"Paul Levinson's It's Real Life is a page-turning exploration into that multiverse known as rock and roll. But it is much more than a marvelous adventure narrated by a master storyteller...it is also an exquisite meditation on the very nature of alternate history." -- Jack Dann, The Fiction Writer's Guide to Alternate History

Tuesday, May 14, 2019

The Enemy Within 1.12 Razor's Edge



I figured I'd check back in with a review of The Enemy Within, which posted its next-to-last episode of the season on NBC last night.  It was a good episode in its own right, and, even better, continued keeping us on the razor's edge about whether Shepherd is really working for us or Tal.

On the specific story last night: I like a Congresswoman who turns out to be former CIA black ops and can tote and shoot a gun with the best of them.   One of the most enjoyable facets of The Enemy Within is the way it's been able to introduce compelling new characters.

On the question of Shepherd's loyalty, which is the essence of the series: it seems to me that the only evidence we have of her loyalty to Tal are the conversations she's managed to have with him, by stealing a phone or whatever this season.  And I right?  Did I miss something?  Because if I didn't, there's not all that much reason to think her ultimate loyalty is to Tal.  After all, she could've been lying to him in those conversations.

There's of course no doubt that her goals are not identical to the FBI's or Keaton's.  Shepherd and Keaton both want Tal dead.   And Shepherd, rightly or wrongly, probably rightly, has more confidence in her ability to do that, than she does in Keaton's.   Or, at very least, she has more confidence in her ability to think-through how to get Tal.   And it's also likely that she's concluded that such a plan requires her to escape FBI confinement at the appropriate time.

That would result in the FBI, including even Keaton, turning against her.   I don't see how all of this can be resolved in the one remaining episode, and, at present, there's no word on the fate of the series.  I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next week, and to seeing a season 2 of The Enemy Within next year.

See also The Enemy Within 1.4: Microsoft AI ... The Enemy Within 1.5: The New Mole ... The Enemy Within 1.7: The Conversation ... The Enemy Within 1.8: Oranges (Think About It) ... The Enemy Within 1.9: CIA vs. FBI

 


No comments:

InfiniteRegress.tv