Season 2, Episode 4, “The Last Goodbye”
Originally aired: April 14, 2005
“The Last Goodbye” turned the tables on Tru and Jack and allowed the audience to partially see an episode from another perspective. It challenged what the characters and the viewers thought they knew about the rules of the world, but did not break the air of believability in this supernatural world that the series has worked so hard to create. Overall, “The Last Goodbye” was a superior episode compared to most of what we’ve already seen, answering a few questions and creating a few more as well.
As I mentioned last week, I longed to see an episode from Jack’s perspective. This episode partially delivered on that desire. It delved into Jack’s methods of forming a relationship with the victim and took us through the steps of him determining a person’s fate. He was the one forced to make a difference in the victim’s fate instead of being the one to deflect someone else’s advances.
However, “The Last Goodbye” still felt much more like a “Tru episode” than a “Jack episode.” Even though the victim asked Jack for help, the episode kept its focus on Tru’s investigation and mission on a level equal to or slightly greater than Jack’s. It’s understandable given that Tru is the main character, but it was a missed opportunity to throw Jack into the spotlight and see Tru occasionally cause problems for him (seemingly out of nowhere) in a similar manner to what he did in episode 2.01, “Perfect Storm.” The tension between Tru and Jack in this episode felt the same as it has since she discovered his true nature. Once again, Tru tried to save the victim from death while Jack wanted to ensure her death. Because of this, “The Last Goodbye” demonstrated that Jack had a heart because he seemed to genuinely bond with the victim, but it also made him even more heartless as a man capable of killing someone he just bonded with. He sees it as a job, an inescapable duty, which almost makes the audience feel sorry for him.
Coming about half a season after his introduction, we finally received details about Jack’s version of a rewind. Sometimes simple explanations are better. Such was the case here. Jack simply sees the victim’s day during a rewind and pieces together the clues. Not only is this a smart explanation that gives Jack a fighting chance if he never encountered the victim, but it also explains why we have constantly been shown those flashes during Tru’s rewind and often when the episode comes back from a commercial break. It kills two birds (one story related and one visually relevant) with one stone.
Thinking about the story from a perspective where fate or destiny is an active force, it was interesting that this force was actively involved in making amends for the sake of the victim’s family. On the surface, it appeared to be a unique idea because the victim needed help dying, not help being saved, but upon further investigation this idea was recycled and somewhat modified from a previous story. Similar to what happened in episode 1.11, “The Longest Day,” the victim’s death was a means to help better someone else’s life. It was fate or destiny’s plan all along.
Personally from a writing standpoint, I enjoy the idea that there’s a greater force out in the universe calling the shots because it constantly gives your characters something strong to fight against. It ensures conflict, which is exactly what stories thrive on. The problem with the manner in which Tru Calling utilizes fate or destiny is that this force seems to be a cognitive being capable of understanding human needs and making decisions about what’s better for an individual’s life. The idea of fate or destiny being a force that strives simply for balance seems much more plausible. Or if the series had acknowledged this being as being any sort of deity, it would eliminate the awkwardness of this otherwise inexplicable omnipotence, but right now, it seems too conveniently included for the sake of catching the audience off guard.
I must give props to this episode for tackling the hotly debated topic of doctor-assisted suicide in a way that was neither “in your face” or completely passive in its beliefs. While it definitely leaned toward the “pro” side, the fact that Jack (the doctor in this situation) contemplated the morality of his actions and was truly affected by the struggle paints the topic in the same complicated light it exists in here in the real world. It was a bold decision that paid off with a compelling story.
For several weeks now, Harrison has been demonstrating that he is a changed man from the kid we saw in the pilot. This episode cemented that statement. What is most impressive about this development is that even though Harrison amended his actions, he is still essentially the same character who was immediately easy to like. He has not lost his fun side, his loyalty, his humor, or his tendency to make mistakes. He’s the most human, relatable, flawed character and such a strong complement to perfection-seeking Tru and her larger than life role.
Additional Comments:
– Davis’ minor freak out about the mercury level in the food Carrie cooked for him was a perfect character moment.
– This series was holding up well until the inclusion of film cameras, not that I can complain about older technology because my iPod is circa 2006.
