Julie's Review - 1000 Miles Off Course

A mystery surrounding a now-dead plane crash survivor, potentially tainted baby formula, and the reappearance of Annie Capra come together nicely to grab virtual viewers right from the phrase "Hell, I've been dead before." This episode starts off intriguing and ends with nice ties to SEASON-6 finale.

Though the episode cannot be viewed on television, descriptions of gestures, looks, camera angles, and scenes create a strong visual picture for virtual viewers, bringing the episode to life.

Strengths

Storyline: Both storylines were original, and the intrigue surrounding the deaths of the Flight 815 survivors added depth to the episode. The botulism scare, from both angles—the dead baby and the scare with Madeline—were riveting. Dialogue: Dialogue in this episode was very true to character. The characters' quirks were all expressed nicely through dialogue, and nobody departed from their persona. Artwork: The pictures in the episode were all well placed and were an excellent accompaniment to the text. The picture of Kate with Madeline; the picture with Woody, Nigel, and Jordan in Autopsy One; and the picture of Bug, Madeline, Jeffrey, and Lily in the waiting room at the pediatrician's office were especially good. Relationship development: This episode moved the Jordan Woody relationship along nicely, with great continuity from the initial Virtual Season 7 episode and from season 6. Additionally, it really highlighted the fact that Lily and Jeffrey are really not resolving issues in their complex relationship. Bug continues to be an excellent counterbalance to Lily and Jeffrey, a true rock for Madeline.

Favorite quote: "Oh! You want me to be the first someone."

Areas for Improvement

There are few areas for improvement in this episode. Artwork: Two pictures—one with Sidney and Garret looking at the X-ray and the one with Jordan and the priest—looked less authentic than other photos. Storyline: With regard to the Ryan Davidson story, it wasn't clear what was being looked at in the X-ray. A full autopsy would have shown brain bruising from the brain hitting the skull; without the full autopsy, it would have otherwise been difficult to have a shaken-baby diagnosis. The only other quirk in the episode was this: would a wad of cash the size of a double roll of toilet paper fit in a guy's pocket?

This episode was engaging from the start, and it played like a very real episode. I'll give it 3.75 scalpels out of 4 for engaging dialogue, an intriguing storyline, excellent artwork, and a great conclusion.