S01.E03: A Cyclone

[thewhiteowl]

 

After failing a military training mission, the team members are determined to prove themselves when an Internet infrastructure is threatened by a bomber.

 

 

 

[peggy06]

OK, this show is wildly improbable veering into silly, but I don't even care - it's entertaining! It's like the antidote to Resurrection, where the plot moves about an inch per episode. I find it to be a very relaxing Monday night watch. I like all the team members, am neutral about Paige, and they haven't forced Ralph into the plot too hard (yet).

 

Not sure how they keep up the pace for a full season, but I'm along for the ride.

[Jlina]

Wow, way to improve show.  Took a week off and returned to find characters' being fully fleshed out, a cohesive team being made, unlikely heros and a fun subversive plot.  I'm impressed.  Except with the waitress - what "normal" person wouldn't have ran to Walter and hugged him as he walked out of the smoke?

 

The other two looked like they were proud parents :)  Happy has changed already and is definitely earning her keep - they all seem to be.  It made me happy!

[Artsda]

This episode was like they were reading my mind, they knew I didn't understand what Paige's purpose was too! The rest of the group themselves didn't understand her purpose.  I give the writers credit for knowing ahead of time that her role in the group was the weakest and made the least sense and having the characters acknowledge that too. 

 

That alone made me like this episode.  

Edited October 7, 2014 by Artsda

[kaygeeret]

I'm seriously worried that there are so few comments.

 

Is this show doing poorly?  Should we fear cancellation?

 

I loved this episode...development of characters and so loving plot lines as the characters grow and overcome their fears to live up to the challenge.

 

So love the show...

[Calamity Jane]

Liking it better week by week. I wish McPhee would go back to singing, though.

[Beach Party]

That mathematician guys scanned 30 pages of text in a flash and memorized it.  That is amazing.  Next, Happy has turned into a bad ass - she's chasing down suspects, accurately predicting more bombs, and sensing explosives & finding a way to minimize the blast.  Toby seems like the weakest link in the group now.

[bros402]

Huh. A decent episode where all of the characters weren't shoved in our faces.

 

At least this wasn't an affront to good television like the second episode was.

[Cattitude]

I'm seriously worried that there are so few comments.

 

Is this show doing poorly?  Should we fear cancellation?

 

I loved this episode...development of characters and so loving plot lines as the characters grow and overcome their fears to live up to the challenge.

 

So love the show...

 

I really like this show. Yes I find the scenarios somewhat unrealistic but it is TV so that doesn't bother me. I think sometimes if a show is liked it might get less comments b/c it kind of deminishes my enjoyment to read all the negative stuff so I shy away from reading forums about shows I like a lot. (at least that's my story to keep from worrying about ratings.)

 

I always thought it was implied that the whole reason Gallo hired Paige is b/c Walter is in love with her and that is the only way to get them close enough that Walter could actually have a "normal" family one day. It is just a bonus that she is truely helping all of them be more "normal".

[kimaken]

I'm enjoying the show, too! I don't comment very often, but so far I'm liking the show. I like all the characters for the most part. I wondered about Paige's role, too, but then realized that she's the one who can pull them back to reality (when these geniuses get so focused on a specific idea that they block out everything else, and if that idea leads them to a dead end/brick wall, they get stymied and frustrated, not knowing what to do then). And in last night's episode, she was the one with the common sense knowledge about the armor truck, thus ending another possible dead end idea and redirecting them to the idea of the building being the target. I don't think her role is fully fleshed out yet; same with Toby. I like him--he's comic relief in some instances, but his type of genius isn't as well-defined as the others. Still, being able to think through human behaviors and characteristics in seconds to narrow the field of suspects is pretty good. Maybe there's more to his "talent" yet to be seen? I'm liking Happy more, now, as well. Last week her voice grated--not sure why, if it was the actor's speech or the soundtrack, but this week I really liked her. She's a good foil for Toby, too--the writers are probably going to eventually establish them as a couple, which I don't care one way or the other, but it'd be nice to see a couple who can be just good friends/colleagues instead of automatically going the romance-route.

