Episode 2.02
Writer: Michael Nankin
Director: Michael Karnow
The One Where: A super-fast Alpha goes on a kidnapping spree.
Verdict: It’s Rosen’s team versus the Flash this week, in what is one of the most visually stylish episodes of Alphas yet. The hyper-real opening sequence had me longing for a 3D TV - not a regular occurrence I can assure you – and made excellent use of Eli’s speedy ability.
After last week’s slightly messy resetting, we’re pretty much back to business as usual in “The Quick And The Dead”, with a crazed Alpha on the loose. Eli (played by C Thomas Howell of ET fame) is one of the more creatively inclined lunatics Rosen has encountered thus far, a trait showcased in his shocking use of a screwdriver. His motivations though are very much in line with this season’s key concept: Alphas being suppressed by a fascistic government. In case you missed it, the point was bludgeoned home again by the dodgy scientist guy – "just following orders", he says. Of course you were…
With Rosen’s HQ packed to the rafters with suited analyst types, we get to see Gary going loco over work fridge space allocation (I feel your pain Gary). Since his time in Building Seven, Gary seems to have more of an edge, and it makes him a much more dynamic character. Plus, he still gets all the best lines, and his power remains the coolest, so it’s very much a ‘hooray for Gary’ episode.
Elsewhere, Stanton Parish’s appearance in unexpected places is a nice twist, and his dead-eyed dispatching of his granddaughter reminds us once more that he is utterly ruthless. As the season builds, I’m looking forward to finding out more about him.
For further proof of Parish’s uncanny ability to manipulate events, you need look no further than Dani Rosen’s relationship with Hicks. They’re little more than puppets, ants under Parish’s giant magnifying glass. Rosen might well prove to be a match for the ageless bastard yet, but it’s going to be a hell of a fight.
Best Line: Gary: “Hicks, was breakfast sex? I broke your sex code.”
Rob Power
