S01.E14: Fundamentals of Naked Portraiture

[thewhiteowl]

When a developer at the tech think tank Brian frequents is murdered, he and Rebecca interview the robotic version of the victim that she created before her death for clues to the killer’s identity. Also, Brian screens agents for a position to join Mike and Ike as his third bodyguard.

 

 

[Big Mother]

wait what? There was an episode on last night? My CBS app had "Brian's first Black Op" and the description for it listed so I didn't bother watching. Now I'm upset, if there really was an episode. This is one show that has me riveted the entire time with suspense. Can't believe I missed this. Gonna check on the CBS app if there was indeed an episode.

Nope. No new episode up on CBS app.

[thewhiteowl]

Yes, sorry, I will amend the title.

Amended

Edited February 2, 2016 by thewhiteowl

[Big Mother]

How excited am I that there is finally a new episode?! :) :)!!! :) :)

[Big Mother]

that was seriously creepy and freaky. Aaaaaand, Scorpion tried the 'uploading consciousness to the computer' already (it didnt work).

 

My heart was pounding the whole episode. Brain is deeper and deeper in trouble. I wonder if Rebecca suspects anything and is letting him off free? are we gonna find out in the season finale that Rebecca was on Morra's payroll this whole time?

 

I'm puzzled how Sands would even know that 1) the buttons were chipped differently 2) the security guard needed to be killed? Does Sands have another mole inside the FBI?

 

This episode was missing a lot of the usual comedy and candor. It wasn't as fun and colorful. It was a little creepy, and very suspenseful.

 

I like when the show is fun.

[turnitwayup]

I'm really loving that we are getting to know about Mike and Ike a little at time. Glad that Ike was suspicious of Spike cause he was gonna get insufferable with the ass kissing. I wonder if Rebecca is gonna find out at the end of the season about Brian working for Morra and the cliffhanger is gonna be her deciding what to do with that info.

[sjohnson]

Sands can't know about the buttons. Sands may be able to read Brian well enough to know there's still a problem. If so, the debrief tells him the biggest thread is the evidence clerk. If Sands is on NZT maybe he could have had the time to find the clerk, and figure out a way to fake an accident. 

 

But that's two big "ifs." The other thing to consider is the probability of a witness with a peanut allergy who insists on eating Chinese dying from anaphylactic shock. That doesn't strike me as quite as low as might appear at first glance. Coincidences do happen and it is folly to announce they don't. The difficulty is in figuring the odds, which can be very difficult to do.

[Netfoot]

I like when the show is fun.

 

Me too, but a little seriousness is OK too, because this isn't a pure comedy.  Otherwise, they should have chosen Tim Allen to play the part of Brian.

[solea]

I think Rebecca is lying to Brian about the evidence clerk being dead. I think she spoke to him and knows Brian was there. If so, it will be interesting to see how that could play out.

I like the light, comedic tone of the series. It's fun. But I'd also like to see it go more serious, more dark at times. It would have more punch in comparison.

[twoods]

I blame the clerk's death on Brian. He knew that Rebecca would find out about the buttons and would go to the clerk who would identify Brian. And he knows what Sands is capable of doing. Ridiculous. He is getting too cocky for his own good.

Loved seeing Quentin and CRAFT again.

[thuganomics85]

Liked how characters from past episodes; like Quentin and CRAFT and "A Dick" Johnson; ended up factoring in tonight's episode.  And I wouldn't be surprised if they show up again, since it sounds like Johnson might have a vendetta and Quentin and Rebecca could possibly start seeing each other.

 

I knew that poor evidence guy was doomed as soon as Brian mentioned him to Sands.  Come on, Brian!  You know how Sands is.  He would totally take him out just to make extra sure he wasn't a problem.  You should have never mentioned him at all.  I did think Rebecca was showing signs that she is noticing Brian's hesitations in looking into Morra, so I wonder how long he can keep this going.

 

Mike & Ike dealing with Spike was great.  I like that Brian seems to be rubbing off on them, by them bringing painting and dolls to demonstrate to Naz what they found out.  And with respect to Mike's career, I hope they keep finding ways to not have him leave.