[Goldmoon]

This week it strained credulity to think the team only ran off one copy of the info on one jump drive.  I kept expecting Walter to pull a duplicate out of his pocket rather than give the big guy some unlikely talent.  I am having a hard time liking this show but I like Toby.  It's the hat.

[SunnyBeBe]

This show would be perfect if they didn't have Paige.  IMO, she's unnecessary.  Even the characters address it.  Why must she be inserted in almost every scene?  I think I dislike her more than I like the show. It's a shame too.  Why ruin a really good show?  I realize Katherine can't help it, but she is just not working in that role, IMO.  If she is dominates another episode, I'm done with it.  

[threebluestars]

I wish Walter was a bit denser with people, because it would give Paige more of a reason to be there. I think the concept of her "translating" the world for them is good, but she never does it. Walter seems pretty savvy about people, self assured around them ... so for him to keep her around seems very much like creating a position for her because he likes her rather than really needing her.

[Lnmop]

This show would be perfect if they didn't have Paige.  IMO, she's unnecessary.  Even the characters address it.  Why must she be inserted in almost every scene?  I think I dislike her more than I like the show. It's a shame too.  Why ruin a really good show?  I realize Katherine can't help it, but she is just not working in that role, IMO.  If she is dominates another episode, I'm done with it.

They further addressed her purpose as the one who understands the real world. She wasn't hired because Walter loves her; Walter understood how to relate to her son. I think they'll flush out her character more - it appears as if the rest of the team needs to warm to her first.

[thuganomics85]

The fight scene between Agent Gallo and the corrupt agent brought back memories of the awesome fight scenes Robert Patrick had in Terminator 2.  If only Gallo also did the patent T-1000 run too!  I do like the idea/reveal that Gallo is actually on thin ice with the agency, and he is actually right there in it with the rest of the group.

 

I think the show is slowly improving, at least when it comes to the character interactions.  I like most of the group; Toby is a bit of a typical comic relief character, but he still amuses me (especially when he's annoying Gallo, and Gallo looks like he wants to smother him with that stupid hat.)  I still think they are struggling a bit with Paige, but I'll give them time, and I still don't hate Katherine McPhee.  I liked that Sylvester saved Gallo, but he didn't actually shoot the other guy, but the guy surrendered, because he knew he was inexperienced with guns, which could almost be as dangerous as someone who actually knows how to use it.

 

Still a lot of far-fetch technical moments and unrealistic scenarios.  Favorite this time was Walter not only surviving the bomb explosion, but coolly walking out of the rubble, with no ill-effects.  You would think at the very least his ear would be ringing, but I guess not.  But, I guess it's good to know that work places should always have extra salt packets around, in-case someone tries to bomb your building! 

 

Oh, and I see they finally established why this show is called Scorpion.

Edited October 7, 2014 by thuganomics85

[marketdoctor]

 

The fight scene between Agent Gallo and the corrupt agent brought back memories of the awesome fight scenes Robert Patrick had in Terminator 2.

 

I actually said "that's why you don't fight a Terminator" when it happened.

 

 

This week it strained credulity to think the team only ran off one copy of the info on one jump drive.  I kept expecting Walter to pull a duplicate out of his pocket...

 

I wanted to see Walter explain that he gave away some old IRS emails (because, topical!) and fought the guy to be convincing.

 

The ratings were apparently down a bit, but not into problem territory yet, and beating everything but The Voice:

 

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/10/07/tv-ratings-monday-scorpion-gotham-the-voice-slide-sleepy-hollow-flat-the-originals-premieres-down/311654/

[Beach Party]

How did Walter's team name their team "Scorpion" ?  In this episode they showed the neon Scorpion sign and Toby playing a Scorpion's song.  Was Walter's explanation to Ralph (about scorpions being loyal to each other) the entire origin story of their group name?

Maybe later this season they will show how Walter met Sylvester, Toby, and Happy.

