Frequency Season 1 Episode 2 Review: Signal and Noise
Carissa Pavlica
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Maybe if every cop had a personal stake in their investigations, they'd find a suspect in under 24 hours, too.
As frustrating as it will probably get, Frequency Season 1 Episode 2 makes it very clear that ANY action in the past that's based upon knowledge from the future is going have a butterfly effect, no matter how small.
Things are moving very fast. Frank and Raimi barely know each other. He went undercover when she was six and "died" when she was eight. As adults, they've built up a quick trust over the ham radio because of the bizarre nature of their situation and the sudden death of Raimi's mom in the present.
That's not something even a total stranger would gloss over. Their bond was tenuous, but the pain she felt when she lost the woman Frank loved, and all of the implications that story had for Frank's present and future solidified their father/daughter relationship.
Frank also had to hear that it was his own squad that set him up, that there was no sting. He didn't seem willing to believe that fully until he was being debriefed and the interview was cut short for a little chat about keeping his mouth shut to ensure his golden future, and a restart that sent his statement in a different direction.
Once he did that, you have to wonder why Stan thought it was cool to keep poking the bear and making what he apparently thinks are whip smart remarks to drive home that only a week ago the entire squad was ready to take Frank out of the game.
Then they really did take out Little Jay (who I fear I don't remember very well from the pilot), but Julie was upset enough at Frank that the meaning went beyond the police squad. The entire police force seems to be crooked. Will we find out why or what their real motivation is going forward? Seems natural.
Raimi has lost the most through this ordeal. She lost her fiance, her mother and her certain career path. Everything is thrown into disarray for her. The only constant seems to be her neighbor and best friend, Gordo, but she's afraid to tell him what's happening for fear of being labeled crazy.
It's hard to blame her for that decision. After all, look how well Julie took the news her life was in danger. She laughed it off. She doesn't trust her husband.
I can understand her belief that Frank doesn't put her and his family first because he chose the job over them, but choosing the job should also indicate how good he is at what he does. And if he says her life is in immediate danger, she should believe him, even if she chooses not to believe the sentiments surrounding that warning.
It didn't help that Raimi clammed up when Frank went to her for backup.
It's too much. Everything we do messes up something else. You live, mom dies. Goff lived in Jersey and now he's gone. I mean, what happens if we tell mom? Maybe we save her, maybe she dies tomorrow.
Raimi
She didn't know Julie was kicking him out because before she got the chance in Raimi's earlier life, Frank was killed, saving Julie the trouble. Raimi probably thought they would have made up when Frank returned. Now she knows.
But it's doubtful Frank will ever get Julie back into the garage again. Maybe he can sneak it into the house and just have Raimi start talking over it so her mom can hear. That's what I'd do, anyway.
Then again, I can also understand Raimi's hesitancy to let Julie in on the secret. Better than any time travel show on the air, the nuances of the smallest changes in the past are affecting the future.
For the most part, we've been let in on why the changes occurred, as well. Not that I have been able to keep up or fully understand them all.
On Frequency Season 1 Episode 1, the biggest was Julie being spotted as a nurse because she visited Frank in the hospital at a time she would have otherwise not been there on shift.
Even one new murder allowed the Nightingale Killer to get his groove on and kill many more than he did originally, never even being caught.
But Raimi is on the case now, and it's personal. She lost her excitement for the job and her easy smile, but she's more determined than ever to catch this killer, and within the time period that will allow her father to stop him in the past before her mother is killed.
If her mother's body hadn't been identified, Raimi wouldn't have looked for cases connected to the swamp. We talk about money buying freedom a lot, and Thomas Goff may have been killing for years because of that.
His mother knew he was keeping women hostage. Her attorney made sure there wasn't even questioning about his "youthful indiscretion" back in the day, and that carried over to his adult life. Where he had a shed when he lived at a house in his youth, it was buried after the butterfly effect.
But Raimi only needed to see her mother's locket without their photo in it to remember how easily things can be changed by the smallest action.
Thomas Goff and his mommy may have moved in the mid-90s, but Raimi is going to track him down. Frank still has the ability to catch up to him before they get out of town.
I'm worried about the girl who escaped Goff's grasp. She seemed to make it pretty far, but before the hour ended there wasn't any indication Raimi had absorbed new information as a result of her fleeing. Goff's mother might have helped him catch her again and ultimately kill her.
I'm excited to see what's next. Will they make headway with the Nightingale Killer, or will he be the antagonist all season long? Will Thomas Goff be nothing but a scapegoat? What other changes will Raimi run across that she isn't even aware of yet?
Will Raimi meet Daniel in this new timeline and find a slice of happiness once again? And if so, what if she saves her mother? Will the two timelines collide? What other effects does Frequency have in store for us?
Make sure you share your thoughts in the comments. Still enjoying the show? What did you notice that I might have missed? Get the conversation started!
And if you've missed any of the show so far, you can watch Frequency online right here at TV Fanatic!
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.
