“The Arrival”

The Arrival is the first big step in a positive direction for the series. We are introduced to “The Observer” whom has actually appeared in each episode but with little fanfare. He is at each Pattern event, or it’s subsequent investigation, always in the background.

After an explosion rocks a construction site and a cylindrical device is left, the team is left to figure out exactly what it is and why it appeared causing such destruction.

Dunham notes the Observer from a photo and recognizes him from the hospital from the second episode. Agent Broyles congratulates her on discovering the link in three weeks what took them over a year. He shows her pictures of the Observer from a vast amount of pattern events.

Playing his cards close to the vest, Dr. Bishop knows what the device is but won’t share much information. It is dragged out of him that he did work on a project that would allow a missle to fire through the earth’s core to hit a target on the other side.

What the episode does well is present a mystery and not completely solve it which allows the world to build a bit. The Observer contacts someone on a cel phone stating that it has arrived and later when it is gone, that it has departed on schedule.

There are some great tense moments between Peter and Walter and it takes a turn for the worse with Peter finally having enough and leaving.

However an unknown man attacks the site with futuristic weaponry looking for the device. It leads him to Peter whom he abducts and tortures for where Dr. Bishop hid it. Peter doesn’t on the surface know the answer but the assailant is able to glean it from his brain.

It all leads to a confrontation by a tombstone marked Robert Bishop who died in 1944. Most viewers, this one included would assume it is Walter’s father, but we are not told of who it truly is and in a show like this…well. You never know.

During the confrontation, the Observer shows up again and is attacked by Peter. During their heated conversation the Observer begins saying exactly the same thing Peter is saying at the same time Peter is saying it, as if he was in Peter’s head.

It finally leads Peter to believe that his father is not completely insane…only partially. It also leads to a conversation between Walter and Peter where Walter admits that the Observer saved their lives after a car crash many years ago and his hiding the device was a payback to him.

Then there is the surprise ending where Olivia looks up at her apartment and John Scott is standing in front of her.

Overall, a positive step. A more epic scope, and although it still has a bit far to go, the best episode of the young series thus far.

B

OBSERVER MOMENT – Well a lot. He actually has lines and a lot of them. He is at the beginning of the episode before the explosion, he meets with Walter after Walter hides the device, and he is at the cemetary at the end where he and Peter have words.

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