Queer.Horror.Movies

The curated portfolio of film journalist Joe Lipsett

[Servant Review w/t Gayly Dreadful] Baby Dolls, Creepy Nannies and Weird Sex Dominate Eps 1-3

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Each week Joe (@bstolemyremote) and Terry (@gaylydreadful) discuss the most recent episode of Apple TV’s Servant, alternating between our respective sites — queerhorrormovies.com and gaylydreadful.com.

Episodes 1.01 – 1.03 (“Reborn”, “Wood”, “Eel”): New parents Dorothy (Lauren Ambrose) and Sean (Toby Kebbell) Turner, who have hired young nanny Leanne (Nell Tiger Free) to help care for their newborn child. As time goes on, it becomes clear that things are not quite as they seem.

JOE

Well Terry, after a few weeks  to recover from the American Horror Story 1984 finale, we’re back to cover another series and I, for one, am excited that it is a non-Ryan Murphy joint. No shade to arguably the most powerful queer man in Hollywood not named Greg Berlanti, but after back-to-back Murphy series, I was more than ready for something else. Lo and behold, Servant is the anti-Murphy series: it’s subtle, it’s nuanced and it’s heavily introspective.

Oh my gosh Terry, I think we’ve found a winner! This could all fall apart in a few episodes (there IS an M.Night Shyamalan connection after all), but three episodes in and Servant is an absolute treat.

Part of the appeal is how confined the series is. Thus far, every episode of Servant is under house arrest: the action is entirely constricted within Dorothy and Sean’s beautiful Brownstone in Philadelphia, so there’s no reprieve from the oppressive doom and gloom. The series’ signature close-ups constantly make it feel like you’re stuck in the middle of the marital drama, and there’s a pervasive feeling that something terrible is lurking just around the corner.

The atmosphere is definitely a big selling feature for me, but so, too, is Servant’s methodical pacing. Over three episodes, there has been no shortage of narrative progressive, but – unlike American Horror Story, which frequently barrelled through an entire season’s worth of plot in a single episode – Servant is content to take its time doling out revelations and answers. This is arguably where the series is most at risk of dropping the ball as it keeps teasing answers that may or may not be satisfying, but for now, I am all in on this ride.

So what do we have here? Initially it appears as though the series is focused on the grief of losing a child and the suitably creepy compromise that Sean has adopted in order to keep his wife sane. The marketing for the series leans into this idea by focusing on the uber uncanny lifelike doll that the couple keep in place of their dead son, Jericho. 

Almost immediately, however, another mystery is introduced: Leanne, the successful couple’s new nanny who not only isn’t thrown off by the doll, but even goes along with the ruse by acting as though it’s real. By the end of the pilot, of course, both of these oddities have collided when Sean sees that the doll is now a real, live baby, which introduces yet another mystery to unpack. In the space of just thirty minutes (bless!), Servant had built up three separate mysteries to help carry the narrative forward and it does so almost effortlessly!

Terry, before I turn it over to you for your initial impressions, I do want to touch on the performances by Ambrose and Kebbell. Tiger Free is solid, but the confines of her character requires her to remain an enigma, so for now she’s doing well at being a giant looming question mark. 

It’s the heavy lifting by the other two that I find impressive; particularly the portrait of a rocky marriage that feels achingly, authentically lived in. So often on TV and film, marriage is one of two things: picture perfect or on the cusp of divorce. Here Dorothy and Sean’s marriage is a tricky dance of jaded barbs, deflected sarcasm and the occasional tender moment. It’s murky and difficult and even awful at alternating times, but the messiness of Dorothy and Sean’s daily life is incredibly compelling to me. 

I’ve long been a fan of Ambrose since her Six Feet Under days, but this portrayal of a career woman who cuts down her husband at every opportunity may be her best role yet. I can easily imagine audiences hating Dorothy and labelling her a bitch, but to do so diminishes the layered performance that Ambrose is giving. Is she prickly and difficult? Absolutely. She’s also constantly on the precipice of remembering some kind of trauma that killed her newborn six weeks before (most evident in the second episode which, between the cab and the lighting of the fridge door, I believe codes the incident as a car accident).

