“This is going to be big. Maybe as big as precrime.”
Warning: full spoilers below.
They say it takes three episodes to really get into the groove of what a show is trying to be, so if Minority Report’s latest instalment, “Hawk-Eye” is any indication, the series is at least taking a turn for the better following last week’s run-of-the-mill episode.
Now that the audience more or less understands the idea of precogs and why maintaining their secret identities is so important, the show was able to stop over explaining them, using a few small reference points instead of piles of exposition. It also finally moved Dash to where he needed to be — Metro — so that we don’t have to spend each week wondering when the big secret will become exposed.
In order to do that, Vega had to fill Akeela in on Dash and his identity, a move that potentially puts her at risk but moves the story along at a much quicker pace than it would have had the secret been dragged out even longer. Now Blake is the only one left in the dark, although that won’t be for much longer given his detective skills and general distrust of Vega.
When Blake does find out, the story as of now is setting him up to be a formidable enemy to the precogs, based on his immediately embracing the new precrime-like program, Hawk-Eye. At that point, it will be a shame if the entire plot becomes about getting the precogs back, rather than continuing to stop the crimes happening in front of them. What was interesting about Minority Report the movie and what could grow an audience with this series is the ongoing ethics debate these programs raise. Unfortunately, so far the series has focused more on the precogs themselves than the people the visions are affecting. When you cast aside the precogs and begin exploring other characters and new technologies, the show grows inherently more interesting.
In that vein, Agatha’s post precog life on the island, where she’s clearly plotting to stop her visions from becoming reality, just seems unnecessary. The show would be interesting enough without that seemingly mandatory season-long arc bridging each week together. Whether the precogs go back into the milk bath or not is the least interesting part of the show right now, especially if there is more reliable technology (in the form of Hawk-Eye or otherwise) being used to catch potential crimes before they happen. At least having Dash become a part of the crime unit stops the whole martyr act he’s been spouting about not caring if he’s caught, and it also integrates him with the rest of the team and allows him to grow. The other precogs are just going about their angry everyday lives.
Hopefully this all means Dash will grow a little more confident in the position as well — especially now that he knows about Agatha’s visions. While it’s refreshing to see a bumbling detective type character on television for a change (rather than another uber confident, risk-taking hero), that act is a little overdone for my liking and needs to be toned down. Anyone ballsy enough to take on a fake identity and enter Metro should be a little better at hiding themselves. Seriously, at least a little.
[Editor’s Note: There hasn’t been enough interest among our readers in Minority Report to continue weekly reviews moving forward, but if the series does continue, we’ll attempt to check in on it for major episodes.]
The series moved away from the precog-trying-to-be-a-cop storylines when Dash was finally integrated into Metro, a smart move in terms of character development and story movement. That meant more people becoming privy to Dash’s secret, just in time for a Precrime 2.0 of sorts, Hawk-Eye, to be introduced. Meanwhile, the story focused a little too much on the precogs rather than the ethical arguments that programs like this raise, which is the main reason to actually watch.
