Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Alphas Season One, Episode 11: If Memory Serves


This episode opens with the Alphas raiding a business and Nina using her power to push people for information.  They kick down door after door, even taking people out of their bed, in an attempt to find out what is going on.  Kat is involved in the raids though Bill does hold her back from going first. Clay walks into Rosen's office to hand him fresh leads, but Rosen feels that this approach is scattershot. Rosen looks down the list and sees the name Apple Blossom and we get a flash to a farmhouse.  Clay asks if anything jumps out and Rosen lies and says no.  Rosen approaches Hicks and tells him that they need to head to the farmhouse, because if there is anything there that leads to Parish, they need to get there before Clay and his team. From this, Cameron surmises that Rosen does not trust Clay's people.  Rosen replies, "no I don't. We both know how Parish can twist people's loyalties."  Hicks grabs his coat and says that the place is only a few hours away. Rosen says that he would like to go but his presence would be missed and so he approaches Kat to be Cameron's back up.  Kat is super excited because this is her first reconn mission.  Rosen tells her that there is more involved than recon, because Cameron is grieving and so he wants Kat to keep him on task.  Gary interrupts the conversation to say that the company who makes the photo stimulators for Parish just exported something.  Nina points out that the senator shut down August Medical and Gary says it's not the same company.  Gary says that this is a hot lead and asks Bill to give him a ride to the hospital after work. When Rosen asks why he needs to go to the hospital, Gary reveals that his mother was in a car accident. Rosen doesn't even pause to console Gary and he has to know how hard this would be for Gary to process.

Hicks and Kat are looking through binoculars at the farmhouse which Rosen directed them to. Kat is making a video diary of the experience and this is irritating Hicks. A man leaves the farmhouse and Kat notes that he is an ex military type and that she is forced to make her assessment at a distance because Hicks is not sharing the binoculars.  When he drives off, Kat an Hicks decide to move in closer to investigate. Kat picks the lock and when they enter guns drawn, they come across a man watching television. When they ask him his name he says that his name is Mitchell and he has to be there because according to Stanton Parish he is very important.

Mitchell is handcuffed and rambling.  They call Rosen who says that if Parish is keeping Mitchell locked up and guarded in farmhouse, so he must be important. Rosen instructs them to bring Mitchell in quickly and quietly. 

Back at the office, Senator Charlotte Burton knocks on Rosen's door and says that she will be acting as the senate liaison  to the Parish task force.  Rosen invites her in and she asks if they have a lead. Rosen blows it off as one of hundreds and says that they are literally drowning in them. Burton pauses and stares at Nina as she walks by the office and Rosen has to draw her attention back in.  Burton then asks about where Parish might be vulnerable. Rosen responds that Parish is playing his cards very close to his chest and Burton says that everyone has an achilles heel. She then asks to be brought up to speed and Rosen offers to take her to the conference room.  Before they leave, Burton pauses and tells Rosen that she knows what he did and if the brain scans hadn't found their way to her neurologist, she isn't sure that she would be here today and that she owes him her life.

Rosen is not impressed and finds Nina to tell her that she left a paper trail behind which Burton followed directly to him.  There goes Rosen again showing his strong moral ethics. The woman would have lost her mind because he encouraged Nina to push her. Nina points out that they don't want her blood on their hands.  Rosen says that it is not his blood he is concerned about and that when she puts the pieces together, the two of them could end up in jail.  Rosen instructs Nina to push Burton and send her home.  Nina points out that they don't know what this could do to her, but Rosen says that they have other concerns right now.  Nina asks if this means that Burton is an acceptable casualty and so Rosen tells Nina that she should leave.  Nina says that she is busy with interrogations right now but Rosen responds that they don't know if Burton seeing Nina is going to trigger her memory and that this is a risk he is not willing to take.  Rosen says that as soon as he can find a way to move Burton off the investigation he will let Nina know. Isn't he a great moral leader everyone?

Gary is in the hospital with Bill and he is not happy because the last time he was in a hospital he lost Anna again and that he doesn't want to stay there.  Bill says that no one likes hospitals and that this is about his mother.  Gary points out that his mother is still unconscious and that he has a hot lead to follow up and so Bill tells him to work from there. Gary says that he cannot work from there and that that he doesn't like it. Bill tells him to chill and have a seat and that he is tried from being up half the night with his wife driving the baby around.  Suddenly, Gary stands up and says that he has found the shipment that arrives in New York from Parish's factory but he cannot read the manifest because it is all in Chinese. 

