First Things First…
If Melody really is alive, as Mark tells Dan at the end of the last episode, then how long do we have to wait until she comes into the present story?
And in the past, how will Melody act toward Samuel now that she’s seen the cult — and him — in action, but he doesn’t know that?
2 Things I Like
2. Paging Dr. Turner
It’s cool that we’re brining in Dan’s dad as more of a real character, not just in Dan’s memories and hallucinations.
Let’s think about what we know about him coming into this episode…
- He and Melody had a falling out
- He was suspended from his position at NYU
- Melody is NOT happy to see him in that one piece of footage from the end of episode one
- He might even have started the fire that killed his family
Now, we don’t know the reasons for any of that. But none of it is positive.
So it’s surprising to see how fun and dynamic he is. He’s upbeat, energetic, and seems to genuinely want to help Melody, and later Jess. (And he LOVES Cleo 🐶)
So I hope we see more of him. He’s another piece of the mystery I want to unravel. But I also just want more of this performance.
1. What Does the Priest Know?
I’m not sure what to make of Fr. Russo.
On one hand, he’s performing an exorcism on Jess — or trying to — and sure seems to be doing more harm than good.
On the other hand, he recognizes that there’s some weird, evil shit happening in the Visser. He says to Melody…
“You have no idea what’s happening here. You think you’re gonna find whoever it is you’re looking for? There is a terrible darkness here, whether you believe it or not. You should leave now, while you’re still able.”
Is he a good guy? A bad guy?
I’m not sure. But I want to find out what he knows.
2 Things I’m Mixed On
2. Hacking the System
I’d be fully on board with the way Dan is circumventing the surveillance at the compound — if I understood why he’s doing it.
I love how meticulous he is with his plan. He takes apart every fixture in the bathroom to check for cameras and bugs, then uses that as his base of operations when he knows it’s private. He finds there IS internet after all, and hacks the cameras, so he can see everything Virgil sees and knows where he has privacy, and where he doesn’t. And he sketches a map of the whole place and where the cameras are.
Wanting the privacy he was promised makes sense. But this is at least partly so he can get back in the tunnels, and I don’t know why he wants to do that so badly.
Nothing about the Wellspring files seemed terribly interesting, relevant to his connection to the Visser, or to his dad’s relationship with Melody.
I’m sure there WILL turn out to be something important there, otherwise why include this in the story? But knowing what Dan knows right now, I can’t see why he’d go to so much trouble to get at those files.
1. A Connection Through Space and Time?
I like seeing Dan and Melody get scenes together.
But is Melody from the footage, in 1994, really communicating with Dan in the present? Is it some kind of space/time thing?
They hinted at this in the last episode, with the knocking on Melody’s door. Here, Dan has actual conversations with her — one in the Visser’s community room, another in a stairwell, and a third through the video footage.
But is it all in his head?
Then there’s the scene at the end, where Cassandra looks right at the camera, tells Dan “stay out,” and reaches through the TV to choke him.
Like I said about the last episode, I’d rather this just be about the cult and all the freaky stuff happening in the building, not about this type of supernatural connection (if that’s what it is). But it’s interesting enough that I want to let it play out.
2 Thing I Don’t Like
2. Off Limits
Our answer to who is on the grounds wearing the red jacket comes in the form of Bobbi, a groundskeeper. That’s a little underwhelming.
But since she gets inside the compound without Dan’s permission, he takes her up on her offer of help and asks her to open up the hidden chapel.
Didn’t Virgil say this was off limits? Especially since we know he doesn’t want Dan in the tunnels, and the chapel has an entrance to them.
But she gives him access anyway. Just a little inconsistent.
1. Is Melody Still Alive or Not?
Mark’s meeting with Melody is bizarre, and it’s another thing I’m confused about.
Is it really Melody?
If it is, is she telling the truth when she says the tapes were all made up — and that they were basically filming a Blair Witch-style movie?
If it’s not Melody, and Mark’s story is true — it’s actually a woman who could pass for Melody because of her burns, and who buys her identity so she can collect her disability and unemployment — then why don’t we see that reveal on screen?
And either way, why does Mark lie to Dan at first by saying Melody no-showed, but then own up to that lie two minutes later?
The idea that it’s an imposter, and that Melody is really dead, carries some water, because she doesn’t react at all when she hears the music Mark plays her, or when he mentions Dr. Turner.
But then when would Mark have discovered her ruse? After he ends the interview and says he’ll see himself out?
I’m all for mysteries, but not what they’re wrapped up in something this confusing.
Final Thoughts
The show is definitely getting weirder, but I’m not sure that’s a good thing.
I’m more interested in learning about the cult than anything else. That’s why I’m disappointed we don’t get to see Melody interact with Samuel at all. I’m so curious if she’s going to question him about what she saw in that room.
And obviously, I want to know why Cassandra would threaten Dan — whether in reality or in Dan’s imagination — and tell him to stay out. But it’s the supernatural/psychic elements that are throwing me off a little right now.
I still enjoyed the episode. But the last two haven’t reached the heights of the first. And it feels like there’s more and more that I’m in “wait and see” mode with, instead of being fully invested in.
Tim Matassa
