What I’m Watching: Doll and Em

Doll and Em: Season 2, Episode 5 (B+)

We’ve seen a lot of Olivia and Evan trying to emulate the women on which their characters are based, and some definite resistance to their insistence that the characters aren’t supposed to be Doll and Em. What we got in this episode, as production draws very close, was a clashing of cultures in which, surprisingly, Em was completely on Doll’s side. Doll calling Evan a certain four-letter word that apparently means something much different in England set her off and also got Olivia rattled, making for an awkward interview in which the two actresses explained why they were so excited to do this project with more than a bit of subtext in their tones. Doll thinking that she has menopause got her frazzled, and the news that she is pregnant was best received with a neutral “Congratulations!” shouted out by the doctor who, seconds earlier, had been complimenting Em on her industry work. Doll talking about being pregnant and missing the call from Ewan, who naturally is off to New Zealand for eight months, and Em discussing life an d the play let to a darker, more uncertain ending than usual, with Noah furious at Em for having lice and apparently quite ready to launch an arsenal of aggression at her for her relationship with Doll. Saying that Em was probably the father probably stung most, and this is terrible timing for a crisis at home for both writer-directors as their play is about to be seen by the public.