First Things First…
I’m still not over Sweet Tooth murdering his dog. Here’s hoping for a BIG rebound coming off my least favorite episode of the season.
1 Thing I Like
1. Requiem for Evelyn
“I owe you for saving me back there. I’ll fix you up, I promise. Just you, me, and the road. Sound good?”
John (as a child)
I’m counting this as the entire story of Evelyn, which encompasses a lot.
Child John is cute as hell, even as he curses people out and throws tire irons at their balls (with bad aim). We see how Evelyn saves him from a group of Butchers, which is where the love story began.
The flashbacks are all a lot of fun, but I thought they’d shed some light on John’s family background. Instead, the first one shows us how his picture got burned, but that’s it. The scene starts with him having just crashed a different car, so I think that might be when he lost his memory.
We also see Bloody Mary’s prediction to Quiet from last episode—that John would never choose her over Evelyn—come true. This is a really strong emotional scene from Stephanie Beatriz when John refuses to leave with her after she says…
“I fought and bled. I got whipped, I drank coke for you. And your car. And now you say I don’t get it? Fuck you! What happened to us being partners, huh?”
But it’s not pure anger. She’s hurt that he isn’t picking her. And if that isn’t obvious enough here, it becomes crystal clear moments later when she sees the huge explosion from a distance and is instantly distraught, assuming John just got blown to bits.
Lastly, that explosion that destroys Evelyn also destroys John’s spirit. The entire end scene afterward is set to Evanescence’s “My Immortal.” It’s ridiculous—it’s the type of montage you’d see of a person with a loved one who has died—but it’s literally John with his car, cutting between him as a child fixing her up and choosing the license plate that names her, to him with the wreckage.
But…
It’s emotional! The little grave he makes for Evelyn is genuinely heartbreaking. The show has done a stellar job of keeping John’s connection to her front of mind throughout the season. And as ridiculous as it sounds to be so attached to a car, you can actually understand that it’s the only thing that’s been there for him all these years. This is handled really well.
1 Thing I’m Mixed On
1. Cocaine Jesus and the Holy Cucks
“Holy shit! How are these guys not dead already?”
Quiet
I typically love Jason Mantzoukas, so I was excited when he showed up as the Holy Men’s leader. I had no idea he’s in this.
He brings his usual absurdity as he talks about his past life as a real preacher, and he lets the Holy Men shower him with gifts. (Drugs, mostly.) When he’s gifted Evelyn, he threatens to lube up and “dick her muff.” And he’s a surprisingly acrobatic fighter.
I just didn’t laugh at any of it.
And, I don’t know… I guess it’s kinda funny that the Holy Men are just a savage bunch of cucks. But I’ve enjoyed most other adversaries much more.
Tim Matassa
