S01.E10: Geworfenheit

[CooperTV]

Albert Lin's real identity and who created him present a dilemma for Pritchard and Duval, who also frantically search for Gracie after she goes missing. Meanwhile, Otto's relationship with Mary is strained by the investigation, and he mulls the risk of destroying everything they've built, including Pritchard, by siding with Connor Graff.

 

Promo:

 

[JasmineFlower]

Hmm. I thought it was a pretty good episode overall, compelling and interesting. But think Otto continues to be exposed as a miss on this show. I think now that they are showing more of the "Frankenstein" it doesn't work as well as it should. They've already showed us he has some care for humanity, so suddenly losing it because of Mary's disappointment about things he knows are wrong to the point where he is indifferent about the death of 8 people and we see at the end, that being told Gracie's name isn't a revelation, but something he already knew, doesn't work for me for this character. I get him losing it a bit, but this was way extreme. It works for the Connor character, he has only had one agenda and it's been clear, he's nothing but bad. But for Otto, even if he's detached, he cares about people and even more so, he loves Mary above everything else and he's hurting her immensely with how he's acting now. It's a stretch, feels like they started off showing us this twins with a connection to start, but have changed his character dramatically to the point where he is highly capable of deception even where Mary is concerned, putting in massive backdoors into their networks that can cripple the company they built and ruin her. Plus, Otto's withdrawing into himself for his lifetime reads like a form of autism, and those with autism are known to be capable of small lies, but not much for elaborate deception. Exceptions to every rule of course and I know he's a super genius, but if they wanted this to he who he was, think they could have left better breadcrumbs building into this than what we got. For me, there is a major disconnect from the brother Mary loves who rode on the scooter carefree through his company and who we are seeing now. It feels less like he's just got a social interaction disorder and more like he has a split personality. I mean the amount of stuff he's been hiding from Mary is massive, almost too much to comprehend given the bunker state the company was operating on by the end of this episode.

 

Alexa is also strange. Thank goodness for George (that was some brutal death though) not wanting to be saved or made to feel young on the backs of so many other lies. Not clear on why Alexa thought it was the best plan ever either, she knows how many people died and somehow still didn't care. But it's been sticking out for a while now that her motivations seemed out of whack with what was actually happening, but it was good to see George put a stop to her involvement since she wouldn't on her own. And it also doesn't line up to me that Otto would have revived her and just thrown her away, showing possibly that Connor cares more about people than Otto. Again, it feels like they messed up the backstory we were given about Otto, if he's this uncaring, this unfeeling, the groundwork should have been laid much more than just showing us his hatred of Pritchard as he got closer and closer to Mary.

 

I never thought about the guy Gracie was hanging out with as working for Connor in the long run several weeks ago. I did think there should have been an actual answer provided to the "how did you meet" question. He's much older than her and maybe I missed it, but I never heard anything that seemed like it was the truth. And the aunt (Amanda Detmer) telling Gracie that story was so callous. Like of course she couldn't have known Gracie would get kidnapped, but the possibility of her running away with him certainly would have increased with you waxing poetic about your lost love. Why do adults tell children stories as if they'll grasp them with a rational adult mind? It was callous and she should feel guilty, she played a part in it, and what's more, I wasn't even clear if she told Duval what she had done, I only know for sure she whispered to Pritchard that she may have overshared. No kidding.

 

Poor Duval. Think he did great in the episode, a kidnapped daughter will make you lose it. It's a shame he wasn't thinking anything close to rationally when he said that Pritchard was his father, because of course he was gonna be placed on a psychiatric hold. He really should have previously shared the info about the uncovered phone message left by the woman doing the DNA research. At least then it seems like something to look into and not just the crazy ramblings of a father who is losing it. Although for a minute there, I thought the FBI boss was going to help after Connor called her "sweetheart" or something else demeaning.

 

Pritchard was strangely a background player this episode. I didn't mind it, think the storyline this week flowed well and it didn't call for him being at the center, but it was made all the more odd because he's on a countdown he may not be able to come back from this time.

 

Looking forward to the continuation/conclusion. Think next week is the season (possibly series) finale. I assume Gracie will be saved, but the how remains in question. Albert Lin looked disturbed by what he saw, so not sure he won't help out. I'm wishing Connor a violent death. I'd wish Otto's as well if it wouldn't hurt Mary so much.

