Finding Carter: Season 1/ Episode 6 “The Fugitive” – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

Overview

A lot of people are given 2^nd chances, but the question is: Are they deserving of one?

Review (with Spoilers)

With only a few episodes left, at least from what I can tell, I must admit that even as much as I like the series, it wouldn’t necessarily sadden me if it wasn’t renewed for a 2^nd season. If just because I think it needs to evolve past her being abducted. For honestly, unless Lori says David was molesting Carter or something major like that, I just can’t find a reason to really want to root for her getting Carter back. As for the rest of the storylines, while they are nice they just don’t really pack a punch. More on this episode’s story below.

Topic 1: Infidelity – Elizabeth

I don’t know if it is just fatigue from watching shows with too many love triangles/ people cheating or what, but I find my interest in this storyline of whether Elizabeth will leave David or not to be diminishing episode by episode. For while you understand why she would want to leave and be with Kyle, I don’t feel like we are given a reason to really care about Elizabeth anymore. Be it because now her job is all about appeasing Carter, the fact her relationship with both Kyle and David is boring, or maybe it is because the whole interesting part to her, dealing with cases and what not, is not put in the foreground.

Either way, David seems like he isn’t willing to just let his wife cheat and pretend he doesn’t know anymore. But rather than get evidence so that he could use it in a divorce case, it seems he is more so trying to sabotage Elizabeth and Kyle’s anniversary rendezvous.  Which, again, doesn’t help things to me since the sole thing keeping him with Elizabeth right now is Toby withholding that check. And while I get he likes his kids, maybe even loves them, I think one of them, David or Elizabeth, sooner rather than later, need to plop some divorce papers down to jolt their story a bit.

Topic 2: What About Max? – Taylor

Sadly, Elizabeth isn’t the only one with a story which is becoming boring. After Taylor and Max making out in the last episode, and him pretty much sounding like he liked her, she decides it is ok to go on a date with Gabe because he asked. Her excuse? Well, Max didn’t outright say he liked her so I can only assume she feels in limbo. But what makes this whole situation weird is that Gabe’s sudden interest only came from how good Taylor was at making out, and he pretty much tells her that the main reason he is interested is because Carter didn’t want him. Mostly due to thinking of Taylor’s feelings mind you, but either way he doesn’t talk to her in such a way which doesn’t make her seem like anything but his second choice. One which, again, only became an option because of how wild she was in the closet.

Thankfully though, rather than that situation become a love triangle, it is realized they are better off as friends. Leading Taylor back to want Max to make all the moves, but with her telling him she was going on a date with Gabe, and him being the type who’d rather see someone happy with someone else than have them be miserable with him, Carter outright tells her to make the first move. Something she tries to do but, thanks to Lori, she gets pushed away like she isn’t wanted around him anymore. Perhaps killing whatever momentum that relationship had going.

Topic 3: 2^nd Chances – Carter & Crash

But before we talk about Lori, let’s go into Crash. As with any bad boy, the reason he is the way he is deals with a bad upbringing and a lot of regrets. One of which led to the death of his 10 year old brother. Making Carter, despite the Bird situation, seem to find herself more and more in love with this tortured soul. Thing is, said torture soul, due to a possession charge, is due to go to jail for 3 years minimum. Thus leading to Carter complaining to Liz and her trying to make the world spin in a different direction to maintain whatever peace and harmony she is slowly building with Carter.

Though it may have all been in vain. For after Carter helps get Crash probation, Max calls her and helps connect her to Lori face to face. And since we last saw Lori it seems she has gotten her hands on Russian passports and is ready to go as soon as possible. Leaving us to wonder if Carter is really ready to leave her new family, friends, and what the Wilsons have to offer, to be with someone who now can’t provide her any sense of stability? Much less, there is still the need for one question to be asked: Why did she take Carter of all people? Why not Taylor? I mean, what made Carter so special?

Honestly folks, I’m unsure how long this show could last. For while it isn’t horrible, it does feel like it can’t go on as long as Awkward is. The main thing which makes it stand out is the abduction, and with Carter not emotionally scarred or anything like that, a lot of what would make the series juicy is taken away. Add on Elizabeth no longer being after Lori and now bending the rules just to stay on Carter’s good side and you have a show which really needs to show it has some legs and shouldn’t be forced to e a mini-series.

Things To Note

Elizabeth lies to David and says she is going to a spa with her mom, of all people, and this is an immediate red flag for they are going to the spa on a Monday, all day, and possibly overnight. So, he shows up at her job and finds himself getting a hold of the hotel key Kyle left on Elizabeth’s desk. Though it isn’t just the lie about her mom giving her away. A new $70 thong isn’t helping, what looks like lingerie he surely isn’t seeing, and her still constantly coming home late. And what makes this bad as a viewer is we don’t get to see a lot of Elizabeth and Kyle’s chemistry, if it exists. All we know is they were old partners and we don’t get to see them hold hands, go on dates, or anything like that. It is always a short conversation and some kissing.

I’m not sure how the laws are where this show takes place, but I am hoping David really just divorces Elizabeth. Be it when his book is finished, he convinces Toby to give him the check, which ever. Those two are much more interesting when directly at each other’s throat.

Taylor is such a perplexing character. If just because I thought she worked out all her feelings for Gabe with that kiss she gave him. So her accepting his date proposal, then fishing for Max to tell her not to go in a grand gesture just seemed weird to me. Perhaps even out of character. Though considering she has likely not had two boys wanting her at once, I guess she looked as it as: There is the boy I have liked forever and the boy who has just came around, the one who says something probably likes me the most. An idea which backfires since now Max, even if you put the Lori situation aside, probably isn’t too keen on Taylor since now she is like Carter who has so many suitors and he feels like, well where can I really fit in here?

Crash’s mom abandoned him and his brother, him not watching his brother Ben led to his brother playing with a truck’s ignition until eventually it got consumed in flames, with Ben in it, and something about Crash’s backstory just feels so inauthentic. Like, it could happen, but I just feel this was more being tossed out there for sympathy than to really build his character.

Bird in the episode mentions Carter giving her the silent treatment and acts like Carter didn’t just come into her life a month or two ago. And the reason I didn’t get this, or like that statement, is because it really creates the idea that Bird didn’t exist for too long before Carter showed up. It makes her sound like a ghostly figure which just materialized and doesn’t have Gabe, Ofe, or other people to hang out with at all. And while you could argue Carter is her inspiration, especially when it comes to adjusting post a traumatic experience, still something just doesn’t sit right with me with Bird seeming like a shallow character.