The Lazarus Project Season 1 Episode 7 Review: Episode Seven

Writer’s Note: This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, The Lazarus Project being covered here wouldn’t exist.

George gets a “be careful what you wish for” lesson while paranoia and hallucinations come into play on The Lazarus Project Season 1 Episode 7, “Episode 7.”

With the time loop reset, George thinks he’s got it all figured out, playing a game he’s so convinced he understands completely.

The revelry ends quickly, however, as he discovers that he may get what he wanted in bringing Sarah back, but there will always be what Rebrov and Shiv know about George’s pre-reset plans.

Shiv: What was it like, getting everything, you wanted back again?

George: Worth it.

Shiv: Yeah. Yeah. We’ll see.

George deals with a serious blow to his plans for forever as Sarah’s need for adventures and risk-taking rears its head, culminating in an emotional moment as Sarah shares her doubts about the engagement and their relationship. It’s a pitch-perfect scene and emblematic of the unanticipated consequences of what a forced reset brings, especially to his life.

It’s tough, and you can’t help but feel for George at that moment. Paapa Essiedu’s expressiveness at this moment really helps add to my sympathy for George despite my frustration with his choices up to this point.

The emotions in the break-up scene work well to balance out the other more maddening scene with Shiv at the top of the hour as George smugly tells The Project’s newest rogue agent that there’s no way out of it for him.

There’s also a matter of balance in the story’s outcome that fits how the loops have affected the others before him.

George commits treason, frames a man, and retains a high kill count to bring back a woman and resuscitate a relationship that ends because of his desperate need to keep her safe. It’s an intriguing result of their relationship.

But after what he’s done to get her back, I can’t imagine this is the last we see of her. Given how she breaks the news of her engagement to George, it’s almost guaranteed that this isn’t the last of Sarah, right?

Meanwhile, at Lazarus HQ, Rebrov’s taking advantage of the reset and leaving a trail of bodies the agents can follow, making him priority number one for the agency. In contrast, Shiv’s rogue status takes a back seat, much to George’s uneasiness.

Both men have information on George and can obliterate him at any moment. Yet the hour passes, and there doesn’t seem to be any forward movement toward unmasking this persona George has put on for Wes and Archie.

It’s an odd choice and contributes to my confusion about the plan for destruction from Rebrov’s perspective.

Everything seems suspicious and murky, leading to a confusing ending and leaving everyone in a reset once again. The question is, who called for the reset? And why isn’t George, as a Lazarus agent, alerted to it?

With only one episode left in the season and a renewal already announced, will we get any answers to these questions? Or will there be a host of new questions by the end of the final hour of the season?

Random Thoughts

• The shot of Shiv’s body landing right back at George’s feet is, unfortunately, hilarious, and I’m not entirely sure if the intent is to make it come off as comical as it does. Pair this with the moment earlier in the hour where Shiv and George do rapid-fire insults, and you’ve got some solid delivery on dark humor in this hour.

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

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The Lazarus Project airs Sundays at 9/8c on TNT.

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