Your Entertainment Corner

Resurrection – “Home” Recap. The .38 Formula

Season 1, Episode 6

Air Date: Sunday, April 13, 2014, 9/8c on ABC

Rating: ★★★★★

“I just wanted to come home?” – Rachael

Agent Bellamy (Omar Epps)

Despite repeatedly watching the video, Sheriff Langston (Matt Craven) struggles with the notion that Caleb (Sam Hazeldine) simply disappeared from his jail cell. Did Caleb make himself vanish or was someone or something behind it?

Agent Bellamy (Omar Epps) explains to the Langstons about Caleb’s disappearance. Henry (Kurtwood Smith) and Lucille Langston (Frances Fisher) seem less worried about Caleb being out there and more concerned about the possibility Jacob (Landon Gimenez) could also simply vanish.

Sheriff Langston visits Elaine (Samaire Armstrong) to try and explain what happened to Caleb. Elaine seems unfazed by the news saying, “I guess it’s no stranger than anything else that has happened.” After the Sheriff leaves, Elaine’s brother Ray (Travis Young) tells her, “That man, he wasn’t dad.”  Elaine replies, “I know, Ray.” Is Elaine in shock over the recent events or is she preserving the fond memories she had of him before his death by telling herself this wasn’t really her father.

Bellamy and Maggie (Devin Kelley) visit Rachael (Kathleen Munroe) to see if she remembers anything more about her return. After their visit, Maggie tells Bellamy she has consulted with Dr. Eric Ward (James Tupper), an old friend who works for the National Institute of Health. Bellamy isn’t thrilled because somehow this is his case, despite having no jurisdiction, and his bosses have no clue about what Bellamy is doing. Bellamy’s frustration and lack of trust in the government seem out of place and I wonder if there is more behind it that will be revealed in future episodes.

When Sheriff Langston grabs a cup of coffee at the local bar, he is confronted by an angry Gary (Kevin Sizemore) who wants the sheriff to hunt down Caleb, the man who killed his cousin Dale (Jason Saucier). The tension in the bar is palpable as you can feel the townspeople’s frustration and fear regarding the returned.

Dr. Ward thinks he has come up with a formula that could help Bellamy and Maggie establish where the next returned person might appear. Bellamy seems to find Ward’s theory interesting but still doesn’t seem to trust him. I admit, the TV nerd in me wished, that given the animosity Bellamy seems to have for Ward, it would have been fun if the writers could have gotten House’s Hugh Laurie to have guest starred as Ward.

Ward meets with Jacob, telling the Langstons he would like to have Jacob taken to Bethesda for observation. Bellamy and the Langstons are reluctant but take it into consideration.

Off duty, Sheriff Langston visits some friends for their annual poker game at Paul Thornton‘s (Michael Harding) house. Paul shows Langston the arsenal he’s collected over the years. Langston seems uneasy because Paul offers to help if there ever comes a time to “sidestep protocol.”

Helen (Veronica Cartwright)

Rachael tells Pastor Tom (Mark Hildreth) about her pregnancy. Needless to say, the news does not go over well with Tom’s wife Janine (Lori Beth Sikes). Later, Helen (Veronica Cartwright) meets with Janine to talk about Tom. Janine confides to Helen about Rachael’spregnancy. Helen goes to visit Rachael posing as a friend of Tom’s who is there to help her. But when Rachael lets her in, Helen becomes confrontational, implying Rachael and her baby are ungodly. When Rachael refuses to skip town, Helen threatens to expose Tom and her to the rest of the church.

During “Home,” you can feel the tension growing in the community and it reaches a head when the town gathers for church. Their emotions boil over and accusations are tossed around. This scene could have been powerful to watch by having an intense spiritual debate but the writers decided instead to turn things into a soap opera. At first, Tom is the strongest he has ever been standing firm to his beliefs, yet when Helen implies adultery, Tom cowers and becomes silent. It isn’t adultery. I understand when people get restless and scared, logic can go out the window, but it seems the writers are creating drama just to create drama. For a show filled with mystery, the writers needed a bad guy so they created Helen’s character. Bellamy is able to calm some of the people down but not before a majority walk out of the church.

Tension growing in the community.

On a related note, in my review of the pilot, which you can read here, I mentioned how Resurrection reminded me of the 1986 Disney movie Flight of the Navigator. There, a young boy named David (Joey Cramer) is knocked unconscious and wakes up only to find out eight years have passed and everyone except him has aged. His mother Helen is played by Veronica Cartwright, who also plays Helen on Resurrection.

Returning to her hotel, Rachael is greeted by Deputy Carl (Christopher Berry) who tells her Sheriff Langston would like to see her to make sure she is safe. She agrees, getting in his patrol car when suddenly Gary also gets in. The two men take her to a secluded cabin in the woods. After everything we have seen from Gary so far, we know this can’t be good.

Henry thanks Bellamy for keeping his family safe during the confrontation at the church. He tells Bellamy they have decided not to go with Dr. Ward to Bethesda; instead, they plan to enjoy whatever time they have with Jacob at their home without having all kinds of tests run on him. Bellamy wonders if Bethesda might be a safer option given the anxiety of the town. I enjoyed the scenes between Bellamy and the Langston family, including Sheriff Langston and Maggie. There seems to be some real chemistry between them and I like how the writers have allowed the relationship to evolve into the friendship we see now.

Back at home, Sheriff Langston pulls out his wedding ring from a box and stares at it for a bit before setting it down next to the bed. Could this be a hint that perhaps his wife will be the next to return?

Tweet me @staffaroadtrip or leave a comment below to let me know what you think about “Home.”

Tune in to Resurrection on Sundays at 9/8c, only on ABC.

For more information on Resurrection, visit the official website.

Follow Resurrection on Twitter.

LIKE Resurrection on Facebook.

All photos © 2014 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 

Greg Staffa

I provide testosterone to the site. You won’t be reading about how nice a actress looks in a dress or how much of a hunk Matt Bomer is in my reviews. I describe colors using words like brown, not taupe. My twitter name is @staffaroadtrip because I love road trips and have done two different 48-state road trips since 2008. My favorite show is White Collar.

Greg Staffa

I provide testosterone to the site. You won’t be reading about how nice a actress looks in a dress or how much of a hunk Matt Bomer is in my reviews. I describe colors using words like brown, not taupe. My twitter name is @staffaroadtrip because I love road trips and have done two different 48-state road trips since 2008. My favorite show is White Collar.