[blatantlyobvious]

I'm enjoying this show too, although I find it a bit... much.  I'm all for the Nerdy-A-Team, but it may tire me out before too long.  For now, I'm liking that it's something different.

[willow2tree]

For some reason, this episode played like it should have been the second one to me.  There were a couple of moments when I went, "Oh!  That's why such-and-such happened last week!"  I may be in the minority, but Happy is my favorite character.  When she kicked the grabby marine's ass, I was, well, happy!

[DrSpaceman]

I missed last week's episode but caught this one. Sounds like I am lucky I missed episode two.

I like the show OK, I am just not that immersed in it.

Walter walking out of the smoke after the bomb was so cliche, its almost comical.

Why exactly did they find it necessary to make the umbrella thing during the stake out and what help was there with it? IF they had just waited 2 more minutes either way they would have seen the guy come out of the apartment, and then they still ran away.

I don't think its a bad show, I just don't find the characters even as geniuses interesting or likeable enough to distinguish it to enough of an extent from multiple other shows solving the problem of the week bomb/terrorist/killer/robber/whatever.

[Zahdii]

Why exactly did they find it necessary to make the umbrella thing during the stake out and what help was there with it? IF they had just waited 2 more minutes either way they would have seen the guy come out of the apartment, and then they still ran away.

 

That was the funniest part right there.  OK, they're new at this, they all park right across the street and stare at the guys house.  Not having been on a stakeout before they quickly get bored and wonder if anyone's even in the apartment, so they make a quick homemade listening device that looks exactly like a listening device, albeit a homemade one.  So they're listening to footsteps in the apartment (don't ask me how they knew that they were listening to the correct apartment, it looked to me like they could have been listening to any of half a dozen apartments).  The door opens and they tell each other to just act cool.

 

The perp steps outside, sees five people standing across the street staring at him, one of them holding a listening device pointed at his apartment, and of course he runs.  And the geniuses are surprised.  I really think that they are supposed to be so much smarter and out of touch with regular people that they actually thought that if they didn't actively point and squeal "Look!  There he is!", the guy would never suspect them of spying on him. 

 

I'm sure the waitress knew this 'act nonchalant' thing wasn't going to work, but in the short span of time she had before everything turned into a footrace, there was no way to explain to the socially inept geniuses that they were going about it all wrong.  They wouldn't have listened to her anyway.  Most of them really don't understand why she's there.  Walter even says "Well, just like I saw something in each of you and formed our team, I see something in her." 

 

I think what he sees is her kid.  Walter is reliving his damaged childhood through the kid, only this time he's in a position to tell the kid's parent what's going on and how to best handle it.  He'll be able to keep the kid from drawing undue attention to himself and being taken into custody by the government.  He's probably hoping that when the kid is older, he can join the team.  If Walter and the waitress become a couple and Walter can become step daddy, so much the better.

Edited October 8, 2014 by Zahdii

[Guest]

The umbrella listening device was so shoe-horned in there to show Happy's Macgyver skills.  And the umbrella being filthy was shoe-horned in to show Sylvester's germophobia.  It just all feels like a stretch to show character traits quickly, before they get cancelled.  Which is ironic because the cliche genius characters are the worst part, to me.  

 

If they'd just write a decent story, they could let the characters develop more organically over time.  

 

Off-topic but I went to IMDB to see what else I'd seen Elyes Gabel in and it says he's playing a Walter in a 2015 tv sci fi show called The Messengers or something.  Maybe it's just a guest spot and maybe they got his character name wrong.  

Edited October 8, 2014 by Guest

[rockwood84]

How did Walter's team name their team "Scorpion" ?  In this episode they showed the neon Scorpion sign and Toby playing a Scorpion's song.  Was Walter's explanation to Ralph (about scorpions being loyal to each other) the entire origin story of their group name?

Maybe later this season they will show how Walter met Sylvester, Toby, and Happy.

