The Numbers Behind the Numbers
In Hello Tomorrow! Season 1 Episode 6, a flashback shows Jack getting fired from a sales gig he’s been working for 30 years. He tries to kill himself, but is saved by Hank–the same man who in the present day arrives at a sketchy compound in hopes of being sent to the moon with his family.
Walt, the owner of the compound, calls Jack, who arrives to tell Hank that his launch is delayed. He apologizes to Walt for sending them to his address. Apparently, the men know each other, and Walt knows Jack’s father. The compound used to do launches of its own, until Walt shut it down.
In speaking of Jack’s father, Jack remembers something he always used to say. “No one’s not a dreamer.” It’s that saying that kept him alive and going.
Later, Jack and Shirl talk about what they have to do. He wants to keep selling and make enough money to pay people back. It will buy them enough time to find a real solution. Shirley tells him they just need to sell 143 units. They agree to try to sell everything to the rich woman from the country club.
Meanwhile, Lester apologizes to Myrtle for stopping his investigation. He gives her the documents he was supposed to shred and takes her to Brightside’s supposed headquarters. Lester tells her that Jack’s father, John Billings, used to own this launch facility. After his financial ruin, it was transferred to Walter Green. Seeing the neglected facility, Myrtle laughs at finding out it’s a worse company than she thought.
Back at Brightside, Herb overhears Jack tell Joey he’s trying to promote him to senior sales partner. But Joey wants it when he’s earned it, and not because Jack feels guilty.
Herb worries about not getting that senior position to provide for their twins, so Betty finally admits to Herb she’s not actually pregnant. Meanwhile, Shirley admits to Ed that she flipped their moon unit for extra money and tries to convince him they don’t need the moon.
Later, Joey goes to see Barbara Billings at her request. She almost lets it slip that Jack is his father, but they are interrupted by Buck Manzell and his turtle Mr. Jenkins.
Joey confronts Jack about Buck. He now knows they’re not selling anything real. Jack tells him to forget the details and promises to build every unit they sold. But Joey doesn’t care. He tells him to quit dreaming, right before Jack is to take a meeting with the potential investor.
The Episode Review
Hello Tomorrow! is remarkably good at shrouding everything in mystery–and still failing to build proper intrigue. Half-baked flashbacks and withholdings of information are attempts to get the likely-dwindling audience invested, but the show has barely progressed from where it started.
Nothing quite makes sense. Not the relationship between Shirley and Eddie, nor the utter commitment of Lester and Myrtle, nor Jack’s and Brightside’s history. Certainly not the way Joey found out about Jack’s deceit. He’s not the smartest tool in the shed, so it doesn’t quite add up that the discovery of Buck and Mr. Jenkins the turtle would clue him in to everything going on behind the scenes.
It’s nice to get a tense confrontation between Joey and Jack, at least. But the show has lost so much steam by this point that it’s difficult to remain invested.
Previous Episode |
Next Episode |
Expect A Full Season Write-Up When This Season Concludes! |
-
Episode Rating