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2.16 The Hunt

Harriett: "This is what we get for recruiting from the tabloids."

I read somewhere that this episode was made earlier in season two but not aired; it was referred to as, "The Hunt for Osama." The name "Osama" was never actually given, although there were so many hints that they probably should have just gone ahead and used the name.

I wasn't looking forward to this one, but it was better than I expected. John got to interact with other genuine psychics, which was exciting and new. Sylvia even picked up on the Stillson thing while reading Johnny, and Reg helped him expand a vision and get through that doorway.

The remote vision thing was an interesting concept. And the entire battle scene with Johnny walking through the battle and relaying info to "Strike Team Tiger Six" worked well. The explosion going through John's astral body was a cool effect.

Johnny "doodling with his dead zone" didn't work for me. He said himself that he wasn't an artist, and the drawing sequences looked fake. It takes a lot longer to add that kind of detail to a sketch, too. For that matter, why didn't Johnny transcribe the vernacular writing on the market street signs, or repeat more of what the people were saying? Wouldn't that have helped them find the location a lot faster than just describing what they were wearing?

And what is more improbable? That a psychic could figure out where Osama bin Laden is? Or that Al Qaeda would know they were doing it, and set a booby trap?

Bits and pieces:

-- Many "Dead Zone" episodes have only part of the cast. This one just had Anthony Michael Hall, and (briefly) the voices of John L. Adams and David Ogden Stiers.

-- John's comments about the phone booth and the Cone of Silence were references to the old comedy series, "Get Smart."

-- The aircraft carrier they showed was the "U.S.S. Enterprise," which of course has a lot of meaning for sci-fi fans.

-- If the "Agency" didn't want the psychics to compare notes, then why did they put them together in the same room?

-- Halsey mentioned the "Grissom thing" as John's last interaction with "The Agency." He was referring to the episode, "The Man Who Never Was."

-- Halsey said that John is a psychometric. I don't believe the technical term for Johnny's visions has been mentioned before.

-- Sylvia's mug said, "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." I'd never heard that one, but I liked it. Hunter Thompson, huh?

-- We never did see the psychiatric evaluation. John would probably be classified as paranoid if he told them the truth.

-- There was no "I had the perfect life" intro. Instead, there was a message read by David Ogden Stiers: "Following the events of 9/11, the United States Government has been using all available means to track down the perpetrators of this crime against the American people. This story, while fiction, is based on facts provided by sources close to the investigation. The U.S. Government will neither confirm nor deny that similar events have actually occurred."

I didn't care much for this episode, but I have to give them credit for taking on such a heavy subject. I also really liked the other psychics, especially Sylvia and Reg; wouldn't mind seeing them again.

Two out of four stars,

Billie





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