 

The real Walter O'Brien's hacker name was (is?) Scorpion.  You can read his bio here:

 

http://www.scorpioncomputerservices.com/the_founder.html

[Watcher0363]

Still a lot of far-fetch technical moments and unrealistic scenarios.  Favorite this time was Walter not only surviving the bomb explosion, but coolly walking out of the rubble, with no ill-effects.  You would think at the very least his ear would be ringing, but I guess not.

 

Walter walking out of the smoke after the bomb was so cliche, its almost comical.

 

I think this commercial explains it all. They did all go get something to eat afterwards.

 

Edited October 8, 2014 by Watcher0363

[izabella]

I don't think its a bad show, I just don't find the characters even as geniuses interesting or likeable enough to distinguish it to enough of an extent from multiple other shows solving the problem of the week bomb/terrorist/killer/robber/whatever.

 

I think that's the problem for me, too.  For all that they are geniuses, it's not really adding much to the typical crime of the week action trope.  I don't watch for the action and the chase scenes, and I'm not getting much beyond that here.

[Steph01924]

For some reason, this episode played like it should have been the second one to me.  There were a couple of moments when I went, "Oh!  That's why such-and-such happened last week!"  I may be in the minority, but Happy is my favorite character.  When she kicked the grabby marine's ass, I was, well, happy!

 

Yeah, this definitely felt like the second episode. They were explaining everyone's roles, they were in danger of being grounded before their team ever took off (until they of course proved their brilliance, securing the rest of a season's worth of cases), and Paige was acting really awkward around everyone (whereas in the sick governor's kid episode they all seem much more familiar with each other and no one questioned her role). The episodes were probably flipped to give us more backstory on Gallo and Walter and show off the butterflies between Paige and Walter and Ralph.

 

Yes, this show is silly and implausible, but I'm liking it. When I want something more to challenge my intelligence, I'll watch Sherlock. The actor playing Walter is easy on the eyes, I like the chemistry between everyone, and I'm a sucker for action movie scenarios. I'll ride this train as far as it goes.

[DrSpaceman]

I thought the opening scene with the team trying a military operation wasn't really fair. They have no military experience and even though it was just an exercise and not real, I think putting them in that situation with little training for it, I assume, was just setting them up for failure from the beginning. I am surprised this is a military funded operation really. Government funded yes, but I didn't envision them as part of military operations. Thought they would be more along the lines of FBI/CIA type operations rather than active military.

[Zahdii]

I thought the opening scene with the team trying a military operation wasn't really fair. They have no military experience and even though it was just an exercise and not real, I think putting them in that situation with little training for it, I assume, was just setting them up for failure from the beginning. I am surprised this is a military funded operation really. Government funded yes, but I didn't envision them as part of military operations. Thought they would be more along the lines of FBI/CIA type operations rather than active military.

 

Yes, I think you're right that putting the team with trained military personnel for a fake mission without any training was a dumb idea.  I imagine that there are times when the military needs certain civilians to complete a mission, and I bet they give as much backup, training, and support as possible before that happens.  I got the impression that the guy who set up this mission didn't want the Scorpions to succeed, thus sending them out with minimal training and placing them with a team that wasn't supportive or respectful to Walter and crew.

[kris4n6]

I have a question about the information - so it was downloaded onto the laptop and then burned onto the thumb drive, correct?  That was destroyed during the fight with the bad guy.  And the laptop hard drive was destroyed when the bomb went off.

 

When Walter made Paige leave, when he was trying to put the stuff around the bomb to minimize the explosion, why didn't he give Paige the laptop to take with her?  Or did I just miss something?  (or am I thinking too hard about this plot point?)

[Zahdii]

I have a question about the information - so it was downloaded onto the laptop and then burned onto the thumb drive, correct?  That was destroyed during the fight with the bad guy.  And the laptop hard drive was destroyed when the bomb went off.

 

When Walter made Paige leave, when he was trying to put the stuff around the bomb to minimize the explosion, why didn't he give Paige the laptop to take with her?  Or did I just miss something?  (or am I thinking too hard about this plot point?)

