What I’m Watching: We Hunt Together

We Hunt Together: Season 2, Episode 5 (B+)

I think that seeing Freddy eat the finger is one of the grosser things that’s been shown on television in a while, though she did seem to be feeling much better when she was able to throw it up at the police station. Trying to tell Henry the truth about what she did to the real Freddy was predictably felled by his having headphones in, and though he did have to remind her when she accused him of being the birdman that he was only kidding, he met his demise at her hands anyway. Running out with a knife was not a choice that would have protected his safety, and it’s hard to know how the Birdman, now seemingly revealed as Robert, will react to that and if he’ll perceive it as the last threat to his dominance of Freddy dismissed. Lester’s murder-suicide note felt all too convenient, and both Lola and a suspended Jackson saw through that right away. Jackson didn’t make light of the situation at all, asking Susan why he would have said he was a police officer when he was arrested and then comforting his son, who was upset at his mother for leaving. Lola didn’t take no for an answer and was eager to give Jackson assignments he didn’t want, though he couldn’t resist doing a bit of digging since things definitely did not feel right. Liam’s attempt to defend himself as having helped didn’t land well with Lola, and telling her she knew nothing of addiction was particularly out-of-touch considering what she’s actually endured.

What I’m Watching: Conversations with Friends

Conversations with Friends: Season 1, Episode 5 (B+)

Everyone seems to have complicated opinions about the reasons people have affairs, with Nick describing that he used to be happy and therefore wasn’t tempted and Bobbi suggesting that she wouldn’t be upset if someone was in love with someone else if they were in love with her too. Melissa asked Frances quite directly if there was anything she should know about Nick and she passed up the opportunity to share, and Frances did express later to Nick that she wasn’t sure what she was doing in the middle of a situation where both of them had told her that they loved the other within the span of a day. It was interesting to hear Frances’ response to being referred to as there to defuse tension, and that’s definitely not what they were doing when both Bobbi and Frances reacted separately to the thoughtless and crude comments Valerie made. Melissa was more comfortable stopping Bobbi from pursuing her line of questioning about ethnic cleansing than with Frances, who she had to explain the importance of her relationship to in order to make her point. Nick’s visit to Frances’ room felt like it would have turned into a breakup, but instead they fell asleep and Bobbi did come in without knocking. Nick seemed thrown by it because he figured she would tell Melissa, but I imagine it’s going to have a greater impact on Frances and Bobbi’s friendship since she had multiple opportunities to tell her about it and chose instead to keep lying.

What I’m Watching: Pieces of Her

Pieces of Her: Season 1, Episode 5 (B+)

Well, it turns out that there’s a lot we don’t know, and this show is delivering even more intrigue with every episode. Jasper claimed that he didn’t know much about Jane’s life since she went into witness protection, which is very likely true, but his security crew recorded and then listened into Andy’s phone call with Mike, who when he came to meet with her ended up needing to go to the hospital. I thought that the jogger who bumped into him was simply lifting his motel key, but now he seems to be out of commission, forcing Andy to go it alone without an ally. The flashbacks we’re seeing of a young Jane, played by the typically terrific Jessica Barden, are very informative, explaining the division between Jane’s dead brother Andrew and their father on politics and corporate greed, with Nick as a similarly-minded individual who couched his sentiments more politely. Forcing Jane to choose between him and her father was harsh, but she made a clear decision when she injured her own hand to prove her loyalty to him. Meeting Grace, whose grudge against Martin is now explicitly clear, and being asked to help hold Martin responsible, suggests that she knew exactly what was going to happen to him. Jane, now Laura, waited too long to try reaching Andy at Jasper’s compound, and so we’ll have to wait until Andy learns those answers for herself, provided she doesn’t end up too much in harm’s way trying to protect that suitcase.