And then there’s Kebbell, who has always come across as a one-note villain in other performances (Planet of the Apes, Fantastic Four). If anything, this is the best he’s been since he played a similarly antagonistic, entitled asshole in the Black Mirror episode of “The Entire History of You.” Sean is Servant’s protagonist – for better or worse – and while his search for answers about Leanne and Jericho implicitly mirror our own desire for closure, I really like the fact that he’s not a good guy. His relationship with Dorothy’s younger brother, Julian (Rupert Grint) in particular, is fascinating: their multifaceted, duplicitous, “kid glove” treatment of Dorothy says a lot about how men react to “sensitive, hysterical” women.

Oh Terry, there’s so much to unpack! How are you feeling about Servant? Do you like these characters? And can we have a conversation about how Dorothy and, more specifically, Sean’s jobs are contributing to and/or subverting issues of domesticity and gender?

TERRY

Joe, what a breath of fresh air! Based on the mysterious trailers that Apple had released, I wasn’t quite sure what we’d be getting with this M. Night Shyamalan-produced series. When Apple said they were going for that Prestige Television angle, this is the kind of content I was expecting. 

The talent in front and behind the camera is staggering. You mentioned Lauren Ambrose and Toby Kebbell, who are giving us some very subtle and nuanced performances as at-odds husband and wife and it’s true. I wrote in my notes “Role reversal — she shows up late from her job after he slaved away over ‘Hare Three Ways.’” 

I love the way the script subverts the typical gender roles. We’re first introduced to the couple through an almost Myers-Briggs personality explanation. Dorothy “Confident Responsible and Determined” Turner works in the high stakes news business as a reporter while Sean “Spoiled Selfish and Critical of Others” Turner is an at-home chef who would feel right at home with Bon Appétit’s Test Kitchen.

Neither of them are completely likeable, though. Dorothy comes across as almost completely self-absorbed in her feelings and doesn’t really seem to give a damn about Sean. She even taunts him and flaunts the fact they haven’t had sex in a year, sneering that there’s “super young pussy in the house and you don’t want to fuck it.” But, Sean doesn’t exactly likeable, either. He continually denigrates newcomer Leanne, saying things like, “She’s staff, darling. Try to remember that.” They’re both fairly unlikeable and…I’m here for it? As you mentioned, their relationship feels achingly lived in and compelling and it helps ground the weirdness.

What I wasn’t expecting, though, is the odd sexuality that permeates the first three episodes. It begins with Dorothy’s Mastitis as Leanne discovers her, moaning in pain in the bathtub. And after an awkward moment, Leanne kneels next to the tub, reaches over and begins massaging Dorothy’s breast. As she grinds on it, Dorothy moans and figuratively climaxes with an orgasmic moan and a squirt of milk that looks vaguely seminal. The sexuality continues in the second episode as Dorothy has to pull literal splinters out of Sean’s ass while teasing him that there are men who like to be spanked and caned. And then, in the third episode, Leanne gets touchy with Julian.

The atmosphere is completely claustrophobic and I didn’t even know why until you mentioned that the entirety of the first three episodes are contained to the house. The only solace we get from the oppressively opulent home is through M. Night’s staple: reflective surfaces. We see Dorothy on the job through an anachronistic-looking television and we see Julian’s investigative exploration (more on this later, I’m sure) through FaceTime. Gotta get that Apple branding in!

The talent behind the camera matches the actors, too. Series creator and writer Tony Basgallop has worked on a number of television series (including EastEnders, What Remains and Inside Men) and, of course, there’s M. Night Shyamalan. But the interesting additions are cinematographers Mike Gioulakis and, for at least one upcoming episode, Jarin Blaschke. Gioulakis’ resume is horror movie heaven: Us, It Follows, Under the Silver Lake as well as working with M. Night on Split and Glass. Meanwhile, Blaschke, who is credited with one episode so far, worked with Robert Eggers as the cinematographer on The Witch and The Lighthouse. 

