Julie's Review of In Your Philosophy

Building on There Are More Things (Than Are Dreamt Of), Jordan and Woody try to figure out how her brother was in two places at once— killing his parents in Boston and attacking Max in Miami. It's obvious Sophie's his accomplice but she has an alibi. She was in Philadelphia. Or was she?  Meanwhile the crew at the morgue helps put together the pieces of the puzzle when it's clear that BPD doesn't think Jordan's office was the scene of a crime.

Strengths

Storyline: The storylines in this virtual episode another master work, as plot twists are abound. Through the end of the episode, it was a case of who was where and which person, James or Sophie, committed which crime.  

Dialogue: Nynaeve again handled conversation easily, which begs the question why doesn't she write for television? Each character genuinely reflected their television persona, and not one line seemed out of place or wrong for the character.

Emotional Growth: In this episode, Jordan grew by leaps and bounds. She told her unconscious father that she wished she could let her mother's murder go, and she promised that if he woke up, she wouldn't ask him about it again. That was remarkable. Additionally, we see Jordan leaning on Woody for support, letting him take care of her, something she would never allowed before.

Continuity: This virtual episode contained many interesting references to the television series, particularly with a written mention of how Jordan's brother opened a Pandora's box of secrfets. This reference to the Pandora's Trunk episode was truly clever. References to other characters—Stiles, Blackie Conroy, Pete O'Malley and others provided a nice trip down memory lane. And a reference to "El Jefe" Kring, especially in the context of his declining career, stole the show.

Artwork: Nynaeve and Harbor Runner teamed up to provide some of the most unique artwork to date; each picture was a puzzle piece, commanding the viewer's close attention, engaging them further in the episode and the solving of the crime.  

Music: Musical selections in this episode were completely on point, reminiscent of selections made in the television series. No Sleep Tonight perfectly fit the scene, as did Only Love Remains.

Favorite Quote: This week's best quote goes to Jordan… Blackie Conroy. Carl Jeffers. Tom Malden. Pete O’Malley. Kevin Cahill. (beat as she thinks) Um… some guy… toward the end of his career… Kring. “El Jefe” Kring. That comment about Kring was just so right…for the episode and for the series.

Areas for Improvement

Editorial: Only one thing kept this episode from perfection. It was basically a repeat of an episode 16 comment regarding Max being on the force for almost 40 years. He was off the force in many fewer years than that. But there were far worse errors in the television series episodes (such as Jordan's twice-yearly birthdays), and the comment did mar an otherwise excellent episode.

This Virtual Season 7 episode brought to us by writer Nynaeve and artists Harbor Runner and Nynaeve read like the second of a series of episodes in sweeps month. It was entertaining, intense, and filled with plot and emotional twists. I'll give it 4 stars out of 4 for a true edge-of-your seat episode!