Season 1, Episode 2: "Sexual Peeling"
Apr 10, 2014 19:01:07 GMT -5
Arthur Dent, Pear, and 1 more like this
Post by MrsLangdonAlger on Apr 10, 2014 19:01:07 GMT -5
It is difficult to gauge things, in this world
This episode has so many scenes that point out to us how tenuous Daniel's connections are right now, even with his family. Tawney asks Ted, Jr. "shouldn't you be on his side?" and Amantha has to explain to her mother why Daniel is in danger staying in the town he grew up in. That menacing feeling is clear even when Daniel tries to do something as simple as buy some items at a convieniece store in the opening scenes, as local teens harrass him, yet because this is Rectify we end with a beautiful and moving image of him sitting in an empty baseball field, barefoot and at peace.
Amantha and her beau are exposed mid-blowjob (the best way to be exposed or the worst? I don't know) and then have the most obvious couple fight in the world. I love the way they play the tension and the bit of inherent comedy in this scene in the diner between those two. On the other hand, the scene in the diner between Ted, Jr. (hereinafter called Teddy) and Daniel is painful. Teddy is so obviously disengenious and indifferent that any goodwill I had give him durig his earlier scene with Janet, where he was extremely kind, was eliminated. What I do love, though, is watching Teddy assume that because Daniel is quiet he won't stand up to himself. Daniel subtly makes sure his own voice is heard throughout, and ends up beating Teddy at his own game.
Speaking of Teddy, his line about "crossing some kind of imaginary line" is one of the most condescending things I've ever heard! What is interesting to me about Teddy is that I don't think he even realizes he's being a jerk. I don't detect purposeful malice in the early scenes between him and Daniel, I think he's just naturally an asshole. However, this is a episode that changed my mind about that, because the later gift of magazines is full of malice, in my mind.
Daniel telling the story of what happened to him in prison is horrifying and sad, and I wish he had someone better to tell it to, though I understand why he told it to Teddy. I don't want to get too TMI here, but I will say that his description of his victimizers is one of the best descriptions of trauma I've ever heard and one that I identified with. This, to me, is later connected to how Teddy pressures Tawney into undressing in front of him. It's clear she's uncomfortable and yet he still pushes, making him a victimizer yet again after his spiteful gift to Daniel.
One of the most amazing scenes in this episode is Daniel and Tawney talking. Their connection is so palpable and earnest that you can't help but root for a continued connection between them. What I also like about it is that the connection, at this point, seems largely sexless. They're just two souls who understand each other well, without some kind of flirtation entering into it.
Episode Grade: A
Side notes:
- Damn, people like lying in the grass on this show.
- The sex between Tawney and Teddy is the most unsexy sex I've ever seen!
This episode has so many scenes that point out to us how tenuous Daniel's connections are right now, even with his family. Tawney asks Ted, Jr. "shouldn't you be on his side?" and Amantha has to explain to her mother why Daniel is in danger staying in the town he grew up in. That menacing feeling is clear even when Daniel tries to do something as simple as buy some items at a convieniece store in the opening scenes, as local teens harrass him, yet because this is Rectify we end with a beautiful and moving image of him sitting in an empty baseball field, barefoot and at peace.
Amantha and her beau are exposed mid-blowjob (the best way to be exposed or the worst? I don't know) and then have the most obvious couple fight in the world. I love the way they play the tension and the bit of inherent comedy in this scene in the diner between those two. On the other hand, the scene in the diner between Ted, Jr. (hereinafter called Teddy) and Daniel is painful. Teddy is so obviously disengenious and indifferent that any goodwill I had give him durig his earlier scene with Janet, where he was extremely kind, was eliminated. What I do love, though, is watching Teddy assume that because Daniel is quiet he won't stand up to himself. Daniel subtly makes sure his own voice is heard throughout, and ends up beating Teddy at his own game.
Speaking of Teddy, his line about "crossing some kind of imaginary line" is one of the most condescending things I've ever heard! What is interesting to me about Teddy is that I don't think he even realizes he's being a jerk. I don't detect purposeful malice in the early scenes between him and Daniel, I think he's just naturally an asshole. However, this is a episode that changed my mind about that, because the later gift of magazines is full of malice, in my mind.
Daniel telling the story of what happened to him in prison is horrifying and sad, and I wish he had someone better to tell it to, though I understand why he told it to Teddy. I don't want to get too TMI here, but I will say that his description of his victimizers is one of the best descriptions of trauma I've ever heard and one that I identified with. This, to me, is later connected to how Teddy pressures Tawney into undressing in front of him. It's clear she's uncomfortable and yet he still pushes, making him a victimizer yet again after his spiteful gift to Daniel.
One of the most amazing scenes in this episode is Daniel and Tawney talking. Their connection is so palpable and earnest that you can't help but root for a continued connection between them. What I also like about it is that the connection, at this point, seems largely sexless. They're just two souls who understand each other well, without some kind of flirtation entering into it.
Episode Grade: A
Side notes:
- Damn, people like lying in the grass on this show.
- The sex between Tawney and Teddy is the most unsexy sex I've ever seen!
