Well, it turns out that I was wrong about how Nora was going to become involved in the main action again, and it’s great to see her appearing on two fronts. The hapless temp going in to work the dinner party using Nora’s avatar was quite the revealing moment, and Aleesha rightfully expressed frustrated amazement at how everyone keeps falling for Nathan after she celebrated the warm hug they shared. The more intriguing angle is that Matteo and her father want Nora to go back in as a spy for the Ludds, which she doesn’t want to do but seems the only way to please the pastor whose demeanor makes this whole thing feel a whole lot like a cult. Especially after seeing the AI guy do such a terrible job when he got turned up and then tried to hide from view by blending into the furniture, it was fantastic to learn that he’s based on a struggling actor who got paid very little money to have his likeness used for that role and as the face of Mananas. The dinner party was plenty awkward, from Luke arriving with a keg to the right-wing elitist talking points expressed by those alive in previous decades. Ingrid ordering a real pizza while wearing the suit showed how much trouble she’s having adjusting to this (after)life, and I don’t think she’ll be able to stand it for much longer. This baby concept is quite horrifying, and we’ll see how that manifests if she thinks that’s the best way to get close to Nathan again.
