Scorpion 'A Cyclone' Review: What Exactly Does Paige Do Here?

Scorpion was back for its third episode this week as we continued to learn more about Walter, Paige and the rest of the team. Much like last week, this episode focused on character development, which is a welcome trend. But the show might be trying to rush to the finish line without taking us on the full journey.

As we learned at the end of the episode, a group of scorpions is called a cyclone (points to you if you already knew that). Walter told Paige's son, David, that he and the rest of his team were a cyclone, and that they would always be there for each other. It was a nice sentiment, but a rang a bit hollow simply because this was only the third episode in the series.

Walter has known these people (other than Paige) seemingly for years, so it makes sense that he would make such a statement about them. We, however, have only known these people for three hours. Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ran into a similar problem in its first season when it tried too hard to proclaim that Coulson's team was a family. It just didn't feel earned.

The rest of the episode addressed what could have been some major issues for the show. Firstly, Toby outright questioned what Paige's role is on the team. She's not a genius, she has no technical skills to speak of and she seems to be little more than a pretty face. But Walter quickly reminded him that each member of the team was in a bad way when he found them, but he saw something in each of them and took a chance on them. He sees something in Paige now and wants to see it develop.

Paige, thankfully, took some initiative and decided she wasn't going to let the group of geniuses exclude her from their club. She basically told Toby to shut the hell up while they were trying to figure out the pattern in the bomber's attacks and showed that she can be just as valuable to the team as the rest of them. They all have superior intellects, but this hampers their abilities to both relate to regular people and figure out their motivations. Their brains simply don't work that way. They literally cannot figure out certain behaviors and choices.

That's where Paige comes in handy. At first, it seemed like an idea worthy of an eye roll when Walter said she would be their liaison to the world. Last week, she literally stood over Walter's shoulder like a parrot and told him how to talk to people. But this week, the show handled Paige in a much better way because they let her make genuine contributions to the team. They also gave her a backbone, which was nice to see.

"A Cyclone" also knocked the team down a few pegs with regard to their relationship with the U.S. government. Walter and his team struggled to succeed in the past two weeks, but they ultimately succeeded. This week, they showed just how dysfunctional they could be, and the government halted their operation until further notice.

Again, this is an issue that might have felt more organic 10 episodes from now, after the team solved a bunch of problems and felt unstoppable. But it worked here because, as Paige pointed out, they think they're always right because they almost are always right. Paige also had a strong moment here when she made it clear that this operation has to work because she has bills and a child and no other options. Her boss at the diner seemed to want her back, but who knows if that job would still be there if the team fell apart?

This was largely Paige's episode, and it showcased more of her personality. At the end of the episode, Toby still questioned what she does here, but the answer should have been obvious. She fills in the gaps for these geniuses. She's the one who saves them while they save others.

What did you think of "A Cyclone"? Let us know in the comments section.