Mikes Film Talk

Blindspot follows up on Patterson’s meal with David, in Mans Telepathic Loyal Lookouts and despite a lapse in judgement, the analyst gets closure, at last, and finally says goodbye to her dead fiancee. Patterson puts herself in danger, a couple of times, and yet her actions show just why she is so good at her job.

Taking Dr. Borden’s advice Patterson  (Ashley Johnson) attends the anniversary meal reserved by David (Joe Dinicol)  before his death.  She carries on her one-way conversation and learns that Wagner has set Patterson a scavenger hunt with his last crossword.

As the head of the forensic lab excitedly starts chasing down leads with her dead fiancee, two other couples from the team  are shown; Kurt and Allison (Trieste Kelly Dunn) as well as Jane and Oscar (François Arnaud).  In many ways this episode is about couples and their relationships. 

Certainly the main storyline is Patterson being put in harm’s way after solving the tattoo that David worked out before he died.  There is, however, another theme and that  is each team member’s significant other and what type of couples they are.

Weller and Knight are physically compatible and use a lot of humor but they are more focussed on the physical despite the laughs. Jane and Oscar are purely physical,  no glib jokes or giggles here, this is pure lust.

Reade and Sarah may be finished but only because he is afraid for Weller’s sister and son Sawyer.  These two were also more physical.  Mayfair has now got a new woman in her life however  the very newness of this potential relationship prevents it being diagnosed.

Obviously Patterson and Wagner had a more cerebral relationship. He wrote crossword puzzles for “The Times” and she is a lead forensic analyst for the FBI. Certainly they had a sexual relationship, but it was their mutual love of solving puzzles and mysteries that drew them together.

Each one had a sort of “child-like” enthusiasm for the challenge.  One feels that this couple’s favorite film may well have been National Treasure although these two intellectuals may have been three steps ahead of the film’s protagonists.

Patterson gets so caught up in the ghostly scavenger hunt that she throws any caution to the wind and ends up kidnapped. The final clue, a shop, has an owner who sacrifices women under the star sign Taurus.

She manages to escape, with a little motivational help from David and the rest of the team show up just in time.

There are some very clever bits. David’s use of the knife-welding automaton to make a constellation map being one.  Another, which has nothing to do with the scavenger hunt is that the two brothers, one a senator, have their murderous activities covered up by a mysterious  organization.

A big one, according to the senator. The team do not mention this protective group but since it is connected to yet another tattoo on Jane, one can assume it is a terrorist type organization.  Even without this protective group the senator’s activities will keep the courts busy for some time.

Away from the Patterson storyline, Zapata (Audrey Esparza) is approached Matthew Weitz (Aaron Abrams) but this time his target is Mayfair.  Tasha agrees to help but only if her team are protected. Reade confesses to Mayfair about the threats and she assigns protection to him and Sarah. 

Weller finally makes peace with his father only to have the man collapse moments later.  Jane is given childhood photographs to allow her to tell Kurt that she is having childhood memories.

Patterson sees David one last time and she tearfully says goodbye to her fiancee.  Blindspot this week was one of the most poignant episodes of  the season.  Ashley Johnson is a favorite (she brought the character of Ellie in The Last of Us to living breathing life) and her trauma comes across, in this episode, as real and painful.

Martin Gero has blended the storyline of Patterson in with the rest of the team allowing for a bit of tearful closure and a glimpse into what makes the forensic analyst tick.   There is also that reference, by the constellation killer’s brother, about the organization that covers up his crimes.  Once again smoothly giving a back trail to those tattoos. 

Mayfair is now under investigation from within and it seems that Jane and Oscar are not the only ones who think that the bureau is corrupt.

Blindspot airs Mondays on NBC.