1-10. What Is Human?

"All that matters is that today, two stood against many..."

Running Time: Approx. 59 minutes. Written by: The Wachowskis, J. Michael Straczynski. Directed by: The Wachowskis.


THE PLOT:

It is the Fourth of July, and the eight sensates stand at individual moments of decision. Sun has a chance to end her imprisonment, but is told that her brother's sentence will be much harsher than hers. Steiner tells Wolfgang he will give him and Felix "a pass" as long as Wolfgang gives him the diamonds they stole, but it's already clear that he can't be trusted to keep to his word. Kala wrestles over whether to tell Rajan that his father's last wish before the assault was to cancel the wedding. Capheus watches old Jean Claude Van Damme films to try to build up courage after the threat made against his mother. And Lito gets some unexpected help in realizing that making a mistake doesn't matter - Provided you do what is necessary to fix it.

Meanwhile, Will receives a visit from Jonas, who tells him that Whispers is trying to use him to find the members of the cluster. He urges Will to "never look him in the eye - Never!" And in Iceland, Riley stays to watch her father's symphonic performance - a seemingly simple decision that has unexpected consequences.


CHARACTERS:

Will shares a wonderful little scene with his father (Joe Pantoliano), as they enjoy the Fourth of July fireworks from a boat on the water. Will's father talks about how he tried to follow in his electrician father's footsteps, only to find he had no aptitude or interest in the job.  He then tells Will how proud it made him when he became a cop as well. Capheus continues to have chemistry with anyone he shares screentime with, talking with a depressed Kala about how Van Damme gives him courage and about the violence of the world - a violence Kala has been sheltered from, until the assault on her not-quite father-in-law.

Lito and Wolfgang are the last pairing I would have expected, but they prove to be a delight and they fit well with each other's weaknesses. Wolfgang is the kind of implacable tough guy Lito plays on screen, while Lito has an ability to lie convincingly that is utterly foreign to the straightforward thief. The two scenes in which they come to each other's aid are both crowd-pleasing moments that work, because of how well the two characters end up fitting together.

In addition, with Lito aiding Wolfgang in his confrontation with Steiner's crew, they effectively make true the quote Wolfgang's friend loves from Conan the Barbarian: "All that matters is that today, two stood against many. Valor pleases you, so grant me this one request.  Grant me revenge!"  Sergei warned Wolfgang against seeking revenge - But with Steiner effectively forcing that choice onto him, Wolfgang seems to get quite a bit of pleasure from taking it.  Almost as much as we get from watching it...


THOUGHTS:

May I say how much I love this show? I'm trying to think of another series that can flip on a dime to musing about whether the Holocaust was "an aberration or a reflection of who we really are," to a touching father-daughter scene debating the value of hurtful truths vs. reassuring lies, to a crowd pleasing set piece featuring a hidden handgun and a rocket launcher. And that's before Lito gets into a fistfight and attempts to fend off his attacker by (badly) throwing potted plants at him.  Never mind the shared experience that is the last five or so minutes of this...

When I started What Is Human?, I did so under a natural assumption: The previous episode had been focused on advancing the characterizations, so this one - as we gear up for the season finish - would return to being plot-focused. Nope. For a second episode running, the focus is on the characters, and I couldn't be more delighted. These eight people are so engrossing in themselves, and their individual situations so interesting, that just watching them navigate (and help each other through) the messes of their own lives is addictive enough without any need for an external Big Secret Threat, so I'm happy to get one more episode focused just on that aspect before The Plot takes over.

Not that I'm not intrigued by the plot, and I fully expect to enjoy the season's final two episodes. But regardless of the payoff or lack thereof, the journey has definitely been worthwhile.

For most series I've reviewed, this episode would unquestionably be a "10." But I didn't like it quite as much as What's Going On? or Death Doesn't Let You Say Goodbye, and I have a feeling that this is a series where I should be very stingy with full marks, or else I'll end up awarding full marks too often. So instead I'll give this a still very strong...


Overall Rating: 9/10.

Previous Episode: Death Doesn't Let You Say Goodbye
Next Episode: Just Turn the Wheel and the Future Changes



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