Blindspot Review: ‘Ohana (Season 4 Episode 18)
Bill Nye is back on Blindspot Season 4 Episode 18, “‘Ohana,” and he stole the show.
It’s hard to figure out exactly where the rest of Blindspot Season 4 is going, Dominic is on the run, Madeline is in prison, Jane is no longer Remi or dying of ZIP, and Zapata is back with the FBI (for now). It feels like all the breadcrumbs except for Helios are tied into some decent bows, but we can’t keep tracking Dominic because the team need time to find him.
So, enter some family drama.
Introducing Bill Nye as Patterson’s father in Blindspot Season 3 Episode 20, “Let It Go,” is probably one of the best familial casting decisions ever made in the Blindspot universe. Hearing Nye banter with Ashley Johnson about science stuff is a delight and adds the right amount of humor to the show.
Their back-and-forth and Patterson’s jealousy over not being included in his life, and feeling replaced by Ginny is a relatable plot.
The fact that Bill Nye seems to be picking up on Patterson and Rich’s odd “work wife” chemistry also feels appropriate, and has me wondering if we could be in store for a Patterson/Rich ship in the near future. I mean they did do a quirreling couple very well in Blindspot Season 4 Episode 12, “The Tale of the Book of Secrets.”
But this episode is called “‘Ohana,” for a reason. The word ‘Ohana is an idea in Hawaiian culture that means family, but not just your blood relatives. It means embracing your friends, in-laws, cousins, race, and neighbors into your circle as well, and this episode explores a lot of it.
Patterson and Bill Nye stole the show in regards to performance this week, but other characters are thinking about family too.
Jane is still going through the ghosts in Shepherd’s bunker and has found her old poetry. Since Blindspot Season 4 Episode 16, “The One Where Jane Visits an Old Friend,” Jane is working to develop an idea of her whole self, seeing Remi as less of a trigger for trauma and more of a whole person.
Seeing Jane access this part of herself feels like a long-deserved payoff for this character. Since the beginning, Jane has lived with unknowns and having her Remi memories seems to fill in the blanks a little bit and make her more conscious of who she is.
Jane and Kurt have a break this week after the events of Blindspot Season 4 Episode 17, “The Night of the Dying Breath,” but I don’t believe that the trauma of being buried alive is completely gone. I feel like there is more to unpack there that can’t be fixed with some teenage poetry, and I am hoping we see that play out in the weeks to come.
Zapata is also having a moment on this episode. She’s determined to catch Dominic after he escaped, but she’s going about it by neglecting herself.
Zapata is a character who’s loyalty has been in question and her controntation with Madeline in “The Night of the Dying Breath” didn’t help matters. She’s overcompensating and it’s starting to show.
But “‘Ohana” is also a breakthrough episode for Zapata where she realizes that she needs help in catching Madeline. She’s so used to doing things on her own that she can’t see when it’s not for the best. She needs someone to temper that and given that the episode ends with her in Reade’s apartment, I think he could be that grounding presence for her.
Perhaps the kicker of the episode is the Sandstorm operative that was seen exiting Shepherd’s safe house several episodes ago. This thread is one that I had almost forgotten about and the way it’s woven in here is great brick-laying for the rest of the season.
The final reveal that it the woman leaving the safe house was Weller’s mother, makes me wonder exactly how deep the Sandstorm rabbit hole goes.
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.
One thought on “Blindspot Review: ‘Ohana (Season 4 Episode 18)”
Love, love ,love your reviews! No one I know watches this show, but I got hooked during 2016 winter break and still tune in. Thank you for the great analysis and the little tidbits you pick up. My favorite character is Rich dot com and I hope he doesnt break Patterson”s heart.
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