In a flashback from Will’s memory of him playing the game, Oliver guessed Teddy Dimas was the killer.
Charles and Jan have a conversation in jail where he gains valuable insights about the killer from her. She indicates that the killer is someone who is an “artist-like” person. Someone who wouldn’t leave his masterpiece unfinished.
Mable invites Alice to a get-together at her apartment, where they discuss their plans for the day. Alice is in Bushwick for the night but asks Mable to host the get-together, as there’s a leak in her apartment’s ceiling.
Mabel, Ivan, and Bunny are talking about the party. Mabel finds a bloody matchbox and they wonder if it is a clue. They think that he might be a regular at the Pickle Diner. Ivan gives them a list of his regular customers. ..
Oliver invites himself and Charles to Mable’s party. The only thing she wants is for them to be themselves. But knowing them, that will be a hard reality to imagine. ..
In “Story Progress” episode, the writers use a group of fans to comment on how this episode has made “Story progress” and that Mable dating a girl is quite “progressive” in societal terms. Mable introduced Alice to Charles and Oliver. She was complimentary to both, making Charles believe she “cannot be the killer”. Oliver, though, was more sceptical. ..
He quickly changes the setting to a time period that the audience is more familiar with, and then starts playing a game with them. He will ask them questions about events that happened during that time period, and then make up stories to go along with the answers. The audience is usually able to guess which story he is going to tell next based on the questions he has asked so far. ..
Oliver dims the lights and shouts “Blackout!” after which the group comes together in a circle and one of them falls to the ground. Then, Oliver has to eliminate the innocent blondes. Finally, it boils down to two - Mable and Alice. To understand the “why” in what happens next, a little context is needed. Oliver and Charles had been wondering ever since Jan made the remark about the killer being an artist about the timing of Alice’s entry into Mable’s life. And the fact that she is an artist herself. ..
Alice tells a story in order to establish her legitimacy to sell her paintings. She tells the story of how she went to Oxford and how she came from a place of affluence. In order to establish her legitimacy, Alice lied about going to Oxford and coming from a place of affluence.
As Alice goes to the washroom, Mable tries to console her. Charles continues his conversation with Jan over the phone. Has he still not gotten over her after she tried to kill him? Anyway, she discusses the case with Charles but also their past. They reminisce about the time they spent together. ..
Oliver investigates Ivan’s claims that he was the one who killed Bunny. He finds evidence that Ivan is telling the truth and that he filmed Bunny’s final days at the diner. In one instance, Bunny walks out the door, angry with the “murderer” and picks up a matchbox from the table, giving credibility to the idea that he was involved in her death.
The ending is a shocker for everyone, most of all Oliver. Will discloses the secret he told about in the starting. Oliver wasn’t actually Will’s biological father – he has half Greek lineage, not Irish. It was Teddy Dimas. He was having an affair with Roberta, Oliver’s wife. Teddy Dimas is actually Will’s biological father and Roberta was having an affair with him ..
The Episode Review
Oliver’s character development and story progression were both brutal in the end. Not knowing that he was actually his father’s son was a devastating revelation for him. How will Oliver take this news? ..
Since the show’s inception, there has been one consistent light in the dark: Andy. He has always been the comic relief, the one who brings a smile to everyone’s face. But recently things have changed. Andy has become more serious and less carefree, and this has caused some tension on the show. If he goes into a rut, it will be hard for us to enjoy the “story progression” as they find more clues.
In the beginning of the episode, Oliver was scared Teddy might kill him. But after this, I think the tables will have turned. ..
The detectives in this episode were able to uncover some important clues that will help them navigate their way forward. When the time comes, they’ll know how to put two and two together. Jan and Charles are pseudo-dating again.
I still do not understand how I feel about it, but at least I can watch it with some nervousness. To be fair to them, Mable’s characterization through her sexuality was something the writers didn’t force upon us. They have taken their own time and allowed it to happen in an organic escalation.
Alice was a bit unconvincing as Cara here. She did not do the best of jobs in bringing out Cara’s helplessness for lying. It felt more of victimization than a justification and hence, didn’t evoke an empathetic response from us. That apart, season two continues to progress, ever closer to making a crucial breakthrough!
