"The Bag" Review

by Mike Helba

"The Bag" introduces us to two guest characters, a traveling "doctor" named Reese and his "business manager" brother named Jake. The character types and situations may not sound original. However, untalented oafs who survive by keeping control of their talented partners occur all too often in the real world, and that is why they pop up in fiction repeatedly.

This episode makes me wonder who the heck Jeremiah thinks he is. First he intimidates the Reese and Jake into providing special care to a pregnant woman. Surely in the lawless future, Jake has had to prevent his brother from being forced to exclusively serve powerful warlords several times. Why should he cave in to Jeremiah?

Next, Jeremiah questions Reese's credentials. Hello? Everyone here was below the age of puberty when civilization ended. No, Reese doesn't have a medical degree, but everybody knows this. There are no licensed doctors (as far as the general population knows). Who is Jeremiah to criticize Reese just because he doesn't live up to Jeremiah's mythical, unobtainable standards?

Finally, when Jimmie Holcomb, the person Jeremiah and Kurdy have been sent to contact, lies dying, Jeremiah monopolizes most of his last moments. Thanks to Jeremiah, the guy's poor girlfriend only has a few seconds with him. What a jerk!