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Alphas Season 1 Episode 9

Blind Spot

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AIRED: 9/12/11

After capturing an Alpha working as an obstetrician, the team takes on an Alpha with the ability to remain unseen and undetectable against any opponent.

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Fan Episode Reviews (4)

Big Dose of Implausibility

2.0

By dav1d, Jun 02, 2012

I do like this series as I'm a science fiction fan, but this episode is pretty dumb. For people dealing with people with special powers, the whole team seems to be perpetually stunned into action.

So they know they have an invisible uninvited guest and when they catch her, they secure her with the super-secure duct tape. Oh, and secure her only with a few loops round her wrists and ankles, because that is all that's needed to secure a person who, once escapes, is not going to be easily found again and will sure as hell kill you. (She already stabbed one of your team members, abducted another and was about to kill one more)

When they were given an unverified info that vibrations from the sonar guy is going to bring the building down, the team just goes like, okay no big deal, we'll just ignore it until something big happens.

That's fine until they get to sonar guy and Bill begins his perpetually-stunned act. Okay so the door handle's freaking hot, but then he just stares stunned like an idiot as the whole enclosed container vibrates until it shatters. That's some ten or more seconds he, as a cop, could have used to use his shirt or something to protect his hand while he opens the door and barrels his way through to mug sonar guy. But no, Bill just stares and conveniently gets knocked out when the enclosed holding cell explodes.

Next, when Bill finally gets to sonar guy and watches him get killed by invisible woman, he does that perma-stunned act again and watch her disappear. I mean c'mon! She is strolling and talking to you, while you just had your strength amped up! Just knock that bitch out! Do something! Don't just stand there and do your dumb shit stunned act.

Even if we give everyone else has the benefit of doubt since they are civilians, Bill can't be excused because he was a freaking FBI field agent! Yet he stares, and God help us when your life depends on Bill manning the shit up and getting his hand burnt for the greater good.

This episode depends too much on thinking that the team are plausibly too unaware to act with more urgency. I've been enjoying the episodes until this one so I'm really disappointed. I really hope this is just one slip up.moreless
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I've been hoping this show would get over it's start of the first season bumbling but it's just getting worse. They are all except Rosen, Alphas, they have met others with all kinds of abilities, yet it took them forever to put 1+1 together in this show.moreless

4.0

By Unitynow8, Nov 27, 2011

Each individually notice something strange, they ignore their instincts and don't talk to each other. Nobody reacts to Gary saying someone went into his file directory. Do you know how to get into the file directory of a smart phone? I'm pretty sure none of them can, so it should have been obvious that Gary had a clue on hand. The minute they realize they have a sonar Alpha on their hands they should have been considering what he can do with that ability in regards to their cell, building etc. none of them even considered it, not even Rosen after he told him of the heart defect.

Rachel comes to and doesn't rip the tape of her month and eyes first thing, how dumb is that?

Don't even get me started with Bill. He knows he is hormone/emotion driving, he doesn't even try do do anything rational and analytical. I'm really tired of seeing his heart pumping, we get it. Plus he should stop lying to his wife, what kind of terrible marriage is that?

Gary is the best character in this show. No complaint about him.moreless
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The team captures an Alpha who has spent his career as an obstetrician but is now working with the Red Flag group.

9.0

By rkoenn, Sep 16, 2011

I gave this episode a nine and found it very interesting. I have not been let down by any episodes so far and have become a big fan of this show. The episode deals with the team bringing in an Alpha they know very little about. Brent Spiner, Data from Star Trek:TNG, does a great job playing the coy but malevolent doctor. They setup a special isolation room for him because they do not know what his abilities are. But along with him a hired Alpha, who is basically invisible to people, sneaks into the building on a mission to kidnap or kill the doctor.

The plot plays along Dr. Rosen attempting to find out what Dr. Kern is up to while the invisible intruder is attempting to kidnap the doctor who is locked away in a specially constructed isolation chamber. Dr. Rosen finally discovers Dr. Kern's sonic abilities and tries to reason with him about what he is doing with Red Flag. The fact that the invisible intruder is in the building sets up the final confrontation between the team, Dr. Kern, and the intruder. When this happens the plot line gets thrown for a loop with the ending actually not resolving the issues brought up. And the writers again manage to put some morale conundrums in the plot line.

The interplay between Rosen and Kern was quite good and Straitharn's portrayal of Rosen is excellent. He portrays the insecurities and conflicts Rosen has perfectly. Bill does a very good job supporting and of course Gary provides his typical neurotic performance which throws some very opportune humor into the show. We also see further development of Nina and Cam's relationship. As I said, an extremely well done episode and a great series.moreless
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Not just another night at the office.

