S04.E06: Baby, Face Killer

[tessaray]

Original air date: 2018-08-24

Quote

Dutch trains Jaq to fight an unstoppable enemy as Pree and Fancy look for the missing Gared.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

Maybe I'll feel differently once I watch the episode, but it feels weird and awkward to know the kid's name, by way of the synopsis, when we weren't told it in the last episode.

(we weren't told, were we?)

[tessaray]

I don't think so.  I won't have a chance to watch until tomorrow night myself but am not looking forward to Dutch having to deal with Aneela's kid (her brother? her nephew?). That's weirder than the kid's name.

Still, Pree and Fancy - I'm on board for that. 

 

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

12 hours ago, tessaray said:

I don't think so.  I won't have a chance to watch until tomorrow night myself but am not looking forward to Dutch having to deal with Aneela's kid (her brother? her nephew?). That's weirder than the kid's name.

In Dutch's own words to Jaq, "You're like my nephew/brother/son".  And there were constant references to this kind of all the differing relations thing the whole hour, from all parties.  That type of dialogue doesn't sound like a big incestuous mess.  Not at all.[/sarcasm]

So, this episode was of the feel-sy kind.  What all with Pip & Zeph's prognosis, the kid's dealing with puberty after only being 2 days old, Pree "warlording" and worrying about Gared & the tug of war between 'Auntie' Dutch and 'Dad' D'avin, and then the intrigue of the centuries old clan of assassins with The Lady's mark tattooed on them.

Definitive proof of how connected Aneela & Dutch are.  What with the concurrent bloody spit-ups each had, despite being separated by the distance & substances between them.

I will admit that I do love this show in regards to how it handles certain debates.  IE, in how D'avin was right, that Khlyen was abusive to Dutch.  But at the same time, I can totally see her perspective as well.  They're literally both right, but also wrong.   And neither side is definitely the choice that would be considered "the lesser of two evils".  The show and writers do a terrific balancing act in these types of situations.

I was a little surprised with how serious Dutch got when she made Jaq stay to watch her torture the assassin, had D'avin not intervened.  Think she kinda lost sight of the line to not be crossed there for a bit.

Was it just me, or was Lucy kinda deliberately unhelpful in this episode?  She would answer when asked, but wasn't forthcoming when the requested information would have been most pertinent.  There were two instances;  Zeph absconding with Pip and then when Jaq snuck off to go save Dutch vs the assassin.  I know she relayed that Zeph asked her not to tell TAF about her leaving, but seems funny she would withhold that from Dutch & Johnny.  I'm thinking there's still some resentment on Lucy's end from the whole "Kraven all up in her system's backdoor" deal that just occurred (hours/a day & [for us] an episode ago).

Edited August 25, 2018 by iRarelyWatchTV36

[johntfs]

I like Jaq and it's kind of surprising to me.  I generally dislike the "instantly growed-up baby that also has speshall powerz" trope and that dislike usually carries over to whatever characters embodies it.  Not this time.  I like the actor playing Jaq and the character himself.  I like how it triggered the revelation/insight that yeah, Khlyen abused Dutch, maybe for "good" reasons, but it was still abuse and Dutch is still kind of fucked up because of it.  Pree in "warlord mode" was cool.  Sure, he got captured, but figure that was part of the plan to find Garen and the kids.

I get the feeling that the assassins are actually "good" guys that oppose The Lady but we've still got a little less than half the season to go before both sides come understand that they have a common enemy.

[MissLucas]

Well, color me surprised - that was some stellar writing in this episode (I love this show but normally the snarky one-liners are its forte and that's okay). I was settling for wonder-kid not reaching Connor levels of annoyance - admittedly a low bar - and be content. But they really made me like him, hitting exactly the right mix of special yet vulnerable. That's not an easy balance to strike and I tip my hat to the writers. And on a lighter note: I'm glad D'avin was okay with Jaq despite the disappointing lack of an apostrophe, he! And of course they also rather cleverly used him and his training to highlight points about other characters. D'avin struggling with sudden fatherhood and Dutch having to face the demons of her past. Dutch's attempt to teach torture and its aftermath was terrific, some of the best dialogue ever on this show.

They also did a splendid job with Dutch. So much of her arc has been about leaving her assassin past behind and in this episode we got multiple reminders of that past culminating in her sliding right back into assassin's mode - which in itself sent a powerful message about just how rattled she is.

Pip and Zeph's scene weren't easy to watch for spider-phobic folks but even so quite touching. I expected a spider-man shout-out but we can't have everything.

Random and not so random stuff: Yeah, Lucy was not particularly helpful. She's definitely not over Kraven. Johnny should try to make amends. Where the hell is DSK going? Pree and Fancy are a great team but of course I hope Pree gets his husband back soon! I was confused by the Dutch/Aneela scene - thanks @iRarelyWatchTV36 for the explanation. I'm also thinking that the new guys will turn out to be allies - that's why Khlyen implanted the memories leading Dutch to them. Could lady memory assassin be Aneela's bio mother Yalena who joined them? IIRC she's a suspiciously absent character.