 

Brian getting the gloves at the end has to be a set-up for a future episode, right?

[3girlsforus]

I laughed so hard when Sands said he was going to the lecture on Iroquois farming techniques LOL. This show has some really terrific lines. 

[Netfoot]

I laughed so hard when Sands said he was going to the lecture on Iroquois farming techniques LOL.

 

What made me laugh was when he said it was sold out!  Hahahahahahaha!

[Clanstarling]

I'm puzzled how Sands would even know that 1) the buttons were chipped differently 2) the security guard needed to be killed? Does Sands have another mole inside the FBI?

.

 

 

Sands can't know about the buttons. Sands may be able to read Brian well enough to know there's still a problem. If so, the debrief tells him the biggest thread is the evidence clerk. If Sands is on NZT maybe he could have had the time to find the clerk, and figure out a way to fake an accident. 

 

But that's two big "ifs." The other thing to consider is the probability of a witness with a peanut allergy who insists on eating Chinese dying from anaphylactic shock. That doesn't strike me as quite as low as might appear at first glance. Coincidences do happen and it is folly to announce they don't. The difficulty is in figuring the odds, which can be very difficult to do.

My take, as I was watching, was that Brian is a terrible liar. Sands noticed, and twice questioned, Brian's attempt to imply everything was fine, without actually saying it. He didn't truly lie until Sands asked him the second time, and did a poor enough job of it that I found it easy to believe Sands twigged to the truth. He didn't know the details, necessarily, but knew enough to know there was a problem.

Reminded me of when my kids tried to dodge a direct question. I could almost always tell when they were lying.

Edited February 11, 2016 by clanstarling

[iMonrey]

 

I did think Rebecca was showing signs that she is noticing Brian's hesitations in looking into Morra, so I wonder how long he can keep this going.

 

I can't figure out how much she suspects. She was sharp enough to notice the minute difference between the two chipped buttons but can't see how clearly uncomfortable Brian is whenever she raises this issue? You sort of want her to be suspicious of him because she's supposed to be so sharp but so far they've not given any real indication she suspects him. 

[krimimimi]

Man I love this show.

I still have a hard time believing AgentDeb could tell the chips were different given the angle of the pic of the original chip, but whatevs.

Me too, but a little seriousness is OK too, because this isn't a pure comedy. Otherwise, they should have chosen Tim Allen to play the part of Brian.

Good point. But then what is it exactly, because I was having similar thoughts about "You, me, and the apocalypse" which I also enjoyed a lot. How to categorize them? I don't seem to like sitcoms, but I do like stories with frequently dark humor. Or maybe dark stories with humor. Really don't know what to call them. Pretty sure "dramedies" fails to cover it.

[MissLucas]

The whole brain files thing was pushing the sci-fi angle of the show too hard for me. And Brian should have realized that the clerk was in danger once it became clear that Rebecca wouldn't drop her investigation.

 

But the look on Naz's face when Ike and Mike were about to build their own little diorama on her desk was all worth it. I also love Brian's over-the-top scenarios for FBI arrests that reality never matches.

Edited February 12, 2016 by MissLucas

[MisterGlass]

Mike and Ike's presentation was my favorite bit.  Mike looked disappointed holding those little popsicle stick puppets.

 

The brain images didn't grab me as a case of the week.  I feel like NZT should be the scifi-est item in play.  However, the bits with Sands upped the intensity.  I didn't anticipate the death of the clerk, and I'm not sure where Rebecca goes from here.  I know she is determined to continue, though.

 

I can't figure out if Morra or Sands is the murderer here.  But this ought to give Brian pause.

[Snarkette]

This ep was such a downer, even with Spike. Not one of my faves. It just felt like the writing was flat and it was missing...something.

[Driad]

We were pleased at the mentions of the Necronomicon and the Arkham game, although when we looked it up, apparently the Arkham game has nothing to do with H. P. Lovecraft.  Always good to see Twilight Zone clips.

 

I'm glad Spike is gone because I'm not good with faces and he looked too much like Ike.

[Free]

This ep was such a downer, even with Spike. Not one of my faves. It just felt like the writing was flat and it was missing...something.

