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Rectify: The Future

"I'm revisiting my blue period."

What a beautiful episode. Especially in the way that it conveyed positive emotions.

Rectify doesn't usually make me laugh, but I laughed over and over again, mostly at things that Daniel said. During the diner scene when Janet was telling Marcy that her late husband Lester used to make everything an adventure, I thought that maybe Daniel was getting to the point where he could be like his dad again, instead of the sad and damaged person we've seen until now.

I loved how everyone in the family (except for the Teds) came together to informally celebrate at that gorgeous empty pool, a big honkingly obvious symbol of Daniel's recovery. Daniel cleaned up his angry mistake and made it beautiful again; the pool absolutely glowed. It also played heavily into the water imagery in this show, even though the pool is still empty. It's ready to be filled now.

The family was also informally celebrating Daniel not being suspected of a crime for once. During Daniel's interview with Sheriff Carl, I could feel just what Daniel was feeling (Aden Young is amazing). Like wow, someone finally doesn't suspect me for something I didn't do. Daniel is so accustomed to being treated unfairly, to getting kicked, both literally and figuratively, that he couldn't quite absorb that he was walking freely out of the police station. It was like Melvin insisting on paying for the paint -- kindness and fairness that Daniel wasn't expecting. Even though Daniel had to leave because he was unjustly rejected by the other tenants of the apartment complex, for me, Melvin's kindness made up for it.


Note that the Teds, excluded from the family as well as the gathering, continued to silently fix Janet's kitchen almost as if they were performing penance for how they've treated Daniel. And Janet came to the self-realization that Daniel had to come first this time, and she essentially threw both Teds out of the house. All these little bits of homelessness when Daniel is about to be banished from Georgia forever. Everyone in the cast was moving around trying to find the place they belong, trying to connect to the person they used to be.

Tawney retreated to her previous home, or more accurately, her non-home. Miss Kathy didn't seem bad at all, although I'm sure a well-behaved, religious girl like Tawney was easier to take care of than many of the other troubled girls Miss Kathy has fostered. Tawney told Rose, the teen in the kitchen, that she was trying to return to a time and place where she was looking forward to life. When she lived with Miss Kathy before, Tawney would dream about the future (which was also the title of this episode), about growing up and having a life of her own. Maybe Tawney is finally ready to move ahead without Teddy.

As a character, Teddy goes from likable to hateful and back again. This week, he was good Teddy. He went back to see Rebecca the counselor, and this time he left his anger and condescension behind and genuinely communicated with her. He said some interesting things, like he doesn't want to feel "Mommy and Daddy stuff" and that he suspects he and Tawney aren't meant for each other. And yet, he offered Tawney the use of their house and said he'd stay somewhere else. I even thought he was sincere, and not just making it easier on himself to stalk her.

On the crime front, Sheriff Carl now believes that George, Trey and Chris Nelms were the ones who raped Hanna, and that when George was going to confess, Trey killed him. Wrong, but Trey is certainly guilty of something. It was bizarre how he sat in the living room with his family laughing at cartoons while the police searched his house, not the response of an innocent person. Or a sane person.

The Sheriff's interview with Dr. Chris Nelms was sort of bizarre, too. Nelms was lying about being in contact with Trey and George. He is so obviously guilty of something.

Bits:

-- Beautiful opener with Daniel walking through the town at dawn, confused when he realized that Pete's Pool Supplies wasn't open yet. It's a bit like Daniel is living in a world of his own. Or marching to his own drummer. Pick your cliche.

-- Tawney had a terrible childhood and never knew her mom. I'd like some backstory there.

-- Melvin again endeared himself to me by telling Amantha that he'd been reading up on the psychological impact of solitary confinement. Bless his heart.

-- Was Marcy thinking of telling Janet something? Was it about Senator Foulkes?

-- Daniel is moving to Tennessee.

Quotes:

Rebecca: "We're all damaged, Ted. Tawney just got an extra dose."

