No Ordinary Family 1-11: No Ordinary Friends

We’re barely into the new year, and already lots of shows are starting up with new episodes. I’m not going to lie; I’m enough of a TV addict I kind of like it. Tonight was No Ordinary Family’s first new episode of the new year. I enjoyed it, but it was pretty predictable.

The episode opens with a quick resolution to the cliffhanger from last year. The entire family is talking to Daphne, trying to get her to remember the last three months. She’s freaking out until they join hands and she reads their memories. My guess is she just knows the stuff they know, not what she found out about “Joshua,” so that part was left dangling.

And then the real story of the episode gets started. While out walking, Jim saves the life of Dave Cotten by pushing him out from in front of a bus. The Cottens say thanks by inviting the entire Powell family over for a BBQ the next night. They seem like a nice family. Stephanie and Michelle Cotten really hit it off. They have kids the same age as JJ and Daphne. Chloe Cotten convinces Daphne to run for student council against the most popular girl in school. Meanwhile, Troy Cotten helps JJ get the girl of his dreams by making JJ act tough in front of her.

While the Powells and the Cottens are becoming good friends, there’s an art thief hitting a couple of the museums in town. Surprise, surprise, it starts to look like the thief is Dave, especially when Jim spots a watch just like the fancy one Dave owns on the wrist of the thief. Also shocking, the thief isn’t Dave but his wife Michelle. Yeah, pretty much I saw both those twists coming before they happened. Stephanie tries to get Michelle to turn herself in, but Michelle is planning to give the last painting she stole to her handler and run. Stephanie shows up at the meet and Michelle winds up taking a bullet for Stephanie, getting herself arrested in the process.

As you might have guessed, I wasn’t too impressed by the plotting of the main story for the episode. I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy it because I’ve grown to really love the characters, and there was some nice development of them here. But the story was so by the numbers that anyone could see what was coming. I mean, I guessed it.

No, the twists of the episode came in the story of Katie and “Joshua.” Joshua actually stole the journal that Stephanie was using to record her observations on the Powells’ powers. Katie, meanwhile, was freaking out because she hadn’t slept with anyone yet and was afraid it might freak Joshua out. Sure enough, when she finally got the nerve up to tell him, he quickly left her house and appeared to walk out of her life. However, he really went to tell Dr. King that he was quitting, the super powers weren’t worth it since he was falling for Katie. (Not that he told Dr. King that in so many words, but it was clearly implied.) Joshua then went back to Katie’s and told her he hadn’t been ready for things to get that real, and he had to choose. He chose her. The last scene of the episode was of the two of them in bed. Joshua was asleep, but Katie got up, picked up his clothes, and out dropped Stephanie’s journal.

Okay, so “twists” isn’t exactly the proper way to describe that story either. I pretty much had those developments pegged a couple of scenes before they happened as well. Still, this is going to be very interesting for us. Has Joshua really quit working for Dr. King? Will he tell Katie and the Powells what little he knows? Will Katie get over this heartbreak?

I may not have been surprised by much tonight, but I enjoyed catching up with the characters again. Hopefully, they slow down a bit more and flesh out some of these things as they build on them next week because this is really getting good.

While we wait for next week, come visit me at my normal haunt.