The document things angle is wearing a bit thin obviously, I'm not the only one feeling that, but I did quite like the tone of this episode. They've attempted to do these 'clever re-framing' of an episode before and much more disastrously than this one. It was gimmicky and we all know it, and don't really need or want it in our story telling. It didn't really help.
But putting that aside for a moment the central story of the woman and son in a mine field surrounded house was a good one, and the explosions were well executed. That would have been a good story to tell in any framing, even the standard one. It felt like there was something underneath it too. I don't think they quite got there with any 'aaahhh' insight but it was going in the right direction instead of being nonsensical which is where this show has often been.
The characters were acting human and not too stupid, (apart from morgan running into a live mine field).
And we've got some baddie action. They're making more enemies than friends. That was an interesting observation.
No clarity on the deal with the oil fields thing but this does look like a worthy and believable angle to take on.
It could have been way worse, and it has been. I know my standards and expectations have dropped a lot since I started watching this show, but John Dorie's scenes were fun, as they always are, and I was surprised that a few the other characters managed to deliver something that didn't make me cringe.
It wasn't that bad once you get past the clever doco technique thing which nobody really wanted or liked except the writer and director who forced it through.