"The Dead Zone" Tipping Point (2004)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Michael Robison

Writers:

Michael Piller (created for television by) &
Shawn Piller (created for television by) ...

TV Series:

"The Dead Zone" (2002)

Original Air Date:

22 August 2004 (Season 3, Episode 12)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Drama | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

Plot:

In a vision Christopher Wey urges John to make Reverend Purdy tell the truth about Mike Kennedy's death. The following blackout makes John seek advice on brain surgery.

Plot Keywords:

Psychic Power | Psychic | Sheriff | Dark Hero | Illuminati

Cast

Anthony Michael Hall	...	Johnny Smith
Nicole de Boer	...	Sarah Bracknell Bannerman
Chris Bruno	...	Sheriff Walt Bannerman
John L. Adams	...	Bruce Lewis
Sean Patrick Flanery	...	Greg Stillson
Sarah Wynter	...	Rebecca Caldwell
David Ogden Stiers	...	Reverend Eugene 'Gene' Purdy
Frank Whaley	...	Christopher Wey
Tom O'Brien	...	Dr. Jaeger
Sonja Bennett	...	Rachel Caldwell
Gary Chalk	...	James Stillson
Michael Kopsa	...	Jake Truax
Bill Mondy	...	Deputy Roscoe
Jim Francis	...	Sonny Elliman
Kaj-Erik Eriksen	...	J.J. age 20

Runtime:

42 min

Country:

USA | Canada

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

USA:TV-14

Season finale finally finalizes the season

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

9 points for being the go hone show I was hoping for, finally the saga continues. But it doesn't go all the way to 10 because it furthered more problems than it created and didn't really give us that much substance. This season finale is what a regular episode should have looked like. Then the finale would have been a 10-caliber. Instead we're reduced, but not much, to what amounted to Finding Rachel Part 3. It just picked off where season 3 episode 2 left off. The 9 episodes in the midst of that were just filler. Even the episode before this one, where Johnny was afraid he'd lose his smile, was just a sidetrack. We see that he most likely won't "cross the line," and that the whole crossing fear was another piece of filler before the action set in. This season was really 3 episodes with the rest passing the time. But how can you say a 9 is complaining?! In reality, it isn't, I just wanted to get the facts out of the way. Now that the facts have been said, it's time for the truth. The truth is, if we would have had 12 episodes like these three, so much would have taken place that the plot twists would be going at a super-fast soap opera pace while the writers would be scrummaging to think of what crazy thing to add into the whole equation next. It would be madness and we, as viewers, wouldn't be able to take in everything so fast. As much as we wanted more, we wouldn't have been able to handle more. Basically, my complaint at the beginning of this rant was that of a baby's complaint, where I would not know what is for my own good. In reality, I do know that it is for our own good that they only have three episodes like this, while they build other subplot and tell great stories in the other 9 episodes. These new stories with new faces and fresh starts is also what builds audiences. It is a known fact that audiences stop growing once a show gets too thick in its own story lines, so in reality, TDZ is doing a perfect job, building casual fans, an they're leaving me, the hardcore fan, wanting more. This is why they get the 9. Other notes: Up until the ending, I was almost expecting/hoping Sara and Rebecca's pleasantries would lead to some sort of cat fight or shouting match over Johnny. That would've been cool, heh… This episode was the second time they called a bullet that was fired a "slug," the first time I caught them doing that was just a few episodes back. They also started making mention of their "forensic" team even more. Perhaps they're trying to gain some of CSI's audience… Also, It's been three seasons and they have yet to change their opening sequences. I don't care either way, I hate change anyway, but it is interesting to see Dana still there even though she didn't appear during the whole season, and Bruce's hair is still long, as is Johnny's, Sara's is short, and JJ is being played by a different actor. Noticed they changed Johnny's opening lines from "My son doesn't even know who I am," to the fact that "my son is being raised by" his remarried fiancé and her husband... Finally, I'm very excited about the fourth season, but the immature impatient child in me wants to see more than 3 episodes with the main storyline, maybe half of the season's episodes this time. I'll try to handle it.