Joel Fry-days: Requiem: Episode 2 – “The Blue Room” (2018)

*Spoilers for episode 1*

*CW: suicide*

I can tell that this is the type of story where, in order to talk about it at all, I’m going to have to spoil major developments from each previous episode. I’ll avoid big stuff from the current episode I’m reviewing, though. Episode 2 definitely draws me in–-the plot is thickening, and I like what’s going on with the different characters.

At the end of episode 1, Matilda found a hidden room under the floorboards of the estate, and being there triggers a waking memory of her nightmares. She now believes that she is Carys Howell, the little girl who went missing, and that she was held in this room. Armed with this new suspicion, she tries again to speak with Rose, searches for Cary’s father Sean, and digs into her own past for anything that could confirm or refute it.

There’s a lot going on here. I like that Matilda is pretty convinced that she must be Carys, and yet she still refers to Carys in the third person. She also admits to feeling like a “traitor” to her mom for believing Janice might have abducted her, even as she’s recalling childhood memories that don’t add up: she could never get a straight story about her dad, and the excuse for why there are no baby photos of her now feels flimsy. (Also, Janice is the one who died by suicide in front of Matilda in episode 1, apologizing to Matilda beforehand. Guilty about what she’d done?)

I also like that, at the same time Matilda is investigating this thorny but very human mystery, there are definite indications of something supernatural going on as well. With so much unexplained creepiness, the “logical explanation” deniability feels like cope. We’ve got mysterious noises behind a locked door, a strange symbol, and oddly-timed power outages. Every mirror in the estate is smashed except one, contrasted with an abundance of mirror shards placed through the woods on the grounds. I’m very curious to see where things are headed, with both the Carys Howell story and the spookier mystery.

A few other characters joining the mix here. Matilda tells (part of) her theory to PC Graves, who definitely doesn’t believe her but is still being portrayed as a smart, decent cop. Graves is sharp and observant, and I could see her eventually coming round to Matilda’s tale. Brendan Coyle’s character is Stephen, a retired cop who offers to give Graves a hand with the case. Jury’s still out on him—he’s aligned with Rose’s second husband Aron, who gives off big red flags. We also meet Sylvia, a local antiques dealer who does Matilda a solid, and Meredith, Nick’s stern great-aunt who’s the trustee of his new estate.

Side note: in flashbacks, young Matilda is played by Bella Ramsey! I still can’t bring myself to watch The Last of Us—I’m nervous about how zombie it is—but Ramsey won my heart as Lyanna Mormont on Game of Thrones, so I always appreciate seeing them.

A little less Hal in this episode, but I’m still really liking Joel Fry in the role. I love that Hal is plainly devoted to Matilda, in whatever capacity that might be, but that means being both supportive and discerning. While he doesn’t dismiss her wilder ideas and goes along with plenty, he doesn’t just rubber-stamp all her theories. As Matilda wrestles with the possibility that she’s Carys, Hal offers suggestions that could help her clear things up, like, “There must be someone who knew you as a baby,” and, “Baby photos, then?” He’s capable of being 100% in her corner and also a tempering influence, which is a nice trick to pull off. Matilda isn’t appreciating the tempering-influence side at the moment, but he’s trying his best.

The arms-on-shoulders, foreheads-touching stance turns out to be a definite thing between them—maybe something that began as a pre-concert ritual that now extends into their lives as friends. I said last week that the pre-concert scene felt like it was more for Hal’s benefit than Matilda’s, whereas now we see Hal trying to calm and comfort Matilda with the gesture.

One moment I like a lot comes when Matilda and Hal meet Sylvia. She knows who they are and lavishes praise on one of their concerto recordings. As she compliments them, Hal gets this sweet smile on his face, then glances at Matilda to share in the proud moment with her. It makes me think again about his role as Matilda’s accompanist. In their careers, she’s the undisputed star, so she’s used to hearing from fans. For Hal, this is probably a little more noteworthy, and he’s excited about it in an understated way. It’s a really cute moment!