I watched these episodes
late at night, which I usually don’t do. My notes are a
little...weird. But it’s okay, I’ve had my coffee. If I had to
nail down a specific theme for both of the episodes is “trust
issues.” The Girls have some daddy issues and the
Enlightened crew deal with trusting each other, as usual. [Sorry for the delay, everyone. That silly thing called "life" got in the way this week.]
Girls
Episode 7
Video Games
Hannah and Jessa are in
Manitou, NY, waiting at the sad excuse for a train station. They’re
waiting for Jessa’s dad, who is always late. They discuss how awful
it is to be the last one picked up, lest someone gets molested by
“that weird sub,” in Jessa’s case. Or maybe not.
In a recurring motif this
episode, Hannah has to pee. Jessa tells her to go across the tracks
and pee on the bushes. Hannah wonders out loud: What if a train
comes? What if I get electrocuted by the 3rd rail? There
obviously is no 3rd rail. It was kind of adorable. Hannah
dashes across the tracks, and mentions her UTI that she’s been
battling. Jessa suggests using garlic, but like shove a whole bulb up
there. Something tells me that’s not the best idea. But Hannah
squats down just as some people pass by. Oh, and she pees with her
ass facing Jessa. Who does that? Hannah.
Time passes, and Hannah and
Jessa sit by the river. Hannah wonders why Jessa had the sudden urge
to visit her dad. Paired with her recent break up, she got a bizarre
text from him, some seemingly random letters and numbers, but she
knows it means something. Hannah thinks it was a butt-text, but Jessa
isn’t convinced.
Finally, Jessa’s dad
arrives, and boy is he a character. His station wagon is full of old
computers. He tends to ignore Hannah and goes on a rant about how all
Camry drivers are “cunts.” I’m getting a crazed, hoardery vibe
from him.
They get to his house, and
he and Jessa start talking in cockney. Hannah is thoroughly lost.
“What accent are you guys using?”
Rosanna Arquette alert!
Petula, dad’s new girlfriend. She’s very excited to see Hannah.
“Of course you’re here, too.” she says as she gives Hannah a
hug. Apparently, Petula prayed to the universe to send her a
“cushion.”
Outside, dad’s watering
the lawn. Jessa asks why do it at all if it’s such a bother?
Because Petula won’t have it. Grass is a living thing. Oh, so she’s
one of those.
Hannah hangs out with
Petula and her bunny farm. She talks to Hannah about how life is just
one big video game, and we all have to get to the next level.
Seriously. She believes that the world is a giant video game because
“scientists lie.”
Jessa talks to her dad
about how her marriage ended. Apparently, her husband didn’t want
to try to make it work. And we all know that is complete bullshit.
She sabotaged it from day one. But of course she wouldn’t tell him
that.
Along the way, Hannah gets
introduced to—and I’m guessing here—Petula’s son, Frank. He’s
an awkward teenager who seems to have a passing crush on Hannah after
she compliments him on his turtleneck.
Later, when the girls are
upstairs, Hannah comments on the “Borrower” tiny towels and asks
Jessa how her dad and Petula met. Short answer: rehab. While going
through all the piles of hoardery stuff, Jessa finds a 1970s issue of
Penthouse, featuring some giant bushes. Bushes that Hannah could “get
fully lost in.” Jessa thinks posing in a magazine is “noble,”
these women help boys to define their sexuality. Hannah disagrees. More noble than, say, a doctor?
They all have lunch
outside, where the awkwardness is heightened for Hannah when she
realizes the rabbit they’re eating is the very one she held earlier
today. Petula says they have rabbits for every meal. Wasn’t she the
one bitching about the lawn being a living creature?
Frank introduces everyone
to his friend Tyler, a strapping young Aryan lad. The two of them
seem to have an odd relationship. Not gay, exactly, but something’s
up there. They make to leave, since they had plans, but they also
invite Jessa and Hannah. At first, Jessa declines, wanting to spend
the evening with her dad, but he and Petula already had plans.
