Well, we most certainly had a dream team bringing us tonight’s episode, didn’t we? Not only was there yet another of the ever coveted guest spots by Bradley Cooper, but in the director’s chair was one Lexi Alexander. While I personally am not a fan of her 2008 take on The Punisher, Alexander has proved herself to be one of the most vocal advocates of social diversity in Hollywood, and has already directed strong episodes of Arrow and Supergirl this season. Pair that with the fact that the promos hinted that we’re finally directly dealing with the main story again, and there was certainly a lot of intrigue going into “A Dog’s Breakfast.” Unfortunately, as always, Brian had another case to solve, and this one was a bit of a lame duck.
In fact, let’s just blow through that case really quickly so we can get to the goods. A billionaire was murdered in his own home, mysteriously missing a kidney. Brian, finding that whole business awfully specific, traced things back to a 3D printed kidney that this billionaire was planning on receiving for a fatal illness. However, through some illicit activity and some shady maneuvering, it turned out that his wife had enlisted an off the books doctor to do the dirty deed, feeding her husband’s old kidney to her dog. Frankly, I’m not even sure that is exactly what it was, but it really was such a forgettable case. Really, the only highlight of these segments was seeing the reformation of the Bruntouchables, and even that wasn’t really utilized beyond one scene. It was a case very clearly shoehorned in around the main story which didn’t really fit in at all.
Brian found himself under deep distrust from the CJC and Naz after his little Russia excursion, so while he waited for Piper to finish the enzyme, he had some new rules to contend with. Everything from a curfew to random drug tests, these rules seemed to ensure that Brian could only be a mule and nothing more. How silly, as Brian is becoming a pretty smart cookie even off of NZT. Upon hearing from Piper, he ordered himself a pizza to knock out Mr. Y, his new silent bodyguard who as it turns out works for both the CJC and Sands, and went to meet her. However, there was no Piper to be found, and as Brian returned, he found her bloody bracelet in his living room. Naturally, this could only be Morra, right?
Not so fast. Brian caught up with Morra at one of his campaign speeches inside the church, and as it turns out, Morra might not be our big bad after all. Apparently, Sands is now running his own operation under Morra’s nose, producing NZT on his own and enlisting a mysterious group of criminals into joining him. I’m not sure how to feel about this reveal. I’m hesitant to buy that Morra would let Sands slip completely under his nose, at least, not intentionally. Perhaps he’s hoping that Sands will use NZT for evil for some greater purpose, as he does not seem particularly worried about this new syndicate, or Piper. It’s as if he wants NZT to spread, hinted by his closing comment claiming that this battle is not about ruling the world but “building the next one.” Does that next world have him taking some kind of leadership role against a bunch of NZT fueled underlings? It’s certainly an interesting tease of things to come, especially if a future season were to ditch the procedural format and take place in this new world. We’ll have to wait and see, but something tells me that the finale will either have Eddie undergo a change of heart and team up with Brian, or reveal himself to still be the true mastermind pulling all the strings. My bet is on the latter, but first let’s see what Brian is going to tell Rebecca about Morra. Having the episode end with Rebecca wielding handcuffs and a gun was a strong move, particularly since there’s a two week break between episodes.
Advertisement
I can’t help but feel as though “A Dog’s Breakfast” could have packed a bit more of a punch if it had forsaken its case of the week. There were plenty of nice moments, but they didn’t really get a chance to breathe. Cooper’s cameo in particular was far too short, especially after how much depth “The Assassination of Eddie Morra” re-invigorated into his character. It was very reminiscent of “Side Effects May Include…” from earlier this season. A few solid twists and plot breaks with an expository cameo from Cooper, but only fleeting bits of payoff. I really hope that the last few episodes of the show can satisfy the sheer heft of their build up, and hopefully Rebecca coming out of the dark will change things up to set us in motion for that climax. After all, something has to.
7/10
Advertisement
Advertisement