Blindspot Review: Screech, Thwack, Pow (Season 4 Episode 8)
Blindspot starts to pull at the threads its been weaving all season to produce one of the most pulse-pounding episodes yet.
Blindspot Season 4 Episode 8, “Screech, Thwack, Pow,” ratchets up Remi’s duplicity and makes it more urgent than ever that she either finds a cure or faces her death.
The entire cast turns out with superb performances, but chief among them is Jaimie Alexander.
Remi’s secret is out, and the entire team knows that she’s regressed to her original self. Alexander now has the leeway to really dive into Remi and what makes her tick. While we’ve seen a lot of her operating in the shadows, “Screech, Thwack, Pow” lets us see her character become a little more unhinged and let the facade slip as she works to free Sheppard.
One of my complaints back in Blindspot Season 2 was that we didn’t get enough about Remi before she was dosed. We were seeing everything from the eyes of people that either knew Remi and were imparting knowledge with a soft hand, or we were with people who wanted Jane to be someone else.
As we found out the truth about Remi’s history, it was hard not to crave more. The ZIP regression has given us that missing piece, and the return of Michelle Hurd as Sheppard is letting some of the secrets come to the surface.
We see a very different Sheppard than we did in Season 2, and even her brief appearance in Season 3. Michelle Hurd does a great job in her scenes with Remi.
While Sheppard is clearly broken, there is something about their interactions that fills in a hole that Blindspot has really been missing. Finding out the Jane Doe Operation was supposed to only last a few months, was enlightening and shocking. Even more so when you consider that Sheppard knew that ZIP poisoning was a risk.
The return of Sheppard wasn’t the only powerful guest performance from this episode. Boston returns enacting another step in Remi’s plan.
There’s something so heartbreaking about the moment that he realizes that he hasn’t really been working for the good guys this entire time. Seeing him leave clues for Rich to try to lead the FBI to Remi is a nice touch that adds to the fabric of the story, and his character.
Personally, I am looking forward to seeing more Rich and Boston scenes. Rich has always been a scene-stealer, but this season really seems to be teasing out his sensitive and sentimental side and I want to see more of that.
Meanwhile, Madeline and Zapata went to Mexico to recruit a hacker. The thing about this plot point is that it does kind of get lost in the rest of the action. Still, given that it ends in Zapata’s arrest, it feels like this is a good time for it.
However, losing Zapata as a link to Madeline may also present a problem for storytelling in the future. One of the things that makes Madeline so interesting was the relationship she has been cultivated with Zapata and the trust she seems to have in her.
We know Zapata and we’re invested in her. Removing her from Madeline’s organization takes away that connection and distances the audience from the goings on at HCI Global. If Zapata is in custody, then we don’t have an in with Madeline anymore and she may be in danger of falling by the wayside.
That’s not a fate that this cold and calculating character deserves. She has the potential to be a worthy adversary for Team Weller, and I really want to see how that goes.
In the end, “Screech, Thwack, Pow,” is a rewarding mid-season finale that does leave us with a cliffhanger of epic proportions.
Yes, we have to wait a month to see what happens, but I am sure there are still more twists and turns to come.
Stray Thoughts:
- Rich Dotcom comparing a nuclear shield to a condom is the best reaction to hearing that you have a better shot of preventing unwanted STDs than preventing radiation poisoning.
- I am actually kind of sad to see Violet go. Even though we only saw her for a few minutes each episode, I was actually starting to like her character. Rest in peace, Violet.
- I still want to know exactly what Sheppard knew before they injected Remi with ZIP. Yes, it’s clear she knew it was a risk, but it sounded like she and Roman had been looking for a cure since the beginning. So, what other evidence did they have?
What did you think of this episode of Blindspot? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Blindspot airs Fridays at 8/7c on NBC.
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Lauren Busser
Lauren Busser is an Associate Editor at Tell-Tale TV. She is a writer of fiction and nonfiction whose work has appeared in Bitch Media, Popshot Quarterly, Brain Mill Press Voices, and The Hartford Courant.