[atomationage]

 

I'm wishing Connor a violent death.

I hope that happens next week.  If I knew this was going to be a two parter, I wouldn't have watched the first part until next week. from WIki:

 

 

Thrownness (German: Geworfenheit) is a concept introduced by German philosopher Martin Heidegger (1889–1976) to describe our individual existences as "being thrown" (geworfen) into the world,,,,, in the present with all its attendant frustrations, sufferings, and demands that one does not choose, such as social conventions or ties of kinship and duty. The very fact of one's own existence is a manifestation of thrown-ness. The idea of the past as a matrix not chosen, but at the same time not utterly binding or deterministic, results in the notion of Geworfenheit—a kind of alienation that human beings struggle against, and that leaves a paradoxical opening for freedom.

Edited March 19, 2016 by atomationage

[saber5055]

Nice recap, Jasmine, and I agree with all you said about Otto. It also confuses me why the long setup to kidnap Gracie. Why not just do a grab-and-go, unless Connor was counting on everyone thinking she had just left town with the BF. But the BF didn't even try to be believable, staying sitting on the floor when Gracie's (aunt? dad? Can't remember) came into the room, playing with the pistol at the target-shooting place ... all that didn't jive with the drummer being planted as a BF.

 

James finally kisses Mary ... with about as much passion as grandpa kisses granddaughter. Which is maybe how James sees Mary. That was a very disappointing scene.

 

Duvall again goes Berserk Burke, this time getting relieved of duty. But just  because someone says something crazy, they have to be handcuffed and detained for mental exam? Please. That means almost the entire world population should be behind bars. Just let the guy go home with "dad."

 

James' white shoes weren't as obvious this week, but they were still there.

[roomtorome]

Maybe things have been sped up story-wise because they figure the show won't be returning?  The character of Otto has been written in a confusing way - too bad, there was potential to make him more complex - IF they had time to do so.  Maybe if they had had Otto explain more to his sister, he wouldn't need to have gone off the rails to the extreme as he has - he barely had an expression talking about how painful the process, etc would be to the young girl - pretty bizarre writing.

 

So, this show is really highlighting for me what a one-note, poor actor Tim Dekay is - I had never even noticed him before White Collar and thought he was fine in that given the role but here he is pretty much the same guy only with more reason for being histrionic which really doesn't suit him - at all.  And, it may just be that they have a lousy director.

 

Setting himself on fire?  He must have felt he deserved to feel extreme agony instead of a less painful way of killing himself - another odd choice given what little we knew of the character.  

 

A mess, really, all the way around.  

[Free]

Maybe things have been sped up story-wise because they figure the show won't be returning?  The character of Otto has been written in a confusing way - too bad, there was potential to make him more complex - IF they had time to do so.  Maybe if they had had Otto explain more to his sister, he wouldn't need to have gone off the rails to the extreme as he has - he barely had an expression talking about how painful the process, etc would be to the young girl - pretty bizarre writing.

 

That would make a lot of sense, it was cut down to 11 episodes before even airing, the last few episodes have been ramping up on this storyline and less on the cases of the week in the initial episodes.

 

But think Otto continues to be exposed as a miss on this show. I think now that they are showing more of the "Frankenstein" it doesn't work as well as it should. They've already showed us he has some care for humanity, so suddenly losing it because of Mary's disappointment about things he knows are wrong to the point where he is indifferent about the death of 8 people and we see at the end, that being told Gracie's name isn't a revelation, but something he already knew, doesn't work for me for this character. I get him losing it a bit, but this was way extreme. It works for the Connor character, he has only had one agenda and it's been clear, he's nothing but bad. But for Otto, even if he's detached, he cares about people and even more so, he loves Mary above everything else and he's hurting her immensely with how he's acting now.

 

Agreed, it took until the last few episodes for them to fully tackle the Frankenstein concept, Connor is set up as the de facto villain.

[Netfoot]

Setting himself on fire?  He must have felt he deserved to feel extreme agony instead of a less painful way of killing himself - another odd choice given what little we knew of the character.  

 

The worst of the pain vanishes when the nerve endings are burnt away.  The bad part of a burns injury is the recovery.

[EyewatchTV211]

The worst of the pain vanishes when the nerve endings are burnt away.  The bad part of a burns injury is the recovery.

And he wanted to die in a way where they could not bring back his body.

