I'm 57 years old, I have watched SiFi all my life.
This is a series I'm really enthusiastic about, the writing is superb, the acting is within real life actions/reactions, this is not over the top drama.
This is a series I will defiantly binge watch when it finishes, and hopefully it runs many more years.
This show explains one of the plot dynamics from season one.
18 Reviews
Best writing ever for a similar-themed show or movie
mgl-9203721 January 2019
Everything was tied together in this episode.. not in a neat ribbon, but in a complicated yet consistent, believable whole; all done while invoking a bare minimum of scientific extrapolation. This is not the most exciting series, to be honest, but it is genuinely cerebral, and the unfolding of parallel characters and the two worlds is used as a mechanism for some fascinating philosophical speculation. Well done!
Best episode so far
mineshaft-gap21 January 2019
Outstanding episode, it is the brillant result of things building up in the previous episodes, it explains a lot. The story told is science fiction at its best, clever without being over-complicated. With the background informations learned in previous episodes you're able to deduce immediately what unfolds in this episode without everything to be spelled out, it's rewarding.
Epic!!!!!!!
joe1236121 January 2019
I didn't actually read any of the other reviews here yet (I will do so as soon as I write this), sparse as they are (as of 21/01/19 there are only 5 reviews not including this pending one), and am normally very parsimonious with my praise, but I felt compelled to comment on this series in general, and on in this episode in particular, which is a real masterpiece. Where to begin really? I really enjoy the lack of 'special effects' you get with superhero or comic book style genres; they have very little interest for me personally, and I'm sure I'm not alone in this. This series is very refreshing because of it's novelty and originality, not to mention the deeper psychic and psychological implications of the dichotomy it has created and brought to life. It must have been a huge undertaking, and I have the utmost respect for the devotion to their craft of the entire production team, especially the writers, who have created something magical here. I don't want to include spoilers or wider plot details, but would say to people, watch it for yourself! Switch off Emmerdale, Eastenders or their equivalents in the USA, and watch something that speaks to the deeper human condition instead of the world of trivia, gossip, innuendo and pettiness. A quick comment on this episode in general; the crux or nub is essentially the purchase and then smashing by Yanek's double of the music tape intended for his daughter; obviously this has fateful implications for Yanek, given that a seeming act of kindness, the purchase of a gift for her, has devastating consequences when her attention is distracted due to headphones, and subsequently she fails to intervene and prevent her brother dying from an epileptic fit. The opposite is also true in that a small act of neglect by his double, in not gifting her a sought-after music tape, is basically the salvation of her brother a few weeks later, when her brother is roughly accosted/arrested by the authorities. All the monstrosities that occur later, proceed from this pivotal moment. In many ways, it is like an allegory for the creation story; first the fascination of another world, and a real, living breathing clone of yourself, which quickly turns to temptation and succumbing. The path to redemption should be interesting though, and I hope we get at least another 2 seasons in which to see it play out; if seasons 1 & 2 are anything to go by, then it should be magnificent. To cancel renewal of this show would be an absolute travesty and injustice, especially when you consider some of the big budget dreck and dross series being produced currently elsewhere, which might have a storyline in them somewhere, but you'd need an electron microscope to have any chance of finding it, because it's so microscopic it's invisible.
One of the best work of fiction in years
bnevs1822 January 2019
The somewhat uneven first part of this series has been paid off in full with this episode. Such origin stories have been tried before (Fringe, Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica, Lost, etc) but few actually pan out because most of the time they are conceived of after the beginning. You can tell that this has been in the show bible since the beginning. How could two identical worlds end up so differently? With a single insignificant thought.
The wall must come down.
dreamingescapist1 August 2019
By now, we all know about what 'Counterpart' is all about. There are two parallel worlds that started as identical, but somewhere along the way, they started to grow different. We know that the doorway was opened in 1987, and 1996 there was a big flu epidemic that killed millions in the Prime World. Yet we know that the differences started before the epidemic. 'Twin Cities' does a perfect job of explaining the beginnings of the 'Alpha' and 'Prime'. As we are given only the details of a bigger picture in the past fifteen episodes, then now we can see the full picture. 'Twin Cities' might not be the most exciting origins story in TV history, but it is well written, and it somehow came at the right moment in the progress of the second season. The most important - this episode didn't feel forced like it was written for the pilot that would push the ball rolling.