[Ottis]

Gag. “I don’t know how to be a dad.” What show am I watching? I cannot figure out why they introduced this character. It’s not his fault. It’s just so out of place, and creates unnecessary considerations. The stupid dad stuff kept Dutch from finding out info. 

This ep needed more Pree on a revenge quest and less of our main team and the kid. 

And really. You leave a highly trained assassin alone and handcuffed. Stupid. I don’t know how disappointed Dutch is, but I am highly disappointed and want this character go on his way, alone. Can he ascend or something? 

Edited August 25, 2018 by Ottis

[UNOSEZ]

Gotta agree with most of the posters here.. I'm good with Jaq... He wasn't annoying at all and for a 2day old pretty well adjusted... Even tho it would be totally believable if he had a whole scene of who/what/ why am I?... Seeing as he's already got some mysterious "lady" trying to kill him two mothers a clone sister aunt who looks like one of the two absent mothers... A war and special powers... But he's handling it like a pro.. It'll be interesting to see how all the characters try and imprint themselves on him... We've seen DSK and Dutch already impart some stuff... The episode itself was fun for me... From the moment they had khlyen tell dutch the story.. I wondered if the woman would end up being The Lady.  Or their Mom.. Or both... So excited for next week... Also More DSK 

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

22 hours ago, johntfs said:

I get the feeling that the assassins are actually "good" guys that oppose The Lady but we've still got a little less than half the season to go before both sides come understand that they have a common enemy.

 

18 hours ago, MissLucas said:

I'm also thinking that the new guys will turn out to be allies - that's why Khlyen implanted the memories leading Dutch to them. Could lady memory assassin be Aneela's bio mother Yalena who joined them? IIRC she's a suspiciously absent character.

I could definitely see this speculation happening.  It fits thematically.  Khlyen knew assassin stuff and trained Dutch.  So he had to learn it from somewhere.

Honestly, I kept expecting the guy to turn out to be the real assassin from the story!memory. 

I don't know who the implanted!memory lady assassin was @MissLucas, but

Spoiler

going by promo pics for next week, she will be in the episode and hanging out (at least some) w/ Khlyen - and also going by the name of the episode, you're guess of her being Aneela/Dutch's mom seems a very good one.

Edited August 26, 2018 by iRarelyWatchTV36

[thuganomics85]

Continuing with the "good new, bad news!" theme of this season, the good news is that Zeph is able to make Pip normal again by figuring out how to cut off the contact between him and the spider.  The bad news is that the spider is still in his brain and if it dies, Pip dies, and it certainly sounds like the spider is dying.  Oh, these two!  I hope those crazy kids find some way out of this!

Jaq is certainly learning how crazy his new family is!  Considering Dutch's upbringing, I can see why she thinks it was all necessary and she might even be right on some levels that he needs to prepare for the day The Lady comes for him, but at the same time, I can't say I disagree with D'Avin over teaching a kid the art of torture.  Even if he's extremely advanced for his two-day age!  And even though he was also right about Khylen's form of "parenting" being abusive, I find it realistic that Dutch would still defend him, because her feelings for him have got to be all over the place.

Yeah, it seems like Lucy is getting a bit rebellious now.  You might need to work on making your amends, John!

Of course, Pree would end up setting himself up to get captured by the Hullen so that he can find where they have Gared and the kids.  Now the question is if he's trapped with the Hullen or if the Hullen are trapped with Warlord Pree?! 

I do love the minor bits of Fancy being a snarky wiseass!

Hmm, so what is Delle Seyah really planning?

[tennisgurl]

I like Jaq so far as well. I think making him a teen instead of a baby was a good call, as you can do a lot more with a teen than you can with an infant. Its a risk, as teen characters who just show up can be REALLY annoying if done poorly, but so far, I think its going well. I like D'avin trying to be a sudden dad to a teenager, and Auntie Dutch trying to help her...nephew...son...fellow science experiment... while also realizing that her messed up childhood has had more of an affect on her than she thought. It really was abuse, but I can also see why Dutch has more complicated feelings about Khylen. 

Her trying to teach poor Jaq how to torture a guy was pretty damn dark. If D'avin hadn't gotten there, that could have gotten even worse. But then, I can see both of their perspectives. From Dutch's perspective, she is giving Jaq the tools he needs to survive, but from D'avins, she is training his won to be a weapon before he can even be a person. I can really see where both of them are coming from. It was all really well done, both in writing and acting. 

You can tell Pree is serious when he has his war paint on! He has zero chill when it comes to finding his hubbie, and I am pretty sure he got himself caught deliberately to find out where they were holding Garen and the kids. That place was all kinds of scary, who the Hells ARE these people?!?! It did lead to Pree and Fancy working together, which is totally welcome. 

