An intense and suspenseful episode that inspires with its contrast between the path of the hero and the path of the coward.
9.5
"Superb"
(Obligatory spoiler warning: Don't read this review if you don't already know, or want to know, what happens in this episode.)
The criminal in this episode is a bit preposterous. Yet his antics, which would be darkly funny in a different context, are painfully poignant in the service of a darker narrative turn. While extreme, Gerry Rankin's actions are nonetheless believeable, as they are inspired by common human motives. Everyone, save the sociopaths in our midst, desires approval and affection from others, and fears the loss of these things; everyone fears disappointing those who give them their love, respect, and admiration. The tragedy of Gerry Rankin's story is that the desire to do good for his family and to feel worthy of their love could have made him the kind of person he wished to be, had he had the courage to own up to his failures and try to redress them, rather than desperately trying to hide them and cover them up.
As another viewer has pointed out, Gerry's narrative illustrates how one simple lie can be the first drop in what ultimately becomes an overwhelming sea of deceit. If one is unwilling to own up to having told a lie, the inevitable result is more and more lies to cover up for the first. Gerry's fear of having his lies exposed is visceral; in his mind, his whole life depends upon his ability to sustain his deception. His terror is so powerful that the threat of exposure pushes him over the edge into murder. In his desperation and his bumbling short-sightedness, Gerry fails to anticipate that the act of committing murder was more likely to tear his life apart, expose his lies, and devastate his ability to keep it all together than anything else he could have done.
All Gerry can see is the potential of his lies being exposed, and all he can think of in his actions is the defense of his self-image. The importance of preserving the illusion becomes so powerful that he is willing to kill his own children to prevent the shame of their discovery of his lies and his failures. He doesn't stop to think that it is his children's and his wife's love and approval that he has been seeking in the first place, and that such a heinous act would push him beyond the pale of being loved or approved of by anyone ever again. He doesn't stop to think that in destroying his children, he is annhilating the very reason to fight to preserve the lie of his success in the first place. This is why Gerry is such a ridiculous and pathetic character. But the fear underneath his behavior is so universal and powerful that watching it taken to such an extreme extent is horrifying rather than humorous.
Goren's insights, achieved through sympathetic identification with both the criminals he pursues and with their victims, are the pivotal moments of the show. His moment of revelation in this episode is depicted especially powerfully. Looking at a craft project Gerry's children did to show their admiration for their father, one can practically see Goren entering into Gerry's inner world, like a shaman in a trance enters into the unseen realm. Suddenly, a horrifying thought comes to him, and just as suddenly, Goren becomes convinced that this terrible possibility is on the verge of becoming reality as the seconds tick away. The urgency with which everyone steps into action is conveyed to great effect by the actors, especially Erbe, D'Onofrio, and guest actress Brooke Smith. This is very easily one of the most suspenseful and viscerally thrilling episodes of the series for this reason and for others.
One of the other reasons is the scene that follows, which in this viewer's opinion is one of the highlights of the entire series. Goren, while certainly depicted as flawed and fallible, is also obviously an idealized character. He is a heroic figure: selfless, brave, insightful, and brilliant. But it is his willingness to suffer for his work and to push himself beyond the border of fear that may be his most heroic quality. Not everyone can have a genius mind or nerves of steel, no matter how much they would like them. But everyone can face the situations in their lives with the willingness to turn toward fear and difficulty rather than run away or hide from them. This is the essential contrast between Goren and Gerry. Goren walks steadfastly into the heart of fear, exposing himself to annhilation over and over agin in his work, while Gerry does everything he can to hide, to run away, and to protect himself.
When Goren enters into the hotel room in which Gerry is holding a gun on his sleeping children, it is a symbolic moment. Goren has crossed a threshold, willingly and with knowledge. The power conferred by that choice gives him the power to dispel the dark trance into which Gerry has fallen. This power is the power of taking the weaker position, in the sense of letting oneself become vulnerable and undefended. It is impossible to defeat one who is not afraid of death and who holds the higher moral ground, whose actions are based in willing self-surrender for the sake of others and not in any desire for personal gain. It is hard not to thrill as a viewer when Goren puts himself between Gerry's gun and Gerry's children. Goren is confident that he can talk Gerry down, but not certain, and his choice to risk his own life to save two children is the ultimate act of heroism.
Were such acts of heroism impossibly remote to the average person, this episode would not be as powerful. Yet this is not the case. One does not need to do work in which it is required to step in front of a gun to access the bravery depicted by Goren in this episode. All one needs is the same willingness to place oneself in front of the barrel of one's own fears. This is no easy task--or else it would not be heroic--but it is an ability that is available to everyone. Intentionally or not, this episode functions as an effective allegory for two different approaches to dealing with fear. In addition to tight plotting and fine acting, the power of this episode lies in the equal access every person has to either Gerry's cowardice or Goren's bravery. The choices we make shape who we become, and this episode shows one way of walking into the heart of darkness, and the fear one inevitably encounters there, with dignity and grace.moreless