 

The better episodes usually have a better balance between the funny and serious material.

[Latverian Diplomat]

The whole brain files thing was pushing the sci-fi angle of the show too hard for me. 

 

Yeah, we're nowhere close to anything like that. (And nitpick, the Singularity isn't really about brain uploading, though that can be part of it, I guess).

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technological_singularity

 

Maybe we're supposed to think that there's enough NZT floating around that sudden, amazing advances are going to start popping up everywhere?

 

Also, there was just a news story about how the mechanism that gecko's use doesn't actually scale to human size. (Spider-man fans were not happy).

[Latverian Diplomat]

The other thing to consider is the probability of a witness with a peanut allergy who insists on eating Chinese dying from anaphylactic shock. That doesn't strike me as quite as low as might appear at first glance. Coincidences do happen and it is folly to announce they don't. The difficulty is in figuring the odds, which can be very difficult to do.

There's the probability of such a thing happening ever, and then there's the probability of it happening just before he gets a chance to give crucial evidence to the FBI, which seems very low indeed to me.

Edited February 12, 2016 by Latverian Diplomat

[sjohnson]

The timing doesn't change the probability of death from that particular cause. If you did want to calculate the probability of a coincidental death at that time, you have to add the probabilities of all possible causes of death at that time (from actuarial tables I suppose.) The question is, is it really so improbable that someone allergic to Chinese food who still insists on eating oat a Chinese restaurant dies from anaphylactic shock? Not seeing that as so unlikely. It's the notion the dude had a special arrangement with the chef that seems so unlikely. Also, every death risks an investigation. So it seems to me that Sands had to be certain before he'd risk getting caught. 

 

And of course, even on NZT, how could Sands find out about the allergy and the arrangement on the very night he was eating Chinese yet still in time to figure out a traceless way to rig the dishes? 

 

That said, it's possible the writers don't believe there is such a thing as coincidence. It doesn't take NZT to know better, but grasping this is not just an intellectual proposition. Very deep seated attitudes about the nature of the world and humanity are invoked.

Edited February 12, 2016 by sjohnson

[MrWhyt]

There's the probability of such a thing happening ever, and then there's the probability of it happening just before he gets a chance to give crucial evidence to the FBI, which seems very low indeed to me.

To quote Elim Garak: "I believe in coincidences. Coincidences happen every day. But I don't trust coincidences."

Edited February 13, 2016 by MrWhyt

[riverheightsnancy]

I liked the episode. I didn't think it was too dark. I really liked that they called the new guy "Spike". 

[Latverian Diplomat]

The timing doesn't change the probability of death from that particular cause. 

If the death occurs during a window where someone has a motive to murder the deceased, then the probability of death by any means that could be murder instead of an accident increases. 

 

I always have a certain base risk of being hit by a car, but if the "mafia" is after me, my chances of being being run over are higher than normal (because there are some people out there who will be happy to run me down intentionally if they see me).

 

Similarly, if I have a dangerous allergy, that's a certain level of risk, but if someone wants to kill me, they could use that allergy to poison me on purpose, rasising the chances that I will die that way. 

 

My chances of dying from lightning strike, shark attack, or being hit by a meteor are not increased.

[sjohnson]

The car example isn't a bad one, because it's so easy to fake. Death by anaphylaxis requires ensuring a large enough dose tracelessly administered with provisions to prevent successful treatment (such as swiping or sabotaging an EpiPen,) also tracelessly.

[Snarkette]

I think that's why they pushed the point that he was a regular customer, known to the chef.

[sjohnson]

I think that's why they pushed the point that he was a regular customer, known to the chef.

I would have thought the chef was used to taking precautions to save a friendly customer personally known to him from danger of death. I'm not sure that wouldn't make this method of assassination even chancier. 

 

Has Brian thought about whether Sands is on NZT? I don't think he is.

[Clanstarling]

The car example isn't a bad one, because it's so easy to fake. Death by anaphylaxis requires ensuring a large enough dose tracelessly administered with provisions to prevent successful treatment (such as swiping or sabotaging an EpiPen,) also tracelessly.

