In case you haven’t heard, another new episode of Persons Unknown comes between Saturday night’s and the finale next weekend. You might not know about it because NBC has decided not to air it, though you can find it on both their website and on Hulu. Fans anxious to see the entire series through might miss it, and it’s a shame some may not know before next weekend. In any case, I’ve embedded it at the bottom of this post.
Going into this episode, and knowing that NBC wasn’t going to air it, I thought it would be absent of any significant revelations or clues. Not having seen the finale, it might be that some things we learn aren’t important, in the scheme of things, but I doubt they are of no consequence at all.
One thing people might not understand next week is where all but one of the thumbs went. Mark was arrested and released within the same episode, so everyone would have missed on that point and that the thumbs were taken from him then. What I don’t understand, though, is how Mark will get a print from that one thumb in time for any of the information to lead to where Janet is. That’s going to be a lost of hustling around for one episode, especially when this one showed just how slow things can drag in this series at times.
Incidentally, I guess the thumbs were in Mark’s pocket and didn’t go through the airport screening x-rays, otherwise someone at the monitor was snoozing.
Another big tidbit (though one I saw coming since she was introduced) was that Erika’s name is actually Teressa. I thought it was incredibly odd that someone would tattoo their own name to themselves, and I wasn’t sure why anyone else in the town thought that same thing.
We also saw some really strange interactions between Janet and Liam. There was that kiss and what appeared to be Janet actually liking it. And if that’s the case, where the hell did that come from? Is she just trying to manipulate him into letting her go? It can’t be Stockholm Syndrome already, can it?
As for the “experiment” or whatever it is you’d call it — the overall reason why everyone’s there in the town — it close to being irritating in Lost-like levels at this point. Liam goes on explaining how wonderful this project is, how it’s changed his life and that there are grand plans for Janet, but nobody ever asks him what the hell the whole thing is in the first place. Why is it so great? Does he even know? And through everything we’ve seen so far, what is so special about Janet anyway? Dosn’t McNair seem to be more impressive overall than Janet?
At some point, this series took a turn to “I just want to get to the end and see what they show us.” At least the first half or so was completely engrossing and interesting, and now it’s turned into something that’s not making a whole lot of sense. I’m not ready to say the series as a whole isn’t good, because — for me — it’s really up to the finale at this point.
Clacked by Keith McDuffee 
on Aug 22, 2010 @ 23:42 EST5EDT
I have to agree on the Janet business. I just do not see what is so special about her. If it were True Blood, I’d say she was a fairy. She’s not exactly what I consider a femme fatale, or the girl next door, or any of the types that usually turn all the mens heads. Of course, there are only three women in a very small town, and these are men we’re talking about (sorry, Keith). All of that said, she’s definitely playing Liam. Little did she know what the end result would be. Oops!
There was a look of recognition on Janet’s face when Erika said her name was Theresa. I guess she was a well known death row inmate. Being that Janet was married to a reporter, I’m surprised she didn’t recognize her sooner.
The whole thumbs thing was just strange. After a long flight, and who knows how long rotting before that, wouldn’t they have smelled? That’s right up there with tattooing your own name on your arm. LOL
As for the “program” in general, brainwashing is obviously at the heart of it, or Liam would not be acting like he is. Part of the point of the program must be to see to what degree people are willingly going along with what they are subjected to…the more they submit, the better candidates they must be. It still seems like some sort of a grand cult, although that is beyond unexciting.
PS – someone on another site was asking WTF the head in the closet in Saturday’s episode was all about, so we are now 3-1 FOR an actual head. :-D
Any idea if NBC will offer this as part of their On Demand service?
The head in the closet wasn’t, it was a poster. Thankfully I had it on my DVR and was able to stop and look at it closely.
Wow… I caught up with the entire series on the 85 airplanes I was on the the last couple of weeks, and man am I pissed that I didn’t watch it originally.
I do think, though, that if they are able to wrap things up nicely enough, that Persons Unknown might serve as the perfect example of how to tell a story in 13 episodes and walk away (whether that was the original intention or not).
I’m not sure where I sit on the overall mystery. It seems as what the “backend” of the Program is is just like one of those secret societies set to tweak the course of history to their own likings (as with Tori’s father).
I don’t like it that McNair and Moira might accidently create a rift between them and the likes of Morse and Blackham.
27 towns? Damn.
I think this is a good show and thanks for posting the unknown episode. But here’s something I tought was interesting, in a couple of episode I’ve people in the background. In the episode where Janet has a phone conversation with her mother at the mother house there’s a man in the closet with his head turned to the right as if he’s trying to hide but doing a very poor job of it. Also in the episode where Joe disappears from the bathroom there’s a man standing the doorway wearing a plaid shirt. What the heck is all that about? Is it intentional? Is it just bad editing? Is it a joke by the cast and crew? I mean have any of you seen “them”?
I just checked and the NBC On Demand channel (on FiOS at least) does have this episode as well.