Extant 1.03 “Wish You Were Here”

I’m enjoying this show. I’m not excited about this show. There’s competent acting. Halle Berry makes for a very sympathetic main character. Goran Visnjic as her mad scientist husband is keeping it sexy so far but can easily explode into creepiness if the script requires. Same for Camryn Manheim, though this episode it’s interesting to see her Dr. Barton flummoxed by the new strong arm tactics of the organization in which she’s long been a well-oiled cog.

Molly’s conspiracy theories have thrown her for a loop, seemingly, abetted by how they’re not theories but there’s the proof of Molly’s impossible pregnancy. All Sam can do is urge Molly to come clean with her husband, rather than keeping further secrets.

It’s a hard balance to do this sort of conspiracy theory paranoia while also doing a traditional TV domestic melodrama, but the show is trying. It’s Ethan’s (Pierce Gagnon) first day of school, and the parents are skittish about the (continuing subtext of) a potential robot uprising. They don’t see Ethan as normal, whereas John wants him enrolled in order to reinforce his potential for normal development and perception. Which I still think is possible, as John later discovers Ethan is still “experimenting” with birds, the fact that all he’s done is a trap a pigeon and leave it indoors in a box all day seems benign. Any child might forget to feed and water a pet.

John gives Molly a birthday party, which is overwhelming amidst all her shady dealings. She apparently hallucinates a visit from the brother of her former lover (I’d love to know if Ethan saw him too, or was it just Halle); the fractal-drawing baby is still playing with her insides, so she finally confesses all to John. He’s been frustrated by the distance she’s been keeping, so he’s actually more relieved and stunned than worried or angered by the news. He loves the pregnancy as much as he hates the way it came about (a clandestine experiment by the ISEA). It both brings him closer to Molly and puts him on alert, which is very good for their family.

I also admit to being wrong about his assistant Julie’s (Grace Gummer) motivations; it’s not that she’s jealous of John’s relationship to Molly. What she’s really worried about is Molly’s potential influence on Ethan, as it seems John’s decision to become the test family for their creation was not run by Julie (his co-creator) first.

In the end, as Director Sparks (Michael O’Neill) seems to be abducting Molly to a private lab, John comes to the rescue and the family goes on the run. There was really no other way to go if the threats Molly perceives are real. And next week apparently we get a visit with Molly’s father in the person of Lou Gossett Jr. Which makes sense, as it’s about time in this sort of mystery to get some wisdom from the wise old man in the woods. That stock character (and the show has a lot of them) usually provides needed information but little else to the imperiled hero; I’m just looking forward to a more urgent pace.