Blindspot has proven to be a hit for audiences and critics alike, and it’s managed to be one of the most fun mystery stories on television this fall. Let’s take a look at how things played out in this week’s episode, “Cede Your Soul.”
The episode opens with Jane in the middle of a dream (her first dream, actually) that manages to show us how emotionally detached she has become with the loss of her memories. We’ve seen that her amnesia is taking a huge toll on her, but it’s important to remind us that it also, unfortunately, creates a separation between her and anyone that she tries to feel close to. Someone else that’s having difficulty getting close to someone is Kurt, who is still angry at his sister over her bringing their father into his home. As anyone could have predicted (but not in a negative way), this mutual detachment has begun to draw Jane and Kurt together. Because of this, they both attempt to keep their relationship strictly professional, something that Mayfair is worried won’t last. The writers have done a great job with the relationship between these two characters so far, and the fact that they’re beginning to see each other in a way that is outside of work manages to feel very real, something that helps keep viewers interested in this development rather than wondering why the show is taking that path.
Keeping with the underlying procedural elements on Blindspot, the case of the week in “Cede Your Soul” deals with a dark web “app” that potentially puts every agent in danger. The scope of this case is around the same as all of our others have been, but the very personal aspect of all of the agents being at risk makes the stakes feel much bigger, even if they, for the most part, aren’t. One big reason for this is because of how well the writers have managed to make us care about these characters in only a few episodes. The performances have all been fantastic so far (with the standouts being Jaimie Alexander, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, and Sullivan Stapleton), and you really do worry about something bad happening to all of these individuals. The important thing isn’t that we, as the audience, like all of the characters, but rather that we are actively engaged in the desire to find out what happens to them.
Blindspot has a lot of good things going for it, but I really do think that we need to give credit to Jaimie Alexander for her portrayal of Jane Doe. There isn’t a single aspect of Jane that’s been revealed that Alexander hasn’t been able to completely make us believe, and her success in this portrayal has made Jane someone that we can easily root for, no matter how much bad she’s done. It’s true that we don’t know what Jane did in her past (although we’ve gotten the inclination that she was no saint), but Alexander sells the character so well that we don’t really even care. Yes, the aspect of Jane’s amnesia plays a big role in redeeming her from any possible immorality in her past, but I don’t think we would care at all about the character unless the actress filling the role was as talented as Alexander.
“Cede Your Soul” was another great episode of Blindspot, and I’m really enjoying watching the mystery of Jane’s tattoos play out. The writers aren’t slowing down in their quick pacing, and it’s really a treat to get to see this show every week.
What did you think about “Cede Your Soul”? What are your thoughts on Blindspot so far this season? Let us know in the comments down below!
[Photo credit: Paul Sarkis/NBC]
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