By now, most viewers will have learned that Claire (Natalie Zea) is still alive. She survived the knife attack last year and, in collusion with Mike and the rest of the FBI, she went into witness protection with Joey as Mike told Ryan—and presumably others—that Claire had died. It was a really cool choice from the writers and was also clever in that it allows a scene where Mike fills Claire in on everything that’s been happening. This catch-up from Mike is not only necessary for Claire, but it also allows viewers who are jumping in mid-season to catch up without missing a beat. Kudos to the writers on that one. “Teacher’s Pet” is fantastic in many ways, but the overt mirroring of Ryan and Joe this episode speaks to the underlying motif that Ryan is more similar to Joe than he will ever admit. Though Dr. Strauss is a maniac (Gregg Henry, returning and wonderfully twisted) he echoes this, challenging Ryan to face this fact. Ryan may not enjoy killing the way Joe does, but he’s certainly closer to killer than cop this season; Ryan has likely killed as many or more people than Joe this season. The question that has drawn me to this show the most since the first episode is one that would make a compelling character study: How different, in actuality, are the ruthless serial killers and the obsessed people who will do whatever is humanly possible—including breaking the law—to put an end to their wrath? “Teacher’s Pet” chronicles Joe’s further embracing, or more like exploitation, of the cult members’ religious faith. He takes their trust, their longing for salvation, and promises absolution in return for killing. His “disciples” adopt the credo “No Redemption Without Blood” and take to revenge killings to carry out Joe’s “message.” (On a side note, anyone care to weigh in on why The Walking Dead’s lovely Emily Kinney took an ill-fated, thimble of a role as one of Joe’s Korban cult followers?) Not only do we see Joe’s shameless preying on these vulnerable youths, but we finally see how Joe became the serial killer Joe Carroll when Ryan takes Dr. Strauss’ story to the press, attempting to draw a response from Joe. The flashback to 1982 scenes, with a young Joe and Dr. Strauss, give long-awaited credence to the audience’s curiosity of Joe’s provenance. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for all news updates related to the world of geek. And Google+, if that’s your thing!