What I’m Watching: Angela Black

Angela Black: Season 1, Episode 5 (B+)

I keep hoping that, every time Angela verbalizes any one of her theories, that she’s also secretly recording something or telling someone in her life that she can trust, because the longer she keeps it all to herself, the likelier it is that it’s all going to be considered her losing her grip on reality. Gwen is sympathetic and knows Olivier, and she of all people would probably be able to understand what he was capable of to be a character witness and defend Angela when the time comes. But instead, she’s going into her old house to look for incriminating documents, calling up the man who isn’t Ed to yell at him for ruining her life when there’s absolutely no reason he would want to help her now given that’s what he claimed to be doing the first time they met, and then telling Olivier exactly what she knows about him. It was a relief at least that Angela got a police officer to accompany her to her former home so that she could gather her belongings, which she did use as a ruse to snoop and to fortunately not get caught, even though she missed Olivier entering the house while she was looking through his files. I’d like to hope for a positive resolution here, but with only one episode left and Olivier only getting angrier and more duplicitous, that just doesn’t seem likely at this point. But Angela is a strong character and she’s also getting more resolved to win her life back, so maybe things will look up.

What I’m Watching: Intelligence

Intelligence: Season 2, Episode 5 (B-)

This episode wasn’t as strong in my mind as the one before it, charting a similarly absurd course and not delivering nearly as many laughs. Mary’s cover as a triple agent being blown was great for the setup of Joseph asking how many times, but otherwise it just meant Jerry fretting about how he was going to be handed over in exchange for her mother. I have to imagine such a thing isn’t typical counterintelligence practice, mainly because what’s in Jerry’s head poses a far greater risk to the world should it be used for evil than anything Mary’s mum might share, but I also think Christine enjoyed the opportunity to make Jerry sweat by thinking that he was going to be swiftly tortured and potentially killed. I was proud of Joseph for not allowing Jerry to turn the tables and try torturing him first since that kind of thing typically happens, but it didn’t end up doing much anyway since Mary was all too aware of where her mother might be and Jerry happened to have a combat drone he had borrowed from a thirteen-year-old rabbi friend. Mary’s mother got saved and will live another day to torment her, Jerry earned praise from Rupert for his hapless meddling, and Joseph got fired, which was a sad and serious outcome of all this that will hopefully be rectified in the finale. Though it was very over-the-top, I enjoyed Joseph’s direct parroting of Jerry’s instructions that led to much confusion, as well as Jerry earlier explaining that he sometimes forgets how shot he was.

What I’m Watching: Two Weeks to Live (Penultimate Episode)

Two Weeks to Live: Season 1, Episode 5 (B+)

It’s sad to watch this episode knowing that there’s only one more left, especially since I feel like there’s plenty of potential for it to continue. Tina taking the phone from Jay and talking directly and honestly to Brooks to set up a meet for the exchange of the money made it seem like things were going to work out perfectly, but of course that was never fated to happen. I enjoyed hearing Kim and Tina bicker about walkie-talkie protocol when Tina was on the roof of the car within earshot of her, insistent on cutting her off even though she could literally hear everything she was saying. They did manage to get out of there and save Kim from what her mother thought would be certain death, not that they’re safe given the very unfortunate and somewhat predictable decision by Beth to drive out and track Jay after he asked her to marry him when she called to yell at him. The moment I really liked in this episode was Kim indicating that she wanted Nicky to kiss her even if they’d typically take a much longer time to get towards that step. Thompson annoying Brooks to no end by unloading and loading her gun over and over was also entertaining, and I appreciate that there’s humor to be found in the interactions of all the different characters. I’m not sure what to expect from the finale, but I hope that it’s going to be as satisfying as possible given that it’s coming far too soon.

What I’m Watching: A Teacher

A Teacher: Season 1, Episode 5 (B+)

I called last week how I thought this was all going to come to light, and Claire’s confession to Kathryn at the end of this episode, coupled with her reaction and expression that she now has to report it, make I seem like a done deal. I was startled to see Claire and Eric away together at the start of the episode, mostly because renting a home somewhere feels like exactly the kind of “paper trail” that she would want to avoid creating since it would lead to her inevitably getting caught. But she was even letting Eric record videos of her on his phone before telling him to delete them, something he actually did but could just as easily have pretended to do without her knowing. She didn’t get that he wanted to think of this not as something fated to end but a long-term option, and he responded angrily – and forcefully – when she suggested that he would have sex with so many girls in college. Saying “I love you” to each other is a big deal only because that’s a step that indicates a seriousness to all this which is going to make its undoing all the more painful. Kathryn did prod Claire for information when she told her she knew she must be having an affair, but Claire could have gotten out of it by telling her that it was someone she didn’t know and throwing her off the scent. But instead she wanted to share it, because apparently she thinks it’s perfectly acceptable since Eric is eighteen. Unfortunately, he just turned eighteen, and so that safeguard which has enabled her to let her guard down is going to prove very unhelpful when it becomes very clear that this affair started before that age of consent.

