S01.E06: The Frustrating Things About Psychopaths

[Whimsy]

When a human heart is delivered fresh out of a body to the homicide division, Henry and Jo end up in the middle of a Jack the Ripper copycat murder investigation. But it doesn't stop there. A second killing resembles another infamous, unsolved crime: the Black Dahlia murder. Henry has seen it all before, as flashbacks show his involvement with the two original cases from two very different periods of his long life. However, Henry's anonymous caller tips him to search beyond the clues of these classic killings and leads the police squad to profile a very different, yet disturbed suspect.

[brisbydog]

Really loved this one. Stretching it that Henry was a medical examiner in the original Ripper case, but whatever. Loved him and Abe again. Learned Jo's name for the first time lol.

[Eegah]

I won't go so far as to say that a murder mystery where the killer's motivation is simply "He's crazy" is the laziest plot in existence, but it's definitely up there. A real sour ending to what had been a pretty good episode.

 

On the bright side, I adored the comic writer checking out Black Dahlia material under the name J. Ellroy, and the show not making any kind of explanation. If you get it, great, and if you don't, you don't feel like you're missing anything, but it's a fun little easter egg for crime fiction fans.

[Writing Wrongs]

This has become one of my new fave shows.

 

I could do without the sarcastic cop. "Did they catch the guy?" I'm sorry, but you don't know the Jack The Ripper case? Whatever, dude.

 

Do medical examiners usually go with detectives to interview suspects?

 

I wonder if his secret will get revealed to her by season's end?

[silverwings]

Did we know his name was Adam before tonight? I couldn't recall.  I wonder if the name has any significance or if that is his real name.  His comments to Henry at the end made it seem like he's been alive much longer than Henry has.  I wonder when his condition started.

[Eegah]

In his last appearance, he said he'd gone by many names over his life and suggested Henry call him Adam, to a priceless "Seriously?" face from Gruffud. He also claims to be around 2,000 years old.

[pcta]

I do hope they are not building for an Abe in jeopardy season ender - the quick "then he knows about you" discussion made me nervous

Edited October 22, 2014 by pcta

[dubbel zout]

There's no way Henry would need burner phones explained to him. I'm willing to handwave a lot of stuff, but that was just dumb. I feel like the show sometimes thinks that Henry has just awakened after more than 200 years, rather than having been living for more than 200 years.

 

On the bright side, I adored the comic writer checking out Black Dahlia material under the name J. Ellroy, and the show not making any kind of explanation.

That was great, though I admit I thought they'd have Henry be Mr. Smarty Pants yet again and explain who Ellroy is.

 

The case was interesting up until the whydunit.

[sonyab]

I loved it!!!! The show is getting better and better in my opinion! I love how his nemesis wanted to help him and said you will thank me later! Love that line! :) Then he slashed his throat so that Jo wouldn't catch Henry dying and disappearing. The nemesis did have a good point. I was squirming when the knife went into Henry, and the bad guy said to him that he broke his back, and then he stomped on it! ACK! Love when Henry threw the phone in the water!! :)  I read ABC did add additional scripts. Which says it doesn't mean they will renew for a 2nd season, or that additional episodes will be produced. It just means they aren't ready to pull the plug yet. Maybe if they add additional episodes, people will start to enjoy it and start to watch it more. I can only hope!

Edited October 22, 2014 by sonyab

[sonyab]

I do hope they are not building for an Abe in jeopardy season ender - the quick "then he knows about you" discussion made me nervous

Oh I didn't even think about that! I just thought a father is worried about his son, which I thought was sweet awww! :) Oh no I hope Abe doesn't get killed off!!! :'(

[topanga]

 

I won't go so far as to say that a murder mystery where the killer's motivation is simply "He's crazy" is the laziest plot in existence, but it's definitely up there. A real sour ending to what had been a pretty good episode.

To be fair, serial killers and psychopaths are crazy. And the motivations behind their murdering sprees don't always make sense. But I agree that the resolution of the mystery was a bit unsatisfying. The killer spent enough time with Henry to give him some idea why he felt compelled to recreate the historical murders.

 

And I know Henry feels pain when he dies, but this was the first time it saddened me to watch him die. Probably because his death wasn't quick. He had to lie on the floor helplessly with a punctured superior vena cava (and lung?) and a fractured spine. And there was the real possibility that Detective Martinez was going to watch him fade away.

 

--But why would that be the end of the world? Would Martinez throw him in jail, have him committed, refuse to speak to him again?

