“Keepers”

“Keepers” keeps up the good trend of juxtaposing Dan’s travels with learning something in his real life.  THis episode in particular comes at a good time.  As Dan journeys back to help out two brothers, we also get to learn morea bout Dan’s relationship with his own brother.

At a time where Jack has been set up almost as a villain or at least an opponent - he may still have feelings for Katie and may be trying to break them up, he is heartily investigating Dan for wrongdoing, and Dan doesn’t seem to trust him.  It starts out more of the same as Jack’s interest in Dan’s money affects their lives by the banks putting a hold on his accounts while things are checked out.

An interesting point behind this scene’s episode is that Dan is becoming more and more at ease with his journies.  His headaches don’t seem to affect him as much and instead of popping somewhere, he walks with determination to his destination wherever it may be.

This week, his journey leads him to two brothers who are at odds.  The relationship is set up immediately and reinforced later.  We have the older brother, Michael who was at odds with a dissatisfied parent and getting into trouble while the younger brother, Steve remains steadfast in his belief in his brother while trying to talk him out of doing stupid teenage boy stuff like rockets off of buildings or stealing cars.  Dan assumes that he is here to change his path especially as he discovers evidence that one of them is behind a letter bombing that killed a bunch of people.

His instincts are not quite on track this week as Dan discovers. Dan brings the idea of discovering the identity of a letter bomber from a few years back and Hugh tells him to look into it warning that he doesn’t get dried up like the Dylan McCleen would be article.

He goes back in time and knows he has to warn the company that the bomb is coming.  He is able to keep injuries to a minimum, but in doing so has changed his timeline so that when he gets back, the bombing has been forgotton about as minor damage.  So once again Dan chooses what is right over a  good story.   What kind of reporter is he?

Dan’s instincts though were wrong on which brother was in trouble.  After meeting with the Michael in the present time, he realizes that it was the younger genius of a brother who has been going astray while the Michael was a working mechanic.

Steve has Dan pegged as a time traveler due to the fact that Dan has never aged…oh and his shoes.  He goes off about tachyons and even tried talking to…Elliot Langley.  Dan hesistates and then admits to it entirely and is able to help the brother change his life around.

Back in the present, Dan meets with him, hoping to find out both what he did with his life and also to help him with his time travel ideas.   But since Steve changed his life around, he believes he proved that Time Travel was impossible.  Dan is happy to see him but slightly bitter.  Here he may have had answers….but again he doesn’t.

Furthermore, the more important part of the episode revolves around Jack and Dan…and Jack’s car.  For the first time, we get the sense that Jack really does care about Dan.  He’s tough on Dan because he is trying to be the father that abandoned them.  Dan comes to see that as well.

In the most interesting segment, while back in time Dan sees Katie going to Jack and confinding in him that Dan asked her to marry him and that she wasn’t sure she loved Dan.  Dan was hurt, but amazingly enough Jack convinces Katie to marry him.   Dan is shocked and in one swoop, Jack is sympathetic.  It was necessary for his character and it was well presented.

The episode ends in real time as Jack and Dan drive off in Jack’s car together.

Overall a sold addition to a great show.

A-

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