The Others: Till Then (1.11)

Glen Morgan and James Wong's X-Files background folds nicely into Till Then, an episode that smashes together real-life events with the regular supernatural phenomena depicted on this show every week. It's an interesting and ambitious episode which dispenses of most of the cast early on, giving way for a flashback-heavy hour all about Elmer's involvement in World War II, in which British intelligence used his psychic abilities to help soldiers cross over to the other side. That in itself is such a great idea, and the show conveys it pretty well. There are some awful accents along the way, but Thomas Silcott gives a strong central performance as the young Elmer, and some of the more profound elements of the script grant Bill Cobbs extra material to flesh out his character. He's a fascinating guy, but hasn't been given a whole lot to do lately.

There's always been a strong connection between Elmer and Marian, and it's again played on here. One of the most interesting scenes involves Elmer helping Marian communicate with a downed soldier in Iraq, Elmer's calming tone and natural spirituality helping her fix her psychic radar on the right guy and eventually helping him to safety. I love the bond between the two of them, Marian seeing a father figure in Elmer, and Elmer determined to strengthen a woman with powers that he's never glimpsed before.

Till Then becomes a little repetitive towards the end, but only in relation to recent episodes. As an idea, Colonel Vicar's desire to live is romantic and atmospheric, but it's the third time in just eleven episodes in which a character only clings onto life out of their own love for somebody in the real world. It's a great idea which is frequently executed well, but there comes a point when it starts to feel a little stale.

Nonetheless, Morgan and Wong's script deserves credit for being particularly daring as an episode, while Bryan Spicer's direction is inspired, effortlessly blurring between the gloomy modern-day of Elmer's home and the retro technicolor patriotism of 1939. B-

Credits
Guest stars Tucker Smallwood (Colonel Montgomery); Thomas Silcott (Young Elmer); David L. Crowley (Mr. Glick)
Writers Glen Morgan, James Wong Director Bryan Spicer