[dubbel zout]

I do hope they are not building for an Abe in jeopardy season ender

It might not be the season ender, but I think an Abe-in-jeopardy episode is inevitable.

[Jaded Sapphire]

I wonder if the name has any significance or if that is his real name

Definitely not his real name, he told Henry to call him Adam because he "feels like he's been here since the beginning."

But why would that be the end of the world? Would Martinez throw him in jail, have him committed, refuse to speak to him again?

The impression I got was that he and Abe would have to move again. That's what they've done every other time anyone has figured out Henry's secret. Abe had to convince Henry not to move when Adam first called, and since Adam seemingly has no interest in telling anyone (nor was he murdering anyone to prove it like Henry originally thought) they have no pressing reason to run from him.

I suppose if Jo did find out but promised to keep it a secret then it wouldn't necessarily be a problem either. Henry mostly seems worried about looney bins and dissection which is more of a wrong and/or too many people find out issue as opposed to an anyone at all finds out issue.

[rubyred]

Can someone clarify -- is Abe Henry's bio son? Or a "son" he picked up along the way who knows his secret and is now his family?

 

I don't know, this show...Ioan is so good but almost all the other elements feel so warmed over. Warmed over New Amsterdam + Elementary. And since Elementary is back next week I don't know if I'm going to have patience with been-there-done-that Henry Sherlocking all over the place. There is only so much handwavium I can manage between the premise and the day-to-day cluelessness of the other characters.

[dubbel zout]

Abe is adopted; he was born in a concentration camp at the end of WWII, and Henry and his lost love took him in.

[caprice]

I am liking this show far too much.

I loved it!!!! The show is getting better and better in my opinion! I love how his nemesis wanted to help him and said you will thank me later! Love that line! :) Then he slashed his throat so that Jo wouldn't catch Henry dying and disappearing. The nemesis did have a good point. I was squirming when the knife went into Henry, and the bad guy said to him that he broke his back, and then he stomped on it!

Yeah, the whole idea of, "I'll slash your throat right now and you'll thank me later," is just... weird. Still, Adam had a point.

 

Typing that last sentence made me flashback to Heroes. Anyone else laughing at the idea of having David Anders playing this guy? Seriously, the most horrifying part of that scene was Henry's conversation with Abe about how it felt.

 

To be fair, serial killers and psychopaths are crazy. And the motivations behind their murdering sprees don't always make sense. But I agree that the resolution of the mystery was a bit unsatisfying. The killer spent enough time with Henry to give him some idea why he felt compelled to recreate the historical murders.

 

And I know Henry feels pain when he dies, but this was the first time it saddened me to watch him die. Probably because his death wasn't quick. He had to lie on the floor helplessly with a punctured superior vena cava (and lung?) and a fractured spine. And there was the real possibility that Detective Martinez was going to watch him fade away.

 

--But why would that be the end of the world? Would Martinez throw him in jail, have him committed, refuse to speak to him again?

Yes, the killer did say at the first stab that he'd punctured Henry's lung, so there was that in addition to everything else. As if bleeding out and drowning wasn't going to be bad enough, the whole, "Your back is broken," and STOMPING ON IT just gave me serious wiggins (thank you, BtVS).

 

If Martinez were to see Henry fade away, I don't think the end of the world part would be related to Henry, but her reaction when she sees him later.

 

It might not be the season ender, but I think an Abe-in-jeopardy episode is inevitable.

I agree with this. There's a reason "loved one in danger" is a trope. When they go there, I have faith in Hirsch and Gruffud to pull it off well.

[Jaded Sapphire]

I'm starting to think we might have two tropes collide here and have not only Abigail still be around but also be the reason Adam knows about Henry. 

 

Side note - I'd always assumed Abigail died in the interim but Henry's comment about her current age (91) makes me think he wasn't lying when he told Jo in the Pilot that Abigail left him.

[iMonrey]

Just to clarify, who exactly did the killer turn out to be? Was it that blogger kid's father? We didn't see enough of him for me to really recognize him at the end. I'm confused.

 

I don't know, this show...Ioan is so good but almost all the other elements feel so warmed over. Warmed over New Amsterdam + Elementary. And since Elementary is back next week I don't know if I'm going to have patience with been-there-done-that Henry Sherlocking all over the place.

 

Yes, unfortunately, I'm feeling the same way, although I will probably stick with this show until the bitter end because I love Henry and Abe. But aside from that the show itself is another pedestrian crime procedural, and there is already a glut of those on TV. I wish they would focus more on the mythology of what keeps Henry from dying (permanently) and having him explore different possibilities with Abe, instead of having some new murder case for him to solve every week.

