Saagar Kote
‘Blindspot’ is a crime thriller series that centers on an unidentified woman known as Jane Doe, who is discovered naked in Times Square. Her body is covered in elaborate tattoos of different kinds, which seemingly serve as clues to her unknown origins. This strange finding sparks a vast and intricate mystery that quickly captures the FBI’s attention, as it starts unraveling the clues hidden in her tattoos, leading them into a broader criminal conspiracy and bringing Jane closer to uncovering her true identity. Created by Martin Gero, it is driven by betrayals and hidden agendas, which create tension and conflict, underscoring the intricate nature of human relationships, offering viewers a thoughtful and gritty viewing experience. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Blindspot is a Fictional Show With Elements Grounded in Reality
Though ‘Blindspot’ is a fictional tale that stems from the mind of the creator, Martin Gero, it has elements that exist in real life. The lead character, Jane Doe, has a medical condition called Retrograde Amnesia, which causes her to lose her memories from the past. This reality of the protagonist is a driving force in the narrative, which takes it to unexpected places. Though the amnesia is drug-induced, it has consequences on her ability to recollect her story so far, which leads to her discovery at Times Square. Popular movies like ‘The Bourne Identity’ and ‘Memento’ have used versions of amnesia to make the plot more suspenseful and intense. The writers of the show presumably used knowledge from real cases of the medical condition to write the character arc of Jane Doe.
Though it is difficult to determine the percentage of the global population diagnosed with this condition, it’s a known fact that it makes survival tougher for those who are diagnosed. Sullivan Stapleton, who plays Kurt Weller in the show, in a Q&A session, spoke about how he received training from professionals on how to portray sequences that involved the workings of the Navy SEALs. This indicates that the production crew wanted the show to draw inspiration from reality wherever possible. The themes of the show also reflect reality in myriad ways.
The Show Makes Creative Utilization of the Procedural Aspects of the FBI
Despite being an original creation, the series utilizes the patterns and publicly available knowledge about the procedural system of the FBI and other similar agencies to provide a close-to-authentic experience. Countless shows and films have shown the inner workings of the popular investigative bureau to drive the narrative. The most relevant example would be ‘The Silence of the Lambs,’ which also follows a woman stuck in the world of the FBI, and she has to navigate through the labyrinth of clues and secrets, much like Jane Doe in ‘Blindspot.’ The relevant commentary on gender issues in the world of law enforcement and detective work adds a realistic flavor to the thriller. The struggles undergone by the FBI throughout the seasons highlight how the bureau in the real world is also unable to find crucial evidence in certain cases, despite all its efforts.
In an interview with Assignment X, the creator, Martin Gero said he believes that creating a show of this nature is challenging because the weekly cases cannot be random. Instead, the cases derived from the subject’s body must carry specific meaning and a distinct purpose for their existence. As more information is gathered throughout the episodes, a pattern in the tattoos begins to emerge. The hope is to decipher some meaning from these patterns to identify who might be responsible. He stated, “I’d wanted to do a mystery puzzle show for forever, and something that the audience can engage in, and get a sense – I love THE DA VINCI CODE and GOONIES and even NATIONAL TREASURE, that kind of fun adventure where you feel like you can go along and solve it along with the characters. And so it’s just really hard to do in TV.”
The Challenges Involving the Investigation of Tattoos and Symbols
The protagonist is covered extensively with tattoos, and these become significant clues for the FBI to solve the crimes that the markings on her body lead to. The tattoos on her body also unravel her past in the process. Tattoos, markings, and symbols have been the cornerstone of crime procedurals in both real life and fiction. The examples of ‘Zodiac’ and ‘Mindhunter’ are significant here, as symbols challenged the investigating authorities in these popular projects. Cryptic puzzles have also been an important part of many fictional and real-world investigations. The use of these elements in the series offers an authentic feel that helps it feel closer to reality. In the show, the FBI takes forensics to a whole new level, but the inspiration definitely stems from the psyche of real-life individuals.
In an interview with Christine Ring at the New York Comic Con, Martin Gero stated that he has always been interested in puzzles and mysteries, and intended to do a show related to that. Having lived in New York City, he mentions the attempted bombing of Viacom and a bag that was found with the bomb inside. The idea for Jane Doe came to Gero when he thought, “What if instead of a bomb in the bag, it was a woman covered in tattoos instead.” This was the original inspiration for the show that stemmed from the creator’s mind.
The Show Offers a Subtle Exploration of Secret Operations and Unlikely Weapons
One of the episodes of the series features a subplot involving the building of a radiological bomb. The development of radiological bombs by undesirable entities remains a major threat in the world today, and continues to drive regimes mad, and also leads to fear in the global community. In the storyline, there are mentions of secret operations of the FBI like ‘Operation Daylight,’ and also terms like ‘Orion’ and ‘M7G677.’ Though these are fictional creations, the use of coded terms and the unraveling of secret or unsanctioned operations are phenomena closely related to the FBI and the spy world.
The series has several instances of such secrets being major plot devices. In the real world, the media and sections of the population are usually curious about government secrets and their potential to create chaos or confusion in the public sphere. As the show suggests, these elements often go unnoticed by common people but are very relevant to social control and the debates around it. Thus, while driven by a fictional plot entirely, ‘Blindspot’ touches upon real-life elements from time to time.
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