Thursday, August 16, 2012

Alphas Season Two, Episode Four: When Push Comes to Shove

This episode begins with Nina having a flashback to when she was a little girl.  Her father had his bags packed and was walking out of the house, leaving her and her mother.  Nina cried and begged her father to stay and when he bent down and made eye contact with her she said, "you can't leave."  Her father repeated her and it is quite clear that this was the moment Nina realised that had the ability to push people. 

The scene then shifts to a man walking around with a baby singing to her.  When a cop approaches he mentions that an alarm is going off and the man responds that he is returning the baby to its mother.  He and the cop struggle, and the man drops the baby as he is tazed.  He then begs the officer not to hurt the baby, but the officer is shocked because the man was not actually holding a baby but a bag full of money.  Did Nina push this man into committing a robbery for her?

Back at the office, Rachel is obsessing about John. Rachel tells Bill that when John said no to the date that his pupils were dilated and his heart rate increased. Bill accuses of user her power as a lie detector because John turned her down for a date. Bill tells Rachel that she shouldn't use her abilities this way and calls her a freak.  When attributes being called a freak to her abilities, Bill responds, "no, you are a freak for a million other reasons." They see Gary run into his office in a bath towel and follow to discover that Gary is freaking out because he didn't get up on time. This is when Bill and Rachel learn that Rosen said that Gary could stay in the office until he found his own apartment. 

In his office, Rosen is having Kat put together carburetors and is astonished at her ability to learn.  Kat wants to know when she gets to do the cool stuff like track the perps and points out that she has such a short memory that she spend 1/3 of her life auditioning for him.  Of course Rosen tells her that he is not auditioning her but trying to help her.  Right, because Kat wasn't doing just fine on her own all this time and every single alpha is in need of Rosen's guidance.  Let me to tell you the ways in which I hate this character. He wants to help counteract her memory loss but Kat is fine with the way she is.  Rosen pushes and asks if she wants to know what her favourite song is and tells her about how he attaches memory to music. They are interrupted by an officer who says to Rosen, "we have another one."  Before he ends their session, Rosen hands Kat a device so that she can start recording her memories.

The man who stole the money is reported Rosen.  It seem that there have been a string of these incidents in the last 72 hours.  Rosen is handed a copy of the man's MRI by the cop.  In the office, Hicks asks if Rosen believes that Nina pushed the man who robbed his own bank. Rosen says that the results suggest Nina but Rachel counters pointing out that the robber took over and hour and Nina's ability does not last that long.  Rosen suggests that she could have grown stronger and Hick pipes up that when they were together that Nina pushed her once and he was out for half a day.  Rosen says that for her own safety they have to bring Nina in because the government has always feared her. If Rosen is in charge of what happens to Nina, there is no guarantee that she is safe at all despite the line he is selling Nina. He suggests of course that Nina could end up in Binghamton.  Rachel agrees to work with Gary to track down Nina's favourite places and leaves.  Hick to Rosen letting Bill take Kat out on this one in the belief that Nina won't want to see him, but Rosen says that Nina trusts Hicks.  When Cameron asks what they should do in the event that Nina does not one to come in, Rosen answers, "bring it in whatever it takes."

Rachel approaches John in the breakroom and says that she is pretty and smart and that if doesn't want to go out with her that she gets it but wants him to have decency to tell her the real reason.   He tells her again that it's because they work together.  Rachel does her lie detector routine and answers that his heart rate is up and he is sweating, and is therefore lying. John tries again and says that it's not her but Rachel is not willing to accept that as an answer and starts to leave the room. John stops Rachel and tells her that he was in a convoy and got injured.  When he shows her the burns below his collar, Rachel examines them visually and is clearly shocked.  When she doesn't say anything, John tells her that it's okay and that he's leaving.  I have to say that Rachel's behaviour in this scene from beginning to end was just disgusting.  The desperation to get a man and the inability to just gracefully accept a no was beyond grating.

