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Hello, Freqs! This week on Radio Static, we discuss the Frequency Season 1 Episode 12, Harmonic, which originally aired on January 18, 2017. Frank and Raimy Sullivan pursue Deacon Joe Hurley, convinced he is the Nightingale.
It’s 2016, and Raimy Sullivan has found Robbie Womack (David Lipper and Dodge Prince) alive, 
much to the delight of his sister, Meghan (Beth Lacke and Britt McKillip). Robbie Womack, using the alias Carter Benson, tells Raimy how Deacon Joe killed his mother, Christa Hurley (April Telek) and forced him to help hide the body. Meghan tells Raimy about a place in the shed where Deacon Joe Hurley (Kenneth Mitchell) used to hide his belt, and there, Satch Rayna and Raimy find an old cigar box filled with mementoes of the women killed by the Nightingale. Satch continues to stand by Raimy’s side, even though there is no evidence that Joe killed his wife or is the Nightingale killer. It must have been very difficult for Raimy to watch Satch display each item that the Nightingale had taken to the watchful eyes of the police and detectives – indeed she described it as a “circus” to her father. The pain must have hurt her so deeply that it pushed her to actions that she could not have anticipated.
When Joe is arrested, Satch interrogates him, 
but then we see the dark side that has been surfacing in Raimy’s personality in the past few episodes. She waterboards Joe in the toilet, beating him, and forcing him to finally reveal where the body of his wife, Christa, is buried. She leaves her bootlaces with him so he can kill himself. This is something we want to see in Season 2 – Raimy’s dark side and how this will impact her relationship with her family and friends, and how Frank will try to save his daughter from this. This is something that was probably not in Raimy’s original personality, but her drive to save her mother at all costs, has forced her to do things that her father, Frank, is refusing to do in his 1996 timeline. Watching Raimy and Frank talk on the ham radio, with Frank saying that he can’t beat Deacon Joe in lock-up, but that is exactly what Raimy did, it is clear that she has gone beyond whatever boundaries she previously had.
In the earlier timeline, Joe is released from lock-up after accusing Frank of beating him (he banged his head against the table until it bleed. The arresting officer, Gabe Bolan (Donald Sales) left the mirrored observation room, giving Stan Moreno an opportunity to observe Frank and Job. Stan rightly came to the conclusion that Frank knew more than he was telling, and later threatened Frank, seeing this as an opportunity to get rid of someone he had tried to kill previously. Clearly Stan is waiting for another opportunity to finish off Frank, and if we get a second season, the conflict between Frank and Stan will be front and center.
We saw “Joe’s scar in 2016 from his “self beating, but Joe contemplated what Frank said to him, and gives himself up to the police, claiming to be the Nightingale. He refuses to say anything, and while all around him believe he is the Nightingale, we suspect otherwise.
What was interesting was that Frank brought Meghan to his home, and Julie again asks if Frank is bringing darkness to their home, making it a “one-stop shop” for the Nightingale. Frank is sure he is doing the right thing, but Julie is appalled when young Raimy (Ada Breker) pulls out the knife that Frank gave her earlier, prepared to defend her mother. I guess we won’t see that knife again!
In a touching scene, Raimy and Gordo Haas remember the day Julie Sullivan disappeared. Raimy panics when the timeline doesn’t immediately change after Deacon Joe is arrested in 1996, but then sees her mother, alive, and also notices the engagement ring on her finger. Meanwhile in 1996, Robbie Womack returns to his apartment, opens his closet, and we see pictures …. of Julie…..
With Robbie’s penchant for neatness, his methodical folding of clothes – is he the Nightingale working alone, or has Joe encouraged his behavior? Has Joe helped Robbie become the person he is today? Are Frank, Julie and Raimy still in danger? It sure seems like it!
The other question is how far back has the Butterfly Effect taken Frank and Raimy? With the reveal that Julie is alive in 2016, and Raimy is engaged (to Daniel? Or to Kyle Moseby, aka Detective Hot Stuff?) where and when did the time change take effect in this newest timeline? It seemed odd that Amanda Blake would be dead, but we still don’t understand where the time conundrum has left us. We want answers – how did the time change through the lightening strike, how can Raimy and Frank talk to each other, and why doesn’t anyone else have parallel memories? For these reasons alone, we need a second season!
What is the meaning of the episode title, Harmonic? Harmonics are undesired transmissions that are multiples of the intended transmission frequency. Almost all Radio Frequency (RF) transmitters produce some harmonics at low power levels, as compared to the fundamental frequency that is the desired transmission frequency. The 2nd harmonic, double the frequency of the fundamental, and the 3rd harmonic, triple the frequency of the fundamental, are usually the strongest harmonics produced by a transmitter. Harmonics produced by an ill functioning amateur radio transmitter may well lie outside of the amateur radio frequency bands and cause interference to other radio services or electronic devices! Harmonics are another potential cause of radio frequency interference.
How does this apply to our team? Deacon Joe is the harmonic – protecting Robbie and blocking our team from learning that he is the Nightingale. He interfered in the investigation in both timelines. He has caused interference in enabling Frank and Raimy to find the true Nightingale – unless Deacon Joe is working with Robbie.
Link to Harmonic on HamRadioSchool.com:
http://www.hamradioschool.com/t7b03-rfi/
Is Robbie the Nightingale, working alone, or does he have help from Deacon Joe? What will happen to Frank, Julie and Raimy? How will the season end? Tune in next week to find out, Freqs!
January 25, 2017 – Season Finale – Season 1 Episode 13 – “Signal Kiss”
Feedback
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