No smoke and mirrors on this episode of No Ordinary Family

by Michael Noble

We're definitely getting more resounding story and action on 'NOF' of late. Even after a couple weeks off, things continue to get busier on the show. Plus, we're treated to some interesting storyline twists and turns, too.

It’s February. Just about the time to begin ramping things up … wouldn’t you say?

I mean … not too many episodes left for No Ordinary Family to make its mark on the old cathode ray tube and see if it can win a second season, you know what I mean?

And that’s exactly what’s happening on the show of late. Tons going on:

Our “esteemed and honored” Dr. King (Stephen Collins) wants to implicate Joshua / Watcher (Josh Stewart) in Dr. Chiles’ death from quite a while back. …
Not only do we get a spiffy “villain” in Tom Seeley (Ethan Suplee) with all his eerie, smokey sublimations (look it up), we discover he was in a correctional institution and most likely an unwilling victim of Dr. King’s dastardly doings. …
We find “Fireman” Theo Patton (Alex Solowitz, “No Ordinary Anniversary”) and Rebecca Jessup (Rachel Miner, “No Ordinary Quake”) were “buddies” of Tom’s in the clink …
And it seems Joshua just can’t seem to part with his powers and mind-wiping ways, can he? If he’s not pulling double duty in the kitchen “physically” squeezing orange juice while “mentally” tossing flap jacks around, he’s erasing Katie’s (Autumn Reeser) memory of any inkling he previously offed folks among other bad, bad things. (Don’t worry, Katie … it’s for your own good. …)

The rather silly story about Jim and Stephanie (Michael Chiklis and Julie Benz) “teaming up” after trying to outdo one another on the crime solving front dissolved into the background with all the tasty little treats we were served. I was rather digging all the interesting little tidbits revealed. The action and back stories are starting to fill us with more satisfaction and events are really beginning to take shape.

The kicker for me is Joshua’s story at this point: I’m enjoying some of the mess he’s embroiled in, all the while balancing on a high wire where Katie’s concerned. With Dr. King mixing things up and keeping him on his toes, well … that’s just the icing on the top for me. The good doctor is paying the most annoying of house calls (and he did so specifically in this episode) to keep Joshua in his long-range plans somehow … whatever those plans may be.

Keep it crankin’, guys. It seems you’re hitting a stride and quite a few of us are taking note. …