Edited March 20, 2016 by VMepicgrl

[Lonesome Rhodes]

So much farce.  

 

Otto ends up being pretty much precisely as I have taken him all along:  Selfish beyond selfish.  He is as a baby, requiring the constant care and exclusive attention of his mommy.  Granted, he came by this honestly, and horribly.  But, this is the essence of his personality/character.  The tantrum he threw is entirely consistent with my view of him.  Now, add in the awesome power of his intellect, to go along with a never-formed moral ethos?  Dr. Frankenstein.   Otto is every bit the monster he has been made out to be, in my opinion.

 

For everything I complain about on this show, I give them full marks for at least getting this crucial part right.

 

So.  Daddy finds out darling daughter is at address X, miles away.  Does he put out the APB of APB's for any and all law enforcement to get there forthwith?  Of COURSE not - this is TV!  It may not have done any good, but give me a break.  

 

So.  Is it LOOKINGLASS, or is it LOOKING LASS?  Mary's absurd attempt to create a romance with a mutant (Looking for love in all the wrong places...) led to this.  

Her conceit is massive.  There is more good to her than Otto, but it leads to the same ends.  

 

I am certain as I can be that all filming had ended well before the first ep aired.  That FOX hedged their bet on the show was entirely consistent with the disruptions they were having in their executive suites and very well may have had nothing to do with the product we are seeing.  Several shows have suffered this reduction in promised eps.   On the other hand, it could also well be the case that the execs saw what had been wrought and recognized it was not what they had hoped, and ordered the chop.  Here's the thing...whatever the genesis of the cuts, TPTB have written checks that do not allow for the show to continue as we know it.

 

There is no way any Goodwin could have anything whatsoever to do with whatever may be left of Lookinglass.  Each would be subject to criminal prosecution.  Otto would be held in a super secure NSA facility until they squeezed out of him all the tech that he has which is better than what they have.  If he refuses?  An easy charge of espionage (Edward Snowden, anyone??) keeps him from ever being permitted to do what he do on his own.   Customers - you and me - would never, ever, ever trust them again.  Some new entity may be born from the ashes, but LG is so much goo.   Essentially, they are backed into an inescapable corner.

 

It'll be a joke, but Jimmy would be able to use Alexa's tank?  They'll make something up, I'm sure.

 

Even if the world learns that every word of what Duval said is true, he can no longer be a federal agent.  So....we gonna go all Veronica Mars?  Meet the Pritchards?

 

I give the show credit for at least touching on the large questions it engenders.  The inevitable cancellation is on them, though, for dumbing it all down and refusing to show us the true nature of the Goodwin's sins.

 

The rating for this showing is right in line with the whole run:  .5 in the demo.  2 million viewers.

[saber5055]

Setting himself on fire?  He must have felt he deserved to feel extreme agony instead of a less painful way of killing himself - another odd choice given what little we knew of the character.

 

This gave me some really bad dejá vu, back to Vietnam anti-war protests. Not fun for me at all. Rather upsetting, in fact.

[SmithW6079]

This gave me some really bad dejá vu, back to Vietnam anti-war protests. Not fun for me at all. Rather upsetting, in fact.

I think that was the point. It occurred to me during George's brief appearances how noble he was, and how he was, surprisingly, the voice of conscience on this show.

[Free]

Is it LOOKINGLASS, or is it LOOKING LASS?

 

Lookinglass, it was one of the working titles for this show before Second Chance.

[blackwing]

Was just able to watch this... since next episode is almost undoubtedly the series finale I do hope everything gets wrapped up very nicely.

 

Otto once again demonstrates that he is an awful human being.  I thought the actor was great on "Rules of Engagement", he had very good comedic timing.  But here I feel his acting is just terrible, and I don't think the character and writing can be entirely to blame.  Good thing for him is that so few people saw this show that it probably won't hurt his career at all.

 

How old is Gracie supposed to be?  I thought she was 12, but she looks a bit older, maybe 14.  But now she's decided to run off with a 25 year old guy?  Is she supposed to be 16?  Even at 16 that's a little too young to run off, no?

 

If there is any justice, Connor and his floppy hair will be killed or put in prison in the finale.  I wish Otto died too, but I don't think the show would do that to Mary.

