Proof Season 1 Episode 10 Review: Tsunami: Part Two
Carissa Pavlica
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There is life after death.
That's the definitive statement Proof Season 1 Episode 10 makes, and it's kind of exciting the series decided to take a stand on the issue rather than waffle on the idea.
Of course, now we're left hoping this charming program is renewed so Cat and Ivan and those supporting them will continue their journey to find concrete evidence confirming what they have learned. They need to help others see what they've come to understand during their initial investigation.
When the series returns, the entire premise will (or should) be turned upside down. Everything that was, no longer is as of the end of the finale. Well, a few things remain in tact, but overall, it's a pretty devastating shakeup of the norm.
In the simplest of terms, Cat has resigned her position at the hospital, Ivan lost control over his company and his billions, Zed won't stay at the hospital without Cat and is leaving the country, Len wants custody of Sophie and Cat believes.
A lot of times when a season ends like this and the show returns, things wind up looking pretty much the same. Cat would go back to her position (or take a less demanding one, but remain a surgeon), Ivan would retain access to his funds and still do charitable work while allowing Sasha to run the day-to-day operations of the business, that sort of thing.
But the nature of Proof would work best if they didn't go that route, if they allowed the realization of their discovery shake them to their core.
Cat has walked into the light. Quite literally, in fact. All during Proof Season 1, those who believe in life after death in some form have been filmed with the glowing light behind them, signifying their belief. They are believers, bathed in the light. When Cat realized what she experienced with Patricia and Will was real and walked into Ivan's room with that glorious smile on her face, she, too, was in that light.
I'm not sure that, after everything they have been through in such a short time, these guys could just turn around and step back into their everyday lives.
Janel would follow Ivan anywhere he goes, and to be cut off from contact with him because he trusted her over Sasha must be devastating. Even if he had very little with which to pay her, it seems to me she wouldn't hesitate to give him her full support if he wanted to continue their investigation.
Zed wants to leave the country because he doesn't want to stay at the hospital without Cat, but if she asked him to remain in the country to assist her with what she has now learned about the afterlife, could he pass that up? At times, it seemed that stoked his fire more than the next intricate surgery, much to Len's displeasure.
Ivan is still dying, even after his brain tumor has been addressed. The man is a cunning and insightful genius. He thinks outside the box, and his ideas are revolutionary. His sister would be silly to push him away from what he loves completely just because he's ill. He will die soon enough. Would she really risk losing him that much sooner?
However, people are stupid. Families fight like that all of the time and lose what little time they have left with one another. Anything is possible. Even if Ivan only has his personal savings (which I'm sure is plentiful), I wouldn't count him out for stretching it and making more if he might get the chance to experience what Cat did, or at least find proof of what she encountered to help others make the trip he will be making more enlightening.
Finally, we have Cat. She was clinical and cynical. Knowing she was actually within reach of Will, for even a moment, that he was there, and she put her life on the line to get to him, changes everything. It would have to affect how she treats patients, how she deals with families, how she allows Len to talk to her. Knowing what she knows, experiencing what she did is the ultimate tectonic shift in who you were and who you will become.
We need to see Cat take the next steps in her journey. Watching her change, and ultimately share what she knows with others as she continues to find evidence of her experience is why this entire first season existed. Jennifer Beals would have an opportunity to let loose and explore a completely different side of the character she has grown into.
Can you imagine the first conversations between Cat and Sophie and then Cat and Peter Van Owen? They would be beautiful. There is far more story to tell now, of Cat as a skeptic turned believer who needs to try to convince the world what she has seen is real, than there was trying to turn the skeptic.
Hopefully TNT will hear our wishes and bathe all of us in the light of belief by renewing Proof.
What did you think of the finale? Were you surprised at the lengths to which Cat went to find her proof and the results of her efforts? Don't forget, you can watch Proof online right here at TV Fanatic if you have missed out on any of this treat of a series.
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.