Servant’s first three episodes are so tantalizingly intriguing that I honestly do not know where this show is going…and coming from AHS, that’s exciting. I wasn’t expecting the ending of episode one and what it does to the plot. Sean, our seemingly coherent “protagonist,” goes from being the skeptical entry point to being the character who seems to be losing his grip on reality. His discovery that the baby doll has become/been replaced by a real baby upends his world and his shock mirrors our own. But neither Dorothy nor Leanne seem to notice!   

“Of course he’s real, silly! He’s always been real,” their looks imply. 

The only wildcard is Dorothy’s foppish brother, Julian. It’d be easy to write off Sean’s predicament as delusional if not for Julian’s presence. You mention he treats his sister with kids’ gloves and it’s true. Neither of the men seem capable of truly helping Dorothy (if she even needs help), with Sean indulging in her “transitory object therapy” and Julian just completely dismissing everything. Both seem to think that she needs professional help, but neither seem all that frantic about finding a solution to her situation.

Whew. There’s a lot to unpack, Joe. 

But back to you. What do you make of the wood motif of the second episode and the splinters that Sean literally chokes on? Did the way Sean and his assistant Tobe (Tony Revolori) prepare the eel make you as faint as it did Leanne? Is there something more to the way Leanne mimics the sexuality between Sean and Dorothy by caressing Julian’s crotch? And what about the vaguely ominous discussions Sean and Julian have about “what if she remembers” and “is this blackmail”? 

JOE

No lie, that eel preparation reminded me of the de-gloving sequence in Gerald’s Game <vomit> Man, was that scene ever great!

I’m glad you brought up Leanne’s potential motivation, though, because as much as we’re fascinated by all of the technical elements, I imagine casual viewers will be most intrigued by the swirling questions that these first three episodes raise. Is Leanne merely a conwoman/grifter who has assumed the identity of a dead Wisconsin minor? Does she truly just want money (as her constant coveting of Dorothy’s jewelry could suggest)? Or does her cautious seduction of Julian and voyeurism of Dorothy and Sean’s intimate encounters suggest a more nefarious, mid-90s era Fatal Attraction style insertion into their lives. After all, Dorothy makes a big deal in ‘Wood’ about her concerns regarding a younger co-worker who fellated her way up the corporate ladder and she’s clearly threatened by Leanne’s youth and sexual innocence.

I’ll confess that I’m the least interested in that idea – if only because we’ve seen countless stories about a young woman sexually exploding a bad marriage to dangerous results. I’m hopeful that Jericho’s switch from doll to human, the mysterious fire and the Blair Witch-like nefarious religious effigy that Sean discovers in episode two hanging above the crib (which reappears in episode three) hint that the truth is more supernatural. After all, there’s so much that’s odd in the way that Sean coughed up splinters during dinner, or who changed the alarm code, or how Leanne’s application disappeared from the pile, or what really happened that claimed the life of the child.

My two surefire bets? 1) Dorothy will 100% remember at some point and 2) someone is apt to lose something precious down that damn garburator. Oh, and if we’re playing the long speculation game, I think that the house is some kind of purgatory – either allegorical or literal – and our protagonist Sean is actually dead. After all, those eels “don’t realize when they’re dead”, Terry.

What do you think Leanne’s end game is, Terry? What’s your most pressing mystery? And where do you think we’re headed next?

TERRY

Nice catch with the dead eel analogy, Joe. I hadn’t thought of that. I have a feeling we’re going to be analyzing dialogue and framing choices a lot this season because it’s a M. Night-produced story and we all know he likes his twists and foreshadowing. 

I have to believe Leanne’s end game is something on the supernatural side or, at the very least, there’s something more nefarious going on than a grifter storyline. Considering the genre tropes Servant is playing with and the fact that Apple has already renewed it for a second season, there has to be something more than the confined story that we’re currently seeing. 

I can’t wait to see how the new information about Leanne’s past will play out. To answer your questions, though…I have absolutely no idea. And that thrills me.

Joe, I think we got a good one here. Right now, I’m just genuinely excited to see where it goes next.

