Episode 11 of Salvation was titled “All In.”  Since CBS is probably at this very moment wondering whether or not to renew Salvation, it’s a good question to ask viewers.  If you’ve seen everything up through episode 11 of Salvation, are you “All In” for a season two?

I think it’s important to consider the series as a whole, because this episode isn’t it’s best.  However, having seen the pilot and then what followed I’m more forgiving.   That’s because Salvation “All In” is, in a way, like a pilot, and the pilot for this show wasn’t great.  Yet, what followed more than shored up that first outing.

The same issue that the pilot faced  can be said for episode 11 of Salvation. We are entering a new phase of the show. and there were too many pieces to lay in for a short period of time.  It’s funny how this show really needed more episodes to structure itself better.  Today’s general thinking is that the shorter season makes for better writing.  Salvation is a show that would have benefitted from a more traditional broadcast series length.  That way they could have built certain story elements in a reasonable way instead of just throwing things in so that they can start climbing up the next mountain of a storyline.

Despite all of this, Salvation episode 11 did have some strong moments.  More importantly, one can see where the show is going next, and that looks to be some complex and intense storytelling!

What We Learned in Salvation Episode 11, “All In.”

Liam is an Adopted Child

The romance between Liam Cole (Charlie Rowe) and Jillian Hayes (Jacqueline Byers) is the stuff of teenage romance novels like Twilight.   What makes it doubly hard for adults to swallow is that these characters aren’t even teenagers.  Nevertheless, going with the whole love at first sight, destined to be together fantasy, it’s a decent enough story overall.  

This week though was tough.  Really, the President’s suddenly died, the project you’ve been working on to save the world has been hijacked, so, let’s take off and go play with water guns in the park?  These are the kind of things that happen when you need to rush to a point.  It was truly cringe-worthy.

It didn’t take long (thankfully) to realize that the entire, let’s run away, and then run away more and get married, story was to introduce us to Liam’s mother, Evelyn Cole (Karen Robinson).

First of all,  thank you, Mom, for being the voice of reason!  Of course, later they have her agee to go along with it because Liam compares her knowing “the moment” she saw Liam that she would adopt him to the feelings between him and Jillian.  For the record, no, they aren’t the same. For one, if you listen to the story, Evelyn had always wanted a child and she had the rest of her life in order.  Liam wasn’t in the market for getting married.

It’s Jillian who picks up on Evelyn’s logic.  She calls off the wedding because she doesn’t want to get married out of “desperation” about the world ending.  She sees it as them giving up on the future.  So, yes, someday they’ll get married, but not this season.  At the end of it all, we get these two back together and we meet Evelyn.  They have done this without the hokey, “let’s get married bit” – but at least it’s done.  I’m sure that those under 25 appreciated it.

On a positive note, what great casting! Until you learn that Liam was adopted, it’s not hard to think that Liam could in fact be Evelyn’s son.  The big brown eyes of both actors are a great match!

More importantly, learning that Liam was adopted opens the door to the possibility of yet more cast members – his parents.  On the other hand, we may have already met his parents.  The possibility that Liam is the son of  billionaire tech entrepreneur Darius Tanis (Santiago Cabrera) and Theresa/Tess (Autumn Reeser) – the love that his uncle Nicholas Tanz (John Noble) offered young Darius a fortune to give up – seems quite likely.  Certainly that family portrait works well also. 

This would definitely be a set up for more drama!

Darius and Grace Are Choosing The Future

Even though the plotlines were about Darius losing his company and Grace trying to save her daughter these also served another purpose.  It set up situations where each ends up concluding things about their past relationships.  Independently both choose to let them go!  Darius does so straightforwardly, but Grace also shows that she’s done with Harris as her boyfriend.

Grace and Darius

Yes, Darius did kiss his former love very passionately.  However, at the end of it all he told her that while he did believe in second chances he also felt the timing wasn’t right.  Although he didn’t say it was because of Pentagon Press Secretary Grace Barrows (Jennifer Finnigan), we all know it is.  For one, despite Grace setting off a security alarm when she walked into Tanz he never for a moment suspects her of any wrongdoing. Instead he works to figure out what and who has bugged her. 

It isn’t a surprise to learn that Zoe (Rachel Drance) bugged her mother’s phone.  It was far more interesting to watch the intensity of concern Darius shows towards Grace.  As for Grace, that causal brush of her hand on Darius’s back when she thanks him nearly did me in!  Then, when she turned down Darius’s offer to go with her?  It was absolutely the best line of the episode!

Grace: No, I have to save my baby, (sigh) you have to save yours.

Grace’s innate understanding of what the company means to Darius clearly meant something to him – even if he does end up kissing Tess in their next scene.  

Grace and Harris

Likewise, (as was pointed out in the TVoverMind episode preview) even though Grace’s ex – Acting Defense Secretary Harris Edwards (Ian Anthony Dale) isn’t really prepared to let her go, Grace is clearly done. This is despite the connections that brought them together in the first place: being divorcees with a teenager and working for the Pentagon.  

