Jan 10 2009
Crusoe Returns
(SPOILER ALERT) Well, we didn’t get to see Crusoe (Phillip Winchester) shirtless tonight, but we did get to see his more sensitive side. Suffering from the after-effects of a poison, Crusoe hallucinates a vision of his wife, who helps him find the missing Friday. I thought it was a neat trick of the show to work in how Crusoe relates to his wife, his emotional and physical affection for her, and the strength that she gives him to do what he has to–all without her actually being there. Flashbacks can get tiresome, so this was an alternate way to keep that relationship alive for the audience.
It also made for an intriguing episode–we the viewers are left wondering at the strange appearance of his wife, until we finally discover that the wounds and ailments he’s imagined for her are actually what’s happened to himself. This construct of his mind helps him find the way back to Friday and to the antidote for the poison.
I haven’t seen Anna Walton (Susannah Crusoe) in anything else, so I’m not sure how to judge her as an actress on the whole. While I don’t mind her in the role of Crusoe’s wife, after this episode I was left wondering if she was in fact British, because her accent seemed forced. What a surprise to find out that she was actually born in London. I think it’s a bad sign when the American actor sounds less affected with his accent than the native Brit. Not having heard her in other roles, I’m not sure if it’s the way she usually sounds, or if she’s shaping her accent to suit the time period.
I guess this is one more glitch in this flawed but enjoyable show that most likely won’t return after the final three episodes of this season. One can only hope that Crusoe will at least do something to boost Phillip Winchester’s and Tongai Arnold Chirisa’s careers. Both men do all they can with the roles and make the show worth watching.
Catch the remaining episodes of Crusoe on NBC, Saturday nights at 8/7c.
