DESCRIPTION:
Jeremiah and Kurdy join a group of pilgrims heading west to the ocean where they believe a
miracle will occur, but Kurdy has trouble adhering to the sect's vow of non-violence when he
discovers hidden danger.
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STARRING:
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MONICA'S REVIEW:
I can see why JMS picked this as one of his favorite episodes. While not as powerful as ... And the Ground, Sown With Salt
and it didn't give the arc a swift kick in the gut like Firewall did, it was still quite good.
I enjoyed it because it was a multi-layered stand-alone episode with an ending that keeps you
wondering what exactly happened. Leave it to JMS to deliver a thought provoking episode about
God, hope, miracles, etc. and have it appeal to so many people on so many different levels.
It all came down to a simple choice ... to go left or right at a fork in the road. We will
never know what would have happened if they took the path to the left, but it goes to show
what kind of impact a simple decision makes.
At first, I wasn't sure I would understand why Kurdy joined up with this "cult" but it soon
became clear that he has always been looking for companionship (romantic as well as family)
and a sense of belonging. It makes more sense now as to why Kurdy decided to hook up with
Jeremiah in the first place. I also loved finding out more about Kurdy and I was blown away
when he started reading that poem. Warner delivered it wonderfully and JMS' words were
amazing.
This is definitely an episode that deserves multiple viewings in order to discover new layers,
meanings and possible foreshadowing that JMS is famous for.
THEO RATING: 8
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QUESTIONS RAISED:
- So, who exactly are the monk-like men who don't speak? Pallbearers for the Old World? Any
connection to Valhalla Sector?
- What is the "one more darkness yet to come" reference the Pallbearers were speaking of?
- When will we get to hear more of Kurdy's poetry?
- What would have Kurdy done if he knew the truth about the pilgrimage?
- What really happened at the end of the pilgrimage?
RELATED INFO:
See all photos from this episode and read our
collection of favorite quotes as well.
JMS AT DREAMWATCH SAID:
FEB.1.2003
On the first day of shooting, we had to go indoors because we had this
huge white-out. It was incredible, there was snow everywhere. George [Horie], my producer,
said, "No, no! Use it to your advantage!" So, we're getting ready for a shot and we're out
there and it's just pure white! The road, trees and sky are white. It looks like we're driving
into a fairy tale. The snow gave the whole show tremendous production values! It gave us the
feeling of a fairy tale, a myth. It helped us a great deal to create the mood, which had to
be almost delicate in some ways. You can't plan for the snow. It just gave us an extra bonus.
Weather is our number one ally or enemy, depending on the story.
JMS AT RASTB5M SAID:
APR.29.2002
For those who know my work it's kind of a different sort of creature
than I've done before...it's almost fanciful or fairy tale in feeling, but with teeth behind
the softness and an ending that I think will lead to a lot of heated debate.
One of the things I like best about this episode is the look of it. We were knee deep in snow
when we shot this thing, and the pure white landscape gives the whole episode an almost
unreal quality. It also has one of the best performances to date from Malcolm Jamal-Warner,
whose role is very important in this episode.
MAR.10.2002
My favorite three so far would be Firewall, ... And the Ground, Sown With Salt, and Journeys End in Lovers
Meeting.
