Frequency Review: Pilot (Season 1 Episode 1)
On Frequency Season 1 Episode 1, “Pilot,” we are introduced to a world where you can communicate across time via a ham radio. Crazier things have happened.
All in all, it’s a decent pilot. The supporting cast definitely needs to be more developed, but for a pilot, it’s fine.
The real selling point of the show is the relationship between Raimy and her father, Frank.
They have a fun banter on the radio before Raimy realizes exactly what’s going on, and then once the “I’m your daughter in the future” news comes out, their conversations take a much more emotional turn. This is where the pilot really shines.
It’s fascinating to watch how both of them react to the news.
We get to see not only the immediate first reaction, but also what manages to convince both of them that they aren’t going completely crazy — Frank is convinced by Raimy’s accounts of the World Series, and Raimy is convinced when her dad leaves her a photo in their old hiding place.
As the hour progresses, you see how much Raimy loves her dad, and how much she has missed having him in her life. This is a little girl who only knew her dad had to go away to “save the world.”
Then instead of coming back, he died, and she was told that he was a bad guy. There’s so much hurt and anger there, which we see when Lieutenant Satch makes a comment that Frank would have liked Daniel a lot.
Through the radio, Raimy is able to work out some of her anger and finally get a chance to really know her father.
It’s surprising that even after all of that, her dad still isn’t alive in the present day.
I’m guessing this is done to keep Raimy’s present day relationship with her dad connected to a past version of him. It keeps the ham radio involved, and it honestly makes their whole relationship a lot more entertaining and interesting.
One of my favorite moments is after Raimy realizes the gravity of what saving her dad’s life has done, she immediately goes to the radio to talk to him. She goes to her father for help.
There aren’t any big issues with the pilot. Sure, the melodramatic lighting of the radio signaling that her father survived in 1996 is a bit much, but other than that, this serves as a good introduction to the series.
The only real concern I have is where do we go from here?
I haven’t seen the movie, so I don’t know if it could answer my question, but I’m not sure what the format of the show looks like from here on out. Are we always going to be jumping between the past and present?
Perhaps, the Nightingale Killer will be the connecting thread between both timelines. We will see Frank investigate it in the past, and we’ll see Raimy work on it in the future.
I feel like at some point the show will shift into exploring cases of the week, but I’m not sure how it will work.
Right now, that’s my only theory. What’s yours?
What did you think of this episode of Frequency? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Frequency airs Wednesday at 9/8c on the CW.
Allison Nichols
Allison is in a love affair with television that doesn't seem to be letting up anytime soon. Slightly damaged fictional characters are her weakness. She loves to spend her free time curled up with a cat and a show to binge-watch. Allison is a Tomatometer-approved critic (Rotten Tomatoes).