Resurrection: Miracles Review

As defined by Miriam-Webster, a miracle is “an unusual or wonderful event that is believed to be caused by the power of God.” 

And yet in tonight’s episode of Resurrection titled “Miracles,” the “wonderful event” was not that Rachael came back from the dead, that she came back pregnant, that her child—even though it’s growing at an alarming rate—is by all intents and purposes healthy. The “miracle” is that, as far as we know, a deathbed-prepared Rachael is cured of her Spanish flu via prayer. Which, truthfully, is kind of lame for being the main plotline of this episode.

When any viewer signs up to faithfully watch a television show (not including binge watching, here), it’s a bit like being asked to dance; if you like what you see and hear, why not take him/her out for a spin? We dance along hand in hand, blissfully enjoying the steps. If things go well, you keep dancing. If not, you politely say you enjoyed the time, and move on. Tonight, Resurrection placed a stiletto heel squarely on top of my foot, mid-twirl. I don’t want to stop dancing, but now I’m watching those feet like a hawk.  

The episode begins with Rachael and Margaret having a shared dream, but we find out later that it’s actually a memory—with no explanation as to how they’re capable of starring in each other’s dreams. Confusing logic (within a fantastical show) aside, Rachael sees the Langton Furniture factory as it and the men inside burn. Margaret remarks how Rachael’s baby “must be [special].” Duh. We were also promised that Aaron Littleton, Claire’s baby on Lost, would be “very special” too but that didn’t happen. I’m hoping Rachael’s baby has more plot significance than Aaron on Lost did in the end.

Ray Richards (Travis Young) is upset that his sister Elaine won’t let him have his anti-“Returned” meetings in the restaurant where she works. Ray was hapless in season one, so much so that his father Caleb was always telling Elaine to watch out for Ray… a fully grown, fully bearded bear of a man, who apparently had the mind of a child back then. Before last week’s episode “Afflictions,” Ray hadn’t been on the show since episode six of season one, and he seems like a completely different character now. Why the massive—and fully noticeable—gap? Sure, Ray’s still strange, determined, and conspiracy-crazed—as well as, now, the first human infected with the mysterious flu. But gone is his sister looking out for him, as well as the character he was in season one. It would be fine if there were an explanation, but there isn’t one yet. 

In “Miracles,” now that Carl’s vicious brother Mikey is fully gone, Carl has become an entirely different character. This is a switch-up that makes sense, even if Carl has become an annoying torch-carrying leader of the anti-“Returned” gang. We sensed that Carl would eventually have a bigger role to play, but hoped for a nobler one. Without much exposition or insight into Carl’s changing feelings, going from mild-mannered and meek while his brother was alive to a fiery rallyer of men in a matter of weeks feels forced, as if the writers picked Carl’s name out of a hat while looking for an antagonist for season two.

The big dilemmas for Agent Bellamy this week are: Should he or should he not tell Maggie that he’s a “Returned,” and should he or should he not give the medicine that’s keeping him symptom-free to Rachael to save her life? 

For one, I was under the impression that Bellamy’s medicine supply was very limited, only enough for ten days. While he asked Maggie to try and replicate the medicine in the last episode, it seemed it would take a while, and would be very complicated. It’s eventually revealed that the medicine Bellamy wants to give Rachael isn’t his own supply, so where did the medicine come from? Is that the real miracle of “Miracles,” the medicine appearing out of thin air and without explanation? Bellamy should’ve told Maggie that he’s a “Returned” weeks ago, and when he finally tells her in “Miracles,” that fact is as obvious as ever. 

The big plot point of “Miracles” is that Rachael’s flu symptoms are progressing. She actually makes her peace and prepares for death, while Pastor Hale and Bellamy plan to inject her with the medicine; they are thwarted by Maggie, but Tom’s wife Janine prays with Maggie and she’s better the next morning. 

My question is two-fold. We’ve already been told by Maggie and Bellamy that if the “Returned” die in their body without losing their will to live, they will return after they die. By that logic, the “Returned” with the flu should all be able to die and return, essentially rendering this mutated Spanish flu moot. What’s the huge deal with this flu, then? By the show’s provided logic, the “Returned” should come back no problem; as we saw with Mikey, he didn’t necessarily die of the flu, but lost his will to go on. 

Rachael is filmed the majority of the episode as if she’s preparing for true death. Rachael makes her peace and prepares to move on; if she was as close to death as Mikey was, the second she said that she was okay with dying, she should’ve disappeared. However, come the morning after, she’s spritely. So by my count, that’s twice that Resurrection defied its own rules, with the same character and the same situation. If Rachael died of the flu, by the show’s logic she would return; she made her peace and should’ve disappeared, but didn’t. A college film professor once told me, “A show or film is only as good as its observance of the rules it has laid out for itself; once those rules are defied, all credibility is lost.” Let’s just say I’m worried about Resurrection’s future, moving forward.

In a subplot of “Miracles,” Brian Addison takes Margaret out for dinner. It seems as if it’s all part of his grandfather’s revenge plan, but it’s revealed that Brian has genuine interest in Margaret. We’ve been told that Brian is a brilliant, millionaire investor; does it make any logical sense that someone so successful—with the wherewithal to aid in his grandfather’s decades old revenge plan—would risk everything for a schoolboy crush on stone-faced Margaret? Nope. I will admit, though, that Grandpa Addison’s scorned anger is something I’m looking forward to seeing in full fury. 

The pulse of the show seemed deadened this week, even with the anti-“Returned” going door to door, marking upside down, blood red crosses on the “Returned” family houses. It’s not a good sign when a show high on fantasy can’t keep track of its own rules. And for Resurrection to be not showing a new episode until November 30, the sour taste of “Miracles” will have to stay in our mouths for three weeks now. I sincerely hope Resurrection finds its way by then.

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