Journeyman: "Year of the Rabbit" (Episode 104)

The opening credits are cooler than the show.

I think that if this series is to survive, NBC and the big networks have to lose their fear of science fiction. Right now this show is dancing in some weird middle ground – hell, even here at Recapist the show is filed under drama – but this show is a science fiction series and right now that’s the only thing it’s got going for it. I can’t make myself care about the romantic storylines, especially when a huge chunk of the screen time this week was burned on Wifey and Det. Bro.

The problem is that the show has established (at least to me) that Dan and Livia were perfect for each other, but were torn apart by Fate (with a capital “F”), Wifey has not been established much beyond being a shrew and Det. Bro has only been established as a jerk and a terrible brother. So why would we care if Jerk’s date gets interrupted? Why would we care if Shrew and Jerk get together? Are we supposed to be routing for them or against them? Are we supposed to feel bad for Dan? Because I thought we were supposed to want him to reunite with Livia? I feel bad for her! Anyways, the point is that besides being muddled, none of that is particularly interesting. The strength of the show going forward lies with continuing to exploit the classic time travel issues and what truth lies behind Livia’s actions and why Dan is traveling through time.

We start with a wedding rehearsal in a church and the minister does his best impression of Sam Beckett (“Oh boy.”) as Dan suddenly awakes in a pew… holding a wrench. That Quantum Leap reference had to be deliberate, no? Dan steps outside only to find the past awash with The Spin Doctors, instantly telling him the era. I know Cold Case uses this convention to the nth degree, but I don’t recall other time travel shows constantly establishing the year through the overuse of pop music.

Dan follows an interesting guy for about two seconds before he’s distracted by the same old bar that we always seem to stop into. I know that a show has to have its regular sets, but come on. Wifey 1994 is on the screen giving a news report from Chinatown. A cute Asian girl mistakes Dan for a blind date that she’s waiting on. Cute Girl is a bit of a chatty Cathy, telling Dan all about her ex-boyfriend and her blind date. Dan listens because it’s his job. Cute Girl even likes to chat about the “World Wide Web”. Didn’t we call it the internet still in 1994? Her ex shows up to confront her about cruising bars for guys. Dan tries to step in and a fistfight ensues. Suddenly Lucius Vorenus shows up for a second to beat up this 1994 guy. Cute Girl meets up with her blind date and Dan’s job is done.

Pointless.Dan returns home to find Wifey dealing with a plumbing leak in the most inane way possible. It’s not a hole in the roof! Go turn off the water supply! Why didn’t Dan do that anyway? Sigh.

Cue crazy backwards credits.

Of course, the water-logged house requires that Dan have more annoying domestic squabbles with Wifey. He assures her that he didn’t see Livia this time and Lil’ Dan wakes up just in time to ask awkward questions. Really? The gushing water and such did nothing for him? Wifey is more pissed about the “most important night of her life,” a black tie event that she’s chairing. Okay. How about some perspective here? On one hand, black tie event. On the other hand… TIME TRAVEL!

At work, Dan hits up the science editor to try to learn a little about “tachyons,” particles that travel faster than light. Did someone mention tachyons already? Did I miss something? He puts Dan onto an Expert Science Guy, but he has to call him first.

In a flash, Dan is back in 1997, without even breaking his gait. Maybe he’s getting the hang of this. And of course Marcy Park is playing. And Ally McBeal is on the television. The iconic baby episode. In a bar. In the middle of the day. Really??? Livia is there and Dan asks for the year. Couldn’t he tell from the ridiculousness that the rest of us are watching? Livia jumps right into asking about Wifey, almost as if she’s continuing the conversation from before. Almost as if she “traveled” right there. But I went back and checked the wardrobe choices. There’s no Sixth Sense nonsense going on here. Dan tells Livia a bit about Wifey and the scene is far more interesting than any scene he’s had with his wife.

Dan pops out to try to follow one of the men he saw in 1994, but instead an arms dealer asks him for directions. Dan follows and watches him sell a gun to the blind date from the bar. He then watches as he meets up with Cute Girl. She recognizes Dan and they chit chat. She reveals that she’s engaged to the blind date and they work together building a start-up to trade stocks on the “world wide web”. Dan tries to tell her about the gun, but she knows all about it and uncomfortably drives off. Dan sees the ex-boyfriend as well. He’s apparently a cop and still following Cute Girl around. But he’s working. He’s the “Melissa-Police”.

Back in 2007, Dan gets a call from Expert Science Guy, who’s a bit cagey while discussing tachyons. Of course, I just used Wikipedia . Science Guy knew Dan’s father as well, meaning… what, exactly? He leaves no number and says he’ll call him back.

