within the Pritchard family and between the twins. It is a bit bizarre to watch young Jimmy talking to Duval as father to a son. I mean, “kiddo”? Had Duval been close to his father, a moniker like that can be endearing to an adult son, but it must sound condescending to Duval, who as a child must have felt as if he was the only “adult” male in the family. I was glad that Jimmy expressed his respect for Duval as a lawman (although I was a little surprised that Duval quickly returned that professional respect; considering Jimmy’s corrupt past was a huge point of contention between them, I can’t believe those differences are suddenly resolved with just this one case).
The Pritchard women are intuitive and perceptive. I know Duval wants to protect his daughter and sister but keeping family secrets, especially a secret of this magnitude, could hurt him. Jimmy’s scenes with Gracie are charming and heartfelt, and if there’s anything that will ultimately bond Jimmy and Duval, it will be Gracie, who, by the way, is aptly named–how many teenagers would react to such an unfair outburst as her father’s with that much grace and equanimity. Duval’s affectionate wink at his daughter said everything that needs to be said about his feelings toward her. Lovely moment.
Did Duval’s sister call him “Duvie”? Poor guy. Between that and “Kiddo” it’s no wonder Duval has issues. And a Ouija board? A Ouija board. I haven’t seen one of those in 40 years. Helen (or is it Ellen?) is a perceptive woman, but maybe a tad bit flaky too.
This COTW is my favorite so far, both for the effect it had on Otto, and for how it tied into Duval and Jimmy’s past. Being considered “different” can have devastating effects on impressionable youth, and Otto’s empathy for the victims clearly came from his own experience. For Jimmy’s part, he is self-aware enough to recognize his earlier failure to help Duval see the case through led to the loss of more lives, so maybe there’s hope for him yet. They’re an effective team, Jimmy and Duval.
So, how to explain Jimmy to the FBI? Jimmy took care of that himself, leading Duval’s boss to believe he’s working as a C.I., much to Duval’s surprise (and my mixed feelings). Jimmy couldn’t hide in the shadows forever, but the assumption made by Duval’s boss (does she have a name, btw?) that Jimmy’s a C.I. seems quite a leap and makes me wonder if she’s playing Duval, keeping Jimmy close while she vets him. I find it hard to believe that she would simply take Jimmy’s word for it.
I confess. As soon as I heard “C.I.”, I felt two things: a giddy flashback high, and a pang to the heart. I know it’s irrational–SC is a different series with different characters and a different story–but there can only be one “C.I.” in TDK’s acting life. Call Jimmy something else, please.
Still, I’m looking forward to next week. I love seeing Tim on a regular basis again, and I hope, hope, hope it lasts.
It does feel good to see so much of Tim – and awesome Tim! – every week, doesn’t it?
I really feel like the show is reaching full gear now. I’m not sure how well it’ll work long distance, once everything is out in the open between everyone. But I really enjoy the tone of the show – with all the banter and snarky comments – so it should be fun to watch. 🙂
http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2016/02/06/tv-ratings-friday-feb-5-2016/
SC only dropped a tenth which, compared to the ratings drops of previous weeks, is an improvement. The audience probably needs to grow significantly for Fox to renew, but I wish a cable channel like SyFy could pick it up. I would think any science fiction related programming that pulls in 2 million plus viewers would be welcome there.
Yes, that’s a relief. Though I guess they couldn’t go much lower anyway… But that is really a shame, because the show is really reaching its full potential now and it deserves so much better!
When will the final ratings be out, Monday? Maybe they look better. Lucifer preliminary ratings for last week have been bad, but final ratings turned up a notch.
Keep my fingers crossed.
For previous episodes, the difference between the overnight and the adjusted final rating has been insignificant (and not nearly enough to overcome the week to week drop).
I’m more curious to know how SC’s Friday night rating compares to previous Fox programming in the same time slot at this time last year. If SC’s ratings exceed those numbers, then maybe we have a chance.
This episode was quite good, the best so far if you ask me.
Before Second Chance aired I was afraid that Tim has only a minor role because most of the publicity I’ve seen was focused on Robert Kazinsky or the two Lookinglass founders. But he has a major role and is – not really surprising – the best actor on scene.
Some funny lines that made me laugh out and the father-son story is getting thicker. Even the twins start to show some human characteristics.
Quite frankly, the last scene made me worry. Now Jimmy is going to be the FBI agent’s CI? Seriously? Why not call him Jimmy Burger. This is hopefully not going to be a White Collar warmed over.
White Collar is far from being the only show with a consultant. So, ok, they said “CI” so it makes the connection obvious, but this is likely going to be a simple “FBI – not FBI” partnership, like Peter and Neal, but also like Castle, The Mentalist, Elementary…
No, but it’s still a little hard to watch Tim DeKay, just off a memorable six-year stint as half of a very beloved partnership, in a new FBI role with a new partner working under the guise as a criminal informant. Viewers are still grieving the loss of White Collar, and it’s understandable if some are uncomfortable with the implied interchangeable nature of the two partnerships. It’s not logical, because these are very different characters in a very different fictional universe, but it is human. (Do you really think the rabid Castle fan base would be totally on board with another Nathan Fillion writer-character working with another cop not played by Stana Katic in another series immediately after Castle ends?).
I understand where Terry is coming from. I had trouble watching Parenthood’s Lauren Graham play mother to a different daughter not named Alexis Bledel a whole three years after Gilmore Girls ended, but she and Mae Whittingham proved to be a lovely and compelling mother/daughter duo too. Their success as Sarah and Amber Braverman-Holt on Parenthood did not obscure or diminish fan love for Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, and I was able to eventually embrace both (almost) equally.
In that case, it helped that NBC gave Parenthood six seasons, allowing the audience to grow with the show and accept Graham in a new role (and kudos to NBC for keeping it alive, because although Parenthood had a loyal fan base, ratings were never high). It remains to be seen whether Second Chance will be given the same support and opportunity for longevity by Fox, but if it is, I think viewers will accept Duval/Jimmy as (almost) as endearing as Peter/Neal.
This show is seriously one of the best things on TV right now! What an amazing episode! It’s gripping, well acted and so well written, it has me laughing out loud. It would be a crime not to renew it.