What I’m Watching: Pure

Pure: Season 1, Episode 5 (B+)

A friend from home coming to visit should have been a positive experience for Marnie, but rationalizing that a lifelong relationship meant that she could be fully honest ended up being completely destructive and a terrible idea. Helen did seem a bit too cool, and she was never going to let Marnie be the star of her own life during the visit. I hadn’t expected to see all of our characters together for a dinner party, and it was intriguing to see how they responded to each other. Shereen was typically awkward and not well-received, and even Marnie managed to make telling her to stand up for herself a demeaning act that negated that very advice. Charlie did pretty well, and I’m liking Amber and Joe more and more each time I see them. Helen, on the other hand, was cruel and eager to be the center of attention, and calling Marnie out for her disorder after insinuating that she wanted to get her hands on her breasts was cruel. To their credit, everyone else reacted decently, with Charlie giving her a nod of support and Joe later researching what it meant. I’m glad that Marnie has decided to write Helen off for the moment even if they did get back to a good place when she just abandoned her luggage at the bus station since she’ll be better off blazing a new trail on her own. Both Charlie and Amber are not making good romance decisions, though Charlie’s is likely to be much more impactful on his professional life. Amber almost managed to seem detached and uninterested, but that only lasted for less than a minute.

What I’m Watching: We Hunt Together

We Hunt Together: Season 1, Episode 5 (B+)

There’s something that would have been very satisfying and easy about Freddy deciding to kill Fitzgerald, knowing that she had gotten revenge on the man whose malicious actions had resulted in the death of her best friend. It’s far more interesting, if unnerving, to learn that Freddy may have, purposely or unconsciously, changed events in her mind that warped the truth of what happened. From the flashes we saw towards the end of the episode, she misunderstood the sight of Fitzgerald reading to the real Freddy in her room and experienced jealousy that, by the looks it, compelled her to push her best friend to her death. Baba wasn’t happy to learn that there was more to the story than Freddy had communicated, and his comparison of what they were about to do to his own traumatic past pushed Freddy to act impulsively in a way that couldn’t possibly be passed off as suicide or even self-defense. The ending of this episode was sharp and intense, with Freddy realizing that she can’t always just trick someone into doing what she wants and get away with it. Lola is ready to go to whatever lengths she needs in order to track down Freddy and Baba, who they now know are together, including putting up roadblocks herself even if she doesn’t have the authorization to get someone else to do it. Hearing Jackson curse on the phone was unexpected, but it makes sense that he’d need some sort of outlet after keeping calm all the time. I’m curious to see how things play out in the finale and whether there’s any resolution or just a new setup for a potential second season.

Emmy Catch-Up: Normal People

Every year, I watch the six submitted episodes of every series I don’t regularly watch that’s up for one of the Emmy series prizes. This year, I’m watching the entire season of every series nominated in the top category, as well as this one, which netted a few important nominations even if it missed the main limited series race.

Normal People: Season 1, Episode 5 (B+)

This episode earned an Emmy nomination for directing, the chosen installment that was submitted on behalf of the show for consideration. I think it’s a solid choice since it once again delves into the beauty of the relationship between Connell and Marianne, one that’s constantly changing but always going back to the same roots. Marianne telling Connell that she wanted to be friends helped to get them back on a good path, though it is very true that they’ve never actually tried that before. I’m glad that Marianne took another opportunity to remind Connell of just how much he hurt her by not even considering asking her to the dance, something that he now understands. It was amusing to hear Connell say that he just didn’t get the appeal of Gareth, and Marianne responded perfectly to his attempted defense of their relationship when she broke up with him, that people saying they were “good together” is not a reason to actually be together. Marianne got her own barbs in when she laughed at Connell for labeling his relationship casual, asking if they both agreed to tell people that. Given that we’re not even halfway into the season, it seems impossible that things will proceed wonderfully for this newly-reunited couple going forward, and it will be interesting to see how they do if they’re officially a public item. It’s been problematic in the past when they’re at different places on the social ladder, and being popular together could be an intriguing way to open up and expose new dimensions of their relationship.

