S01.E03: Denial

[thewhiteowl]

The International Response Team heads to Cairo when an Egyptian-American former U.S. serviceman is killed in a gas attack there and his friend goes missing.

 

 

[secnarf]

I hated the backdoor pilot, but gave the pilot a chance, missed last week, and then saw this week. I haven't liked any of them. The American hubris and caricatures of locals are just too much.

In this episode, I did think the two guest actresses who played the mothers did an excellent job, but I can't get over the team inserting themselves into the country of the week, with their all-knowing wisdom and highly advanced American culture.

 

Also, I still want to watch Forrest Gump every time I hear Gary Sinise speak.

[Jamoche]

First and last episode for me - Gary Sinise is good as always, but Mae grated the first time she opened her mouth and didn't get better, and all we're getting out of the different location is an expanded pool of motives. It's not even convincing - that's California dirt, not an Egyptian dig site.

[seacliffsal]

I can't get over the female agent running through the Mosque; my understanding is that women are not allowed in the mosques. Please correct me if I'm wrong-it's not intentional, it's more a criticism of the show. Also, this is the second episode in a row in which Gary Sinese makes a threat using the force of American power/financial aid. Just no-Egypt is too important for Congress to cut aid because the Egyptians refused to give a name unconnected to terrorism. This show could have been really interesting. I will stick it out because of how much I like Gary (even though I can't spell his last name) and because I want to see on site filming (which this episode wasn't).

[Raja]

Females are allowed but are generally segregated from the men in  most mosques

[needschocolate]

Once again, they completely change their theory because of a hypothesis regarding a tiny piece of evidence - "Oh there is blood on the bumper of the car, blood that we haven't analyzed, blood that we aren't even bothering to collect and analyze, therefore, Hank didn't kill the first guy, Hank must have been abducted" and "Oh, first guys's mom doesn't recognize this one name on our list so he must be the unsub"

 

And we also get stealing evidence and Gary Sinese having so much power that he single-handedly controls the amount of financial aid Egypt gets.

 

Although I thought the moms were played good actresses, the writing for them still sucked - first guy's mom comes back tot he FBI then refuses to answer any questions, until they show her a picture of her son, arm in arm, with the man he loves, and despite her homophobia/prejudice/hatred, she cooperates.  How does that make sense? - she stormed out the first time because she was told her son was gay, she refused to talk tot he FBI when she came back because they continued to say her son was gay, and after she sees a photo of her son with his boyfriend, she suddenly changes her mind?

 

On the plus side, this show may finally be my replacement for Under the Dome - a show I watch just so I can make fun of it in the forum and laugh at everyone else's making fun of it in the forum.  If only more people were posting in the forum....