Tody,
I’m staying home for Rita Moreno.
I’d
say this miniseries has picked up steam quite a bit since the first episode.
Things are coming together more and the tension is ramping up. Conclusion next
time – I’ll be interested to see how it all shakes out.
Louise
is confronted by the consequences/dangers of the type of association Philip is
trying to cultivate with her – she’s pulled equally in different directions by
Philip’s threats if she doesn’t cooperate, her desire not to get further mixed
up in anything dodgy, her fear of going to the police, and the temptation of a
big payout. Crawford continues to investigate, but his interest in Louise is
both professional and personal, which muddies the waters. Manesh and Philip
clash over strategy as the preliminary elements to pull off their scheme start
coming into place.
For
starters, Crawford is getting up to all kinds of Bad Idea Jeans stuff over
here. He was undercover when he met Louise in the first episode, and his
attempts to pursue the investigation, maintain his cover, and look out for
Louise’s well-being all at the same time are basically a mess. Both he and
Louise cross some big boundaries in this episode, and it’s not a good look for
either of them.
On
the whole, I think this episode feels tighter and more fluid than the first
one. I’m not sure to what extent it’s a tangible improvement versus just me
getting into the swing of things more. But the minutae of the financial stuff
feels easier to follow today – not that it was prohibitively difficult before,
but I did have to work to keep track of what was going down, whereas here, it’s
relatively straightforward. We’re also seeing more connections between the
different sides of the plot, which goes a long way toward helping it feel more
cohesive.
Louise
continues to be my favorite thing about the story. I like her because she’s
very simultaneously unequipped to handle her situation and impressively competent in a pinch. Clearly, she’s in way over
her head, and in trying to deal with that, she’s making some spectacularly bad
decisions and refusing those who could genuinely help her. I don’t really fault
her for it, given the immensity of what she’s going through (this episode
particularly puts her through the wringer,) and it’s believable that she would
handle things badly plenty of the time. However, in the most crucial moments,
she shows herself to be very capable, able to think on her feet to protect
herself in dangerous situations. There are a few instances here where she
really has to dig deep, and she comes through every time.
I
appreciate that. Louise isn’t a superwoman or
a damsel. She’s flawed but resourceful, messy but determined. Jodie
Whittaker works nicely within that balance, such that, whether Louise is
screwing up royally or pulling off an important move in a clinch, it’s
believable either way. I look forward to seeing how things turn out for her.
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