Though I thought getting the allergen into his food was not particularly difficult - you make a good point about the EpiPen. Anyone that allergic would carry one at all times. I doubt, however, the writers thought of that unless one of them carries an epipen, and if so maybe we'll hear more about the details later.

[MisterGlass]

 

Has Brian thought about whether Sands is on NZT? I don't think he is.

 

That's interesting - I've assumed he is.  It seems like that would be a perk of employment as the all-jobs man, especially one interested in Iroquois farming techniques.  It would help him police Brian.  But then as others have mentioned Brian is a terrible liar, so I suppose NZT is not required.

[MissLucas]

Murder or attempted murder by allergic reaction is becoming a trope. I remember similar plots on 'NCIS', 'Person of Interest' and 'Elementary' (twice - one time it was an almost identical scenario to the one used here incl. a Chinese restaurant).

[hnygrl]

I enjoyed this episode. It was really interesting and a little stressful and funny at the same time.

I've had the thought in the back of my mind that the clerk wasn't done away with by Sands. Maybe this is one of those weird little coincidences where the cook wasn't the regular cook, but knew about the peanut allergy, but not that it would kill him but just that he was allergic and not to put peanuts in the guy's food.

The he absent-mindedly stirs the wok with the clerk's food in it with the same spoon he used to stir the peanut dish in the other wok, not even thinking about it. And killed the guy.

I don't think Sands had anything to do with this one really...that's just the way my brain works though.

Brian really is a lousy liar though. He gets all tense and defensive when he's lying and he can't look you in the face.

 

I'm enjoying this show so much, I bought the season and re-watch it all the time. Here's hoping they can keep the magic flowing and please Lord, No Brian/Whatever his handler's name is romance.

[ae2]

I'm still laughing at Mike and Ike trying to present to Naz the way Brian would. I wish we had seen the conversation and the work that led up to it.

[krimimimi]

I'm still laughing at Mike and Ike trying to present to Naz the way Brian would. I wish we had seen the conversation and the work that led up to it.

Well, I thoroughly enjoyed that scene, and liked your post, but now I'm gonna go and disagree.... I got a giggle out of the setup, and particularly loved that Naz shut them down, but I didn't need to see Mike and Ike prep for that. (Might have been a hard sell in Mike's case, too. That would have been a fine line.) But I really love that this show provides imagination fodder. They aren't afraid to just give you an idea, trusting the viewer to fill in the blanks. You really can just picture the lead up to it. That means the silliness can be condensed, high concentration enjoyable randomness, and they have more time for the story. It makes the episodes seem so marvelously densely packed for me. More please!

[Hecate7]

Though I thought getting the allergen into his food was not particularly difficult - you make a good point about the EpiPen. Anyone that allergic would carry one at all times. I doubt, however, the writers thought of that unless one of them carries an epipen, and if so maybe we'll hear more about the details later.

 

So you bump into him on the way in, and arrange for him to help you in some way--drop your glasses and he picks them up, or something. While that's going on you lift the epipen. He's not in need of it right now and won't notice. You then go to his table and joke about it being a small world and thank him again for his help. Get him to write something down for you, and while he's writing, you spritz the peanut oil into his food, his drink, and anything else you see that's likely to find its way into his mouth--silverware, for instance.

 

Then you leave. The epipen is still in your pocket and nobody knows.

 

Given enough time anyone could think up a way to do this kind of thing. It would be child's play for Sands.

Edited March 14, 2016 by Hecate7

[sjohnson]

Good thing peanut oil mixes so well with mash potatoes? I admit it would be child's play to hide spritzing from the target, but everyone in the restaurant? But I must insist that pickpocketing isn't child's play and most of the scenes we see of successful pickpocketing where the target has no clue work because they're in the script. In real life, even a skilled pickpocket isn't going to know where the epipen is kept, anyhow.

 

If your point is that it's possible that Sands offed the clerk, yes, sorry if I implied it wasn't. My point was supposed to be that no, it's not so obvious that it wasn't just a coincidence. Of course some people don't believe in coincidence.

