Kirsten and the team are still adjusting to her new-found emotions in Stitchers: Hack Me If You Can. Camille makes a move to learn self-defense, Fisher is back on form and Cameron is undergoing a second childhood/midlife crisis thing since his return from the dead. The team get their first “proper” stitch since Goodkin’s death defying stunt.
A man, who was blackmailing a “cheating website” is murdered by someone hacking into his insulin pump causing him to pass out in front of a moving car.
Linus has moved out of his parent’s house and into his own “high tech” place. Cameron wants a Harley and Kirsten is mulling over what Stinger (her father) meant about moving the asset. Cameron urges her to give it a rest and the two go through a bit of calling each other by “love” names for the saleslady at the motorcycle shop.
Getting a call from the lab, Cameron asks the sales clerk to put the bike on hold. Back at the NSA facility the team, sans Camille and Fisher, learn about the death and Les Turner’s boss who wants to meet with Maggie.
Linus and Cameron have their bro-thing going again as evidenced with their little “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” gag. The team want to meet the new big boss, Mitchell Blair (John Billingsley), but Maggie says no.
Fisher offers teach Camille how to take care of herself although he questions why. She points out that he was shot and Turner is dead. Camille then goes out to hack their first suspect in the insulin murder and she is surprisingly effective in the field.
Blair turns up and Maggie pulls a gun on him and Turner’s boss congratulates her on being promoted into the vacancy left by Les’ death. She asks Mitchell about Stinger killing Turner and Blair evades the question.
The team work out that the murdered man’s insulin pump was hacked by an expert via cellular connection. As the investigation continues, it boils down to Kirsten versus the killer; a woman in the dead man’s life.
Ellie (Cassidy Freeman) is the murdered man’s ex-wife who takes the whole team on. She depletes Cameron’s bank accounts and credit cards, sends the police to Kirsten’s to arrest her for prostitution and almost kills Linus in his new app controlled apartment.
Kirsten calls Ellie a hacking ninja and she enters into the dead man’s memories again and learns that he cheated on his wife, who reacted badly.
This episode, which had an impressive number of comic/amusing moments features a villain whose life was ruined by her husband’s infidelity. Ellie has an accident which leaves her partially paralyzed and alone.
At the end of the episode Kirsten asks Ellie how to find her father and, just like the earlier Star Trek reference Ellie makes, both women have indeed developed a grudging respect for one another.
Pop Culture references:
Cameron calls Kirsten “easy rider” after the Harley scene and before the first stitch, referencing the cult film of the same name.
He also references the I Love Lucy show, and Desi Arnaz with his “Lucy’s got some ‘splainin’ to do.
Ellie references the old Star Trek episode Balance of Terror (1966), where Kirk and a Romulan commander battle each other and develop a grudging respect for one another at the end of the episode, to Kirsten who states that she has no idea what the woman is on about. Cameron, listening in on the conversation nods his head and says, “I do.”
Cameron outside the elevator tells Camille to “Release the Kraken.” which is from Clash of the Titans (1981) and Norse mythology.
Comic moments:
Cameron tackles Linus in his new apartment (Ellie has turned on the gas so the whole place would explode when he accessed his app tablet) and he asks Linus:
Cameron: “Do you smell gas?”
Linus: “Well you startled me.”
R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
Linus and Cameron’s reaction to Kirsten’s “ideas in the shower” question and Camille’s reaction to them.
The Harley buying scene.
The whole NSA secret facility gag along with the windowless van reference…Twice.
Honorable Mentions:
Linus’ parents and the apartment tour.
Camille brushing Linus aside, muttering “get out of the way” as she goes to hug his mother.
Camille, again, hacking the owner of the cheating website via his phone.
Linus having to explain that he owns stock in the cheating website.
Final thoughts:
The writing on this episode was tight and offered a “baddie” with depth and a sadness that was touching. Stitchers this season is slowly allowing us the chance to get used to Kirsten’s new emotions and the “new” Cameron.
All the humor from season one is there and, as mentioned in interviews with the cast and show creator Jeff Schechter, a darker feel is also there. Camille wanting to learn self-defense after the violence and death of season one is a perfect example of that.
Clearly there is no love lost between Maggie (Salli Richardson-Whitfield) and Blair. Also, while Maggie is in charge officially over the whole Stitchers program, Kirsten still pushes hard against authority when she feels it necessary.
Thus far season two is offering the same sort of top notch performances from the first season and the writing is tighter than ever. We have the cases themselves to focus upon but there is also the whole “Stinger” issue and an interesting new “big bad” in the organization, aka Mitchell Blair.
Stitchers airs Tuesdays on Freeform.