9.0

By Bob_Scrivens, Sep 15, 2011

TV shows are known to occasionally run a "bottle episode": a show that uses limited, existing sets and few characters, usuallyin order to save money.In "Blind Spot",all the action takes place over one night, almost in real-time, at the familiar office set, and uses just two characters besides the principles. But the quality and the tension were high. This is a bottle show done right.

Red Flag makes an overdue return in this story, in which the team brings in a suspected enemy agent to determine the nature of his ability before shipping him off to Binghamton. (We pick up after Cam and Nina have nabbed him, off-camera.) It turns out that their subject has natural sonar ... and that he is being pursued by an unseen intruder. As strange incidents mount and structural cracks spread throughout the office building, whom to trust and where the adversaries stand become the central issues.

This episode makes good use of misdirection. The bookish, middle-aged prisoner has sonar, which doesn't sound spectacular. The sleek office intruder is essentially invisible, which sounds more threatening. By the end of the episode, whom to root for and who is dangerous ... those assumptions are upended.

While we don't get much by way of character development, this episode compensates with action, creepy unease (from the point of view of an invisible intruder) and a brief glimpse into Red Flag operations. "We're not as monolithic as you think," the prisoner warns Rosen; Red Flag has its mainstream and its violent fringe elements. Rosen is ready for this, citing examples like the IRA and the KKK where the fringe elements depend upon their mainstream fellow travelers for support and cover. Rosen may not be an Alpha, but his quick wits are enough to make him the team's natural leader. And with the concept that Red Flag is not a single-purpose organization ... that opens up complicated possibilities. Can they be split into factions? Do their factions have compatible goals? Should they be opposed, or directed? It's good that the rival organization is not simple.

We are also introduced to a new concept: Alphas playing mercenaries, sort of superabilities-for-hire. And other concepts sit like candy in a bowl: Nom-de-guerre! Stand or perish! DNA-laced natal treatment pills! Fun, fun and more fun, plus substance to chew on. After weeks fleshing out the characters, the universe they live in was given more detail, and done so with style.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

EDIT

Ryan Cartwright	Gary Bell
David Strathairn	Dr. Lee Rosen
Warren Christie	Cameron Hicks
Azita Ghanizada	Rachel Pirzad
Laura Mennell	Nina Theroux
Malik Yoba	Bill Harken

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Brent Spiner	Dr. Kern	Guest Star
Rebecca Mader	Griffin	Guest Star

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Episode Photos

Laura Mennell and Warren Christie on Alp...

© 2011 NBCUniversal, Inc.

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (1)
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- Trivia: Griffin is also the name of the scientist from The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells.
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QUOTES (7)
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- Nina: Cam, I've screwed up every relationship I've ever had.
  Cameron: Me too.
  Nina: So we're perfect for each other.
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- Gary: People shouldn't be touching my phone. It was a gift. It's special.
  Rachel: Okay, And it's back in your hands, it's fine.
  Gary: Yeah, no, it's not. 'Cause it open to data files and those are private.
  Rosen: Yes, Gary's phone is private. Please, no one is to touch it unless they have Gary's permission.
  Gary: Yeah, and the answer's no.
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- Rosen: And, Gary, you will look into the cell phone and computer transmissions?
  Gary: That's just data mining. People without abilities can data-mine.
  Bill: Well, you know, we can't all do that. I can't do that, Gary.
  Nina: Neither can I.
  Rosen: No, we all know you are much more than your abilities, Gary. You have very many talents.
  Gary: I know, I'm amazing.
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- Bill: Let me tell you something... happiness is a warm gun and mine is a Sig 226. You got me?
  Kern: I want my lawyer.
  Bill: Yeah, and I want a Reuben sandwich.
  Kern: I'll have my lawyer pick you up one.
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- Rosen: Well, regardless of its scope, you and your friends tried to assassinate me.
  Kern: Fringe elements, radicals, not representative of the mainstream.
  Rosen: You know, it's amazing how often people use that term--"fringe elements." Hmm. Occurs to me that the IRA, PLO, KKK--all fringe elements whose very existence depends upon the support of their mainstream fellow travellers.
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- Gary: That witch took my phone!
  Rosen: What witch?
  Gary: The witch! That's the word my mom uses when she's angry. She uses another word, too.
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- Gary: Duck and cover! Bill, duck and cover!
  Bill: Gary, Gary, watch her.
  Gary: I--yeah, okay. I'll do both. I'll watch, and I'll cover. I'll cover her.
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NOTES (1)
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- International Airdates:
  Canada: September 12, 2011 on SPACE
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ALLUSIONS (1)
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- Bill: Let me tell you something... happiness is a warm gun and mine is a Sig 226.
  Referencing the 1968 Beatles song Happiness Is a Warm Gun (2:43), written by Lennon and McCartney. It was released on The White Album and the title was taken from a gun magazine with a headline "Happiness is a warm gun."
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