NOTE: This post contains spoilers for FOX’s Minority Report. Read with caution.Â
I guess first impressions aren’t everything after all. Despite keeping with the procedural cop drama structure this week, Minority Report deviated from the trend a bit to peel back the layers (if only ever so slightly) from the mysterious story hiding in the background. But, the glimpse was only fleeting, and left me wanting more of the over-arching story. Though the showrunners have proved again how fantastic they are at creating futuristic tech, the predictable case, obvious red herring, and creepy “Mr. Nice Guy” bartender (who was obviously the killer), knocks the ambitious show down a few notches, landing squarely in mediocre-land.
If it wasn’t apparent by now, episode 2, “Mr. Nice Guy,” has made it abundantly clear that the folks behind this show know how to nail futuristic tech. Some of it is of course way over the top, but it’s executed so well that I don’t really care how ridiculous it was. From interactive baby stroller displays, to bracelets that determine your compatibility with another after tapping wrists together; it was a lot of fun to watch. Vega’s fancy pants high tech contact lenses also made a reappearance, this time offering night vision and another sighting of the thermal sensor utilized in the first episode. Oh, and we also got to see Vega and Blake use virtual reality as a form of cop training. Vega counted in Spanish during it for some reason, but it was still a lot of fun.
As for characters, the leads, Vega and Dash, are more or less the same in terms of compatibility, which is approximately 51% according to the fancy bracelet things they picked up at the club. During a creepy phone call (I still can’t get over how they collapse on themselves when it’s over) Agatha warned her brother that the lady cop is trying to use him. This idea is reiterated by the final few moments of the episode in which Dash’s older sister saw Vega standing over the milk bath which had been activated again. With Blake (Valderrama) metaphorically poking her with a stick since the beginning, and her constant annoyance with how terrible Dash is at everything (including picking up the ladies), it looks like there’s a possibility she’ll turn on her “partner” while thinking she’s doing the right thing. But, I guess the trio will know about that before it happens.
Anyways, this week’s case featured a pick-up artist — who had a super cool moving tattoo — as the red herring. Despite being able to smell the setup from a mile away, we’re strung along as the Precrime-solving tag team stake out dance clubs, drink cocktails, and collect clues that eventually led them to real man responsible. They discovered that somebody with a particular tattoo was planning on murdering a young woman. But, it turned out that it wasn’t a tattoo after all, but a flash of the cover of the pickup artist’s book.
After realizing their mistake, Dash and Vega rush to the bar to stop the murder before it happens. Luckily, the victim is still alive, and Dash’s precog power is somehow strong enough to accurately predict where Vega would have to shoot to bring the bad guy down. However his ability to actively view something that the writers have made clear isn’t under his control was an odd, contradictory bit to add to the script.
But, aside from that, it was the supporting characters Wally (Daniel London), Akeela (Li Jun Li), Arthur (Nick Zano), and yes, even Blake, that stole the show this week. While Akeela is catching on to what her “friend” Vega is up to, growing more concerned by the day, Wally and Arthur were protective in their own personal ways. As the name states, Wally takes up the role of caretaker, to both pull memories from Dash’s precog brain via unsafe headwear and to make sure he’s alright afterwards.
From what we’ve seen of the precog’s past, Wally was actually working with the government on the milk bath program. He brought several moral viewpoints to the forefront, including his assertion that the precogs were individuals, and most importantly, people. Speaking of morality, Dash also grimly admitted to Vega that killing someone didn’t have an affect on him. After years of watching hundreds of murders, he thought it would feel terrible actually committing the heinous crime, but he was shockingly desensitized to it — one of the many side effects I’m sure are on the way for poor Dash.
It is Arthur, however, who steals the show with his frustrated rant about how the government used and abused them, only to send them off to a remote location without a pension. With his days of saving people in the past, his main focus is making his own money and refusing to rely on anyone else. Much like their sister Agatha, Arthur warns Dash about getting involved with the feds. I don’t know about you, but I’m beginning to think the precogs have a point. Despite the fact that Dash is finally saving people, he is also remorselessly killing others. If he’s not careful, he’s going to have a tough time getting himself out of trouble before it’s too late.
What did you think of this week’s episode? Are you on board yet? Let us know in the comments below.
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Image Credit: Katie Yu / FOX
