Delroy Lindo, Jake McLaughlin
Believe, Season 1, Episode 11: “Revelation”
Written by Nick Antosca and Bobby Arnot
Directed by Steve Shill
Airs Sundays at 9pm (ET) on NBC
One of the growing problems in Orchestra over the past few weeks has been new recruit Dani. Despite warnings from people like Zoe, Skouras has continued to push Dani, insistent on seeing what she can do with her powers, and whether she can possibly replace Bo. With Dani having indicated homicidal tendencies before, it was simply a matter of time before she turned on Orchestra and Skouras, despite the latter’s efforts. This week’s episode sees such a situation occur, as Dani lashes out following the first symptons of a degrade, in a thrilling episode that sees certain characters take major steps.
Skouras calling on Winter for assistance is a very intriguing step for both characters. In many ways, Skouras has painted himself into this corner, both with taking on Dani despite warnings from others, and wiping the mind of Zoe, the only other professional who could’ve helped Skouras in case Dani goes rogue. It will be intriguing to see how Dani’s actions, combined with his encounter with Bo, will cause Skouras to reflect on his past few actions. While Skouras can claim that all his actions to date have been for the greater good, there’s no real way he can rationalise being guilt-free in Dani’s downward spiral. With nobody significant left to pin the blame on, Skouras will have to own up to his role in the unfolding situation sooner or later, and when that realisation comes, as well as how he deals with it, promises to be fascinating. How Winter deals with the situation is also a development worth watching. While the initial fallout between the former friends revolved around how Skouras was treating Bo, Winter has subsequently seen Skouras injure Channing and send assassins after him, as well as wiping Zoe’s mind clean. However, with Channing getting worse, and nobody left with Winter’s expertise to help the other residents of Orchestra, it’s very possible the latter will be open to an alliance with Skouras for the good of others, especially since he’s no longer taking care of Bo. How Winter reconciles his need for assistance with his feelings for Skouras has the possibility of affecting the future of Orchestra as a whole.
Johnny Sequoyah
Bo deciding to walk her own path is also a big step forward for the character. It’s a strength of the episode that we see how Bo feels about constantly being on the run. While we’ve seen the effect this lifestyle has had on other members of the team, Bo and Winter remain the only two people who could have put an end to it. Despite this, however, the former has largely been a passive passenger in the group, focusing instead on helping others along the way. However, Bo taking a stand against both Skouras and Winter this week represents a major shift for the character. With Agent Ferrell now off their trail, and Skouras wrapped up with finding and securing Dani, it will be worth keeping an eye on how Tate and Bo cope being on the run without any real support. This is clearly the best time for the duo to break off from the rest of the group, but they’re likely to have a very short window before the pressure of the FBI and Orchestra come down on them again, and how Tate and Bo handle things without help will be key to their survival. In addition, without Winter now part of the team, what philosophy Tate takes with raising Bo will be key. While Tate has expressed concern over the rigorous training that Winter has insisted for Bo before, he has also seen the benefits in such a regimen, as well as the edge it can give them when going up against other obstacles. Free to make the decision this time, what Tate chooses will say a lot about how he’s choosing to be a father.
Overall, this is an entertainingly tense episode. Dani’s character arc over the past few episodes has been fascinating to watch, and this week is no different in that regard. With Skouras now feeling the wrath of Dani once she feels betrayed, his reaction will say a lot about how he feels towards Orchestra and people like Dani and Bo. While he has shown a preference towards Bo, Skouras has never expressed disdain for individuals with power, and he did seem quite keen on Dani, even going against Zoe to keep Dani in the facility. Whether some of these feelings are still lingering, or if Skouras sees the danger Dani poses to Orchestra is likely to determine the level of force he allows in going after her, which in turn is likely to decide their success. In addition, if Dani does go after Bo, which side Skouras chooses, and why, will determine whether his affection towards Bo is just an act, or if he truly feels an emotional bond with her. How Bo reacts to Dani will also be worth keeping an eye on. Despite only severely injuring Joshua earlier in the season, Bo’s remorse clearly weighed on her, which may make her hesitant to fight another individual using her powers again. Unlike Joshua, however, Dani will be aiming for Bo with intent to kill, and is powerful in her own right while being an unknown entity, which means Bo will have to decide fast on whether she would rather live with the guilt or attack hard to survive. What decision she makes, as well as how Tate and Bo deal with being on the run with only each other, and how Skouras and Winter work with each other, will be worth tuning in for as the series draws to a close.
– Deepayan Sengupta