After its first season, Blindspot left viewers in suspense and eager to learn more about the mysterious identity of Jane. With no memory of who she is and no clue how she ended up covered in tattoos wandering in Times Square, she was left in the hands of the FBI agent, whose name was tattooed largely across her back.
We quickly discover that each of the tattoos on her body links to a crime that needs to be solved. With each new case closed thanks to messages deciphered from the tattoos, bits and pieces of flashbacks taunt Jane. She struggles to cope with these flashbacks while also trying to make sense of who she was. Each tattoo uncovers another enigmatic secret and quickly a number of subplots begin to form.
Suspense and suspicion drive the story plot forward as other characters take the focus away from the Jane Doe mystery. While Jane’s body art betrays her own complicated past, it also begins to shatter the facades of other characters, such as FBI assistant director Bethany Mayfair, who we learn was a part of a secret mission code-named Daylight. Truths are unveiled and trust is lost as the plot thickens with deceptions, manipulations and backstabbing.
The series offers enough action to keep the suspense high and main actors Sullivan Stapleton and Jaimie Alexander obviously depend upon their previous experience in action-packed films, delivering gripping performances. Stapleton is most notable known for his main role in 300: The Rise of an Empire, while Alexander is familiar from the Thor movies. Together they have an awkward chemistry which fits the unfolding storyline perfectly. Their characters always seem on guard with one another and the show succeeds most when we see glimpses of these guards coming down. But, then again such a belabored path to intimacy is to be expected when a woman who has no clue who she is encounters the man whose name is tattooed across on her back.
The start of the first season had a bit of a shaky beginning, peppered as it was with poor dialogue and almost painfully mundane character interactions. However, if you stuck with it past the first two or three episodes, you are glad you did. Although the writing and characterization needs some work, the narrative arc itself is really gripping.
Blindspot started out as one of those shows you expect to throw-in-the-towel on after one season, but quickly redeemed itself with a captivating storyline. With so many questions unanswered and a thousand directions for the story left to go, this crime drama keeps you guessing. Each episode offers a worthwhile twist and a new clue that helps unpack the larger enigma surrounding the characters. For now, following Blindspot’s breadcrumbs seems compelling enough to pull us along with it into its next season.
