This week's episode of Human Target had me reaching for my remote to see what else was on television. Previously, I actually had faith the new writers might have come up with a way to save this failing show, and now I know I was wrong. 

On “The Other Side of the Mall,” Chance and his team are hired to protect a family that has been targeted for murder.  He must figure out who is after the family and why. 

I must say that the first 30 minutes of the episode covered all that there was of the storyline.  The show could have simply ended there, and it might have made more sense to me. 

The second half, when they were sending the Applebaum son in to save the day by returning the laptop, was a complete waste of time.  It almost seemed as if the writers were trying to finish the story just to complete their allotted timeslot.  Definitely one of the worst episodes I have ever watched on television!

Chance connects with the Swedish thugs trying to murder the Applebaum family and works out a deal: their safety in exchange for Joel’s laptop.  Everyone agrees that this is the only way to stop the thugs and allow the Applebaum family to get their life back. 

Joel musters up the courage to help Chance save the day and protect his family.  After all, he was the one that hacked into the Swedes’ online computer and erase their programs. 

At the mall things get a bit crazy, and the next thing you see is Chance flying across the mall on Santa’s sleigh to knock out the thug and retrieve the laptop.  The same exact laptop that was supposed to be traded for the family’s freedom.  Why did Chance change his mind all of a sudden and want the computer back?

The worst part of the confusing ending? The team and Chance can’t even give enough information to properly explain the conclusion to this case.  Did they say Michem was working alone and that Richard got his old job back?  So Michem was someway in cohorts with the Swedes and the Zombie Bots program was secretly embedded in his company’s computers?  Why on earth would Michem do that?  What did this Michem have to gain?  Why would a successful pharmaceutical company CEO get in bed with a crooked computer hacker?

Joel seems like an average shy teenager, so reserved he can't even ask a girl out.  Why would he all of a sudden become so vengeful, out to piss people off solely on “not liking a game?" Seems a bit strange if you ask me.