[Hecate7]

Good thing peanut oil mixes so well with mash potatoes? I admit it would be child's play to hide spritzing from the target, but everyone in the restaurant? But I must insist that pickpocketing isn't child's play and most of the scenes we see of successful pickpocketing where the target has no clue work because they're in the script. In real life, even a skilled pickpocket isn't going to know where the epipen is kept, anyhow.

 

If your point is that it's possible that Sands offed the clerk, yes, sorry if I implied it wasn't. My point was supposed to be that no, it's not so obvious that it wasn't just a coincidence. Of course some people don't believe in coincidence.

 

That's why Sands would have used a several-stage encounter. Pickpocketing isn't child's play but this is TV, moreover Sands has skills we don't. People are so self-absorbed, though, that it really wouldn't be hard to get that peanut oil into his food without being noticed. The table thing would be the most casual approach, but you could also go the route of pretending to be a new guy in the kitchen, once you pick-pocketed the epipen. Get it straight into the food. There are only so many places on one's person one could carry the epipen, and people are creatures of habit, so the easy thing would be to have someone set him up to need it, once, observe from a distance, and then lift it. Sands is used to planning ahead for this kind of thing, and would probably have a very easy time with the logistics of it. It's the psychological parts that would be hard. What would be interesting is if Rebecca interfered, knowing someone might want to hit that clerk, and saved him, letting Sands think he'd gotten to him.

[sjohnson]

Yes, it's very possible to do these things when there's enough time. But I understood the time between Sands' learning of the clerk and his death was maybe less than a day. Yes, it's possible that Sands murdered the clerk. Yes, it's possible the show is assuming near supernatural powers on the part of Sands, using the very, very common BAMF anti-hero tropes dominant today. Being a person who thinks the world is so big that coincidences are inevitable, though, I'm reserving judgment.

[Netfoot]

Sands wouldn't have had to contaminate the one plate of food.  He could have contaminated all the food in the kitchen.  A dollop of peanut oil in the kitchen supply, and pretty much everything cooked with oil would be contaminated.  Or all the plates could have been given a smear.  Most diners wouldn't notice, but the allergic diner would be affected.    Only the knicking of the epi-pen would have been tricky.  

[sjohnson]

Of course, it is possible the guy never even had an epipen. Maybe he was a Christian Scientist? 

 

Or maybe Sands just bribed the cook, then had a fake ambulance posted for the call, ready to let Nature take its course?

[Hecate7]

Sands wouldn't have had to contaminate the one plate of food.  He could have contaminated all the food in the kitchen.  A dollop of peanut oil in the kitchen supply, and pretty much everything cooked with oil would be contaminated.  Or all the plates could have been given a smear.  Most diners wouldn't notice, but the allergic diner would be affected.    Only the knicking of the epi-pen would have been tricky.  

 

 

Exactly.

 

Fake ambulance might work, but eventually it'd have to drop off the clerk, and that wouldn't work as well. Less risk of getting caught if the guy really does have the allergic fit. Getting the epipen is the only really tricky part, but it's not that hard. The method of carrying would actually tip a would-be assassin off about itself. A guy who uses one, but no sign of how he's carrying it? Leg holster. Fanny pack or back pack? It's in the pack. Deep pockets, nice suit? It's in the pockets. The method of distraction would have to be adjusted to the method of carry, and I'm thinking a group of adorable dogs plus a seriously hot girl, literally winding around the guy, would be a perfect way to lift it from a pantleg holster without being caught. A guy would have to be VERY suspicious to notice. To skip the kitchen trip, have peanut oil in your coffee and apologize profusely for spilling it on him. Or, if you know he's going to use the soy sauce, add it to the soy sauce on the table that he'll have. Perhaps he has a "usual" table.

Edited March 16, 2016 by Hecate7

[krimimimi]

/me makes mental note never to cross Hecate7... Yikes.

But you're not wrong. ;-)

[possibilities]

Also, depending on the severity of the allergy and the amount of the exposure, an epipen may not be enough to save someone.

[atomationage]

 

I really liked that they called the new guy "Spike".

 

The actor that played Spike is going to be in part two of the finale.

Edited April 22, 2016 by atomationage