Episode Report Card Demian: B+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Something Better Change
By Demian | Season 7 | Episode 12 | Aired on 01.22.2005
Manor. Up in the nonexistent attic, Dolta attempts to apply the special Whitelighter tingly touch to the bloody gash on Brody's shoulder, but it's not taking, as Brody's obstinately "resisting" the mojo. Brody finally relents, and the tingly touch soon knits up the wound while repairing the tear in his shirt. While all of this is going on, Piper's getting loud about Brody's suspicious presence in Zankou's chamber, more than a little convinced that Brody's working with the demon to prevent The Menopause. Brody sighs and lies that Zankou kidnapped him in hopes of persuading Brody to make another attempt on Dolta's life. Raige frowns at this and wonders why Zankou would think Brody still had the Destructive Egyptian Vial Of Tendrilly Avatar Doom. "You'll have to ask him," Brody grumps. "I will!" Raige blurts, adding for good measure that she's not just going to sit around while a demon chases after her boyfriend. Dolta suggests that the best way to deal with the situation is to help the Avatars initiate The Menopause immediately, as it will both protect Brody and weaken Zankou's position considerably. Brody rises in protest, arguing that the gals don't have to alter the entire planet just to save him. I wouldn't worry too much about that "saving you" stuff if I were you, doll. Ooops! Spoiler! Raige shuts down Brody's argument by in effect talking right past it, and agrees with Dolta that they should move forward with the Avatars' plan immediately. "Tell them we're ready," Piper shrugs in Dolta's direction. After he orbs out, Piper makes note of the uncomfortable silence between Brody and Raige and concocts an excuse to leave the two of them alone to process through whatever issues they have this week. Piper's barely through the door before Brody advances upon Raige, whispering urgently, "I can't let you do this!" "You don't have a choice, honey," she shrugs. "Besides," she smiles, "how bad could a place called Utopia be?" Pretty fucking bad is my guess, Raige, but you weren't asking for my opinion, were you? Raige giggles a bit and turns to follow Piper, but Brody grabs her arm before she can go very far. "Wait," he says, surreptitiously sliding the crystal from his pants pocket. The crystal glows ominously in his hand. "I'm sorry," he offers, and he leans in to kiss her. The instant their lips meet, a tiny burst of electricity jumps from his mouth to hers, and Raige leaps back in surprise. "What was that?" she demands, furrowing her brow at him. Brody plays dumb, claiming it must have been static electricity. Insert the expected joke about Raige's Moustache attracting the charge yourself. "Don't be so paranoid," Brody slyly adds. Raige's Moustache stares at him for a long moment before shrugging, "Okay," and exiting the room. Brody guiltily examines the crystal in his palm before trailing along after her.
Straight Estates. Brody lets himself into his apartment, pauses thoughtfully before closing the door, and heads over to pull a bottle of something cool and refreshing from the refrigerator. There are a lot of small, wordless sequences like this one in this episode, and I suppose now's as good a time as any to mention the fact that the underscoring throughout is unusually good for this show. They've done away with the intrusive horns this evening in favor of some rather muted strings punctuated by a harp, and really. It's odd how well it's all been working. I think somebody on the production staff's been watching a lot of Lost this season. Anyway, as Brody slams the refrigerator door shut, Zankou casually lopes into the kitchenette from the far hall, and Brody goes, "GAAAAHH!" Heh. Zankou confirms that Brody infected Raige with the crystal, and when Brody mutters, "This better work," Zankou agrees, adding, "For both our sakes." Zankou then notes Brody's healed shoulder with no small measure of disdain, sniffing, "Too bad you didn't use the potion on him right there and then. None of this would have been necessary." Brody snatches at this opportunity to switch the topic to one he's far more interested in, spins around, and blurts with increasing desperation flooding his tone, "How do I reverse the paranoia?" "Patience," Zankou counsels, but Brody gets snappish anyway, blaring something about having held up his end of the deal. "As. Have. I," Zankou growls before babbling about humanity's sense of propriety being its greatest weakness, or something. The dialogue in this scene isn't terribly important to this evening's events, but I have to admit that both Oded Fehr and Kerr Smith are doing a terrific job delivering it. Imagine that. A pair of actors who are actually invested in the characters they're playing on this show. Huh.