Rachel and Hicks end up in a club and they separate when Rachel thinks she smells Nina's perfume. Rachel meets up with Nina and Tomy and quickly tells Nina that Rosen needs to see her and they need to leave.  Nina responds that she doesn't need to leave and Tommy asks Rachel about her senses. When Tommy goes on to ask Rachel if she can actually get off just from someone kissing her, Rachel turns and asks Nina if she told him that.  Nina simply says that Rachel needs to learn how to enjoy her powers and what makes her special. Nina then pushes Rachel into kissing her.  I am so not impressed that the very first same sex kiss in Alphas was absolutely predatory and totally about the male gaze.  When Hicks finds Rachel kissing Nina, he separates them.  Nina says that she is just helping Rachel have some fun. Hicks grabs Tommy and Rachel jumps on Nina and kisses her until Nina breaks the embrace saying, "you don't have to kiss me anymore." Nina then instructs Hicks to let Tommy go.  When Nina confesses to doing the robberies, Hicks says that this not her at all but Nina counters by saying that with Tommy she doesn't have to pretend and that Hicks does not know her at all. Rachel asks what Nina did to her.  In the end, this confrontation is score one Nina as Hicks comes to marching Rachel over his shoulder in a fireman carry.

Back at the office, Rosen injects Hicks with a drug to help ease the effects of Nina's push.  On the scan, Roesn says that Nina's powers have grown tremendously and this means that her pushes are going to last much longer. Rosen asks if Rachel is doing alright and she says that she is fine and heads for the door to get Gary.  Bill is shocked that Nina did that to Rachel, given how sensitive Rachel is. Hicks wants to know how the guy is and Rosen tells Hicks that he believes Tommy was her first boyfriend and is important to her.  Of course he learned this during therapy and I suppose that tells us exactly how much Rosen respects doctor/patient confidentiality. Nina says that they need to think of Nina as an addict now and that they must find her.  Bill says that Clay has been asking about the bankruptcy and admits that he lied to protect Nina. 


We get a flashback to Rachel meeting young Tommy.  Her parents are in a huge fight and she is listening to music to try and block them out.  He asks he if she wants to come and have a slice with him, but Nina turns Tommy down saying that she has to stay close by because the fights get out of hand sometimes.  He offers to go and get her a slice and she agrees.  In the present, Tommy brings Nina a hot chocolate and tells her that everything is going to be okay.  Nina is worried that she screwed up, and Tommy says that he loves her and the share a kiss. 

Bill and Hicks contacts Tommy's ex wife Beckie and she says she doesn't know where he is and that they are better off without them.  In the flashback Tommy is about 12 and trying to get a beer out of a store.  When he is rejected and tells Nina that they should leave, Nina pushes the man into letting them have a beer. Outside, Nina admits to Tommy that she can make people do whatever she wants them to do.  When he questions this she shows him by pushing a strange man in the ally. In the present, Nina and Tommy are on a boat and Tommy suggests that they sale away together.

Rosen is watching old tapes of his counseling sessions with Nina.  We learn that Nina had a choice of jail or treatment with Rosen.  Kat walks into the room  and Rosen tells her that it is too early for their session.  We learn that Gary told Kat about Nina and she promises not to tell anyone.  When she asks him if he wants to talk about it he says no.  Rosen tells Kat that he needs to take it slow with her.  Clay enters and wants to know if Rosen needs help the robbery. 

Gary and Hicks say that they have found a clue for Nina based on a man who was found swimming in his clothes yesterday. Rosen says that they have to put the search for Nina on hold to go through the escapees from building 7.  When Hicks and Gary protest, Rosen says that it's orders from upstairs. 

Bill is walking through the office when Kat stops him and says that someone named Becky is downstairs waiting to see him.  Beckie tells Bill that after he left, she began to think about the fact that she told them that she didn't want to see Tommy again and how it didn't make any sense. Becky says that she and Tommy were having their problems but they were making it work for their daughter.  Becky repeats that she didn't want Tommy to go.

In the office with the scooby gang, Rachel says that she could hear Becky's heart racing every time she tried to remember and surmises that Nina pushed Becky. Bill says that Tommy and Nina may still be in oyster bay.  Rosen interrupts to say that they need to be focusing on the building seven escapees.  Hicks tries to convince Rosen that Nina needs them but Rosen answers that they need to be focused and that this is orders from upstairs. The team is shocked by this and Rachel realises that he has been pushed.  Rosen thinks back and remembers running into Nina outside on the street.

