S02.E02: Ben & Teller

[secnarf]

Quote

Ben takes on the role of a bank teller in the wrong place at the wrong time during a dangerous armed robbery. Addison, Magic, Ian and Jenn come to terms with a shocking discovery. The team adds a new member.

Original air date: Oct 11 2023

[edhopper]

No More Benaddison. Where will this go?

[AnimeMania]

Janet Montgomery as Rebecca Egan
Graham Patrick Martin as Sean Egan
Andy Bean as Ganz
Billy Lush as Vince
Chris Johnson as Detective Reynolds
John Alton as Eddie
Angelo Perez as FBI Agent Alan Lee
Vincent Irizarry as Wes
Katie Wilson as Snippy Customer

[Trini]

Didn't think they'd be able to extricate themselves from the Ben/Addison relationship that was so central to Season 1, but they managed it!

 

So with the three-year time jump, the show is now officially taking place in the future. I wonder if they'll actually do anything with that, besides changes to everyone's personal lives.

So this new Tom guy is Addison's new boyfriend, and somehow connected to the QL project -- I'm going to need them to clarify his role and backstory.

Hmmm- Ian has another secret??

Good leap of the week; but would a woman in her seventies really still be working, as a teller?

[AnimeMania]

55 minutes ago, Trini said:

Good leap of the week; but would a woman in her seventies really still be working, as a teller?

I was a different time back then, I couldn't believe how the manager talked to Rebecca Egan, when she was the next highest person working at the bank.

[Starchild]

14 hours ago, edhopper said:

No More Benaddison. Where will this go?

Don't get too excited. My guess is that new guy dies, Ben & Addison get back together. 

[iMonrey]

3 hours ago, Starchild said:

Don't get too excited. My guess is that new guy dies, Ben & Addison get back together. 

Just for a second there, I thought maybe - just maybe - the show got the message, that Ben and Addison just weren't working. In fact I'd say it was an anchor dragging down the whole show. But it seemed very unlikely that Caitlin Bassett would return for just 2 episodes, so by the end when she said she couldn't abandon Ben and the mission I realized they were just doubling down on this tedious angst by throwing a third party into the mix.

Exactly as I feared, the show just doesn't seem to understand what's not working and instead of fixing it, they're doubling down on it. They are so focused on an overarching present day HQ story and it's at the expense of the leap stories. 

I thought this one was especially sloppy. For one thing, why on earth would Sean and his cohorts rob Sean's own sister's bank? They would obviously be identified immediately and be on the lam for the rest of their lives. They didn't even try to wear masks! How stupid are they?

Also, Ben missed an obvious opportunity to lock the two robbers in the vault while they were collecting the money, which would have left only Sean out in the bank - the only one they could reason with. 

It also seemed terribly convenient that Ben stuck around just long enough for Addison to visit him before he leapt away. 

I don't know how this thing got renewed, frankly. I wonder how many episodes they shot before the strike started.

[possibilities]

Also, a building like that with only one egress? They have to be kidding! Call the fire marshal RIGHT NOW!!

I actually think Addison has way more chemistry with New Guy than with Ben. I find her terrible with Ben. Stiff, angsty, fake-seeming. I liked her in the beginning and middle of this episode, when she seemed to be moving on.

 

[Starchild]

Yeah, I got a little tingly when she said she wouldn't go back to QL. Then, of course, by the end she was back. Blech

[iMonrey]

I wish they would just write Addison out altogether, then have the rest of the team focus on getting Ben home. The three that are left could take turns each week being the hologram helper, which would give them all something to do every episode, and then the writers could just focus on writing better leap stories.

But, I guess we just can't have nice things.

[Trini]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

Just for a second there, I thought maybe - just maybe - the show got the message, that Ben and Addison just weren't working. In fact I'd say it was an anchor dragging down the whole show. But it seemed very unlikely that Caitlin Bassett would return for just 2 episodes, so by the end when she said she couldn't abandon Ben and the mission I realized they were just doubling down on this tedious angst by throwing a third party into the mix.

 

Nooooo!   Just let me enjoy this! 😩

But seriously; I think they did get the message - hence her moving on - but yet they're still committed to Ben/Addison since it was such a big part of the first season.

For what it's worth, the producers did say that there would be more focus on the leap stories this season.

[DoctorAtomic]

I'm pleased to take my fair share of the credit for calling Ben leaping into himself then into the accelerator again was the cause for losing him. Though I don't think it's that hard of a guess. I was hoping Ian was working with Janice though.

I like that Ian never gave up. Although Ian could have just said 'the code is xxxxx'. Not, 'ok it's 5 digits, here it is.'

Episodes that are self-contained like this are always cool. 

I don't get in bank robberies on tv why the bank people are all defending the money. "Give me the code." "Ok. Let me go over and help you open the door too." 

Ian dropping off in the middle was cool too. Although, I kind of wanted to see Ben do one more leap solo. 

Oooh, the new guy is friends with everyone!

I understand Ben wants to talk to Addison, but he's being a bit much to not consider three years have passed. I'd like to see how Magic dealt with the shuttering of the project too. 

I don't know if I like the sort of-reset button so soon. I don't mind per se, but I would have liked Addison to wrestle with it more. She's all about service, and these leaps are really the highest form of service in a way. I could see that bringing her back. 

18 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

I was a different time back then, I couldn't believe how the manager talked to Rebecca Egan, when she was the next highest person working at the bank.

In 1986? Sadly, yes. 

4 hours ago, possibilities said:

Also, a building like that with only one egress? They have to be kidding! Call the fire marshal RIGHT NOW!!