[Oscirus]

I'm pretty sure that Jack the Ripper sent a kidney not a heart, you should probably get those details right if you're going to make a murder mystery about a copycat killer. Also, mighty convenient that  the killer turned out to be the father of the boy who was bragging about a murder that he didn't know about.  It feels like this case should've been thought out better.

 

On the plus side. I do like the creepiness of Adam ( especially now that they're hinting that he's probably a serial killer). That last scene with Jo and Henry in the bar was nice. They're developing quite the friendship.

[Ariah]

I still love this show, not for its "crime" mysteries, but for the characters and their antics - and this episode did not dissapoint. Henry is all kinds of adorable and can I just have one? I'd love to have a Henry to bounce some crazy theories and talk about history with.

Abe is also lovely and I'd like to learn more about his story with the Frenchman (nice touch with the gender switch).   

 

Joe was... as always - not much to do, although in the end she did act. Good irony on her final conversation with Henry.

 

Adam, on the other hand, remains a mystery - perhaps he has been Jack the Ripper (the evidence of the ease of killing and precision in knife wielding). He's also almost omnipotent (which may become boring in the long-run, like with Red John on The Mentalist).

[dargosmydaddy]

I was getting a weird vibe at the end that Abe was somehow connected to "Adam," which is dumb when I think about it, but his relative nonchalance about Henry's freak-out over Adam, the fact that he was randomly walking around the city when Jo called him on the way to the Frenchman's (or did I miss it and they said where Abe was headed?), and the fact that Adam's voice sounded a tad bit like Abe's had me wondering a bit. Of course that would be impossible, but the final scene between Henry/ Abe played weirdly for me.

 

Never mind that Henry is free (and welcome) to accompany Jo at all times. I've made my peace with that. What drives me nuts is that he's always grabbing things without gloves. Unless he's working on a body, it's always his bare hands. He did this in the dead old rich lady episode, grabbing important evidence (the medicine bottle) and he was doing it again this episode. Jo needs to smack him.

[dubbel zout]

That bothers me, too, dargosmydaddy, as well as Henry constantly doing things during an investigation that are borderline or outright illegal. Is Henry really so selfish that he doesn't care that Jo has to clean up his messes (e.g., getting a search warrant before the Frenchman realized her book had been stolen by Abe) in order to make the evidence/information admissable?

[sonyab]

"I am liking this show far too much."

 

Yeah me too!!!! I have to be careful and be prepared in case this show gets canceled. :(

 

 

"Yeah, the whole idea of, "I'll slash your throat right now and you'll thank me later," is just... weird. Still, Adam had a point."

 

Yeah weird, but yes Adam had a good point. You just can't fight Adam on that! :)

Dargosmydaddy says "Adam's voice sounded a tad bit like Abe's had me wondering a bit."

 

WOW! I noticed that too!!!! It had me wondering, but then I shook that idea out of my head! :)

Edited October 22, 2014 by sonyab

[KaveDweller]

I noticed that Abe and Adam's voices sounded alike too, I was trying to think of what that could possibly mean.  It seems odd to be unintentional.  They cast a guy we never see, so they must have cared about his voice.  So, why hire someone who sounds like a main character?

[shapeshifter]

I noticed that Abe and Adam's voices sounded alike too, I was trying to think of what that could possibly mean. It seems odd to be unintentional. They cast a guy we never see, so they must have cared about his voice. So, why hire someone who sounds like a main character?

I didn't notice the similarity, but if it is intentional, maybe he's Abe's bio-dad who escaped the ovens of Auschwitz by virtue of being a Forever person? Or would that be a shark jumpy plot point? Edited October 23, 2014 by shapeshifter

[Surrealist]

Yes it was the blogger kid's dad. 

And I love the Frenchman.

 

I hope the Frenchman becomes a regular presence on the show.

 

"Adam" killing Henry was kind of eerie for reasons that other have mentioned here. 

 

And please, no talking about Abe dying. He's my favorite character. He'll be in harm's way at some point, but I don't want him to die.

[Ariah]

That bothers me, too, dargosmydaddy, as well as Henry constantly doing things during an investigation that are borderline or outright illegal. Is Henry really so selfish that he doesn't care that Jo has to clean up his messes (e.g., getting a search warrant before the Frenchman realized her book had been stolen by Abe) in order to make the evidence/information admissable?

 

It's true that Henry acts rash - I think he's not having much experience in working WITH people, and suddenly he's being in the field, all self-righteous and on a high horse that can be partially atributed to his longevity. He acts on a whim with a 'devil may care' notion. But I think recent developments (him being paralysed and dying too slowly for one) can change his attitude.