On the way back with Mitchell, Kat is video documenting again and says that Hicks reeks of fear and the breakfast burrito he ate a few hours ago. In frustration, Hicks threatens to crash the car if they don't shut up. Kat says that she is sorry about Dani and is there for him, if he wants to talk about it.  Mitchell pipes up and adds that Dani is dead and he is responsible for her death.  Hicks turns to Michell and asks what the hell he is saying, just as someone with a gun shoots at their car. Hicks struggles to keep the car under control and a man jumps off the bridge and onto the hood.  Hicks stops suddenly and he man goes flying. When Hicks gets out of the car to check on the assailant he believes that he is dead because his head is twisted at an odd angle. Hicks grabs Mitchell and drags him off saying that they have to get off the road and he has to call for back up.  The assailant wakes up and untwists his neck. 

Mitchell, Hicks and Kat wonder through the forest and Hicks puts a gun to Mitchell and asks how he is responsible for Dani's death.  At first Mitchell just repeats what Hicks says and then we get a flash of Dani and Parish together.  Hicks pulls away quickly and tells Mitchell never to do that to him again. When Kat asks what happened, Hicks reveals that Mitchell pulled him into Parish's memories.

Back at the office, Rachel hands over Gary's list to Rosen and Rosen surmises that Parish is looking for a way to amplify alpha abilities. Rosen tell Rachel that it is important that they get to this shipment before Parish.

At the hospital, Gary is still very uncomfortable and says that he checked Google Maps and it would take him three hours to walk back to the office and that he is not built for that.  Bill says that this is like when Gary had Adam  and that it is Gary's turn to look after his mother.  Bill gets a call from Rosen and says that he has to go back to the office.  

Kat explains Mitchel's power to Hicks and says that he can put anyone in any memory he has stored in his head. When he does share the memory, it's amplified many times over.  At a store, the alpha assassin is gorging himself on milk and this seems to heal him. 

As they are walking, Mitchel says that he has to go back because the caretaker will come for him. He says, "they will break my bones but I will always mend." Clearly Mitchell is channeling the caretaker who Hicks believed they killed earlier. Kat and Hicks start to wonder if memory is Stanton's weak spot because it would explain keeping Mitchel around. When they stop for a moment, Kat suggests that Hicks stop thinking about Dani because it is messing him up.  Hicks is not impressed and says that Kat does not get it.  Mitchel offers to help and says that the can put him inside his memories with Dani.

When they get to the town, Kat suggests hot wiring a car and driving back to the city but  Hicks suggests just renting one. In the meantime, Kat takes Mitchel into a building to wait.  Mitchell again asks when he is going to get to go home and Kat replies that he is going to get a new home and that she cannot give him all of the details because it is above her pay grade. When Kat looks out the window, she notices a blonde woman in a blue dress crossing the street. She gets a flashback to a drawing of woman and says, "who is she and why can't I remember?"  Mitchel offers to help and she says that she is a hard nut to crack.  "There's a woman in a blue dress, I think she might be my mom."  Mitchel answers, "well if she's in there, I can help you find her." Mitchel takes her hand and we are taken into Kat's memories.  In the memory, it becomes clear that what Kat remembers is a commercial and it cuts out.  Kat gets upset and asks for the rest of it and Mitchel says that this is all there is and that he cannot even remember which are his memories anymore.


The senator stops Nina and says that they need to talk.  Nina tries to blow her off saying that she is leaving, but the senator says that she talked to Clay about this and believes that she has been pushed.
Burton says that she joined the taskforce because she needs answers and wants to figure out if she has been pushed by one of Parish's people. Burton wants to be sure that she is acting independently of any influence and Nina assures her that her mind is hers. Burton wants to know how Nina can be sure and she does not answer. Suddenly, Burton remembers Nina pushing her to go home.

Bill and Rachel go to investigate the shipment and he teases her about having sex.  When they get to the shipment, they are told that no one is there to open it right now, and Bill simply snaps the lock.  Rosen tells security that they have this.  When they open the container they find that it is empty and Rachel says that there are patterns in the dust.  Rosen realises that Parish has beaten them there.

When Gary's mom awakes, she finds Gary by her bedside. Gary says that he will move home and take care of her, but that he has a new schedule now and thus, will need to go and by pudding because he has one every afternoon. She promises him that they will make it work and says that she is glad he is there.  When she sees a pudding at her bedside, she hands it over to him, but Gary isn't happy that it's banana and not blueberry.  Suddenly, his mother passes out and alarms go off.  The nursing staff quickly ushers out of the room.

Nina approaches Rosen saying that she knows he doesn't approve but Burton was living in fear because of what they did to her.   "It's better that she's scared of me than scared of herself, "Nina argues.  Rosen is not convinced and reminds Nina that people who are scared can do all sorts of unpredictable things. Nina argues back that letting Burton know was the right thing to do. Rosen heads to the door saying that he will reach out to Burton and see if he can smooth things closer.  Nina reminds Rosen, "this is the person you wanted me to be." No Nina, he wanted you to be the person he could control and manipulate, only using your powers when he wanted you to.