I still have to go to the bank, and it's awful. The branch I go to has only one entrance/exit. 

 

[possibilities]

57 minutes ago, DoctorAtomic said:

I still have to go to the bank, and it's awful. The branch I go to has only one entrance/exit. 

Maybe for the public, but it's a massive code violation if that's true throughout the building. 

https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.36

[fastiller]

11 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

I don't get in bank robberies on tv why the bank people are all defending the money. "Give me the code." "Ok. Let me go over and help you open the door too." 

 

Seriously.  I worked in a bank branch in various positions and we were trained: "let them take whatever they want; no human life is worth it" and that was WITHOUT a wink & a nod.  Like, they absolutely meant it.

The thing I like least about TV bank robberies is that it is almost never the case that one person has the entirety of the access to the vault.  Most bank branch vaults have two combination locks on them.  Half your managerial team has one combo; the other half has the other combo.  This has been the norm since at least the mid 70s.

[iMonrey]

I think it would be fun if they would occasionally show Ben from the other characters' point of view. In other words, while Ben was carving up the drywall with the box cutter, cut to the other bank customers who see this 70+ year old woman doing that. 

We've barely been getting a brief glimpse of who Ben has leaped into on this show. We used to see the person's reflection more in the original series, and IMO they could take that a step further.

[zoey1996]

I’ve never had a problem with Addison, thought she & Ben together were fine. However, I’m enjoying this season, with more involvement from Ian. 

[libgirl2]

2 hours ago, zoey1996 said:

I’ve never had a problem with Addison, thought she & Ben together were fine. However, I’m enjoying this season, with more involvement from Ian. 

I think many of us wanted more Ian! 

[secnarf]

On 10/12/2023 at 4:45 PM, iMonrey said:

I thought this one was especially sloppy. For one thing, why on earth would Sean and his cohorts rob Sean's own sister's bank? They would obviously be identified immediately and be on the lam for the rest of their lives. They didn't even try to wear masks! How stupid are they?

I was expecting the sister to be in on the whole thing.

I don't mind Addison, but I am annoyed at the idea this will become a love triangle. I really did feel for both her and Ben, but I really have no interest in a drawn out triangle. I am not really fussed about whether or not she ends up with Tom or Ben, I just want them to stick to someone.

I also don't think this show is going to be particularly long-lived, and would hate to waste it on a love triangle. Then again, I have always been more interested in watching external conflict rather than internal conflict.

[QuantumMechanic]

On 10/11/2023 at 10:26 PM, edhopper said:

No More Benaddison. Where will this go?

If only there were no more Benaddision.  Is there any doubt the producers will be putting them back together even though she is terrible and has no chemistry with him?  And the stupid inevitable love triangle will make it even worse.

Edited October 15, 2023 by QuantumMechanic

[Starchild]

52 minutes ago, QuantumMechanic said:

Is there any doubt the producers will be putting them back together even though she is terrible and has no chemistry with him? 

Nope.

 

On 10/13/2023 at 3:13 PM, libgirl2 said:

I think many of us wanted more Ian! 

So much more Ian. Please!

[KaveDweller]

On 10/13/2023 at 11:43 AM, iMonrey said:

I think it would be fun if they would occasionally show Ben from the other characters' point of view. In other words, while Ben was carving up the drywall with the box cutter, cut to the other bank customers who see this 70+ year old woman doing that. 

We've barely been getting a brief glimpse of who Ben has leaped into on this show. We used to see the person's reflection more in the original series, and IMO they could take that a step further.

That would be a lot of fun. Otherwise it is hard to remember who Ben is even supposed to be.

[gail56]

Haven't finished watching the episode yet, but wanted to point this out before I forget. We know in this version of the show Ben leaps into people's actual bodies, not switch places with them. So he should only have the strength of a 70 year old woman. So how was he able to punch through that drywall without breaking her shoulder? 

Love seeing Ian as the hologram!

[Nerfect Drifty]

I simply could not get past the fact that the robbers didn't wear anything to obscure their faces.  Nothing.  Even if one of the robbers was not brother to a bank employee and thus instantly recognizable, and even if things had gone perfectly to plan and they were in and out before the cops showed up, their faces would be all over the security footage.  I know this took place in 1986 so I should not make too many assumptions about the technology, but banks had cameras all over the place even back then.  They were bulkier and more expensive, but they were there.

Edited October 17, 2023 by Nerfect Drifty

[KaveDweller]

On 10/16/2023 at 10:01 PM, gail56 said:

Haven't finished watching the episode yet, but wanted to point this out before I forget. We know in this version of the show Ben leaps into people's actual bodies, not switch places with them. So he should only have the strength of a 70 year old woman. So how was he able to punch through that drywall without breaking her shoulder? 

The writers forgot what they said last season?

[Commando Cody]

Every time I get my hopes up that the show runners realize that a character is a waste of screen time, they pull the character back in. It's almost like they do it to mess with the people who don't like the character. 

They didn't learn from the original show that Sam should never have had a wife. In this show, they plop a non-working relationship into the leaps. 

[Lisa418722]

2 hours ago, Commando Cody said:

They didn't learn from the original show that Sam should never have had a wife. In this show, they plop a non-working relationship into the leaps. 

While I would have preferred that Sam hadn't been married, at the same time it didn't bother me that much because Donna WASN'T THE HOLOGRAM!!! Sorry for yelling, but I much prefer Ian being the hologram because it reminds me more of the Al and Sam friendship.  I don't want to see a relationship between the leaper and the hologram.  Then the leaper has a harder time being whoever he has leaped into.