Counterpart 1.01

The Crossing

Howard Silk has been working for the same company for almost 3 decades. He applies for a new position within the company but is denied the chance to interview for the job. The next day he is ushered into a secret meeting with his boss and someone from "housekeeping" and a man who looks like Howard's twin.

Howard quickly learns that the man who looks just like him is from another world. The portal to that world is in the building where he works. The other man is also named Howard Silk. They share the same name but their lives have taken different paths. The other Howard (aka Prime) is there chasing an assassin named Baldwin. Prime thinks that she is going to try and kill Emily, Howard's wife.

Emily is in the hospital in a coma. She was hit by a car six weeks before. Prime's Emily is dead. She died of cancer. Howard has been going to visit Emily in the hospital every night after work. Prime insists that he take Howard's place that night. Howard gives him clothes and tells him everything that he needs to know about the hospital.

Prime goes to the hospital to visit Emily. Eric, her brother, shows up while he is there. He has been pressuring Howard to let her family more her back to England so she can die there. Howard doesn't want to do that. Howard's boss urges Prime to sign the documents to transfer custody but Prime refuses.

Baldwin shows up while Eric is still in the room with Prime and Emily. She senses that something is wrong. A shootout happens in the hospital. Baldwin escapes. Prime returns to his world. Howard returns home. Prime goes to a bar and meets up with Emily.

Thoughts

What comes next? What else is Prime lying about? Where will Baldwin strike next? Is she the real threat? Is Prime the real threat?

Howard and Prime are played superbly by J.K. Simmons. Jamie Bamber, whom I know best from the early 2000s version of Battlestar Galactica, plays the part of Eric. This is the only episode in which he appears. I'm not sure what that means for the rest of the season.

This show has been canceled. There are 20 episode spread across two seasons. The concept interests me enough that I am willing to give it a shot even though I presume things will be left hanging at the end of the final episode.

I was very impressed by this episode. It got me from the first scene and kept my interest throughout.