The Others: Mora (1.9)

Broadway legend Marian Seldes' interesting performance as a seemingly immortal ballerina is the best thing about an episode which feels somewhat routine in nature, while at the same time convoluted in its attempts to handle too many different subplots at once. Like always, Mora has a wonderful central idea, with Seldes as a hospital patient at the center of a series of unusual deaths that have trickled out through her neighboring wards. The finale, in which it's revealed that her determination to live and reunite with her long-lost son is responsible for the supernatural events of the hour, is remarkably powerful, but the script itself feels a little too busy to truly work.

The Mora demons are reliably 'ick', crawling through oxygen tubes and engulfing Katerina's body beneath her bedsheets, and I loved the reasoning for the creature's presence. It's an idea that feels like this show's trademark. There are a couple of red herrings at first, notably the mysterious totems tossed around the hospital, as well as the creepy Russian janitor stalking the corridors but, in the end, it's merely a desire to survive, and the concept of literally draining the life away from others is pretty interesting.

It's unfortunate, then, that some of the episode's various subplots feel a little thin. Mark's daddy issues are pulled out of left-field, and while it results in a nice coda between father and son and Mark's belief in death as a positive force, the story sags at times, and I never felt fully engaged by the moral issues between the pair. Similarly, I'm not enjoying Satori's continued jealousy over Mark and Marian's relationship, as it still jars with her characterization at the start of the season.

The intense finale involving Katerina and Elmer features some character work that probably should have been the episode's driving force, with Elmer revealing his violent side as he essentially tortures Katerina into embracing death and stopping the demons. It's an interesting character twist that is outwardly aggressive but ultimately good-hearted, Elmer's rage only exacerbated by Mark's potential demise. I like seeing how strong the ties to his friends are, but I wish they had made more of his antagonistic capabilities when in life-threatening situations.

Mora has a lot of things working in its favor, but the choppy script and insistence on focusing on some of the show's less engaging characters (hello Marian) drags it down a little. B-

Credits
Guest stars Marian Seldes (Katerina Risavitch); Stephen Macht (Dr. William Gabriel); Nicki Micheaux (Doctor); Peggy Miley (Landlady)
Writers John Brancato, Michael Ferris Director Jake Paltrow