Frequency Season 1 Episode 7 Review: Break, Break, Break
Carissa Pavlica
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Meh. This one didn't quite work for me.
After watching Frequency Season 1 Episode 7, I've realized what really worked in the early episodes has gone by the wayside.
Instead, we're stuck with relationship drama and dour-faced Raimy the crime-solver.
Look, I'm not going say I expect Frequency to be rainbows and unicorns all the time. The day-to-day subject matter is unpleasant.
On both sides of the timeline, father and daughter are trying to solve the crime of a serial killer who will, in only weeks, take the life of their wife and mother. It's hard to take a break and let loose.
Then there's Satch, the partner on both ends. On one side, he's holding the world against dear old dad because...issues. In the present, he's holding the world against himself because his happiness has flown the coop, he's watching his former friend's daughter get caught in the same rut as her father and to top it all off, he thinks he's a terrible cop.
That's pleasant.
For a while, Frank was actually trying to take it all in stride and be happy. He was home after two years. He didn't die; that's a bonus, so his grown daughter from the future says. He was back with the wife he loved and more importantly, the younger version of his daughter, who he had missed terribly.
So Stan is a dirty cop and killed the people with whom he was working undercover. In comparison to being undercover, that seemed like rainbows and unicorns to Frank. But then he realized nothing was going to get Julie back. And Julie stopped smiling and they started fighting.
More unhappiness. Pretty much everywhere you look on Frequency, it's unhappiness. So, while there was some good as a result of this wild ass ham radio thing...Raimy's dad was saved and she didn't spend her life thinking he was a dirty cop...she also lost also everything else.
My point with all of this, because I know you're asking, is that there has to be at least a little bit of fun. Where's Gordo? Let Raimy continue exploring life outside sleeping and cop. This is, after all, The CW. But it could be too late.
The CW announced their winter schedule, and Frequency gets no additional episodes. The finale will be on January 25th. If it goes to Netflix and catches an audience, maybe a second season will be in the cards. If not, goodbye sweet premise.
Remember the earlier episodes, when Frank would do something in the past, and things in the present would change? There isn't enough of that on a personal level.
A show dealing with the ramifications of changing a timeline should show the reactions, no matter how small or large. It's what can make a series like Frequency so much more than just a procedural. Hell, even the most horrific procedural shows have time for laughs, often incorporating a C story to lift our spirits. We don't get that here.
So no laughter, not cheer, no time stream ramifications...just the constant attempt to find the Nightingale Killer.
It's not enough. None of the actors are being challenged any longer. They all wear the same expressions most of the time. Where are out aha moments? For a minute there, I thought Mirasella was staying at the Hideaway Camp in 1996, but then I realized I was probably just hoping it was a connection because of the camera cutaways and because of how much I wanted an aha.
What did you take away from the press conference featuring Satch asking about anyone who knew friends or acquaintances who may have worked at the Hideaway Camp interspersed with Frank looking for Mirasella? WAS that saying they were one in the same place?
Other than Mirasella being connected to the killer, arrival added nothing to the continuing story. About as much as Julie sleeping with Ted. Frank and Julie have enough garbage between them, enough trouble communicating, without adding two more characters.
On the other hand, Raimy needs a life. She's young and the show has perked up when focused a bit on her friends and potential friends. She needs to let someone into her world, ham radio included.
That's about all from me. Maybe I need a "Break, Break, Break." What were your thoughts on this one? Hit me in the comments.
If you missed it, watch Frequency online and then weigh in. Always, always put your two cents down below. How else am I going to know what you're thinking? It's not all about me, just because I have the column, you know. Cheers!
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.
