Instinct Review: Broken Record (Season 2 Episode 2)

On Instinct Season 2 Episode 2 “Broken Record,” current and impending life changes are creating upheaval for all our characters.

A lot has happened just two episodes into the second season. Thankfully, that has not yet resulted in injury or death to anyone we love. The same cannot be said for the guy who winds up shot in a roller coaster.

It’s an appropriate metaphor, given the highs and lows of this case. The guy having an expensive car being used as a dramatic revelation? Kind of anticlimactic. What follows, though, turns out to be rather interesting.

The idea that a form of epilepsy could lead one to feel they are reliving an entire life is one I’d like to explore in a lot more detail. It’s almost disappointing that the real motive for murder winds up only barely connected.

I am glad we don’t go down the “Elliot’s death was actually an elaborate suicide” route hinted at one point in the episode, but I’d like to hear more about how such a condition can exist and the risks it pushes someone to take.

And yes, one of those risks means rejecting a former manager, provoking that manager to kill him in a fit of rage. Still, this shifts our focus to Ross a bit too quickly. Even Dylan’s switch from sympathy to coldness as he confesses feels abrupt.

Thankfully, we do get plenty of time to feel for what Elliot leaves behind. His sister is sweet and heartbroken. His music is thoughtful enough we can see why Dylan likes it. I appreciate care being given to a person rather than the flash of an investigation.

Considering the care given to these one-time appearances, its impressive that we still manage to pack in so much for those we see every week. Of course, we do have some major storylines to continue.

Potential tumult in Lizzie’s relationship with Julian is on hold this week to instead deal with a tumultuous friendship with Jasmine—or, at least, the results of the tumultuous end to Jasmine’s romance with her fiancé.

As we see through Lizzie’s eyes, it’s a little worrying to see Jaz letting loose quite this much. It’s also amusing and a bit strange.

In addition to this (and the still-present feeling that Lizzie and Julain’s very different outlooks will come back to haunt them,) we’re also seeing some hints that Lizzie might not be fully on board with the NYPD’s newest arrival or his connection to Dylan.

Everything we’ve seen of Ryan and the “Sleeping Beauty case” thus far has been pretty limited, but it promises to be a storyline that will carry through the season. That might not always be good, especially if Lizzie feels Dylan is moving away from her.

At the moment, Dylan’s interest in what has drawn Ryan all the way from the Midwest seems casual. But as Andy says, he can go overboard. (Adoption whiteboard, anyone?) He’s got too much going on to manage two partners as well.

Finally, on that note, we see a couple brief notes of “trouble in paradise” for Dylan and Andy as they continue on the journey to parenthood. It’s not fun to watch, but I’m grateful that we see this side.

First, it’s a realistic portrayal of an exhausting process. Second, many same-sex couples in media are either portrayed as angst magnets or token perfect couples that never fight. Neither is an accurate portrayal of a developed, healthy, adult relationship.

Real couples have arguments. When a relationship is healthy, these are resolved through mature discussion. We see this with straight couples in media, though still not as much as we should. It’s so important that Dylan and Andy can be just the same.

 

What did you think of this episode of Instinct? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Instinct airs Sundays at 9/8c on CBS.

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