 

But let me just say - bravo to the show for addressing the paperwork and legal aspects of evidence gathering. On other shows I've seen such things are handwaved and pushed aside: stolen evidence? Who cares. Punching a witness? Punch him harder. Glad to see some reality on a supernatural show :)

 

[edited becaue I can't spell]

Edited October 23, 2014 by Ariah

[ElectricBoogaloo]

One thing I didn't like was Henry telling the mother that killers who target women have a woman who damaged them. Sometimes that's true but sometimes they are just assholes who target women because they are smaller/lighter/weaker/easier prey.

 

Did Henry's blood disappear from the carpet when he did? I expected Jo to find a pool of blood in the basement.

[attica]

One thing I didn't like was Henry telling the mother that killers who target women have a woman who damaged them.

 

Agreed. Lazy, counterfactual.

 

I patted myself on the back for having watched Ripper Street when I immediately recognized 'Freddy' Aberline's name. (And adding my yay for the Ellroy Easter egg.) Fun-ly enough, I read just the other day that the recent DNA ID of the Ripper has been debunked due to a math error. Kids: mind your decimals!

 

it's always his bare hands.

 

Ridiculous, yes. And yet, IG has lovely hands...

[Surrealist]

It's true that Henry acts rash - I think he's not having much experience in working WITH people, and suddenly he's being in the field, all self-righteous and on a high horse that can be partially atributed to his longevity. He acts on a whim with a 'devil may care' notion. But I think recent developments (him being paralysed and dying too slowly for one) can change his attitude.

I agree. I think Henry's socially awkward and that's why his personality bugs sometimes.

I also think his mindset has been the same since the first time he lived. Living for 200 years has changed his mindset in some ways, but hasn't changed much about his core personality. I think his comment about mothers being responsible for their sons turning into serial killers reflects this because it's an old-fashioned way of thinking.

I also believe that his deaths, on this show, are changing him little by little because they seem to get worse.

Edited October 23, 2014 by Surrealist

[dubbel zout]

I think his comment about mothers being responsible for their sons turning into serial killers reflects this because it's an old-fashioned way of thinking.

 

For someone who deals with murders every day, though, you'd think he'd understand the evolution of criminal psychology. To not be open-minded strikes me as detrimental to his job. He might overlook/misinterpret something because he doesn't think it could happen the way it did.

 

I think the show tries to have certain things both ways with Henry, and it doesn't always work for me, especially when those things affect his job and how he does it.

[Jaded Sapphire]

To not be open-minded strikes me as detrimental to his job. He might overlook/misinterpret something because he doesn't think it could happen the way it did.

To be fair, it is consistent: The Art Of Murder is an entire episode about him misinterpreting Gloria's long crawl (which now that I think about it makes Jo's original instinct about no one else being there correct) Edited October 23, 2014 by Jaded Sapphire

[dubbel zout]

Consistent, but it also proves my point. I have a hard time believing that Henry doesn't try to stay up-to-date with theories, procedures, etc., in general.

Edited October 23, 2014 by dubbel zout

[sonyab]

 

Did Henry's blood disappear from the carpet when he did? I expected Jo to find a pool of blood in the basement.

 

Yeah and the blood outside on the steps! I was waiting for her to find blood on the steps outside! I guess it was too dark. Yeah good question. Does his blood disappear when he does?

[shapeshifter]

Yeah and the blood outside on the steps! I was waiting for her to find blood on the steps outside! I guess it was too dark. Yeah good question. Does his blood disappear when he does?

That's how it works on Resurrection. Maybe there's a Show Writers' Guide to Supernatural Plot Devices that they all follow.

[Surrealist]

To not be open-minded strikes me as detrimental to his job. He might overlook/misinterpret something because he doesn't think it could happen the way it did.

I think the show tries to have certain things both ways with Henry, and it doesn't always work for me, especially when those things affect his job and how he does it.

Henry's arrogance gets the better of him.

I agree that the show tries to have certain things both ways with Henry. I wonder if the writers themselves are/were still in the process of fleshing out more of his character as the series progresses.

I'm not trying to make excuses for the writers not having more of a grip, but that might explain certain inconsistencies.

[rho]

Did Jo do a full sweep of the basement or did she just flash her light down the stairs? Either way, it makes me wonder what happened to 'Adam' Was he just hiding until the cops left? Did he sneak out? Or did he sacrifice himself to escape without being seen?