What I’m Watching: Intelligence

Intelligence: Season 1, Episode 5 (B+)

The initial setup of this episode wasn’t particularly sophisticated, though I guess it’s a positive thing that we didn’t have to see Jerry trying to seduce Tuva or them sleeping together and instead just picked up at the aftermath with him pretty injured and her not at all interested in pursuing a continuing romance with him. What I did like a lot was that Joseph held Jerry accountable for not being honest with him about being married and, after he drank much more than he ever had before, taking him to task for not ever acknowledging that they’re friends. I enjoyed that, even when he wanted to, he couldn’t properly throw a punch without hurting himself when Jerry instinctively responded and ended up lying flat on the ground for hours when he tried to jump on Jerry. Nick Mohammed is the creator of this show, and therefore it makes sense that he gets some of the best material. Christine being told that she’s not a good boss had humorous results which weren’t actually effective, and offering all of her employees raisins rather than actual support was hardly a proper solution. Mary is far from my favorite character on this show, and it’s always uncomfortable to see her saddled with so much actual work when literally no one is nice to her. Finding out that her mother died when she didn’t answer her phone calls was sad, and hopefully some of her colleagues will be more humane to her in the wake of that news.

What I’m Watching: I Know This Much Is True (Penultimate Episode)

I Know This Much Is True: Season 1, Episode 5 (C+)

I wasn’t expecting to start this episode and hear people speaking Italian at the turn of the century, but I suppose there was a reason that Dominick had his grandfather’s writings translated for a reason. It’s easy to see where Dominick gets some of his antisocial and chauvinistic tendencies given how his grandfather treated the women in his life, which was just part of the disturbing behavior we saw from the man who tried to teach his brother a lesson that then ended up costing him his life. It is interesting, I suppose, that Dominick feels such a responsibility for his brother given the guilt that his grandfather felt, not that he did much to make up for it after with his desire to only have his wife bear him a son. Returning to the present was a bit jarring after that lengthy disturbing flashback, and we saw Dominick refusing to talk about himself when Dr. Patel tried to get to the root of his own issues. Ralph calling him to tell him to get Thomas to a doctor right away so that he could tested for HIV was unnerving, and Lisa seemed particularly startled by what she saw a completely random request. Getting Leo to pose as a lawyer to blackmail Dr. Hume into releasing Thomas was crafty, but Lisa was quite adamant with him that she believed that he really needed to be in a facility, something that Dominick certainly won’t take into account now that he finally has care of his brother again.

What I’m Watching: Liar (Penultimate Episode)

Liar: Season 2, Episode 5 (B+)

Along with Laura, we got some pretty surprising and important news. Rory has always been a much gentler law enforcement figure than DI Renton, and Laura’s discovery that he’s being blackmailed into making her seem like the culprit was not something I expected. Sure, he had a right to be angry when she confronted him at a restaurant and then showed up to return the phone she stole from him, but he also wasn’t apologetic at all about his actions, which he didn’t deny. Hopefully, Renton will follow up on the strange report that there were absolutely no prints found on the navigation system and realize that Rory has been compromised, though she may be distracted by ghosts of her own past, namely her abusive ex who beat his new girlfriend to death. It’s possible that I should have put this together by now, but the footage of Oliver showing up to the hospital and leaving the name Holden Caulfield proves just how much he’s carrying on covering for Andrew even after his death. It’s certainly not out of the goodness of his heart but rather to make sure he remains clear of suspicion for his misdeeds, and reaching out to Luke doesn’t seem like the best way to go about that given what we heard Andrew express about what he would do if he ever saw his father again. With just one episode left, I’m curious what kind of satisfying resolution the finale to this powerful second and final season will provide.