The look Jessa gives her
dad screams "I’m so over it". He retaliates that he didn’t even
think she’d bother showing up this time; this isn’t his first
time to the Jessa rodeo.
So, Hannah and Jessa go
joyriding with the boys. They’re doing whippets and driving blind
when Hannah complains that she’s had enough. They pull over, and
Hannah stomps off into the woods. Frank follows her and gives her a
kiss.
“Are you 18?” she asks.
“No, I’m 19.” he
replies.
They get on the ground and
they start having sex, but it’s over before anyone knows it. The
look of outrage on Hannah’s face is priceless. Meanwhile, Jessa and
Tyler sit in the car and do nothing.
Soon after, they come out
of the woods. Jessa is disgusted that Hannah had “sex” with
Frank. Hannah thought they were going out for a sexcapade, but Jessa
is shocked that Hannah would think that. Can you blame Hannah?
Really? Jessa is the sexcapade girl, am I right?
Briefly, in bed, Hannah
chats with Jessa about her attitude at home. She’s not in the right
frame of mind, she mutters. “Who is in their right mind when
visiting their parents?” Hannah responds. (or something to that
effect)
The next morning, Jessa has
a heartfelt talk with her dad. He seems to think the country is
boring, and she takes it as a sign he wants to leave yet again. Pull
up stakes, if you will. This starts an argument that sounded true,
at least in the dialogue, but I don’t know if I really felt Jessa’s
pain towards her father’s actions. She felt abandoned her entire
life, and she shouldn’t have to take care of him because she’s
the child. It shouldn’t be her job.
Meanwhile, Hannah’s
having an uncomfortable conversation of her own (when is she not?).
Frank’s waiting for her in the dining room. He wants to know if
Hannah used him for sex. “You came in my thigh crease,” Hannah
says. If there was anyone being used for “sex”, it was her.
She asks if he’s ever had
sex before. He says he has, one other time. With a girl. A girl named
Rhianna. Hannah doesn’t buy it, but doesn’t say as much. Also,
everyone thinks Frank is in love with Tyler, but it’s really the
other way around. Sure it is.
Jessa’s dad (I really
don’t know if he’s given a first name, sorry about all the
“Jessa’s dad”) sends the girls out grocery shopping and says
he’ll be back in 5 minutes. Jessa is convinced he’s not coming
back as they sit on a bench outside the grocery store. I have to
agree. Aimee Mann provides the perfect “walking home from the
grocery store” accompaniment.
When they get back, Hannah
takes a piss and realizes her UTI is back. She calls out to Jessa,
but gets no reply. On the bed Hannah discovers a note: “See you
around, my love.” Like daughter, like father!
Hannah waits at the sad
train station by herself. She calls her parents to see what’s up.
She also rambles on about how grateful she is to have been supported
as a child (like a “hammock under the earth”) and how much she
loves them. Her mom immediately thinks she’s looking for money and
hangs up.
Because we didn’t get
enough, Hannah squats down and has a painful, daggery piss. At least
she’s facing us this time.
Enlightened
Episode 7
No Doubt
Right off at the start,
this episode’s narration is rife with foreshadowing: “The
decision is clear...no looking back...welcome the consequences...”
It looks like Amy and Jeff are getting pretty serious. Amy looks
happier than she has all season, and Jeff seems to care about her.
After the dating vignettes,
Amy goes to work, where Dougie is blasting hip-hop and smoking a
joint in his office. I guess he’s not taking it well. Or he’s
taking things amazingly well.
Tyler pulls Amy aside—just
as she gets a text from Levi—and tells her that Eileen might be
able to get her that community outreach job she’s been wanting so
badly. It would be just a meeting, but it’s worth a shot. And then
maybe we could all stop trying to take down the company? Oh, Tyler,
ever the optimist. It really is endearing; as flawed as everyone is
on this show, I think he has the best intentions. He also has an
adorable ass. That’s right, I just said Mike White has a cute ass.
And there’s nothing you can do about it (my notes from this scene:
“nice butt Mike”).
