Director: Mark Tinker
Cast: Austin Nichols (John Monad), Matt Winston (Barry Cunningham), Keala Kennelly (Kai), Jim Beaver (Vietnam Joe), Rebecca DeMornay (Cissy Yost), Bruce Greenwood (Mitch Yost), Luke Perry (Linc Stark), Luis Guzman (Ramon Gaviota), Greyson Fletcher (Shaun Yost), Ed O'Neill (Bill Jacks), Willie Garson (Meyer Dickstein), Brian Van Holt (Butchie Yost), Emily Rose (Cass), Garret Dillahunt (Dr. Smith) & Dayton Callie (Steady Freddy Lopez)
Dr Smith believes a paranormal phenomenon has occurred within the Yost family, Kai takes John to her trailer and Cass comforts Mitch...Finally, incontrovertible evidence of the paranormal occurs when boy-surfer Shaun Yost miraculously survives permanent brain-damage and shattered vertebrae, thanks to a "kiss of life" from a bird called Zippy. After so many bizarre events going disregarded, or ignored by people, this makes a refreshing change... although only resident Dr Smith (Garret Dillahunt) seems to really grasp the immensity of the situation.
John From Cincinnati seems to be finding its groove , successfully reigning in confusing scenes and providing a more appealing storyline for episode 3. Ted Mann's script still contains some frustrating quirks: such as Mitch (Bruce Greenwood) taking a trip to the beach, with a fan who's young enough to be his daughter, at the time his grandson has been declared braindead! I know the Yost family are dysfunctional and he'd just rowed with wife Cissy (Rebecca DeMornay), but... would anyone behave like this? It didn't quite work for me.
But mostly, His Visit, Day Two Continued, is a more coherent installment with some nice performances. Dr Smith is like an oasis of normality just when the viewers need it, while drug-dealer Steady Freddie (Dayton Callie) is a fantastic creation: an opera-loving thug with a face that belongs in a Scorsese gangster flick, or the Wild West -- which is actually where he's spent the past few years on TV's Deadwood.
Now the miracle of Shaun's recovery has given the show something supernatural that can't be ignored, it'll be interesting to see if this works as catalyst. Unfortunately, the motel plot continues to go nowhere very interesting. Indeed, actors Willie Garson and Luis Guzman have basically just been standing around looking confused by lottery-winner Barry ever since he arrived. Last week's vision/ghost in the motel room 24 isn't really explored to any significant degree. I hope the writers have a clear plan for this branch of the story, as it's becoming a little tedious already...
John (Austin Nichols) displays another paranormal ability whilst attempting to "bone" Kai (Keala Kennelly) in her trailer, giving her a trippy hallucination and causing pain to various characters (including Butchie and "Vietnam Joe"), after telling her to "See God, Kai". I have no idea what it means, but it's another piece of the puzzle that will hopefully slot into place. It 's also another example of John affecting his environment, as the earthquake seemed to signify when he was punched by Steady Freddy last week.
The performances are genuinely good, particularly from sun-baked Rebecca DeMornay, but most of the characters continue to be aloof. Brian Van Holt (playing gruff Mitch) is perhaps the best character at the moment, while everyone else isn't quite connecting. This may be intentional -- to try and cultivate a sense of unease in viewers, but I hope the Yost clan's dysfunction begins to soften soon.
I really want to engage with these people, but so far the characterizations are making it difficult -- particularly with grouchy Mitch and one-note Shaun (Greyson Fletcher), who's a real-life surfing whizz, but has no acting experience. He's not bad, per se. In fact, he's probably an accurate portrayal of his type, but I wish he'd show some spirit away from his surfboard.
Overall, this is the show's strongest step yet. If some of the straggling plot-lines are tightened, characters start to behave more believably, and some of the weirdness is explained (particularly room 24), then there could be hope yet...
Posthumous Review
Written: 5 July 2007
HBO