What I’m Watching: Unbelievable

Unbelievable: Season 1, Episode 5 (B+)

Even with such a dark subject matter, this show manages to find plenty of moments for humor, especially when it comes to its two lead actresses. Grace’s excitement at getting Karen to curse was funny, as was the highly mature use of the nose game to determine that Karen would be the one traveling to Kansas to pursue the latest lead. The revelation of the law enforcement angle played itself out in an uncomfortable way, with Grace jumping down Taggart’s throat when he dared to act surprised with this new angle and Grace’s fury at him for not having previously considered it. There are so many different clues and pieces of this, and it’s incredibly infuriating to hear Detective Parker continue to deny the legitimacy of Marie’s claims, even after receiving a phone call from a dubious colleague who said the similarities between the two cases were very strong. Marie is continuing to spiral downwards, and quitting her job is just the last straw, and I’m worried that the moderate amount of justice that she receives will come after she loses everything, if she’s even alive at that point. Karen is ready to go to Kansas at the drop of a hat to look into a new lead, and Grace is experiencing problems in her own relationship because she believes that getting closer to answers in her case is of paramount importance, the rules be damned. Let’s hope that can lead them to Marie sooner rather than later since she’s at her wit’s end and her testimony might be crucial to catching this perpetrator.

What I’m Watching: The Affair

The Affair: Season 5, Episode 5 (B-)

It shouldn’t surprise me that yet another person is being given a perspective, one who I honestly care nothing about, even after watching her life play out from her point of view for half an hour. I do think that there’s a longer piece to be written about this show and how it’s evolved over the years, aiming to look at the many people affected by one indiscretion through an increasingly widened lens that’s narrowed thanks to each person being the one to experience the story. at the moment, I’m finding that hard to remember, since there were few truly worthwhile moments in this particular episode. What stuck with me most was how Sierra felt unsympathetic even in her own portrait of events, asking Helen for help and getting a rather unforgiving reality check from the woman whose husband she slept with before he died. Helen, naturally, saw that as a lazier, less desperate plea from someone who just didn’t want to be bothered. We also got to learn how Sierra was affected by the relationship she had with her own mother, played by Jennifer Jason Leigh, whose voice I recognized from her initial phone call and who played a character someone in between her roles on “Atypical” and in “The Hateful Eight,” leaning more towards the latter. Sierra crashing the car with her baby in it was a miserable ending to that focus, while Helen being made to feel like a horrible person by Vic’s mom for moving on wasn’t much better. It’s also clear that, while Noah is a toxic option who just won’t go away, Sasha isn’t much better, expressing such anger at his stepdaughter that seemed to visibly shake Helen. We didn’t get our expected five minutes of Joanie in the future this time, and right now no one seems headed for a happy ending.

Amazon with Abe: Fleabag

Fleabag: Season 2, Episode 5 (B+)

This is the fifth episode of the season and, as such, the fifth submitted for Emmy consideration for Best Comedy Series. I like when the characters on this show are honest, since that doesn’t happen all that often, and the interactions they have when they’re talking to each other are fascinating. I somehow hadn’t processed that Claire’s affair with her Finnish partner of the same name was far more scandalous because she’s married to Martin, who continues to be despicable and whose company no one desires. Claire’s terrible pencil haircut that she apparently specifically requested went over very well with the male Claire, and Fleabag was eager to help her out with something that actually makes her happy. Telling her that she had met someone who was in fact the priest was a surprise, as was Claire’s delight that she had done something that would so infuriate their godmother. Her response to the priest telling them that he couldn’t do the wedding was predictably explosive, at least after she feigned politeness and understanding. Seeing the priest really get angry when he stopped by Fleabag and yelled at her for addressing the audience when they were in the middle of an important conversation where she was sure they were going to have sex was an intense experience, and the episode ended in a very fiery way. Knowing that if they had sex he’d fall in love with her is a big thing to say, and it seems impossible that this could all work out in a way that doesn’t end up with both of them very hurt.

What I’m Watching: Years and Years

Years and Years: Season 1, Episode 5 (B)

With Daniel gone, this episode delved a lot more into the rest of the family and their activities in this new world order trying to stay productive and, in some cases, resistant to the regime in power. Some parts of what’s happening make a small degree of sense, like the new law that anyone with two spare bedrooms must be ready to take in the homeless, while these rumors about the “disappeared” are deeply disconcerting. It’s more disturbing to learn that this “erstwhile” project is pointed and deliberate, and Vivienne, seen up close in a room full of important people who work in the shadows, believes that the natural selection process should be allowed to play out to manage overcrowding in the places that she understands she probably shouldn’t call camps. Rosie’s neighborhood being classified as a criminal zone was unsettling also, and now she’s both out of a job due to the cancelled license and unable to even leave her during restricted hours. Some people are benefitting more from newly available technology, like Gran getting her eyes completely fixed for a sizable fee, and Bethany got closer to digitizing herself than ever before. At least it’s good to see Bethany doing something helpful for once, assisting Edith in breaking in to find files and then causing a blackout when she was about to get caught. Stephen’s behavior has been highly deplorable, and Bethany knowing that he got Viktor disappeared is going to make for tense battle lines being drawn heading into what’s sure to be a transformative finale.

