Sam: "Can we just skip this little Hallmark moment?"

There are bills to pay, dishes to wash, and bags to pack for a business trip to Shy Town next week all before trying to get enough sleep to tackle the day tomorrow. These are my duties, but they pale in comparison to my sincere responsibility to review this episode. I don't need a few days to review the tape and mull over what I might say. This was an outstanding episode and even in light of the WB stopping production of the series due to low or apathetic viewership, I am willing to make that assertion!

Rather than seeing John's life parallel that of the bad guy of the week in "Surrender," this week his world paralleled that of the character needing a hero. When one is in sad straights and needs a hero, one's life is a prison and all one wants is to go home. Donald Ingram, the soul witness to Michael's death and expertly played by veteran actor Tim Guinee, has been coerced into incriminating John and Jane in Michael's death. In order to force him to comply, the police on the take--and Richard's Greystoke commandos--restrain Donald in a rundown "safehouse". While already paranoid from being away from his apartment, this safehouse is his prison—one that is suffocating Donald. Jane is driven by her duty to John who has made such a difference in her life. She finds and convinces Donald to tell the truth because, as Gregory Creel--the bad guy in the pilot--mentioned, if tried and convicted John too would die in prison. Ultimately though, in spite of Sam's, Kate's and Jane's best efforts to help him, John tells his Aunt Kate that he wants to go "home." She realizes that New York is a prison for John and his definition of "home" is the Congo. As his loving aunt, Kate realizes that it is her duty to help John return "home" and makes arrangements for his immediate departure through her connections. We finally see Jane and Tarzan hug as dear friends, if not quite lovers yet, just before Tarzan gets on the plane and before an angry police detective beats Jane senseless. (Hint: John does appear out of nowhere and saves an unconscious Jane from this prison in which she has been placed by the detective's fists and her own desire to help John. He realizes his duty to her, also.)

The writing, directing, and acting stood out in this episode. Sarah Wayne Callies' Jane is a heroine not to be outdone even by "Xena: Warrior Princess." She has said that she tries to do most of her own stunts, which must be quite exhausting based on the physicality of this episode. As an actress, we have seen her grow by leaps and bounds over the past six episodes and I feel fortunate to have had that opportunity. She is completely, emotionally invested as Jane. Though the mind knows one is acting, the body doesn't, so, at the end of a work day during the filming of "Surrender," she must have been as exhausted as her character was supposed to be in the episode. What a leap forward from the rather stiff individual we watched in the pilot to "Tarzan."

According to published accounts, Travis Fimmel, though known as the Calvin Klein Underwear Model, has studied acting for quite a long time. To those who have never studied the craft, that sounds silly and means nothing, but true acting classes are grueling lessons in being able to create emotions, and replicate those same emotions at different periods in time, when needed by the camera in order to create believability. For this reviewer, at least, those lessons have been worth every penny. Every time Travis Fimmel is on the screen, I am fascinated by watching his every move. I am even more intrigued by his voice. His character, John Clayton, Jr., put paranoid Donald Ingram at ease simply by looking into his eyes and soul. You know, I believed that as possible. I will miss seeing Mr. Fimmel as Tarzan on TV each week.

Then there is Miguel Nuñez as Sam. Whoa!! He is one more character and actor this series could not do without. He helps the viewer and the characters see the logic in the situation as well as express the viewerships' feelings while watching the episode. The lines delivered by Mr. Nuñez, also, make me think that there is a sly, knowing smile behind each syllable uttered. I keep expecting those around him to relax and laugh if only for a moment.

Mitch Pileggi as Uncle Richard is a good actor, but though I initially expected stimulating performances, this is the one character I feel could be replaced by anyone else without the audience blinking an eye. There is something missing, but I have not put my finger on what it is. I have always thought rich people are boring and Richard Clayton is no exception to that rule.

Finally, though, there is the indomitable Lucy Lawless as Aunt Kate Clayton. She was in her prime in this episode. Her strength of character in the beginning of the episode as she tried to keep John safe coupled with her tears as she helped him fly back to the Congo showcased the diversity and range of this wonderful actress' skills. If the WB does remove "Tarzan" from the devoted viewers, I know I will miss what Ms. Lawless would have done with the character of Aunt Kate Clayton the most.

There are so many stories still to be told by the WB and the producers of "Tarzan." I am re-reading "Tarzan of the Apes" at The Literature Network Online, but even with the captivating stories by Edgar Rice Burroughs still available to us and the regular occurrence of what is known as "Fan Fiction" online, I want to see the direction the series creators would have taken the show. This was an unparalleled story on network television. I truly wish the WB would re-think the decision to stop production on "Tarzan." Though they rarely do any good, a letter writing campaign to faces@thewb.com has been initiated to try and save the series. Another site with ideas on how to save this series can be found by clicking on this link: Save Tarzan. (Now if we could just find a way to put NBC's "Good Morning, Miami" out of its/mine/our misery once and for all time. Ugh!!) Please feel free to write, and mention these articles if you wish, to help make your thoughts known to someone at the WB network. You could consider letter and card writing to keep "Tarzan" safe at his WB home as YOUR duty. (Saying a prayer or two for the cast and crew to remain employed wouldn't hurt either.)

"Surrender" receives 12 out of a possible 10 skyscraper jungles as well as 5 of 5 gold shields, some pink flamingos, palm trees, rapiers, daggers and any other award I have ever bestowed on a television episode for an exceptional story that held me captive on the edge of my seat with my nose inching up to the television screen by the end of the hour.

What a great story! THANKS YOU GUYS!!

Taram (TVtome.com)