Rosen heads for the elevator and when it opens, Burton is waiting there for him.  He gets on the elevator and she says that she has just finished combing through a raft of documents on the unconstitutional acts of his team and suggests that the attorney general will be extremely interested. Burton says, "your team is more dangerous than the alphas that they go after and you, you are the worst. You use them to assault innocents under the pretext of justice." I don't know about you but I just wanted to applaud at this.  She has Rosen pegged absolutely correctly.  Rosen interrupts and apologises for pushing her and says that they don't do this without consideration.  He says that they only had one other option - blackmail her with the illegal contribution to her first campaign or that she had been compromised by Parish. As Rosen gets off the elevator he threatens Burton. "You're right senator, my team is dangerous and so am I." After this episode I don't see how anyone could possibly argue that Rosen isn't just as evil as Parish.

Hicks calls Kat to say that he has the car and to meet him.  He turns to open the door and he is attacked by the caretaker.  Hicks breaks his bones and they immediately heal.  Kat calls back and the caretaker says that they should trade.  Kat asks for more time and asks Mitchel for help but he rambles on about milk. Kat calls the caretaker back and tells him that they should meet and she will call back with the location.

At the hospital, Bill arrives and Gary says that his mother had yet another stroke and this one was bigger than the first one she had. Bill asks Gary if he is okay and touches his shoulder and for once, Gary does not object to the physical contact. I was really glad to see this scene. At least someone was showing concern for Gary in his time of need. 

The caretaker arrives at the site and calls out for Mitchell, who comes forward talking about him working in a fishing boat.  The caretaker asks about Kat and Mitchells says that she drove off and told him to walk.   Kat drives an 18 wheeler into the caretaker and  the car, and forces him into a pond of some sort. It seems that the caretaker cannot swim and he sinks like a stone.  Kat starts calling Hick's name and she realizes that he must have been in the trunk of the car and so she heads into the water.  When Hicks surfaces, he realizes that Kat has gone in after him and he pulls her out. He is not impressed that she does not know how to swim and asks Kat how she knew that the caretaker didn't know how to swim. Kat replies, "he's too heavy." 

Back at the office, Mitchel meets Rosen and says, "Dr. Rosen, he's an arrogant bastard but I like him." Rosen realises that Mitchel is parroting back Parish's words and asks to see the last time he spoke with him. Mitchel grabs Rosen's hand and we are taken back to Parish telling him to never forget how he is feeling right now and that he has lost someone very dear to him. Parish admits that he didn't make the right decision sacrificing Dani and that he wishes he could have the moment back.  He says that Mitchell is all that he has left and that Mitchell will grow old in a better world than he has. Rosen is absolutely overwhelmed with what he is hearing.

Back in the office, Kat is watching the commercial from her memories. Hicks walks in and closes Kat's laptop, picks up her recording device and thanks her for saving him today, but points out that Kat is annoying to work with. Kat then tells Hicks that though she told him to stop thinking about Dani, that it's a mistake with tears in her eyes.  When Hicks asks if she is okay, she turns away saying, "yeah great. It turns out that the only memory I have of my life is some stupid commercial, with some stupid actress. Look, you're lucky to have your memories, even the ones that hurt, they let you know who you are." Hicks tells her that he knows who she is - "the girl who can drive a rig and pick a lock underwater."  Kat wonders whether she has the stomach for this and that she killed the caretaker and does not like how it feels.  Hicks tries to assure her that it was justified but Kat says that it wasn't because he was just trying to protect Mitchel. She picks up her recording device and says that she killed a man and that she doesn't ever want to forget how it feels.  

The next day Rosen walks into his office to find Hicks waiting for him. Hicks wants to know if he got Stanton's plans and Rosen says that Parish does not use Mitchel that way and that he talks to Mitchell about his feelings. Hicks feels that the entire operation is a bust.  Rosen assures him that it is not because he learned a great deal about Parish. It seems that Parish is not a sociopath and that he cares very deeply about Mitchel and about Dani. Rosen feels that Parish's humanity is his weakness and that they should use it against him. 

Mitchell is in a room with Hicks and again comments that he lost his keys, so Hicks hands over his. Mitchel offers Hicks his hand.  It seems that Mitchell is in building seven.  Rosen and Hicks watch as the little farmhouse burns down and Rosen tries to justify incarcerating him and says Mitchel is just one thread to unravel.  Hicks warns that Parish will never let them keep Mitchel and Rosen responds, "let him come." I suppose that is Rosen throwing down the gauntlet but I really don't see how he is any different that Parish. Rosen intends to use Mitchel as bait and has locked him up in building seven though he isn't a danger to anyone, including himself.