Almost Human: Favorite Scenes: "Skin"

A case with Sexbots? The perks of being a cop

          Last week I told you my favorite scenes from the Almost Human "Pilot" and this week I'll tell you about my favorite scenes from the second episode "Skin". As we all know, the airing of the episodes was out of order but I'm doing it in that order so I can go straight down the list.

          "Skin" was a great follow up to the Pilot episode. Sexbots, DNA bombs, harvesting skin Albanians Oh my! 

Team Tiny Giraffe!

         The scene where John needs to get this little kid, Victor, to tell him who kidnapped his mother so they could find the other missing girls. Dorian nonchalantly said, "He's not good with kids... or cats." At first, John tries a little too hard to get Victor to open up. For the first part, Victor showed little interest in what John had to say until he spotted the giraffe on John's desk. Here we see John let himself be a little vulnerable; deciding that being a hard boiled cop was not going to work on this kid. Once John let his guard down and coaxed Victor into talking, he was able to get the information they needed. Then that last line Victor said, "When is my mom coming?" John may project a hard exterior but beneath that exterior is a tender heart. He really hates to give news that someone's loved one is dead; telling it to a kid is even harder. Still John gave Victor a small bravo for telling him his story.

"You go first."

        That scene leads into another favorite scene of mine, Dorian may seem reserved and intelligent but there are times when he takes on a naiveté of a child. Dorian never thought of what he would have to tell a child when someone they love dies. John here calmly explains that you would tell them that they person who died went to a better place. Dorian didn't understand the point of that, but John said there was no real point since we don't know where we go when we die. It's supposed to comfort people. We live in a cruel, unforgiving world so telling yourself or someone else that the person they loved went to a place better than this one is like giving them a silver lining. Even if you don't believe the silver lining is there it still helps lessen the pain of losing someone. We also learn that John's old partner who died in the raid had a son but that John never told the boy the comforting line. Of course he was in a coma, but like I said, John has a sensitive soul and hates having to tell someone that a loved one isn't coming home. 

Not the type of Spa the brochure said it would be

         The next scene that I love has some comedy to it, which has Dorian be the kid (being honest without thought of consequence) and John having to defend himself but being too embarrassed to reason. Whenever John and Dorian are in the car and are having a conversation, neither can leave (unless John decides to push another android out of the car on the busy highway). First it starts out deep with Dorian contemplating death. He wondered if he "died" then who would remember him. Although Dorian is a synthetic, John will speak to him as if he were human because sometimes you forget that Dorian doesn't pump blood. John said, "You're a cop the people you help will remember you whatever your name is." John doesn't believe a synthetic like the MXs could ever be anything other than a walking talking computer, but Dorian is someone you can connect with and because of his synthetic soul he has a huge amount of empathy that makes him less machine. 

Go out the same way you came in: scantily dressed.

       Right after John and Dorian have their deep conversation, Dorian immediately tells John that his dating profile has been getting responses. John becomes defensive saying he doesn't need help meeting women. Then comes the scene FOX wanted to cut but glad they didn't: Dorian scanned John's testicles to see that they were at capacity. John is all backed up and needs relief. Dorian's innocence can be trying but after a short awkward silence, John gives in and asks about what the women looked like. Part of any bromance is sharing with your best friend about your dream girl. John described his ideal woman then Dorian pointed out in amusement that John had just described Detective Valerie Stahl. Valerie calls and John goes from being a cool steely guy to an awkward teenager talking to his crush. Of course, Dorian teases him a bit. Big scene starting out deep then becoming outrageous, followed by some light teasing to show that the bromance is still in tack. 

Hope it's not a long ride up...

         The last scene I loved was when both John and Dorian come to grips with some of their fears. Dorian didn't know how to handle talking about death. He took John's advice when the sexbot, Vanessa was set to be destroyed. She asked where she was going (having no concept or idea about death) and Dorian answered that she was going to a better place and that he will remember her. Later on Dorian will face handling death but right now he has a grip on how to provide comfort to people facing the end or who have suffered loss. Then we cut to John who visits his human partner's family; perhaps for the first time in 2 years. Maybe John thought his partner's family would hate and blame him for his death just as John hates and blames himself, but instead Pellum's wife is very happy to see him and John tells the son about his father so he could remember him; so Pellum's memory would be kept alive.

         A lot of great scenes of brotherhood and dealing with death. I may have more favorite scenes from other episodes as I go on with these blogs.