Oh yeah, Lucy is still salty, hence her not being super helpful. Johnny is going to need to bake her a virtual cake or something to make things up to her. 

Poor Pip and Zeph. I hope they can find some way to help him, but it doesn't look good right now. At least they know whats going on now. 

[solea]

11 hours ago, johntfs said:

 

I like Jaq and it's kind of surprising to me.  I generally dislike the "instantly growed-up baby that also has speshall powerz" trope and that dislike usually carries over to whatever characters embodies it.  Not this time.  I like the actor playing Jaq and the character himself.

 

I’m ok with the character of Jaq, I guess, but wish they’d gotten a better actor to play him. He was mostly bland and just self-consciously awkward. Next to the rest of this stellar cast it was excruciating and disappointing. 

 

2 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Hmm, so what is Delle Seyah really planning?

I wonder too. What did she say? She’s not going to Q’resh? They seem to be flirting with a redemption arc for her but I hope she doesn’t lose all her imperious snark. 

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

Even though it means no D/D hookups possible*, I have to wonder what D'avin's thinking on taking Jaq on the run is. 

Yes, its obvious that war&survival-mode!Dutch is not exactly the healthiest role model for your kid, but splitting up and leaving only yourself as Jaq's protection??  I thought that was the driving force behind D'avin's arguments in how to handle Jaq, trying to keep him safe & protected.

And now I'm wondering if it isn't a mindset of trying to fix what he did "wrong" with Johnny when they were younger and trying extra hard to do "right" by Jaq?  IE, Johnny keeps reminding him - even if in a joking manner - that D'avin 'abandoned' him (when he left and joined the army).  But now, he's dropping everything else and while still running, is taking Jaq and putting him first & foremost.

*  -  spoken like a real diehard D/J shipper

Edited August 25, 2018 by iRarelyWatchTV36

[marinw]

Only Pree could pull off war-painting his face with WiFi symbols.

Like the others posters here, I am liking Jaq more than I thought I would.

Edited August 26, 2018 by marinw

[tennisgurl]

43 minutes ago, iRarelyWatchTV36 said:

And now I'm wondering if it isn't a mindset of trying to fix what he did "wrong" with Johnny when they were younger and trying extra hard to do "right" by Jaq? 

I actually do think that this is some of what is motivating D'avin to be so overprotective of Jaq, while also trying to get him right into things so he can survive. While Johnny was clearly joking about D'avin being his "dad" growing up, and has long sense gotten over his bitterness about him leaving him behind to join the military, I do think that D'avin still feels guilty about it, and wishes he had been able to do more for him. And I do think that, while they arent that distant in age, D'avin did take a lot of the traditional parenting duties towards Johnny, and now he feels guilty that he could have done better by him. Especially as this is just coming off Johnny being Hullenized. I can see him thinking that this is another chance to be a parental figure, but this time sticking around and giving Jaq everything he can offer him. 

[johntfs]

2 hours ago, solea said:

I’m ok with the character of Jaq, I guess, but wish they’d gotten a better actor to play him. He was mostly bland and just self-consciously awkward. Next to the rest of this stellar cast it was excruciating and disappointing. 

I like that he's pretty low-key about things but you still understand where he's coming from.  He's fully wowed by the awesomeness that is Dutch, and wants her approval.  During the initial hunt with the assassin guy, he fucked up (in an understandable way because grenades!) and got captured.  So, when Dutch went to the White Knife meeting, he went down too in case there was a chance to make it up to her.  He didn't intervene in the fight until he saw her at a disadvantage and had a real opening to act.  Meanwhile, after the assassin kills himself (or at least lets himself die), Jaq is concerned that he's disappointed Dutch.

Jaq is very much a teenager with insecurities and a desire to prove himself, but he's not a TVAsshole Teenager, filled with selfish angst.  That's a hard balance to pull off, but Jaeden Noel did a good job at it.

[edhopper]

How is Jaq short for Jacoby? It should be Jac or Jack.

[UNOSEZ]

2 minutes ago, edhopper said:

How is Jaq short for Jacoby? It should be Jac or Jack.

Jaqobis... I think that's how their last name is spelled when I have my cc on.. So Jaq for short 

[tessaray]

Okay, all the ass stuff was a pretty good line, though kind of under-delivered. At least he's not a stereotypical tv kid.

The most interesting thing about the episode was the parallel between Dutch and Zeph, both hitting their limits in what they can control, albeit in different ways. Neither one likes it, which I sympathize with. 

And DSK swanning off to who know where to do who knows what. I'm intrigued. :-) 

[Hanahope]

Having Hullen parents, not surprised there's more to Jaq that one thinks.

Love that Pree has a much more active role this season.

I hope there's a way to save Pip.