Next week: We jump over to gaylydreadful.com for episode 4, “Bear.”

[Pose Recap w/t Gayly Dreadful] Bikinis, Boys and Reads in “Life’s A Beach”

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Each week Terry (@gaylydreadful) and Joe (@bstolemyremote) discuss the most recent episode of FX’s Pose, alternating between their respective sites – gaylydreadful.com and queerhorrormovies.com. If you need to catch up with last week’s recap, it’s available here.

Pose 2×09: “With Blanca reeling from an unexpected loss, Elektra organizes a girls trip to the shore.”

Joe

Well Terry, I hope you’ve packed your most sensational bathing suit – be it Elektra (Dominique Jackson)’s flower petal v-cut, Angel (Indya Moore)’s shiny asymmetrical wedgie monstrosity or a pair of simple green speedos – because we are fleeing the heat of the city for a girl’s weekend!

I’ll confess that I spent the majority of “Life’s A Beach” believing it was a trifle of an episode. It’s escapist entertainment, and aside from a few meaningful exchanges about trans women passing in the summer and Angel’s rationale for fearing the water, it’s fairly surface-level stuff. Heavy on Elektra’s quips and light on substance.

But then, as the episode closed, I realized that this episode is doing something really important. Not only does it offer a glimpse of these women out of the contextual framing of both men and the Ball scene, it gives them a win. Sure, “Life’s A Beach” trafficks in plenty of outlandish situations and doesn’t come with a ton of heavy handed messaging, but it let’s Elektra, Lulu (Hailie Sahar), Blanca (Mj Rodriguez) and Angel take a few days off, let their metaphorical hair down and just have a good time.

This is especially valuable considering the circumstances that open the episode, namely Frederica (Patti LuPone)’s out of the blue decision to reap the rewards of insurance fraud after she blows up Blanca’s nail salon. Now we’ve talked often – and at length – about how frequently Pose has dropped audiences into the aftermath of (frequently off-screen) actions, so we should probably be used to it…but I’m not. Frankly I’m tired of the series cutting narrative corners because the pay-off never feels earned and the timelines are jumbled.

Thankfully, while this would be a HUGE blow in Blanca’s life were she a real person, in the world of the series, it’s merely the impetus for an escape from her problems and the oppressive NY city heat. So sure, let’s roll with it, but I’m still not ready to forgive, mmmkay Pose?

With that said, as soon as the inane logistics involving Elektra’s John (or is it her “Joe”?), his summer home and the bodega-purchased driver’s license were out of the way, we got not one, but two (!) car ride karaoke montages (A Taste of Honey’s “Boogie Oogie Oogie” on the way up and En Vogue’s “Hold On” on the way back), so…I was a happy man.

Terry, what was your first impression of the episode? Was this too much Elektra for you or just enough? Did the explanation of a rich man willingly letting his dominatrix isolate him in a sweltering garage for the weekend satisfy you? And, if you feel up to it, where do we begin with Lifeguard Adrian (Austin Scott), a seemingly perfect man?

Terry

I don’t know about you, Joe, but I could FEEL the heat of the city. It was a three fan sitch for Blanca and a weird kink for Joe that you could almost smell. Speaking of smell, I wondered after seeing the promo for this episode if they were going to address the body in the closet (that can’t be pleasant). So I did get a couple chuckles at the way Elektra would swat it away and at the naiveté of the girls that they would believe that that funk was pine scented candles.

You’re absolutely right, though, this is a very slight episode. I definitely didn’t hate it, but I did dislike its placement as the penultimate episode this season. I appreciated Blanca’s vulnerability with the other women who were able to pass a bit more than she can. And, like you, I did enjoy the contextual changes and allowing the women to just be themselves and free. But, man, the way Pose has been handling dramatic moments by showing the aftermath feels a lot like Game of Thrones Season 1.

Onto fun things: I loved Elektra this episode. I know I’ve been a bit harsh on the amount of screen time she’s gotten this season and the constant way the show has reframed her character (she’s cold and heartless! But not! But yes! But no!), but I loved her this episode. Her read at the rich white people club was legendary. Status Update: Dead. The way she finagled this weekend trip was hilarious to me…even if it didn’t feel realistic. Like, at all.

