Well, this episode didn’t do a whole lot for me, I have to say. It started out promising, when Allison was putting groceries in her car one minute and waking up hours later on the side of a desolate road, not remembering anything during the six hours that had just passed. But the plot never really took off for me.
A few weeks ago when I wrote about the season premiere of Medium, commenter Randy expressed his frustration with Allison’s inability to understand what was going on with her dreams and taking them too literally, and I’ve had his sentiment stuck in my head ever since. Even though, in this episode, her dreams were mostly memories of what had happened during the time she blacked out, and were for the most part to be taken literally, Allison still couldn’t put two and two together to figure out that she had been possessed.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the character of Allison. Hell, without her there would be no show. I just wish that the writers would stop making her look like an idiot by not being able to interpret her own psychic abilities. Why do they do that? To try and make us viewers feel smarter by being able to figure out what’s going on before she does? That’s just not nice.
A couple of other things frustrated me with this episode. First of all, it’s obvious (well, to me, anyway) that the episodes were shown out of order. Maybe I’m nitpicking here because it wasn’t a huge plot point, but back in episode two, “Things to Do in Phoenix When You’re Dead,” Ariel was driving herself to school with Joe in the passenger seat, and in this episode she is begging her parents to get her permit and we see the first time ever Ariel drives with her dad. I remember thinking “Hey, when did Ariel start to drive?” during “Things to Do…”, and now I get it — she hadn’t yet. Oh well, like I said, maybe it’s not such a huge deal.
What’s more is, the entire subplot with Joe being upset Ariel was a good driver was pretty lame at best. I mean, I just wrote a post a couple of weeks ago saying what an awesome dad Joe Dubois is and now here he is being petty, and getting all mopey over not being able to teach Ariel how to drive the way he wanted to. As if it’s her fault she knows what he’s thinking. Good for her for telling him he was letting her down, though. I mean geez, any dad would be ridiculously happy his daughter was such a great driver.
By the way, her first driving lesson ever he let her drive on an actual road with actual cars? Scary. Is 15 1/2 really the age you can get your driver’s permit in Arizona? And why the 1/2? Why not just wait until 16? Yeah, I know I’m getting older when the thought of 15 and 16 year-olds driving scares me a little bit.
So, what did you think of this episode? Were you as irked by it as I was?
Clacked by Cate Cropp
on Feb 24, 2009 @ 17:00 EST5EDT
Episode did not rock my boat. The theme is different this year…possession? Has that happened before? It’s basically two episodes now where spirits are just taking over. I don’t know that I like it.
However, the only thing I REALLY want to comment on is Joe/Ariel and driving.
I think Joe was excited because it was something that he could FINALLY have control over and share with his daughter. He’s pretty much left in the cold with a lot of life lessons, what with mom and their psychic abilities. I don’t think it even crossed his mind that she was listening to his thoughts. He just thought she knew it all already and I think he felt the wind taken out of his sails. He thought she had learned all about driving by some other means. When she said she could hear his thoughts, I think he got it, and even realized that although he didn’t say it aloud, it was still HIM teaching her (if only through thoughts!). Even a great dad can have a moment of doubt. That was his.
I was completely unaware that Ariel was psychic to that degree. I thought she had similar abilities to her mother talking with spirits. It’s obvious her abilities far outweigh Alison’s. Even Bridgette only gets “signals” about people from what I can tell. She doesn’t get the full picture straight away. Poor Ariel…all that talking in her head!!
*POST AUTHOR*
I didn’t know Ariel could read thoughts either, I think it’s the first time they show that in her. We did already see Marie doing this last season though, with the eye doctor. It’s true, their abilities are starting to overtake their mom’s. I wonder if that is intentional or the writers don’t think anyone will notice this stuff…
The fact that this episode was obviously shown out of order really bothered me also. I’m glad I’m not the only one who noticed Ariel driving in an earlier episode.
I noticed it too right off the bat—‘wtf did I miss?’—so I guess at least I wasn’t the only one who thought this.
The ep was okay, but not as searing and as enthralling as it usually is.
And poor Joe. He’ll learn he just doesn’t need to try so hard and that will be the magio that brings them all together.
Duh…great proofreading job here. That would be ‘the majic’ that brings them all together…..