The intensity of their jobs is definitely a part of what brought them together.  They have a shared understanding of how the government really works that comes from having to work in it.  This is why Grace is willing to work with Harris to find their kids and get to the bottom of what’s going on at the White House.  However, she’s clearly not thinking about rekindling their affair.  

Notice how Harris looks at her?  He still loves her.  Grace still cares for him, love…that’s died.  The way Grace stops his hand from cupping her face says “it’s over” as much as the words would.

Harris may want to blame Darius for this, but the change in Grace isn’t just about Darius.  Harris’s participation in Project Atlas and having her arrested has shifted her feelings.  She certainly doesn’t see them as a team the way she did before.  She’s on team Darius. (She’s just like most of us!)

Harris and the Inner Circle

This is another good storyline.   Harris being put to the test by the deceased President’s advisor Claire Rayburn (Erica Luttrell) and the new POTUS, Monroe Bennett (Sasha Roiz) was all kinds of shady!  Really, Claire doesn’t recognize Harris’s son Dylan (André Dae Kim)?  From the look on her face I’m not buying it.  I don’t think Harris did either.  Regardless, if  he did or not, the idea that this president was willing to take out young American citizens – one who was his son – was (finally) enough for him. You can see his resolve building throughout the episode. By the time he talked to Grace at the end he’d already made up his mind about his course of action.  It crescendoed when he confronted Dylan. 

The scene between Harris and Dylan at the Resist secret headquarters is excellent! It’s emotionally layered with anger, grief, surprise, understanding, and most of all love.  Dylan’s shock that his father would break protocol to protect him opens Dylan’s eyes to Harris’s love for him. It leads to a great father and son moment.  

The Government needs resistance, to keep their power in check.
And it takes very brave people to stand up to that kind of power.

– Harris Edwards to his son, Dylan

Dylan takes in that his father is proud of his son.  Harris takes strength from his son’s bravery.  It’s the moment Harris finalizes in his mind what he’s going to do. He’s going to be taking on the government as well.  His tack won’t be that of his son though.

 Harris is going to do a deep dive, going “all in” to this inner circle in order to eventually expose them.  As he told Grace, “whatever it takes.”  When he tells Dylan to “remember” that his father loves him, it’s not just a comforting statement.  Harris knows what he’s going to do is going to look reprehensible to his son.  For instance – who were the six bodies found in the Resist headquarters explosion? Hopefully planted cadavers, but we don’t know.

How bad could things get?  Well, Salvation continues with its moments of quiet commentary on today’s political turmoil with shots like this…

This shot puts the character of Claire Rayburn somewhere between KellyAnn Conway and Condoleezza Rice.  So, we’re talking really, really, bad.

Last Tidbits: Darius, Nicholas, plus the Reporter

After Darius forces his uncle Nicholas to explain why he’s been such a miserable human being, they end up working things out, “for now.”  What’s the reason given? Nicholas loved Darius’s mother first.  She chose Nicholas’s brother.  Out of the rage of his broken heart, Nicholas says he took their son….  Yes, it does beg the question of who Darius’s father really is.  It also suggests that Nicholas wouldn’t be above separating Darius from his own son – if he had one.  Hmm….

Reporter Amanda Neel (Shazi Raja) tracks down the deceased president’s speech-writer.  She didn’t write the speech, but right before the president went on the air she handed the speech-writer a copy.  It’s either gibberish or some kind of code, but what does stand out is this.  Four months before the president learned about something called “project Sampson” – and she refers to it as inflicting a “major apocalypse.  

The Wrap Up

There was too much going on in this episode, which made for choppy viewing.  I still find Amanda’s character to be more of a walking plot advancer.  With the way Amanda is written it’s no wonder so many people hate the press.  It’s like she has no soul.  Meanwhile Liam and Jillian’s story ends up feeling rushed and melodramatic.  If the writers had more time they could have taken a episode fleshing these two stories out, but they didn’t.  Because there are only two episodes left they had to cram all this information into one episode.

Even though on its own this isn’t my favorite episode, Episode 11 of Salvation did pull me all in for this series.  The pieces of information given bode well for the overall story being unfolded.  Meeting Liam’s mother was fun, even though the circumstances were a bit silly.  There’s clearly more to be learned from Nicholas about Darius’s past.  The conspiracy at the White House is even more intense.  Things are in a good place for Darius and Grace.

Another piece of the story to keep an eye on is Tess.  Even though she seems like all sweetness and light I don’t think that’s what initially had her come to Tanz.  Usually when someone seems too good to be true they are.  Remember,  Darius let her in on the secret of his rocket “Salvation,” and we still don’t know who she’s married to, or if  she’s got some past dealings with Nicholas….    Let’s hope Salvation gets a season two!