– Tru pretending to donate the money courtesy of the “Relive Your Day Foundation” was a nice point that felt too much like the writers were trying to sneak in a clever reference. It was not entirely sneaky or clever, but nonetheless, enjoyable.
– “I’m kind of a trouble shooter. I try to keep things from veering off course.” – Jack
Season 2, Episode 5, “Enough”
Originally aired: April 21, 2005
Once again, “Enough” took a new approve to crafting an episode and made Tru more active and determined than ever to succeed because Jensen was killed. On the one hand, this increased Tru’s investment and thus made the episode more appealing. But on the other hand, it caused the series to dive into repetitive waters and thus broke the major tension. “Enough” was based on a cool idea that played out well enough without being a particularly superior episode.
Even though “The Last Goodbye” devoted much effort to developing a budding romance between Tru and Jensen, it did not betray the topic of this episode. So often, romances or family members are introduced for the purpose of engaging the audience only to shock them when these people are killed off. Tru and Jensen’s romance felt more natural than this. The problem with Jensen being a victim was that the series has already played this beat. There are only so many times that the people around Tru can die and be saved before it becomes difficult for the audience to believe that they will die for good. If Luc had not suffered this fate, it would have been easier to believe that Jensen would, but to have two stories so similar so close together doesn’t seem realistic. In addition, putting Tru’s friends and family in harm’s way has become too much of a go-to story, which is especially problematic when their deaths are not directly related to something Tru’s gift caused her to do.
Lately, there has been much talk within the series about the repercussions caused by what Tru and Jack are doing. I hesitate to call this talk foreshadowing because it has become so frequent and explicit that it could more easily be classified as a common topic of conversation. That being said, it makes the audience expect to see some of these repercussions. Unfortunately for us, there is only one episode left after this one so expectations will not be met entirely.
“Enough” ended with a sneak peek of the potential consequences when Jensen felt as if he were experiencing déjà vu. As cool as the idea is that people who were saved who didn’t ask for help could become aware of their previous fate, it seems like a road that should have already been taken. Davis potentially died and was then saved in episode 1.09, “Murder in the Morgue. And Harrison definitely died and was then saved in episode 1.20, “Two Weddings and a Funeral.” So, why is Jensen the first to shows signs of a rift in the universe? Maybe Harrison has not experienced this because the universe found balance when Luc died instead of him, so nothing has been thrown off course. However, this makes fate appear to work on a case-by-case basis convenient to what the writers want to do and not as if it were connected to an overarching consistent mythology.
This episode was the first one in which I felt as if Jack’s accusations of Tru playing God were accurate, but that does not necessarily mean that I disagreed with her actions. If she’s not given a set of rules or a mentor with more knowledge than she and Davis have, then there are no rules for her to actually break. She’s been gifted with the ability to save people, so why shouldn’t she use it how she wishes as long as she succeeds in saving the person who asked for help.
One inconspicuous theme of “Enough” was loyalty, exemplified in the relationships between Tru and Davis and Tru and Harrison. From the beginning of the series, these two relationships have been a strength, and it’s wonderful to see them growing even stronger a season later. Loyalty also applies to the relationship between Jack and Carrie, except hers seems to be built on blind loyalty. Since we know little about her background, her potential experiences with other generations of gifted individuals, and what she’s gaining from helping Jack, it’s hard to see her as anything other than a character that the writers needed to facilitate Jack’s investigations. Carrie’s relationship with Davis is fascinating in a twisted way. It’s a shame we’ll never see her reach her full potential.
Additional Comments:
– Harrison’s bad haircut was hilariously terrible.
– The Davies sibling bonding moment after Harrison’s bad haircut was a beautiful scene built around something other than death. It has been a while since we’ve seen a scene like this.
– I enjoyed the pretty green scenery in this episode.
– “Look at my life, Davis. Look at everything I’ve sacrificed to do this job, to answer this calling. I’ve lost friends, family, sleep, sanity, you name it. All in the name of fate. And how does fate repay me? It takes the people I’m closest to. First, my mother, then Luc, and now Jensen. I’m sorry, but enough is enough. I’m not giving up Jensen without a fight.” – Tru