It did give us a great line about rich people having the luxury of pursuing loneliness as an option because other people don’t have that ability. I thought that line was heartfelt and meaningful, particularly when coupled with Blanca’s life this season. It was kind of a throw-away line (just another Elektra stinger), but Blanca has become increasingly isolated over the last few episodes in ways that she has absolutely no power over. Plus: there’s the more intimate level of loneliness that she feels because she’s trans, so the line hit the right notes for me.

Speaking of intimacy, I’m glad that Blanca was saved by that tall drink of water. Black Hasselhoff AKA Adrian was a fantastic summer lovin’ moment and I kind of wish they had just left it at that, instead of apparently continuing it with that phone call at the end of the episode. “Life’s a Beach” had such a fun, dreamy feel to it; it felt divorced from the real life drama awaiting them back in NYC that I kinda would have preferred it to stay that way. There’s no way a man that perfect exists, right?

But what do you think, Joe? Did Adrian tick the right boxes for you? And what are your thoughts of Angel’s apparent sobriety? Was the nose candy just a bit to add drama and now that it’s not needed it’s gone?

 

Joe

I’m sorry, did you say nose Candy or on-the-nose Candy (Angelica Ross)? Because I’m experiencing diminishing returns each time Ghost Candy pops up. Perhaps I’m just being a cruel bitch, but each time she returns, I groan because it’s exactly what I was worried was going to happen when Candy was killed off (Murphy and co., if you like a character so much that you feel continually inclined to bring them back, perhaps don’t kill them off?). My sole concession, aside from the fact that it’s great to see Ross on screen again – and belting out En Vogue no less! – is that this had an air of closure to the proceedings as Elektra is the last member of the family to say a goodbye to the dearly departed character.

But back to Adrian…

Look, he’s no Ricky, who has stolen his way into my dreams, but yes, Scott is a very attractive man. I’m probably as wary as Elektra, Lulu and you are about his intentions because while Pose is very often a fairytale, it can get quite dark and there’s always a nagging doubt in the back of my mind when TV characters encounter a Prince (or Princess) who seems to be too good to be true. Was I waiting for the rug to get pulled out? Yes. Am I glad it didn’t happen? Yes. Am I still worried? Maybe.

Still, as I think I mentioned last week, there’s only so much pity/grief porn that the show can heap on Blanca, so if this means that she gets an arc with a nice gentleman caller (who the writers can ship back to the beach whenever it suits their needs), then by all means, I’m down. And if we get to see more of that lime green, beach-mandated wardrobe, so much the better!

Sidebar: Gosh we’re thirsty, aren’t we? It must be this August heat.

As for Angel’s drug addiction..oof. The storyline that has never worked for me continues to not work for me. The way that writer Janet Mock (who co-wrote “Blow” and this episode), as well as co-creator Steven Canals (who wrote last week’s “Revelations“) have handled drug addiction is both lazy and aggravatingly unrealistic. It truly feels as though Pose wants to use the trappings of the storyline without putting in the hard work of setting it up or seeing it through. Again, I’m not particularly interested in doing a whole big “after school special” in which Angel spirals and crashes, but it feels particularly disingenuous to suggest that Angel has gone cold turkey simply because Blanca is keeping an eye on her from afar.

It’s almost as unrealistic as Joe surviving in a latex body suit in a sweltering hot garage! <shakes head>

Anyways…Terry we’ve almost reached the end of the season, so in addition to anything else from the episode you want to raise, what are your predictions for next week’s finale? I’ll just be over in the corner, taking a drink of water in between practicing my Elektra reads.

Terry

Joe, I’m frankly over Ghost Candy. I’ve been vocal of that ever since they started using her as a narrative crutch. I find it annoying mostly because she’s been the joker character for the last two seasons and now the writers want to give her character a narrative significance that she never enjoyed in life. I find that disingenuous.