 

Yeah, we can't think too hard about this stuff.  Gotta keep it light and breezy to enjoy the show.  That said, I also see plot points that could be written better and I have to keep fanwanking them.  Such is life when watching TV shows, even the ones loosely based on some guy who actually exists.

[Tony]

"...what exactly is her purpose?" - Exactly what the viewers are asking every time Paige is in a scene. 

 

Case in point: after Walter got off the phone and said that the machine part they needed from Germany would arrive the next day, she tried to "contribute" by asking if it could get there any faster. Classifying her as useless would be putting it lightly.

[Watcher0363]

"...what exactly is her purpose?" - Exactly what the viewers are asking every time Paige is in a scene. 

 

Case in point: after Walter got off the phone and said that the machine part they needed from Germany would arrive the next day, she tried to "contribute" by asking if it could get there any faster. Classifying her as useless would be putting it lightly.

I for one, have a great deal of respect for exposition fairies. Especially so, if they can do it in song if necessary.

[shapeshifter]

I for one, have a great deal of respect for exposition fairies. Especially so, if they can do it in song if necessary.

This show would have been so much more original if it were a musical comedy!

[Watcher0363]

This show would have been so much more original if it were a musical comedy!

Well I am not sure about that. However I am looking forward to the episode where Walter and Paige go under cover at a private club as a lounge act. There Mcphee can perform 'Makin Whoope' in a red dress on top of a piano. Then we will all know why she is with the group and on the show.

[BigBeagle]

This show has become my TV guilty pleasure. I don't care about the nonsensical scenes (only one backup of the critically important information? Reaalllly?), the hit-and-miss performances (other than the lead guy and Robert Patrick, nobody's been totally solid so far, and McPhee's been nothing more than a doe-eyed cypher), or the fact that if I think too much about the plot, my brain will hurt. This show entertains me, and you really can't ask for more than that.

Edited October 13, 2014 by BigBeagle

[AnnaRose]

This really did seem like it should have been the second episode.   The last episode would have made more sense airing after this one.  I liked this one much better too.  I really enjoyed the Happy character a lot more during this episode, and I liked getting some clarity on the government guy's motives for putting the team together.  (Sorry, can't remember the character's name, and too lazy to look it up right now.)

 

This series is totally implausible, and I normally hate any kind of procedural... but this show has been pretty entertaining thus far.   Katherine McPhee is still the weak link though, and I find her presence kind of distracting.  But I do like that the characters acknowledged the fact that she doesn't seem to belong.

[Beezella]

There was in interesting short piece on our local Boston news programming after this episode aired about the "real" Scorpion. They discussed how he helped locate the Marathon bombers using a similar technique of finding someone in the crowd who reacts differently from the rest.

 

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2014/10/06/real-life-scorpion-helped-id-boston-marathon-bombing-suspects/

[WasntMe]

I wish Walter was a bit denser with people, because it would give Paige more of a reason to be there. I think the concept of her "translating" the world for them is good, but she never does it. Walter seems pretty savvy about people, self assured around them ... so for him to keep her around seems very much like creating a position for her because he likes her rather than really needing her.

 

I agree, he could be a lot less in touch with the world, it would make her role a lot more useful.   The "how would a normal person have responded to that?" notwithstanding, he doesn't seem to be unable to work with the muggles.

 

 

 Favorite this time was Walter not only surviving the bomb explosion, but coolly walking out of the rubble, with no ill-effects.  You would think at the very least his ear would be ringing, but I guess not.  But, I guess it's good to know that work places should always have extra salt packets around, in-case someone tries to bomb your building! 

 

When they showed the smoke I said to Mr. WasntMe, "AND he comes walking out unharmed." And then he did. Of course.  But that's okay, I like the show anyway.  My favorite part of many procedurals I've watched are the genius or tech characters (Garcia on Criminal Minds, etc).

[Mrs OldManBalls]

Liking it better week by week. I wish McPhee would go back to singing, though.

 

I decided to watch this last night and I was pleasantly surprised! It's not a bad show at all. I'm assuming this American Idol girl  ( and her character) finds her footing as the season continues?