1-8. We Will All Be Judged by the Courage of Our Hearts.

Hernando is troubled by Lito's recent decisions.

Running Time: Approx. 50 minutes. Written by: The Wachowskis, J. Michael Straczynski. Directed by: Dan Glass.


THE PLOT:

Nomi is forced to go on the run when Whispers arrives, flanked by police with a warrant to search the home of Amanita's mother and to take into custody anyone who interferes. Nomi is cornered, but is able to channel Will's police knowledge, Sun's martial arts skills, and Capheus' driving abilities to escape.

Meanwhile, Sun protects Soon-Ji from her bully, who then makes the mistake of attempting to pick a fight with Sun in the Yard. It does not go well for the other prisoner, but Sun is both wounded and taken to solitary confinement. Wolfgang watches over Felix in the hospital, blaming himself for the attack. And Lito learns that Dani has bought Joaquim's silence... but only by agreeing to marry him, which does not sit well with Hernando.

In Kenya, Capheus decides he must break ties with Silas. But he soon discovers that this is not so easily accomplished...


CHARACTERS:

A strong episode for the regulars' significant others. When Whispers comes to her mother's house, Amanita insists on staying behind to buy more time for Nomi's escape. Meanwhile, when Lito is too willing to go along with Dani's decision to return to Joaquim, even after seeing Dani's black eye, Hernando decides he has had enough. "I can't be with someone who will allow someone else to be hurt in order to protect their career," he tells Lito, and walks away without a single glance back - something which has to be at least as difficult for him as for Lito.

An extended flashback sequence details Wolfgang's childhood bond with Felix, and helps make Felix into a much stronger character in the process (the child actors in these scenes are excellent). Meanwhile, the help Sun gives to Soon-Ji earns her the appreciation of her cellmates. When she needs allies, she will have them - Something that will almost certainly be important quite soon. Will's Fox Mulder-like investigation has eaten up all the goodwill he earned from arresting Jonas, and now appears likely to derail his career.

Finally, Capheus' desire to return to his previous, simpler life ends with a harsh wake-up call; he appears to have no way to protect both his mother and Jela, whose life is on the brink of falling apart without the bus job, despite the money Capheus has given him. Given a choice between his mother and his friendship, it's obvious what choice Capheus will end up making - his mother is basically his berserk button, after all. But at this stage, it's hard to see a convincingly happy ending to this story.


THOUGHTS:

We Will All Be Judged by the Courage of Our Hearts is the first episode of the series which felt more devoted to plot than character. There are still strong character moments, particularly for Amanita and Hernando, but for the first time the emphasis has shifted to moving the story forward.

That results in an episode that's less instrinsically memorable than What's Going On? or Demons, but the hour moves along rapidly. Every thread advances, some significantly, and the sense of threads coming together is ever stronger. The episode has a strong set piece in Nomi's escape, which utilizes half of the regulars and shows off how formidable these skills can make an otherwise ordinary person, and it ends with me actively anticipating what will happen next.

For all the fun of that action scene, however, the part of the episode most likely to stick in my memory is the extended flashback to Wolfgang's childhood friendship with Felix. Chiron Elias Krase and Lenius Jung are terrific as the young versions of these characters, and both are similar enough in appearance that we never doubt that we're watching the same people as in the present day. In previous episodes, I'll admit to sometimes wondering why Wolfgang hangs around with Felix, whose lack of impulse control seems like a liability. After watching the flashbacks, I like Felix a lot more as a character, and now fully buy into the friendship they share.

Overall, another good episode, with some strong scenes and fine moments. The focus here may be to move the plot forward, but that doesn't come at the expense of the characters - And the 50 minute running time passes quickly.


Rating: 8/10.

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