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Human Target Episode 3: Taking Ames

By Beth Davies-Stofka
December 5, 2010 - 11:14

I'm sorry I'm late reporting on everyone's favorite comics-based television program!  I was on the road this week.

Human Target's third episode was a throwaway.  It was one of those transitional episodes that TV producers inevitably serve up once new lead characters are introduced.  A team of crime fighters must discover if the new guy can be trusted, and all team members must make adjustments to their existing relationships.  Yawn.  How many times have we seen this show?

So we got an entirely predictable episode.  It turns out Ames can actually be trusted.  It turns out Mrs. Pucci is uncomfortable with some of the tactics favored by her employees.  And even with their doubts and differences, everyone is going to go forward together, united in common purpose. 

Still, while we'd seen it all before, there were some features of the episode worth noting:

*Tim Jones' soundtrack sits pulsing just below the dialogue and action, maintaining a steady sense of motion and enfolding us in the show's unerring sense of style and sensuality.  The music, like the show, is straight-up sexy.

*There was still plenty of humor.  The best part of the episode was the disposal of the episode's chief bad guy.  In four neatly-spliced one-second shots, he was history.  

*Chance's courage and creativity are still the foundation and justification for show's entire concept.  I loved the scene where he killed a guy to save him.  Yes, I wrote that correctly.  For that single reason, the show's worth watching.

*Ames is like the team's adopted child.  She's not a teenager, but she acts like one.  Brash, and flush with raw talent, she's got underdeveloped social skills and she's not as smart as she thinks she is.  But she will be, and meanwhile, she sure is loyal. 



*On its most superficial level, Taking Ames was about Ames' trustworthiness.  But the story of her character was a bit more touching: could she let down a few of her defenses and trust the team?  If you've been on your own your whole life, it can be a little hard to believe it when grownups come along and say they care.  It's probably not even safe to do that.  So the issue of trust was much more of a challenge to Ames, and the show didn't neglect her emotional turmoil or growth.

*Meanwhile, Chance and the others devoted themselves to saving her: from her predicament, from her past, and from herself.  It will be interesting to see if Ames grows up in the course of the series.

*The original three team members, all men, wondered aloud about their immediate future, now that there are women involved.  Do we know what it means?  In their own different ways, both Ames and Guerrero cautioned that it's too early to tell.  

*Ilsa Pucci might be the one most deeply challenged by the team.  She believes in Chance, some of the time.  But she is increasingly confronted with the realization that she isn't prepared for what she's taken on.  An intelligent and principled woman, privileged and rich, she continually believes that she can organize and control any given situation.  She's really struggling with the anarchy involved in criminal activities.  Personally, I think she needs to get her hands dirty.

*Her role shifted in this episode, as she found herself transformed from "boss" to "partner."  And yet another significant glance passed between her and Chance.  We've seen these significant glances between the two of them for two episodes now.  What do they mean?  I simply can't see an intimate relationship growing between them, but, as Guerrero might say, "It's too soon to tell."  It was a little too easy to see Chance and Ilsa as Ames' surrogate parents.  

Well, if you haven't seen the episode yet, it's fun to watch online.  Do it just to listen to the music!  And next week, we'll be rewarded for our patience, I'm sure.  It should be an explosive, action-packed, and hilarious episode.  Why do I think so?  Well, look at the teasers!  Baptiste is back!

Rating: 8 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12