The death of Donovan’s sister to cocaine leads the agent to take drastic action and Frank forces a backstep to stop him being imprisoned.
After Talmadge’s lonely death earlier in the season, it’s good to see a more character-orientated episode of the series. As the most overlooked character on the show, it’s good to see Donovan finally getting some recognition and Don Franklin getting a meatier plot that allows for some emotion, something usually glossed over by Seven Days. The early part of the story is surprisingly hard-hitting, with Donovan as we’ve never seen him before: angry and frustrated at not being able to do anything for his sister while she was alive. It truly is an accident when he kills a man, as he reacts in self-defence. His recriminations in jail make for a strong scene with Parker when Frank comes to visit, too.
However, things start to go downhill around backstep time. Frank’s effort to make up a story to explain what he’s doing is feeble and easily seen through by Talmadge. Although it paints him as a likeable boss, it’s unlikely that Frank would get away with this behaviour as often as he has. Likewise, his reason for the backstep on the other side of the timeline is even more implausible.
Donovan’s efforts to save his sister are immediately effective, and it just remains to bring down the whole drug running operation in his former neighbourhood. This likewise seems to go too well, with an unnecessary and stupid sub-plot making up for it. This sub-plot deals with the local preacher who, seeing the backstep sphere arrive, believes the archangel Michael is back. Now, I know how people of faith are meant to believe in these kinds of things, but Reverend Flood doesn’t seem the type. He is overplayed by Dorien Wilson, who, in his defence, is landed with some awful and unconvincing dialogue along with sketchy motivation at best. If you were dying of a gunshot wound, you’d stay in the hospital.
A curious mix of the inspired and worthwhile alongside the downright ridiculous.
***
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