When I finally sat down with Art Monterastelli to hammer out the details, "Through A Lens Darkly" really came to life. I had been very pleased with "The Enemy Within" (also directed by Ian Toynton) which took a closer look at what might be part of Tom's weakness. In TALD, we've looked even deeper into Tom and what drives him and what, in fact, may be part of the reason he's been "chosen."
Any hero worth identifying with should fall some notches below the "perfect" mark. Tom's vulnerability, his anger and frustration makes him, to me at least, a really solid fellow. In TALD we get a look at Tom's "obsession," something that apparently began when he was very young.
I'm not completely sure just what it says about Tom but threaded throughout the ep we get to watch Tom's inclination to "observe from a distance." There's something to be said for the "observers" of life -- someone needs to stand back far enough when the madness of being "too close" gets out of hand. But there's a price to pay for that distance, for holding back to observe. To some degree, TALD explores this in some very intimate and personal detail.
I can also tell you that this is one of my very favorite episodes. In many ways, I'm as fond of it as I am of the pilot. I find it interesting that three of my favorite eps have been the most stormy with the network. (The other two being "Something About Her" "Doppleganger.") I'm not sure what that means, but this is, IMHO, one formidable, wowser of an episode.
Beyond some of Art's wonderful scenes, a lot of credit has to go to Ian Toynton, Jim Chressanthis (our DP, who has been spectacular from the point he joined us at show 5) and our actors, particularly Sydney Walsh and Sam Anderson.
All in all, a "don't miss." I hope you agree.
Larry
vidiot at vidiot dot com