It seems no news network can go a day without some hint of government corruption to report. The scary part is that a nation will have its breakfast and a side order of light outrage to whatever a governing power does (phone taps, profiling, airport security). That’s because, for the most part, we accept what they do is good for us in the long run. But when we no longer believe in our government, or in the world as we know it, who are we as people? Lawrence Herzog’s short-lived UPN/Paramount series Nowhere Man sought to answer this question and many others.
Bruce Greenwood played Thomas Veil, a photographer who, in the first episode, is showcasing his latest work, most of it covering wartorn civilizations. A low-key crusader, Tom secretly enjoyed the attention, yet he could never feel a sense of comfort with his fame. After a short chit-chat with his friend Larry (Murray Rubinstein), he runs off to have dinner with his wife Alyson (Megan Gallagher). There’s some conversation about Veil’s mother (Mary Gregory), and how he should contact her more often. And then Tom goes to the restroom. When he returns, Allison is gone and none of the staff remembers her or even Tom himself. The terror begins.
The extent of the conspiracy goes as far as killing his friends and brainwashing the remaining member of his family (his mother). They can even touch anyone who ever talked with him and follow his every move whenever he picks up a phone or makes a public appearance. The only leverage Veil has against the conspiracy is the negatives of “Hidden Agenda” (a photo of a hanging), which he keeps safely hidden whenever possible.
About the only way Thomas Veil can uncover what happened to his life is to find someone who is a link to those who would do this to him. He finds that link in Dr. Bellamy, a man who, in the first episode, held Veil in a sanitarium. From there, the bits and pieces he finds take him to places that would seem unearthly for the average person. As he gets closer and closer to the truth, Veil gains a new respect for the life he once had and even changes as a person from the man he was before. What exactly happened in the final episode? I could tell you, but that would defeat the purpose of watching.
Article comments