There’s a brief scene in
the office store, where...Janet? Janice? Sorry, I cannot remember her
name for the life of me. Krista’s prickly co-worker. Anyway, she
mentions to Amy that Krista is going to have the baby soon. Amy
wonders out loud that she should go visit. Co-worker says they aren’t
letting anyone but her family visit her.
So, of course Amy visits
Krista at home. And I think Krista is actually happy to see Amy.
Okay, who are you, and what have you done with Krista? But in all
seriousness (sort of), it seems like they’ve patched things up, and
I’m glad to see it.
Amy uses this time with
Krista to divulge a secret. She’s helping that reporter she’s
been dating write an expose on Abaddonn! Krista is confused, and sort
of promises not to tell anyone when Amy swears her to secrecy. The
whole time this scene was happening, I was yelling at Amy. I don’t
normally yell at the TV, but I felt justified in this instance.
After, Amy goes to meet
Levi. He wants to know all about Amy’s new man. She gives him some
details, and he rolls his eyes. She wants a “bigger life,” her
goals have changed. But now that Levi is a better man, she doesn’t
want him. At least that’s how Levi sees it. Did he really expect
her to wait for him? I guess so. He leaves in a huff.
That night, Amy calls Jeff.
She’s eager for the next step, to put the past behind her. But Jeff
seems distant on the phone. Trouble in paradise?
Next morning at work,
Eileen calls Amy to let her know the meeting with Charles (the CEO)
is scheduled. Amy tries to get out of it, but Eileen is insistent.
Tyler is beaming, though. If she at least agrees to the talk, then
Eileen won’t suspect that he had any part in the expose. “Can’t
this have a happy ending for everyone?” he muses. Don’t I wish.
Dougie comes out of the
office and breaks the bad news to everyone. It’s a fantastic
speech. Me merely quoting lines from it would be an injustice. I
know! Why don’t you all watch the show and see for yourself how
masterful Mike White’s writing is? Sorry, it’s late and I’m
sleepy. But seriously, watch it. Connie runs out of the room,
bawling her eyes out. It's great.
At lunch, Elieen helps
coach Amy for her big interview. Tyler’s there, too, playing
yes-man to Eiieen’s excitement. You know the usual, don’t be
negative, put a spin on things, etc.
On her way to the
interview, Amy calls Jeff (on her hands-free car phone, don’t
worry) to tell him the good news. He advises her to not divulge
anything about the expose; he helps Amy come down from her power
high. If she screws things up now, that could be the end of all their
hard work.
The meeting is at a swanky
county club. She finds Charles and he remembers her from their random
introduction earlier in the season. They talk about loyalties and the
company blah blah, but wait, what’s that? He actually wants to give
Amy a new job? Or even the head of an entire branch? Amy is
flabbergasted. And I think we all are, too. Charles starts speaking
in metaphors, but Amy is quick to pull no punches, and he respects
that. Then he throws out a number $100,000 a year sound good, Amy?
She smartly says she needs some time to think.
She goes to Jeff’s right
after, and is gushing over the meeting she’s just had. She could
really change the company from the inside if she took the job. Jeff
says the story is running regardless of what “good” Amy thinks
she could do at the company. At first it seems like Jeff just wants
Charles’ head on a platter, but he’s right. Nothing would really
change if she had that job. He says Amy’s being idealistic, and she
agrees after a while.
And then here comes the
kicker. Jeff wants to break off their relationship when the story
goes to press, so there’s not any finger-pointing or backlash.
After all, didn’t they just get caught up in the emotion of it all?
Maybe he did, but Amy was in it for the long haul.
She goes out to her car and
cries. Laura Dern again gives a wonderful performance, bridging the
space between quiet restraint and crushing sadness. For real, why
don’t you people watch this show?
A lady in another car keeps
honking at her. So annoying when you’re trying to have a good old
cry. Amy gets out of the car and yells at the lady.
“I just want your space,”
she says.
“That’s all you want?”
Amy replies, crying. “Lucky you.”
Comments
Post a Comment