They also made the strong and powerful decision to off her (and it ‘s not like this is the last time we’ll see Angelica Ross in a Murphy production since she’s joining American Horror Story), so just… let it go. That said, I agree, I did enjoy her (hopefully final?) appearance, making amends with Elektra.

I wish I had more to talk about with this episode. It was fine and fun, but it doesn’t really lend itself much in the way of analysis.

My predictions for the finale…well after watching the promo I wouldn’t be surprised if we say goodbye to a character or have a health scare at the very least, what with Damon running through a hospital and Pray Tell embracing a crying Blanca. The obvious answer would be Ricky, who is more or less a carbon copy of Damon and hasn’t really been given much to do this season. Even though I know you’ll miss him, his time seems up, yeah? Or will Papi be put in the hospital for defending Angel’s honor, since the promo also hinted that she might be clocked?

I guess we’ll find out next week!

Next week: we jump back over to Gayly Dreadful for the finale. Here’s a look!

*GIFs courtesy of New.Now.Next

[Pose Recap w/t Gayly Dreadful] Bodies In The Closet in ‘Butterfly/Cocoon’

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Each week Terry (@gaylydreadful) and Joe (@bstolemyremote) discuss the most recent episode of FX’s Pose, alternating between their respective sites – gaylydreadful.com and queerhorrormovies.com. Missed last week’s recap? Click here to read it.

Episode 2.03 “Butterfly/Cocoon”: A fatal mishap with a client leads Elektra (Dominique Jackson) to seek out the counsel of Blanca (Mj Rodriguez) and Candy (Angelica Ross). Meanwhile, moving from friends to lovers proves to be a challenge for Angel (Indya Moore) and Lil Papi (Angel Bismark Curiel).

JOE

Well Terry, much like House Ferocity, they can’t all be winners, can they?

‘Butterfly/Cocoon’ is easily the worst episode of Pose’s second season and by far my least favourite of the four that I’ve seen.

This is the third episode of the series written by Our Lady J (after 1.03’s ‘Giving and Receiving’ and 1.07’s ‘Pink Slip’), but there’s something demonstrably off about it. It’s as though Lady J is struggling to capture the tone or spirit of the series, so that even while there are fascinating elements about how the queer, and more specifically the transgender community, is treated by the police, ‘Butterfly/Cocoon’ never quite comes together.

Part of this may have to do with the episode’s focus on Elektra. As much as I love Dominique Jackson’s performance as the brash and bossy Mother, Elektra has never been the series’ main character…for good reason. Elektra is that key utility player that you sprinkle into scenes to liven them up. Here she’s the MAIN EVENT and while I would argue that it’s the plot that she’s surrounded by that ultimately dooms the episode, it is challenging to suddenly thrust a supporting character into the spotlight for 50+ minutes out of the blue.

Ultimately, though, it’s a lamentable plot that sinks the episode. We’ve seen accidental murders that require covering up a billion times on TV and it requires a deft touch and a certain amount of finesse to pull off. ‘Butterfly/Cocoon’s handling of the material is most reminiscent of the ill-fated (and extremely ill-advised) plot of Friday Night Lights S2 when Landry murders a man who tries to sexually assault Tyra and they spend the rest of the season in a completely different show.

Everything about Pose‘s attempt at the same story line – from Candy’s casual dismissal to the reintroduction of the odd back alley silicone injection woman to the montage of covering the body in lye and packing him up in the closet – just…doesn’t feel like Pose.

Terry, what – if anything – worked for you about this plot line?

TERRY

Oh, Joe, Joe, Joe. Nothing about this episode worked for me, I’m sad to say.

Skimming through my notes from last night, there’s just a lot of “this is a filler episode” and “what is happening right now.” I think you deftly hit the mark with the major problem with this. I know Elektra is a fan favorite and, like you, I enjoy her brash quips…but she reminds me of Coach Sue Sylvester on Glee, whose withering bon mots could tear even the thickest skinned person down. Seeing her meteoric rise in fan popularity, they leaned hard into her character to the detriment of the main storylines.