Placing the crossing point into the East-Berlin is quite nice touch, a little allegory of the Wall that I have enjoyed from the beginning of the show.
Placing the crossing point into the East-Berlin is quite nice touch, a little allegory of the Wall that I have enjoyed from the beginning of the show.
Twin Cities
bobcobb30124 January 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I was heaping praise on last week's episode, but this one topped it.
We finally learned the backstory to the two worlds and what caused the divide. This was well-crafted and in-depth. Did it completely make sense? No, but this was great TV regardless.
We finally learned the backstory to the two worlds and what caused the divide. This was well-crafted and in-depth. Did it completely make sense? No, but this was great TV regardless.
I think I need a cigarette after this
chad-596-1332323 January 2019
Wow. 10/10. I can't remember the last time a TV episode left me so satisfied. I might be looking for a cigarette now if I was a smoker.
Big reveals, but without explaining so much that the series is over. Far, far from it.
The reveals were also very sciency and very technical. Absolutely wonderful.
Season 1 was gritty and overly bloody. I was wondering if I would stick with it. But season 2 has really improved and with this latest episode I can see it only getting better and better.
**** MINOR SPOILERS FOLLOW ****
The difference between what happened in East Berlin between the two, the showing of the butterfly effect, the link to Quantum mechanics and other scientific disciplines.
And all this in one episode in a show that specializes in slow moving reveals.
And, I"m still watching.... they are even explaining the disease and why it only affected one side....
Big reveals, but without explaining so much that the series is over. Far, far from it.
The reveals were also very sciency and very technical. Absolutely wonderful.
Season 1 was gritty and overly bloody. I was wondering if I would stick with it. But season 2 has really improved and with this latest episode I can see it only getting better and better.
**** MINOR SPOILERS FOLLOW ****
The difference between what happened in East Berlin between the two, the showing of the butterfly effect, the link to Quantum mechanics and other scientific disciplines.
And all this in one episode in a show that specializes in slow moving reveals.
And, I"m still watching.... they are even explaining the disease and why it only affected one side....
Best episode!
sagigi2124 January 2019
Better Cast Than Original
fran-6591northstar21 January 2019
Amazing!
Hitchcoc27 February 2020
This is what we've been waiting for. The backstory of the events leading up to the discovery of the parallel universe. Two scientists on the same path encounter one another. But, as it has happened before, human failings get in the way. Jealousy and anger are a part of us that will be our undoing. I fear that is what is happening in 2020. Yanek, the wonderful James Cromwell, lets his lesser self lose control, but, if not him, someone else. It isn't long before the project becomes so unwieldy that it gets out of hand and, hence, the virus. This is nicely paced and highly informative and sets us up for the rest of this series.
Convenient episode!
kikkula18 April 2019
Although it was nice to see some background story for the main event that is bases of the entire series, this episode rendered the whole fictional world much smaller for me then expected and therefore was a little disappointing. I understand that the majority of viewers liked that the events where finally been explained to them, but for me the wondering was half the fun - seeing all the little clues and drying to figure it all out. That was what gave the series it' mystery/thriller aspect. After this episode all that was gone. The excitement was gone and honestly it turned the inter dimensional thriller into a family drama. I imagined the structure between different forces that carried the story to be a lot more layered and complex then it actually was. If I started thinking about previous episodes then suddenly a lot of events seemed unnecessarily over-complicated knowing that there wasn't actually too much to the story and most of the effect was simply achieved by the storytelling form not the actual complicity of the events.
Put it's great episode for casual viewer - the whole story in one episode. Just watch this one and the last one and you'll be all set.
This show was certain 10 for me but now I'm not so sure. I guess at the moment Counterpart for me shares the same history with what happened to the Matrix and the parts that followed the original movie. Less information gave it more depth then it actually had.
It's still a great show and I see that this review is not how the majority feels so no harm done :) I'll watch the season 3 if it comes out.
Put it's great episode for casual viewer - the whole story in one episode. Just watch this one and the last one and you'll be all set.
This show was certain 10 for me but now I'm not so sure. I guess at the moment Counterpart for me shares the same history with what happened to the Matrix and the parts that followed the original movie. Less information gave it more depth then it actually had.
It's still a great show and I see that this review is not how the majority feels so no harm done :) I'll watch the season 3 if it comes out.
