Watching Agent Clarice Starling (Rebecca Breeds) struggle with her suppressed memories and anger for eleven episodes, I began to wonder when she was finally going to lose it, and on who. In Clarice episode 12, “Father Time,” we see it happen, as the emotional cup overflows. This is something way overdue, and one of the main reasons this episode is the best we have seen so far.
After a long investigation, the ViCAP raids Alastor Pharmaceuticals, which is a great thing for the team. However, this is the beginning of the end for Clarice’s patience, starting with the agent in the van who has to go to the washroom while they wait to go in. As this episode progresses, you can almost see the pieces of the puzzle that is Clarice’s suppressed trauma coming together to make one big, explosive mess.
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Indeed, her therapist Dr. Renée Li (Grace Lynn Kung), usually a voice of calm and reason, is no help in this episode, but that’s a good thing. Everything the good doctor has done leading up to this has forced Clarice to face her demons, her pain, her trauma, and when it finally comes out, it mentally knocks the wind out of her. While she is great at analyzing others, nothing can ever prepare you for that kind of emotional blow, and actress Rebecca Breeds is excellent in showing us just how hard this is for Clarice to deal with.
Meanwhile, we learn more about Alastor CEO Nils Hagen (Peter McRobbie, as creepy and intimidating as ever) through the gigantic painting he was drooling over last week. Agent Shaan Tripathi (Kal Penn) shows off his artistic knowledge by realizing there is something off about the painting, and after a couple of chats with the artist, we learn more than we ever wanted to know about both the painting and Nils Hagen. As disturbing as it is, as they dig deeper, it gets worse, and Nils Hagen makes your skin crawl on a whole new level.
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Clarice finally loses it at a crime scene where a slur by an FBI agent is dealt with, not by words, but Clarice’s fist. It is a telling moment, and the explosion of anger is really long overdue. However, Clarice finally recognizes that she has a problem that needs dealing with and, after another chat with her therapist, walks away to go figure it out. There are numerous reasons why should have walked away…hell, she should have been grounded numerous times for stunts she pulled…but as with everything involving Clarice, it comes back to her repressed memories. Now, they are becoming clearer and not painting a great picture of her father, who she worships beyond words.
“Father Time” finishes with a few cliffhangers, as a new face of evil is discovered and a bigger threat revealed. There are many ways these plotlines could play out in next week’s finale, but regardless of how it wraps up, this episode gives the show a chance to end its first season on a high note.
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