We get another flashback to young Nina and Tommy.  It seems that Nina pushed her father on a regular basis, to the point where the man thought he couldn't leave his house.  Nina is at the harbour and calls Tommy to say that all the boats look the same to her.  When she looks up, she sees Tommy being arrested by the group and takes off. 

At the hospital the team accuses Tommy of exploiting Nina for her abilities.  He claims that every thing he did was to make Nina happy. When Rosen asks about Tommy's wife and son, he claims that he never wanted that life. Rosen suggests that if he cares for her that they will help the team find Nina.  Rosen then brings his son and wife into the room.  

In the hospital, Nina pushes Hicks to hold a gun on Rachel and Rosen  Rosen refuses to make eye contact so Nina cannot push him.  He asks her to tell Cameron to put gun down and she walks into Tommy's hospital room. Tommy wants to know how Nina could have done this to him and she apologizes for letting him get arrested.  Tommy refuses to make eye contact with her and Rosen says that there is no relationship between Tommy and her and that she has been pushing Tommy the whole time.  Rachel tells Tommy that he wasn't happy with his family and that he wants to be with her because he loves her but Tommy says that he doesn't.  We get a flash to Rachel meeting Tommy on the street.  Tommy holds his son and says to Nina, "I told you to stay away from me."  

We are then given a flashback to young Tommy telling Nina that they should tell someone about what she can do because what she is doing to her father is not right.  Nina says that Tommy doesn't understand because she is helping him. Tommy counters saying that her father is messed up and threatens to tell someone if she doesn't.  Nina starts to push Tommy but he looks away from her, and tells her to stay away from him. 

When Nina and Rosen leave the room, John and Bill confront them with guns. Rachel tells Cameron to help and he shoots John and grabs her by the arm and starts running.  Rosen goes to John and tells Bill to follow Hicks and Rachel.  John tells Rosen that he is fine and to go after Nina, so he joins the pursuit. The security team chases Rachel and Hicks and they quickly find themselves on the roof.  Bill and Rosen join them. Nina commands Hicks to let Rosen go and she moves to the edge of the building.   Rosen says that he knows that she feels alone and that Nina pushed Tommy hoping to fill the void. Nina points out that she pushed Tommy just like she did her dad and Rosen says that it wasn't her fault. Nina says he wanted to leave and sh wouldn't let him.  We get a flash back to her father dead on the bathroom floor dead. It seems that her father committed suicide.  Nina says that she is tired of hurting people, tells Hicks that he is free and then she attempts to jump off the building but Hicks saves her before she can fall and Bill pulls them back onto the roof.  I have to say that was a pretty amazing stunt.

It's the net morning and Gary is screaming. Kat asks Bill if Nina is going to be okay and suggests that her past is pretty messed up.  Apparently, Kat is worried that she will find out some bad things if she keeps working with Rosen.  Bill tells her the story about his first date with his wife and how this is the kind of memory that can last a lifetime. Kat asks what happens if she doesn't have a memory like that, and he says that one good memory is worth all of the bad ones.  In Rosen office, she starts to listen to his albums.

John is sitting at his desk and Rachel approaches asking if he shouldn't be in the hospital.  John says that he is fine, and that he is sorry about her friend.  Rachel replies, "yeah, but I would call her my friend anymore."  John says that getting shot makes him hungry and so he asks Rachel to join him. When she asks if he is asking her out on a date, he responds that breakfast doesn't count.

In the hallway, Clay tells Rosen that Nina is being released to his custody with no charges and that they are lucking she didn't kill someone. Clay informs Rosen that he should have told him and Rosen responds,"I couldn't take that chance."  Clay is not in the least bit impressed and says, "that's the last freebie that you get. The next time you shut me out, I'm throwing your ass under the bus." 

Outside of Nina's hospital room, Hicks admits that he never knew about Nina's father and wonders how one gets past something like that.  Rosen tells him with time and goes into see Nina how is physically restrained and is wearing a blindfold.  Rosen apologizes for the restraints and Nina says that it's okay because she is dangerous. He takes off her blindfold as she says you can't trust me.  Rosen instructs her to look at him and she does.