Perfidia (Journeyman)

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“Perfidia”
Journeyman episode
Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 13
Written by	Aeden Babish & Matt McGuinness
Directed by	Alex Graves
Guest stars	Don McManus Melinda McGraw Joanna Going
Production no.	113
Original airdate	December 19, 2007
Episode chronology ← Previous Next → "The Hanged Man (Part 1)" –
List of Journeyman episodes

"Perfidia" is the thirteenth episode of the first season of Journeyman, and the second half of a two-episode story beginning with "The Hanged Man." The episode is named for a popular Mexican song about love and betrayal. The episode is the last of the thirteen episodes NBC optioned, and also serves as the series finale since NBC has not renewed its option to purchase a full season's worth of episodes.

[edit] Plot

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Dan wakes up in a mental institute with a cut on his head. He meets a patient named Evan, who cheerfully greets Dan with the claim that Dan is there to help him as he is also a time traveler. Evan tells Dan he was committed to the hospital after publicly revealing he was a time traveler and has been unable to jump out because of the sedatives he has been forced to take, but he desperately needs to get out as he is on a mission to meet the love of his life who does not yet know him. While Dan doesn't quite believe him, he helps Evan escape using a fight as a distraction then immediately returns to the present where Dan discovers that Evan was killed later that same day while jaywalking.

Meanwhile Katie's visiting sister is dropping very unsubtle hints that she believes Katie should take Zach and leave Dan as she feels being with Dan is no longer safe. Later Dan again jumps back to that same day with Livia to try to save Evan, who takes one look at Livia and declares he knows she is also a traveler stating, "You can tell by the shoes." They convince Evan not to endanger himself by jaywalking only to return to the present and discover Evan now is killed that evening as a stalker perceived to be threatening the woman he seeks. Dan and Livia return again to that day in continued efforts to save Evan. Evan finally convinces Dan that he is indeed a time traveler and that the woman he's "stalking", Lauren (the wife of a prominent politician), had once been his own wife for twenty years but was murdered by a man Evan had angered on one of his journeys. He proves this by showing Dan a video of Lauren and Evan winning a Salsa dancing competition in 2004, a point in the current timeline in which she was married to the politician. Evan explains he kept trying to go back and fix events to prevent Lauren's murder, but only made things worse until he finally took advantage of a chance to prevent their initial meeting which would leave her safe but with no memory of their long and happy marriage.

Evan believes a love that strong must exist somewhere inside Lauren and he hopes to bring it forward by finding a way to remind her of him and the things they shared. Dan and Livia concoct a plan to get them together at a political fundraising event where it initially looks like Evan's hopes will be dashed, however, Lauren has a faint spark of memory so Dan arranges the band to play a Salsa song. Evan convinces Lauren (who claims has no ability to dance) to dance with him and they make an emotional connection as the dance steps come back to Lauren. She is obviously shaken and overcome as the dance ends, but before they can speak about it Evan collapses. Out on the city streets Dan and Livia watch as the EMTs put Evan into the ambulance while trying to restart his heart and wonder if this was Evan's day to die regardless of their efforts, noting that it is September 2007. Suddenly, Livia points out to Dan that his 'September self' is approaching and they watch as that Dan gets into a cab across the street. Dan realizes that they are witnessing the moment of his very first jump and realizes this is also the moment that Evan dies before they watch Dan vanish from the cab. Dan and Livia wonder if Evan had to die for Dan to start time traveling. He and Livia say an emotional good-bye as both sense they will not be seeing each other again for a long time.

Back in in the present at the Register Dan prepares to go home and notices a news report that Lauren has left the politician and is filing for divorce then he gets into the elevator to find Professor Langley. The professor tells Dan he has been purposely avoiding any contact with him, nor will he ever admit that time travel is real because he is "being watched" by people who he fears will try to manipulate Dan's ability to travel for their sinister benefit. He explains he first discovered time traveling was a reality during his studies based on anachronisms like an Incan clay replica of a modern airplane and found that an unspecified but small number of people share Dan's ability. He tells Dan the numbers have been dwindling and he believes that Dan is the last one. Dan tells him that there is one other, but will not reveal Livia's identity to Dr. Langley, whom approves of the choice to remain silent.

Back at home, Dan tells Katie that he won't take her suggestion to use sedatives to suppress his travels, because he is starting to see them as a "calling" rather than a "curse." He then reassures her that he'll always come home, which reassures her she was right in telling her sister she would stay with Dan and show Zach that it is not okay to run at the first sign of trouble. The episode closes with Katie asleep in bed while Dan dresses, puts his old phone and some cash into his jacket then sits down, and looks upon Katie lovingly as he prepares to jump. Katie opens her eyes just in time to see him disappear, as she asked to witness earlier but had not occurred and the shot focuses on her face and zooms in on her eye until the screen is black and credits roll.