Believe, Season 1, Episode 3: “Origin”
Written by Jonas Pate
Directed by Stephen Williams
Airs Sundays at 9pm (ET) on NBC
While the close personal bond between Winter and Bo has been clear over the first two episodes of Believe, not much has been known about what created this bond, and why Winter feels so protective of the child. Similarly, while Skouras is aware of Bo, and has a facility housing others like her, how he began his operation has been shrouded in mystery. This week’s episode takes on both questions, revealing new details in an entertaining episode that reveals facts which are likely to have noticeable ramifications down the line.
Nina Adams’ fatalistic view of her own survival is an intriguing aspect of this episode. Her interactions with Skouras and Winter make it clear that she considered her capabilities more of a burden than a gift, and it’s understandable that she may not have been wrong about the adverse effects of her powers. Even if the presence of her capabilities didn’t directly lead to her deteriorating health, the worry over its effects on her and her daughter could not have been helpful. The conversation between Skouras and Winter make it clear that they are also aware of these problems, and the potential that they stemmed from an overuse or uncontrolled use of Nina’s powers. It will be interesting to see how Bo reacts to this news of her mother once she learns it, particularly as Bo is extremely reliant on her powers to survive, especially after meeting Tate. If she fears suffering the same fate as her mother, it’s likely that she will shut down using her powers completely. This would put Winter and his team at a noticeable disadvantage when it comes to trying to protect her, a disadvantage they cannot afford. On the other hand, if there does turn out to be a direct correlation between the amount of usage and physical health of Bo, Winter and Tate may face a difficult time convincing Bo to curb her capabilities, as she would find it a needless exercise without full knowledge. How Nina’s deterioration affects Bo, and those who handle her, is bound to have a huge impact on the story, and what direction it takes looks to be promising.
The reveal that Skouras is the one responsible for Tate’s absence in Bo’s life also adds an interesting wrinkle to the proceedings. Tate’s growing affection for Bo does indicate that he’s not naturally averse to children, and there’s a strong chance he would have been receptive to the idea of being a father ten years ago as well. In addition to this putting Bo’s life on a noticeably different trajectory, it would have put Tate in a better position in his life as well, and not led him to prison and death row. It will be intriguing to see if Tate learns that Skouras was the guiding force behind Nina breaking up with him, and what action Tate takes in light of that information. It will certainly prevent Tate from trusting that Skouras would have his best intentions in mind, as well as Bo’s, but there’s also a possibility that Tate will not take this news passively. The reveal that knowledge of his family was kept from him for over a decade might make Tate seek revenge for all the time he lost with Bo and Nina as a result of Skouras and his organisation, an urge he would have to balance with his newfound role as Bo’s guardian. The knowledge, however, may also turn Tate against Winter, as this is clearly the first time the latter has contacted the former, and continues to keep the knowledge of his offspring hidden. Tate is also a large variable in coming events, and his reactions to revelations will also be worth keeping an eye on.
Overall, this is another interesting episode. The presence of Shohreh Aghdashloo is always a welcome one, and hopefully this is not her last appearance on the show, despite how events play out. The FBI search for Tate and Bo continues to feel like an immediate threat this week, despite its resolution occurring in a similar manner to last week’s episode. The decision by Skouras to use other gifted individuals to track down Bo is a promising one. Bo and Tate have had the upper hand due to the former’s capabilities, but the presence of an antagonistic force who can match her in that department is likely to throw some new obstacles their way. How the group deals with this new type of situation is likely to make for a fascinating watch. The FBI picking up clues to what Bo can do is also an intriguing development. Despite Skouras and Zoe showing Farrell the talents of another individual, it’s understandable if she doesn’t believe that they were telling the truth, and it will be promising to see if and how the worldview of Farrell and other FBI agents change as they get more exposure to Bo and others of her ilk. The loss of another team member on Winter’s side effectively drives home the seemingly hopeless nature of their task, and it’ll be worth watching to see how the group copes, particularly Bo. Bo is aware that Winter is keeping her safe from something, and may feel guilt that her presence is causing such stress. With the proclivity she has shown towards helping strangers, it’s likely that Bo may be tempted to use her powers to try and help Winter gain more members or otherwise get an advantage in his fight against Skouras, and how Winter feels about this, as well as what Bo does to this end, will be worth a watch as the season progresses.
– Deepayan Sengupta