TV Review: Hostages Season 1 Episode 5 "Truth and Consequences"

However, it was still pretty bad.

"Truth and Consequences" picks up right where the last episode left off. The husband Brian is shot, the kids are waiting to board the bus and Ellen is left standing having to decide what to do.

We all know that they were eventually going to go back. When a show has had this many hiccups, it's safe to assume they wouldn't be bold enough to step out of the framework of their very premise. With that in mind, it was only a matter of time before Ellen and the kids returned home. That's why I can't really stand Ellen hesitating so much to elevate the tension.

If they're going for this situation, then yes. Have her hesitate and look scared. But it's fake tension that I've been preaching - because she clearly isn't going to leave her husband behind. Even if he was unfaithful.

This very fact totally deflates the scenes that fill out the rest of the cold open. There's a small story that starts where Archer is missing. They make no reference to it, but it's obvious it has something to do with the nurse.

More on that later. The cold open ends with Ellen making a surprise (not really) appearance back home as the husband is being tortured.

The only cold open that is worse than this one was the second episode where Duncan "fake" shot the husband.

Archer returns to break some bad news to Duncan. The nurse who they intended to keep alive (like I've been saying !!!) tried to escape and died.

Because Archer shot her. Because a man built like he could play strong safety in the NFL couldn't tackle a woman whose hands were tied and was maybe 120lbs, right? Didn't quite stick the landing there, Hostages.

Sandrine (I thought she was Maria(?)) had the most interesting story this episode. She gets taken and beat up by people she owes money to. Hostages doesn't reveal much, but for once goes deeper than normal - showing they actually have an idea why Sandrine owes money.

Apparently she's some sort of smuggler who messed up and got a client's shipment seized. Ignoring the fact it was quite shoehorned in- cool.

It's a nice connecting piece of storytelling to earlier in the season, where Sandrine was demanding to know when the team members were getting paid.

After Brian is saved (during a scene where I'm positive no medical fact checking was done), Ellen is tied up and driven out to the middle of nowhere by Duncan. There he makes her dig. I started to roll my eyes - surely they weren't going to do the "dig your own grave" scare tactic, were they? Hostages certainly did their best to make me believe that. After Duncan gives a strange reason for picking Ellen that involves her killing a rapist with a scalpel, he makes her get down on her knees and close her eyes. Right as I'm about to laugh, he dumps the now dead nurse Angela into the pit.

It was a great way to tie off the horrible way they handled Angela's story. Not only did Duncan say that Angela's death was Ellen's fault, he's making her do the actual grave digging. It helps Ellen to really see what she's risking - she has to be careful.

It also helps Duncan cover up Archer's mess. The same mess that gets Archer arrested for gun possession, off a tip provided to the police by Duncan. How vindictive! I guess he doesn't tolerate failure.

Oh yeah - making Brian recite a written down message to his mistress which includes having him say "I love you" while Ellen has to watch: that was cold.

Just as dark as making Ellen bury the nurse Angela. More tension like that, please.

Overall not as bad as last week. Still not good though.

photo credit: http://allieiswired.com/