Had been waiting for the backstory, but the poor science in this spoiled much of it.
unsolicited-28 April 2019
Warning: Spoilers
The issue of the backstory has been hanging out there since the first episode, and I would assume that most viewers were waiting to hear it. Seeing it promised to be even better.
Sadly, it fell very short.
Yanek's divergence from himself was unexplained. In the first encounter, both he and the prime version of himself behaved exactly the same, up to and including dropping the flashlights so that they fell in perfect unison. Both fled up the stairs in exactly the same fashion. Yet, when he returns with the fire axe, the two versions are now out of sync.
The "I'll destroy the tape / you don't" experiment was pointless. Both sides were already diverging over minor issues just from the two being on the same side for any length of time. Other than the external storytelling need to give a reason for one to fall into despair while the other did not, it made no sense that the two did not see the divergence.
Yanek's continued entry into his other's life was equally foolish. Sure, a woman can carry on an affair without her husband knowing, but she needs to know that she's having an affair. Yanek may get one interlude with the other's wife without the prime version knowing, but more than that and with more than one family member is ridiculous, and both versions would know it.
Expecting the two worlds' immunities to diseases to diverge in anything other than the local Berlin area in anything under several lifetimes is equally inane. The bulk of the world is unaffected by the crossing, and the immunity of the bulk of both populations would remain effectively identical for generations.
Even the political background was bad. Yanek was an East German researcher. His experiment goes wildly bad, to the point where the staff needs to be put on furlough, without anyone from above him in the food chain bothering to come by and see what is happening. He self-selects four friends, who on their own authority manage to establish an effective shadow government over the crossing in one of the most invasive police states that existed at the time.
Left completely unstated is how the daughter of the murdered Yanek, made out to be delusional by "Management" was able to build and infiltrate both staffs on both sides of the crossing. She certainly would not have been left unobserved as events moved forward after her father's death.
As it turns out, I ended up dropping an additional point after writing the review. It was that disappointing.
Sadly, it fell very short.
Yanek's divergence from himself was unexplained. In the first encounter, both he and the prime version of himself behaved exactly the same, up to and including dropping the flashlights so that they fell in perfect unison. Both fled up the stairs in exactly the same fashion. Yet, when he returns with the fire axe, the two versions are now out of sync.
The "I'll destroy the tape / you don't" experiment was pointless. Both sides were already diverging over minor issues just from the two being on the same side for any length of time. Other than the external storytelling need to give a reason for one to fall into despair while the other did not, it made no sense that the two did not see the divergence.
Yanek's continued entry into his other's life was equally foolish. Sure, a woman can carry on an affair without her husband knowing, but she needs to know that she's having an affair. Yanek may get one interlude with the other's wife without the prime version knowing, but more than that and with more than one family member is ridiculous, and both versions would know it.
Expecting the two worlds' immunities to diseases to diverge in anything other than the local Berlin area in anything under several lifetimes is equally inane. The bulk of the world is unaffected by the crossing, and the immunity of the bulk of both populations would remain effectively identical for generations.
Even the political background was bad. Yanek was an East German researcher. His experiment goes wildly bad, to the point where the staff needs to be put on furlough, without anyone from above him in the food chain bothering to come by and see what is happening. He self-selects four friends, who on their own authority manage to establish an effective shadow government over the crossing in one of the most invasive police states that existed at the time.
Left completely unstated is how the daughter of the murdered Yanek, made out to be delusional by "Management" was able to build and infiltrate both staffs on both sides of the crossing. She certainly would not have been left unobserved as events moved forward after her father's death.
As it turns out, I ended up dropping an additional point after writing the review. It was that disappointing.
Just watched the best episode of TV
adshiel28 September 2020
Perfectly positioned and a must see!
Atl-Sam29 January 2019
Like many others, I had been somewhat disappointed over the pace of the episodes in season two, but this episode turned that around. Twin Cities explores the beginning of the interface and its' impact on several members of the team, especially Yanek. Does it disclose everything? No, some mysteries remain. Did it explain enough to be key foundational material? Absolutely!
Definitely an episode not to be missed - bring on episode seven!
Definitely an episode not to be missed - bring on episode seven!
What a payoff
chhickish25 January 2019
I have to admit after enjoying the first season I was starting to feel the show was getting bit stale, season 2 has been very slow with not much really happening...but this episode really turned it around, really great payoff with the origin story well acted well thought out, just excellent.
Wow!
biggdawgg-8710929 January 2019
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