[okbyevictoria]

 

How old is Gracie supposed to be?  I thought she was 12, but she looks a bit older, maybe 14.  But now she's decided to run off with a 25 year old guy?  Is she supposed to be 16?  Even at 16 that's a little too young to run off, no?

 

 

Gracie is 17 years old. Still, I find that a bit disturbing that she's dating a man who's old enough to have graduated college. Honestly, I thought she was 14 because she seems so young. When she kissed him, I cringed because their faces didn't match up.

 

Jimmy and Mary kissed, yet it was so anti-climactic. I thought there would be more passion and romance, It was more of a friendly-goodbye kiss. A true disappointment. Contrary to what previous comments say, I think Otto's character was written well. Although, if the series had not been rushed, the show could've elaborated on his background more and made his character complex. The story-line is amazing, but again, had little detail. I assume this is also because the show has been rushed, which explains why some parts are confusing and surprising. 

 

It's sick that Otto stole Gracie away from her family to use her as a lab rat for an unholy and inhumane experiment. I was confused and a bit lost when Gracie was abducted, I thought she was running away with him? Apparently, she was just driving out of town with him, which was not clarified. In conclusion, I can't wait to see the next episode! I have high expectations and hope they'll wrap up the show nicely. If the show had more time, it would've had a greater chance to turn into something amazing and capture the attention of more than just 2 million viewers. 

[Netfoot]

But now she's decided to run off with a 25 year old guy?

 

He's supposed to be 20.

[saber5055]

I was confused and a bit lost when Gracie was abducted, I thought she was running away with him? Apparently, she was just driving out of town with him, which was not clarified.

I understood that the boyfriend was a fake set up to get Gracie away from her family so she could be kidnapped by Otto while her family thought she had run away with the drummer guy. They wouldn't have a clue she was being held hostage at Connor's lab. The boyfriend was a ruse, playing Gracie until she cared enough to "run off" with him.

 

Yeah, the series being cut short has made it rushed, so if it's been cancelled I can't blame the writers for trying to pack everything into fewer episodes.

 

I guess after the "grandpa" kiss James gave Mary, that romance isn't going to happen. *sigh* So, buh-bye show, if that's the case. I don't see how Otto could come back after all of this.

Edited March 23, 2016 by saber5055

[Netfoot]

I don't see how Otto could come back after all of this.

 

I don't see Otto coming back to life after Jimmy gets hold of him.  There won't be enough left to put in a tank!

[Free]

I guess after the "grandpa" kiss James gave Mary, that romance isn't going to happen. *sigh* So, buh-bye show, if that's the case. I don't see how Otto could come back after all of this.

 

With a complete 180 in the finale with how rushed it's heading.

[valen]

The writers said they chose to cut the episodes to 11. To do 13, they wanted the last two to be a two-parter, but the network just wanted two more cases of the week. The writers felt like their story, (so they say) was better this way and that two more cases of the week would only weaken it, so they passed and just wrote 11.

 

I really, really hope it isn't canceled. I don't know how they can come back from Duval's verbal vomit, or what they would do with Mary and Otto, but I'd like to find out. Most sites still have it listed as "on the bubble" so there is still hope. I am really looking forward to watching it on Friday.

[saber5055]

Netfoot, you gave me a great idea for the finale. Jimmy kills Otto, then Mary forces Connor to use Gracie's DNA to bring Otto back to life. Otto now needs a tank every six hours or HE will die. Jimmy and Mary move Connor's tank back to LookingGlass, this after Connor is put in prison for kidnapping and accessory to murder among other things. Mary and Jimmy hook up, so now Otto is at their beck and call to do whatever, whenever, or he loses his tank privileges. 

 

As for what happens to Agent Burke, I mean Duval ... i could care less. But the sister/daughter gets hired as Mary's new assistant at LookingGlass after the last one gets put in prison for accessory and then fades back to old age/dies.

 

Yeay! I love my finale!

[Netfoot]

Yeay! I love my finale!

 

Me too!  The best part is Agent Burke stuck in a nuthouse, enduring ridicule, condescension and a holier-than-thou attitude from everyone, for the rest of his life.

[jhlipton]

The best part is Agent Burke stuck in a nuthouse, enduring ridicule, condescension and a holier-than-thou attitude from everyone, for the rest of his life.

 

Dub-ass deserves it.  He's got a recording of his daughter being abducted, her sending "Graff".  Does he show it to his boss?  That would make too much sense!