Friday, March 2, 2012

The River - Episode 5 "Peaches"


So this week's episode differed from the show's normal format a little bit. Yes, creepy shit is still going down, but it gets a bit more personal and heartfelt, plus we find out what has happened to another of the lost crew members! The show opens with the crew chit-chatting and all that good shit, but then comes nightfall. Visibility goes all to hell, so the crew takes up watch posts throughout the night. One of the crew sees lights in the distance and what appears to be another boat...coming straight for them. They all brace themselves as the mystery ship hits and seems to scrape along the side of the boat. When it's all over, the crew goes to see what boat it was...and of course there's no boat to be found. A whole day goes by as they try the radio (at this point, I still have no idea why they're still trying that damn thing, they never get anyone to answer!) and Lincoln wants to take off on foot...when all of a sudden they actually get an answer (hallelujah) ! Another boat nearby, the Exodus, says they can help and the crew of four board the ship with some spare parts.


The Magus crew invites the Exodus crew to stay for dinner and everyone starts having fun a getting drunk. Meanwhile on the deck, Jonas and Lena see a fifth person on the Exodus, despite the fact that the captain told them that their crew was only four. They take a small boat over to investigate. Meanwhile, Kurt notices something is up with this new crew when he overhears plans to take them aboard their shit in a not so inviting way. He confronts their captain about this and shoots him...only he doesn't die (commercial break of freaking course!)
Jonas and Lena look around the ship until they find who the mysterious fifth person was...Lena's missing father!!! He had been chained in the basement of the ship and while he is happy to see his daughter, he becomes angry and scared that she is there. Apparently, the ship is cursed and the crew cannot leave it until they replace themselves with someone else. If they are still on the ship by sunrise, they become one of the cursed and cannot leave.


Anyways long story short, the Exodus crew get enough of them on their boat while everyone else is half wasted and takes off. Soon Lincoln notices that they are missing and, along with the producer, takes a rescue boat out to find them. The kidnapped crew manage to somehow mess with their camera to get a message to the ship that Jahel hears. She relays their position to Lincoln who finds the ship with like 5 minutes till sunrise. Kurt pries open the door and the crew run to the top, seeing Lincoln and the producer on board. The crew of the Exodus comes and tries to stop them from escaping, but Kurt remembers that although they can't be shot...they can be burned (one of them burnt themselves cooking on the Magus). He uses a flare to set the boat on fire and they make their escape...well, all but Lena's dad. It turns out he is one of the cursed because he's been on the boat for so long. Lena cries and begs her dad to come, but he can't. He tells her that he is already dead and says his goodbyes as the crew pulls Lena into the rescue boat. The show ends with Lena crying and screaming as her dad burns with the ship.

Now, just so you know I cried like a baby at the end! She had been talking about how she missed and loved her father for so long that when she found out that he was pretty much a ghost, I couldn't help it! It was such a lovely emotional moment that I found to be a departure from previous episodes. Another departure I noticed was that Jahel didn't see it coming! I mean, she still pretty much saved the day because she was the only one to notice their call for help, but still she usually has some sixth sense about crazy shit. She actually seemed a bit more normal and less spooky...and I kinda liked that no one say it coming at first. Kurt eventually caught one, but at first it was a shock to the crew. The only complaint I would have about this episode is I found the progression and pace of it a bit slow in comparison, but that ending...

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