Proof - Showdown - Advanced Preview

It’s almost time for another new episode of TNT’s sci-fi medical drama, Proof. I was really looking forward to this episode and had high hopes after the vast improvement I saw last week.

 The episode focuses on Liam, an Iraq War veteran experiencing severe PTSD. In order to discover what the root of his PTSD is stemming from, he undergoes something called “Regression Therapy” which is basically a form of hypnosis, being performed by one of Carolyn’s old medical school colleagues, Daniel Powell. During the time that Liam is under hypnosis he discovers that he is having flashbacks from a battle. But it’s not any battle that he could have been involved in, as it turns out he’s actually having flashbacks to the Korean War which took place decades before he was even born. So far, Proof has tackled near-death experiences and ghostly visions, and now it’s time to explore past lives. However, to make things a little more interesting, Liam meets Rider, a graphic novel writer who accuses Liam of stealing his novel’s storyline for his “flashbacks”. We find out that Rider got his book idea from recurring dreams he was having about that same battle. How can two strangers be experiencing the exact same visions? That’s what Carolyn and Daniel endeavor to explain when they take on this case together. Meanwhile, Carolyn takes steps to move on from the loss of her son and continues searching for answers about her own near-death experience and the woman in the green scarf.

There’s a very cool scene in which Carolyn surprises me with her openness. This is the biggest step we’ve seen for her truly embracing this afterlife project. She’s slowly becoming more and more open to the experiences this project is giving her and I’m happy to see that growth. For those who have been waiting to find out more about what happened to Carolyn’s son and who the woman in the green scarf is, your questions will mostly be answered tonight, but not in the way you might think.

So far, I would say Proof has proven to be more story-driven, but this episode takes a break from that and momentarily feels much more character-driven. I think people will enjoy learning more about the characters’ history, which we get plenty of in "Showdown". Two new characters are introduced, one from Carolyn’s past, Daniel, and one from Zed’s, Maya. Both these characters will give us insight into Carolyn and Zed before we met them. Although it did slow down the pace and isn’t the most exciting part of the episode, these scenes are important for us to get to know these characters that we’re supposed to be connecting with. In a lot of ways this episode is primarily about that, discovering character histories and backgrounds, even with the case of the week. It’s much less open and shut than we’ve seen and not so much about finding the answer for the study but more about finding the answers for personal reasons.

Overall, I was satisfied with the episode but it was rather hit or miss. At times I found myself getting bored and gravitating towards doing something else like checking Facebook or twitter but other moments were very engaging. I didn’t even want to blink in case I missed something! There are two especially powerful and emotional scenes at the end that took me off guard and that I think people will really respond to. These scenes, for me, probably saved the episode, and my feelings, from reverting back to post-pilot times. Honestly, this episode did leave me feeling a little bit let down though. I was hoping for a bit more closure. It was a solid episode when taken all together but prepare for your investment and emotions to be all over the place while you watch.

Are you looking forward to tonight’s new episode of Proof? Are you happy they’ll be focusing on past lives? Let me know in the comments and tune in to Proof tonight at 10pm on TNT!

About the Author - Kate Sidwell

Kate is a 24 year old, USA based, Psychology/Public Health Researcher - but that’s just her day job! In her spare time she is an avid TV watcher (some may even say addict!!). Some of her favorite shows are Jane the Virgin, Bates Motel, The Flash, Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Rookie Blue, Silicon Valley, Beauty and the Beast, Sleepy Hollow, The 100, The Mindy Project, Pretty Little Liars, Once Upon a Time, The Royals, Orphan Black…so pretty much too many to count and a huge variety! She’ll give pretty much any show a chance! She also devotes a lot of time to her tumblr (eat-sleep-breathe-tv.tumblr.com) where you can find her reviewing and commenting on most of these shows and just generally fangirling! She’s excited to be writing for SpoilerTV on Complications, Baby Daddy, Proof, Switched at Birth, Secrets and Lies, and Minority Report!

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