Daniel: "My memory is like me. Suspect."

Sheriff: "So he goes outside, gets the duffel bag, and brings it inside."
Daniel: "That's leading, Sheriff."
Sheriff: "Well, you tell me, then."
Daniel: "He goes outside, gets the duffel bag, and brings it inside."
The Sheriff actually snickered a little bit there. He's starting to "get" Daniel and his strange sense of humor.

Amantha: "It's beautiful, Danny."
Daniel: "I'm revisiting my blue period."

Daniel: "I'm not sure I want to live in a state that'll have me."

(A little echo of the famous Woody Allen line, "I'd never join a club that would allow a person like me to become a member." Although that was originally stolen from Groucho Marx, who once said, "I don't want to belong to any club that will accept me as a member.")

Jared: "I've always wanted to watch paint dry."
Daniel: "Big sport in Finland."

I loved this episode. Four out of four big sports in Finland,

Billie
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Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.

2 comments:

  1. Dear Billie,

    As usual I have my commment for the episode ready before you finished reviewing it, because I discussed this show so much when it aired. ;-)

    For me, this was easily the best episode of the season.

    It is a testament to the quality of the show that whenever it focuses on a character dynamic I find less interesting - such as Jon and Amantha, or Amantha and random bar hook-up, or actually, Amantha and almost anyone - I find myself pleading at the television set, “please, let it go! Show me the good stuff!” Not because it is bad, far from it, but because I know we only have six times forty five precious minutes of screen time, and then I’ll have to wait a whole year for the next season.

    The episode was strong on so many different levels. Re-introducing Jared, the younger brother who’s been a no-show practically all season except for his interaction with Teddy - another golden moment - and giving him scenes with Janet and Daniel worked really well. But the truly brilliant moment of the episode has to be the talk between Holden and Daggett. The relief when Daniel finally decides to grab the bull by the horns and spill it, after three years of the show, was quite overwhelming, even and especially when played in the actor’s low-key, quirky and understated way. Who would’ve thought that a line as simple as, “Trey had a bag,” could carry this emotional resonance. I’ve watched and rewatched that conversation at least five times.

    This season has been incredible. I used to rank season one as the best, with season two showing signs of deterioration - even if my absolute favorite outing is season two, episode nine - but this is proving to be every bit as strong as the opening act, and that is without even featuring one single scene between Daniel and Tawney.

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  2. It was a gut punch to think "huh, already halfway through the season" before remembering it's back to the 6 episode model :( I was only thinking it in the first place because we finally meet Chris as the new guy in one of the snapshots in the credits sequence and I was amused it took as long as the halfway point. Nope... penultimate. Anyway it was refreshing to see he's not as smooth a liar as Trey.

    I loved that the episode just immediately begins with Daniel rectifying(tm) the paint spillage. He still felt that dark self-sabotaging compulsion to make a mess, but it followed up with cleanup.

    Daniel and Janet agreeing to sneak away together instead of throwing a party to be near the ocean was beautiful and romantic. "Why not?" Look, the ocean's already dripping out of Daniel's eyes!

    I was amused that Trey's kid didn't like Squidbillies. Of course she wouldn't lmao, Adult Swim cartoons. And I liked the episode ending with the lingering on his allegedly amused face, with another more satisfying expression revealing itself.

    >>"Melvin again endeared himself to me by telling Amantha that he'd been reading up on the psychological impact of solitary confinement."
    And she completely cut him off! >:(

    >>"-- Was Marcy thinking of telling Janet something? Was it about Senator Foulkes?"
    I think she just felt the same mysterious compulsion to engage Daniel's mother like the one that made her want to sleep with him. I think she's just drawn to them. Maybe.

    >>"(A little echo of the famous Woody Allen line, "I'd never join a club that would allow a person like me to become a member." Although that was originally stolen from Groucho Marx, who once said, "I don't want to belong to any club that will accept me as a member.")"
    Oh neat... very neat. It's one of my favourite self-deprecating/teasing lines.

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