‘Perception’ recap –'Ch-Ch-Changes'

This episode of Perception entitled “Ch-Ch-Changes” focuses on identity and rather or not people can change.

The episode begins in the lecture hall. Daniel Pierce talks about the normal brain with his class. This lecture foreshadows the events to come. The major plot of this episode revolves around Donnie coming to ask Kate if Daniel can profile a criminal. Side note, Donnie is also Kate’s ex-husband. Donnie is the Assistant District Attorney and wants to send a very violent man to the “electric chair”. This criminal is already imprisoned but when he was being arrested he accidentally shot himself in the face. He also tortured and strangled his girlfriend which prompted the arrest in the first place. Daniel is needed to see if the murderer is sane.

Daniel profiles the murderer. He asks him standard questions at first and then he starts asking some odd questions. For example, if he would eat eggplant if offered. He sees that the man draws and the answers Daniel hears are not what a murderer would say. He comes to the conclusion that the murderer lobotomizes himself changing his personality.

This plot hits its climax when the defense calls for Daniel’s testimony. He tells the court that the murderer is a different man. However, Donnie gets upset about this because the man killed someone. So Donnie calls Daniel up to the stand and questions his mentality. Donnie asks rather or not Dr. Pierce is a paranoid schizophrenic. Daniel says yes. The murderer goes free anyway.
Daniel confronts Kate because he thinks that she told Donnie but she did not. Right after Daniel goes back to the college he sees the murderer on his bike but the murderer has been dead for hours. The victim’s brother shoots the murderer. The brother was on the stand and said that wanted the murderer free.

This plot is not really important. The important thing is that Daniel has not changed. He still confuses Natalie with Caroline. Caroline is the real Natalie. She is psychologist from season one. Now they date. However, he still talks with Natalie, a made up woman that looks like Caroline.
Donnie and Kate appear to still love one another.

This is episode was fantastic. What makes this show works is the consistent portrayal of Daniel Peirce’s episodes and illusions. As an audience, the show confuses what we may think is real or not. This world within a world works well. The acting is also topnotch. Each actor gives convincing performances and makes the show highly enjoyable. Perception airs on TNT.

image: TNT