A Trip Down Memory Lane
In the sixth episode of Surface, Sophie speaks to James in the front room. Sophie encourages him to start from the beginning, where we jump back in time and see where James’ money woes began. ..
Sophie is a pretty and attractive waitress who seems to be in a good place with James. She tells him about her life, her family, and how she’s been able to make it on her own. James seems interested in what she has to say and even offers her a drink.
He encourages her to sit with him and drink, eventually inviting her back to his boss’s place. Sophie sees straight through his façade, but James apologizes and admits he was just trying to impress her. ..
She accepts his apology and decides they should at least enjoy this place while they have it. A night of drinking and starting at the sunrise while dipping their feet in the pool allows the conversation to open up. James admits that he’s thinking of leaving the firm given he’s perceived as an outsider and will never be looked at as “one of them.”
The couple eventually get the train home, where they seal their tie with a kiss. There’s an interesting little reflection to the left of them, which nicely juxtaposes the double-lives these two have been living. It’s a nice visual motif.
Sophie lies to her friends, family, and romantic partner about how she and James met. She tells them that James is a high-earning executive at their company, when in reality he is a low-earning contractor. Sophie justifies her lies by claiming that it’s no different than the lies she has told about where she lives. ..
James tries to tell Sophie that this could cause him to lose his job, but she convinces him to keep playing this game and double-down on the lies and gameplaying.
Harrison is concerned at work, telling James that there’s something off with Sophie and he’s concerned. He goes on to warn James that her past isn’t exactly an open book and he needs to be careful. James gets defensive and tells him to lay off his “future wife.”
Harrison confronts Sophie about James at their housewarming party. He’s concerned that James is being played and is looking out for his wellbeing. Sophie’s reply is interestingly, “Trying to deserve him.”
James has won and made it big in the next flash forward, but there are visible cracks beginning to form in this relationship. Sophie is continuing to pedal her “James has tripled his money” story, but James pulls her aside and tells her she can drop the charade now. “Can’t you just enjoy the moment?” He rasps.
This is the turning point. James is the one who apologizes to Sophie (even though she’s the one to blame) and that shift in their relationship eventually leads to Sophie cheating on him, the pair growing apart and James knowing his wife is being unfaithful, courtesy of the security cameras he has installed at the holiday home. So naturally, this brings him over to Caroline, worried that he’s losing Sophie. The pair end up having sex in the heat of the moment. ..
James returns home to find that Sophie has been cheating on him with Caroline. James is forced to apologize and tell her he loves her no matter what. Sophie shrugs off his confession, saying she doesn’t need or want his love.
James was left feeling betrayed when he realized that Sophie had been hiding money from him. He followed her to the pier and confronted her, but she justified her actions by saying that she wanted to leave him. James felt betrayed and abandoned, and this led to things going from bad to worse.
James wasn’t responsible for what happened to Sophie at the pier, but learning of her injuries he decides to use this as a fresh start. He covered up everything that happened between them to try and make things right with his wife. ..
James admits that he will always love Sophie and decides they should just move past what happened.
The Episode Review
Sophie’s character is being undermined in this episode. She says herself that she’s a “pretty shitty person.” This episode doesn’t do her character any favours. ..
The fact that Sophie takes no responsibility for her actions through these flashes, while James has been forced to apologize for everything is pretty telling, and it’s something that’s bogged this show down into mediocre waters over the past few weeks.
In the final two episodes of “The Originals,” it appears that fans will finally learn more about James and Sophie’s past. Many theories have circulated online since the show’s debut, but it was still unclear whether or not James was directly involved in what happened to Sophie back in episode 2. However, with two more episodes left, it seems that the show is on track to answer these questions. So far, the story has been intriguing and well-done, so please stay tuned for the finale! ..
