3x05 Eyeliner

I can't seem to get invested in what's happening. All I'm doing is watching it happen, not particularly caring about any of it. This episode wasn't better or worse than all previous episodes, like with each episode. It was just okay. More importantly, it was just something to watch and see what happens.

Honestly, the first three episodes were pretty decent. They had enough enjoyment for me to be low-key, somewhat invested in what was happening. Now, that doesn't seem to be the case. All I seem to care about now is watching the rest, so I can see how this show will end; there's no investment anymore.

• I was wrong about Ethan. Sandy didn't kill him; for some reason. And he still seems to have a purpose. Unless that's another case of plot convenience syndrome, I'm guessing it's because Sandy isn't as cold-blooded as it would seem. She'll still follow her orders, but it's not like doing them has no mental and emotional toll on her. That was proven in the episode before last when she killed Anne and her subtle reaction afterward; and what she said to Carmichael in this episode.

• Yeah, let's talk about Utrax in a semi-loud tone with people around me. Good job, Charmichael. Or more like; bad job, writers. You could argue that it's not a big deal because everyone close enough to hear is talking with other people, but I think that's a stretch.

• Well, I was right to get a death flag feeling from Charmichael in the premiere. I'm not sure if we're supposed to hate him and if people were glad when he died, but I couldn't help but be disappointed. He was one of the top characters, if not at the top for me. Unless he survived somehow, it seems likely that he's dead, unfortunately. I'm not mad; I'm just disappointed.

• I was slightly taken aback by Jules' appearance. Considering how we haven't seen her since the premiere, I figured we wouldn't see her again. She must be going to play a part in the finale. There's no way she was (only) brought back to show you her sparing her target. She could end up trying to convince Sandy in the finale that what they're doing is wrong and Sandy will kill her. Or she'll get killed by accident or killed by someone.

• It wasn't for that long, but Esme Creed-Miles' acting after The Chairman used Abbas and Nadiya as leverage against her for her to give up Marissa's location was pretty decent. Mireille Enos' acting was pretty decent, too. Acting-wise, both of them have been carrying this season. So has Dermot Mulroney, although in his case, it has been more so his overall presence and charisma he brought to the character of John Charmichael.

• The eyeliner made no sense to me. What was the point of it? From a writing perspective, its purpose was so Hanna could write a message to Marissa on her wrists; not only that, to give meaning to the title of the episode, rather than change it. But, in the show, what was the point? Why put eyeliner on Hanna? I don't get it.

• And I like how Hanna was able to write that message on her wrists. Especially given how she would've had to write it from the last letter to the first letter, as well as upside-down. At the very least, it wouldn't have been as well-written as it looked. Granted, it didn't look super well-written, but still. I feel like it should've looked worse to make how she'd have to write it more believable. But that's not a big deal at all, and I'm probably making it out to be a negative thing when it's not.

The decision to have six episodes in this final season instead of eight, like with the previous two seasons, was good. This season's flame is practically already non-existent, and the next episode is the finale.

I'm not saying it's impossible to make a season enjoyable, perhaps even increasingly enjoyable throughout its entirety, even with eight episodes instead of six or more; it's quite the opposite. I think it's easier to accomplish than it is to fail. But for me, it has been the latter with this final season instead of the former.

I thought the beginning of this season was enjoyable, and I was engaged, even if it wasn't as much as I may be with other shows. Now, it feels like that sense of enjoyment, sense of being engaged: is gone. I don't know why this show always ends up feeling underwhelming when I didn't initially feel that way at some point.

But it's not to the point where I hate what I'm watching, this final season; or the show itself, let alone stop watching it. I mean, there's only one episode left. But even if there were more episodes left, I still wouldn't stop watching. It means that what I'm watching isn't as exciting as I think it could be: and I find that disappointing.

• We haven't seen the flash-forward with Hanna and Abbas yet, so that must happen in the finale. And because of that flash-forward, we know that Hanna will escape from the Pioneer headquarters. Something must happen to where Hanna changes her clothing into one of Pioneer's operatives' outfits before escaping to find Abbas and running away from them with him, as that's what she was wearing.

• But what about Nadiya? I can't believe I didn't think of this until now and not after we learned that she's Abbas' daughter in the third episode: where is Nadiya in the flash-forward with only Hanna and Abbas?

• I have a feeling that Marissa may die in the finale, probably by saving Hanna somehow. I've gotten a death flag feeling from her before, and it seems to be growing stronger. It seems likely for that to happen, too.

So, I'm interested in seeing and knowing how this show ends, but I wish the show itself and the journey up to this moment, each episode, was better. Even though it was the opposite of that for me, I think I may feel (a little) dejected once I watch the series finale - because the show will be over.