[ElectricBoogaloo]

 

Yeah and the blood outside on the steps! I was waiting for her to find blood on the steps outside! I guess it was too dark. Yeah good question. Does his blood disappear when he does?

His blood must disappear and go wherever his clothes are too!

[Glory]

Did Jo do a full sweep of the basement or did she just flash her light down the stairs? Either way, it makes me wonder what happened to 'Adam' Was he just hiding until the cops left? Did he sneak out? Or did he sacrifice himself to escape without being seen?

I think the sound that Jo heard (that made her check the basement) was Adam leaving. There had to have been a second entrance to that basement since we know Adam didn't come down the stairs to cut Henry's throat. So, it would make sense that she heard the door shut as Adam left, flashed her light down the stairs and then went back to the victim. 

[Oscirus]

Adam also could've just committed suicide and got out that way.

[Glory]

Adam also could've just committed suicide and got out that way.

Oooh! But then would Adam have appeared in the same body of water as Henry? Or does Adam reappear in a different manner since he wasn't originally drowned (that we know of) like Henry was!?

 

Or.... does Henry only reappear in water because his subconscious thinks he has to because[i/i] he originally drowned? With enough time and "practice" at dying could he just reappear at will? Maybe with his clothes on? 

 

Oooh... speculation is fun! 

[rho]

Adam also could've just committed suicide and got out that way.

 

I should have been clearer but that's what I meant when I said he 'sacrificed' himself to not be seen. It's the easiest way to escape, as we saw by him killing Henry. But do his deaths follow the same pattern as Henry's? Does he have an Abe? What's his preferred cover-up method. Henry can't be the only New Yorker wearing a pizza box as trousers.

[Melgaypet]

Rosalind Chao as The Frenchman! I love her. I hope we see her again.

 

Adam's voice doesn't sound like Abe's at all to me, but he does sound very familiar. In every episode he shows up, I amuse myself trying to identify the actor by voice. (I know I could look it up - I'm sure many of you guys already know - but that's no fun.) So far I've guessed Bill Paxton, Adrian Pasdar, Tim Olyphant, or Nathan Fillion. (I know that last one is ridiculous, but I swear that's who it sounded like at one point!)

 

So Henry has never killed anyone, even in self-defense, in 200+ years? Um, besides himself, I mean? Is that right? For some reason that surprises me. I'm now pretty sure he's going to have to before the end of the season. .

[dargosmydaddy]

 

So Henry has never killed anyone, even in self-defense, in 200+ years? Um, besides himself, I mean? Is that right? For some reason that surprises me. I'm now pretty sure he's going to have to before the end of the season. .

It's kind of surprising for someone on TV with his type of history/ job, maybe. For a real-life person, on the other hand... how many of us end up killing someone in our lifetime? Even if we got to live 3 or 4 lifetimes, the probability's not all that high.

 

Though yes, I'm sure he will end up killing someone at some point.

[Jaded Sapphire]

I suppose the show is being very specific, they aren't counting the subway poison guy that Henry plummeted off a roof with in the Pilot. (Not that I disagree, going over with him is very different then a push or shooting someone like Jo did, even if the deaths are both justified - They must've consulted Christopher Nolan on their 'haven't technically killed anyone' definition lol)

[Red Fields]

I thought Abe and Adam's voices sounded very similar, as well.

[sonyab]

That's how it works on Resurrection. Maybe there's a Show Writers' Guide to Supernatural Plot Devices that they all follow.

Yeah maybe haha. And I love Resurrection! :)

 

His blood must disappear and go wherever his clothes are too!

Yeah quite possibly! :)

[Surrealist]

Adam's voice doesn't sound like Abe's at all to me, but he does sound very familiar. In every episode he shows up, I amuse myself trying to identify the actor by voice. (I know I could look it up - I'm sure many of you guys already know - but that's no fun.) So far I've guessed Bill Paxton, Adrian Pasdar, Tim Olyphant, or Nathan Fillion. (I know that last one is ridiculous, but I swear that's who it sounded like at one point!)

I checked out the show's IMDB page and Adrian Pasdar is listed as Adam.

[dargosmydaddy]

 

I checked out the show's IMDB page and Adrian Pasdar is listed as Adam.

IMBD has been known to be wrong on occasion, but if that's true... yay! I love Adrian Pasdar!

[Guest]

My wandering mind last night thought, "Adam's voice is familiar.  It's reminding me a bit of Charlie on the 1970s Charlie's Angels."  Not so much that he sounded like Charlie but that you 'knew' the disembodied voice, and liked it.  And I do like Pasdar!