At home, Dan checks the trusty Finder-Spyder to learn Cute Girl’s story, only to discover that she was murdered and the ex-boyfriend was suspected, but released due to lack of evidence. There are some more obnoxious domestic scenes and an extremely pointless scene with Det. Bro trying to go on a date. Dan pulls him away on the cell phone to ask questions about the cop ex-boyfriend. Det. Bro is annoyed but still answers his questions. Editor Boss stops by to have the obligatory scene where he tells Dan to stop researching things that aren’t on his beat.

That evening, Wifey deals with the worst vendors ever while she and Dan get ready for the big event. Dan tries to make nice, but Wifey just wants him to go to her freaking event. But of course, Dan vanishes moments after scrawling “sorry” on the mirror in lipstick. Fate is extremely rude.

I HAS GUN?Dan is back in 1998, as he learns from a hooker who thinks nothing of telling him what year it is. Dan goes to the internet startup to eavesdrop on the fiancée and Cute Girl arguing about embezzlement from the company and such. He pulls a gun and Dan comes out of nowhere, beats the guy, takes the gun and runs out the door with Cute Girl. Of course, right at this moment he flashes back to 2007, still holding the gun. A crowd of people react to the gun (but no one saw him appear) but Dan jumps into a cab and speeds away. A bystander calls the cops, because Dan can’t travel without getting in trouble with the authorities.

Det. Bro has driven Wifey to her event as a result of boring conversations in scenes that I didn’t even care to recap. Bottom line, Det. Bro is there for Wifey when Dan isn’t. There’s still an attraction, but I hate them both. Dan arrives at the event clammy and packing heat. And now he’s worried about his brother stealing his wife. He tries to make up with Wifey, who discovers that Livia is a traveler too. Any hope of saving the situation completely falls apart when she discovers Dan’s firearm.

More boring Shrew/Jerk scenes and Dan’s in the bathroom, checking Finder Spyder. Turns out he changed history, but Cute Girl is now in jail for murdering her husband. The iPhone and Finder Spyder simply don’t have the charm of Al and Ziggy. Det. Bro shows up and questions Dan. He’s distracted by a police force buddy telling him about a tux-wearing gun-wielding maniac and of course when he turns back, Dan has vanished.

In 1998, none of the elderly Chinese women notice that the tux-wearing white man came out of nowhere to interrupt their mahjong game. Dan tries to call Cute Girl and warn her not to do anything stupid, but when he tries to leave, his path is blocked by Wifey doing her news report that we saw earlier. She’s distracted by Livia though, who shows up just in time to start a conversation. Not 1998 Livia though, but 2007 (is it?) Livia. Wait, but wasn’t the news report in 1994, back when Cute Girl met her future murderer/murderee? Me confused. Wifey is totally distracted by Livia’s “mature” look. After she breaks away, she checks in with Dan only to tell him that he might need to shoot someone. Anything goes in the past. That seems like horrible advice. I remember a story about a butterfly…

"You're calling from where?"Dan gets a call from Expert Science Guy, but he’s kind of bu— wait a second! Dan’s in 1998 and getting a call from the Expert Science Guy in 2007? On his old cell phone? Wait, what? Dan is confused too. Oddly enough, so is the Expert Science Guy. But he hangs up suddenly to get rid of Dan. You shouldn’t exploit tachyons for free cell service. Or maybe he has Rose's timey-wimey cell phone. No time for that though, there’s a boring murder to prevent. Dan runs into the cop ex-boyfriend, who’s no longer the “Melissa-Police”. They go to Cute Girl’s office, only to watch as she shoots the blind date husband to death. They’re all in shock, but Dan knows just what to do, and plants the guys own gun back on him. He doesn’t plant evidence, he plants a fact. Pfft.

Vasser, Dan VasserIn 2007, Livia protects Dan from Det. Bro and boring boring Jerk/Shrew scenes. Dan shows up just in time though to make an impression, but Wifey is through with him. She can’t find her coat. She doesn’t even remember what color it is. What? Dan tells Wifey that Livia knows about them and she remarks that Livia must have been surprised. Again, what? Why would someone think of that first? Of someone who travels through time? It’s just such a strange comment. Dan uses his charm and masculinity to mack on his wife in the coat closet, not fixing the situation, but ending the episode.

Maybe I just missed it, but what good thing did the woman not going to jail accomplish? Because up until now, Dan’s actions have always set off a chain reaction of goodness, but now it’s just a single girl, not in a jail for killing someone in self-defense (which it technically wasn’t). Dan could spend an eternity helping people one by one. What happened to the show’s format?

NEXT WEEK: The show is still airing! Oh, and Dan ditches his kid at a ballgame.