I hinted at this before, but I’m afraid this is what they’re doing with Elektra. Like you, I enjoy Dominique Jackson’s performance…but she kind of operates only at one level, as if she’s shouting to the people in the cheap seats at a theatre. So an entire episode of that was a bit much for me.

But my biggest issue was also something you touched on, Joe. It feels weirdly disconnected from the rest of the series, as if we were dropped into the middle of a (long) melodramatic sitcom. It was kooky character hour with the back alley plastic surgeon and the always reliable Candy. But then it gives the usually villainous Elektra a “pet the dog” scene…where Dead Paul is the dog. Her suddenly praying over the body and then making metaphoric comments about how his body will always be with her feels disingenuous. I’m no expert, but I’ve watched a lot of horror movies and I just kept thinking that there has to be a better way of getting rid of him than their very elaborate scheme, right?

Continuing the sitcom theme, Angel is (again!) on the apparent fast track to modelling stardom…except then she’s not…and then she ultimately is by the end of the episode. Everything is back to the status quo. Her brief relationship with Papi also came out of nowhere for me. The only chemistry they’ve had between them involved him shooting photos of her earlier this season. Their final scene this episode confused me because it felt like the actors were in two completely different scenes. Angel Bismark Curiel’s Papi is tearfully ripping his heart out while Indya Moore’s Angel is just sort of…smiling brightly? Did we even get a resolution with their relationship? I’m not even sure.

I don’t know, Joe. It’s too early in the season for a filler episode of this magnitude. Do you think this is the last we’ll see of Paul or will he become Chekhov’s body and cause more drama for Elektra later this season? And what about the explosive break-up last episode of a series-long relationship that didn’t get any resolution or fallout?

JOE

Oh the show is FOR SURE doing Ryan Jamaal Swain’s Damon (and to a lesser extent, Ricky) dirty. It’s the most substantial “fall from attention” plummet for a main character I’ve seen in quite some time and while Damon has never been my favourite character, it’s still very odd to see him essentially disappear from the narrative.

As for Chekov’s Body (née Paul), I would be happy never to revisit this story line. The minute Elektra left the room to file her nails and chill in the break room I knew where this was going and it played out exactly the way I feared, so if we never had to address the chest in the closet again, it would still be too soon!

Then there’s that Angel/Papi storyline. UGH. I’ll confess that I never bought this relationship (it simply feels shoehorned in, as though characters circling each other in close quarters must invariably fall in love or sleep together). There’s a legitimate lack of chemistry between Bismark Curiel and Moore and their romance feels like it was constructed out of thin air. When he tells her early in the episode “I’ve been waiting for a girl like you”, I may have literally exclaimed aloud “Since when?!”

I haven’t loved the Angel/modelling stuff, but I did think that the montage of her photoshoot set to Neneh Cherry’s “Buffalo Stance” was a bit of fun and the entire House Evangelista’s reaction to her Duane Reade campaign (which apparently IMMEDIATELY happened?!) is very cute. With that said, we’re now 2/2 for modern references in a 90s-set series, following Mrs. Ford use of “Consider it handled” to end her phone call.

I don’t need Olivia Pope/Scandal references in my Pose, Terry!

TERRY

Since we’re at confessional, I’ll mention that I didn’t pick up on the “Consider it handled” line because *whispers quietly* I’ve never seen Scandal. But for a show that’s lauded as an examination of queer culture in 1980s/90s NYC, the anachronisms are a bit much.

The only positive thing I can say about The Bizarre Case of the Mummified Body (née Paul) is that they at least pulled from a real life incident. The episode wraps with a quote from Dorian Corey, a famous drag performer and fashion designer who also, coincidentally, had more than just clothes in her closet. I don’t want to beat a dead mummy, but the way it was brusquely handled this episode just felt so out of character for the show.

Oh well. It looks like we’re taking a break next week, Joe. But when Pose returns in two weeks, I’m hopeful the show course corrects and returns us to more of what makes Pose so interesting.

In two weeks: Pose returns with “Never Knew Love Like This Before” as Pray Tell and Candy escalate their feud and we jump back to Gayly Dreadful for episode four!