What I’m Watching: The Bisexual

The Bisexual: Season 1, Episode 5 (B+)

I liked this episode a lot, providing an informative and entertaining flashback to 2005. Leila meeting Deniz at a bar and telling her that she could be her wingman was an odd start, and after she tried to kiss her boyfriend, she ended up being a much better fit for her new friend, who thought she was gay but hadn’t ever said it out loud before. As if Deniz wasn’t negative enough, then we got Sadie, who burst onto the scene with a whole lot of anger yelling at the woman checking her in because she had just quit her job. Leila had a bunch of superb lines in this hour, including her idea for the window that you can see through, which Sadie rightfully pointed out was like a door. I also liked “I’m a businesswoman named Amanda. I just love business.” After she impressed Sadie by throwing a drink on her, the genesis of their relationship made sense, and their passionate end-of-episode hookup where Leila just got naked behind her showed that maybe there is something left between them. Gabe looked different – and less happy – with a grizzled beard trying to sell his book, and he was just as awkward trying to make jokes with his publisher. He’s not any better off currently, though at least he had an opportunity to talk about an exciting possibility in his life and find out that the person closest to him didn’t want him to be able to succeed independently. I’m looking forward to the finale and hopeful that we’ll get more of this show after that.

What I’m Watching: Bodyguard (Penultimate Episode)

Bodyguard: Season 1, Episode 5 (B+)

The walls are closing in on David as he realizes that he’s right in the middle of a conspiracy from within the security service to silence anything he’s trying to get across to everyone else. Showing Nadia the sketch of Longcross and having her positively identify it was a sign that he’s not crazy but that he has a tremendous uphill battle ahead of him to prove it. I like that he’s a straight shooter who, as soon as he found out that his affair with Julia might be public knowledge, went straight to Vicky to tell her about it, only to find out that she already knew as a result of a visit from a security officer who, unsurprisingly, was none other than Longcross himself. Just as he was starting to gain credibility, getting benched because of his attempted suicide means that he’s now a lone wolf who’s going to do everything possible to expose the truth. I thought that he was going to find out that his family was in trouble, which would really have sent him over the edge, but fortunately that wasn’t the case. The season finale, which I assume is the series finale but don’t want to research since I want to avoid any spoilers as I’ve successfully done thus far, is an hour and fifteen minutes long, so I’m looking forward to an expanded dose of this great thriller that’s been my favorite surprise so far this year and is sure to end with the same intensity it’s delivered for five hours.

What I’m Watching: The Affair

The Affair: Season 4, Episode 5 (B+)

I knew that we were headed for this, and while I had thought it would be especially cool to have an episode that was split between Vik and Luisa’s perspectives for the first time, having Vik’s take followed by Cole’s made a lot more sense because the paths they took were quite similar. We’ve only ever really seen Vik as portrayed through Helen’s eyes, doing his best to support her and be understanding when she was far too accommodating to the nightmare ex who actually went to jail for her, and who then wanted Helen to have a baby by herself when he wasn’t going to seek treatment for his pancreatic cancer. But digging into his past and the fact that he’s done so much for others and nothing for him almost justified his impulse purchase of a fancy car (I have to imagine that the credit card he dropped was really fancy since I’ve found that in real life it’s not so easy to buy a car with a credit card) and his inevitable sleeping with Sierra, who wanted to fuel what seemed like a midlife crisis before realizing just how close to the end of his life he actually was. Cole’s self-exploration wasn’t a very pleasant journey, and the woman his father loved played by Amy Irving didn’t appear to be helping when she encouraged him to be distracted by Delphine. She wasn’t ever really the one taking his attention, and realizing that he doesn’t feel the way about Luisa that he does about Alison is important. It’s going to blow up in his face with both of them, since Luisa is going to be furious about the time she invested in the relationship and Alison may not feel the same way about him, especially since the way in which he’ll try to get rid of Ben probably won’t go well.