“I’m not used to things going my way.”
That moment could be a turning point for Enlightened as a show (and not a great one). A whirlwind episode of sexual harassment claims, friendship-ending, and a whole lot of angry looks from all the characters went out with a whimper following the aforementioned scene where Amy gleans some small victory from her inner-work feud. Everything the show established in the first seven episodes felt whisked out the door as Mike White shoehorned in a peculiar conclusion to what was – at least in the first 23 or so minutes – a fantastic episode that felt like a show finally figuring out what it’s trying to do.
My problems with the last few scenes of the show last night stem from the status quo White and co. have gone to great lengths to establish through this season: the tactics of Old Amy just don’t work. Getting petty revenge only exacerbates things, and in the end, Amy is going to be on the short end of every situation – if not for her narcissistic ways, then the fact she is the protagonist of this quirky little show and is supposed to. Her whole experience away was supposed to teach her all these new philosophies, all of which are being continuously challenged by the corporate world she clings onto. This is all fine and dandy, because we’ve been watching Amy go through the process – albeit quite slowly – to try and change her long-standing habits and be the New Amy she’s always wanted.
Her actions in last night’s episode threw a major wrench into this. Why? Because the person who gained this victory isn’t New Amy: it’s Old Amy with cleaner make-up. Everything she did, from the manipulating HR, Tyler, AND her entire department, to her confrontation of Krysta, all screamed of O.A.’s mannerisms. After alienating everyone at work, what happens? She manages to get a small sliver of what she wanted, and for some reason, Connie (the mean, chubby co-worker who couldn’t take a sick day) is the one who helped her. And she’s happy, and feels like she earned something. This is the same ignoramus we were introduced to at the beginning of the season, and besides not going nuts in front of Damon this time around, what has really changed about Amy?
I don’t understand the thinking here. Are they trying to convince us Amy can’t change, or was the blowup at the beginning of season one not the tipping point we thought it was? She seems to be falling back into the same hole she was in, and if that’s where the show is headed… well, then why did we start watching in the first place? There’s only two episodes left in this first season, and with the mother and ex-husband stories still hanging in limbo, Enlightened might be out of time this season to deal further with Abaddon and the people within it.
Other thoughts from last night’s episode, in easier-to-compose bullet form:
– the parallel between the workers on strike and Amy’s life/situation just felt cheap and awkward, especially when she joins them in the end. I just wanted to smack her over the head with her sign and remind her that the building she worked in was somewhere else in town, and getting your boss to stop cursing isn’t going to change the shitty company she works for AND depends on. Silly stuff there.
– Did enjoy the song in the opening and the closing, though listening to the whole song might’ve been a massive reveal: the last verse talks about marriage being the unbreakable union (or at least the most important, I’m paraphrasing). Does this mean reconciling with Levi is the key to her rebirth/renewal/happiness? Let’s hope it’s not that simple.
– Why is Tyler half-smirking near the end? Laughing out of delusion, or hoping he still has some kind of opening with her? I was quite surprised at the way Tyler pushed her away, although the embarassment after the awkwardness of their scenes in ‘Monkey Men’ might have something to do with it. Then again, he might just be sick of her rambling about herself just like everyone else.
– if there’s one thing this show does well, it’s capture the awkwardness between people. Sometimes, the awkward bug-eyed looks on character’s faces can be over-bearing and caricaturish, but the vocal and physical interactions, combined by the way the camera lingers on people after conversations end and people walk away is always interesting. It gives us a glimpse into the sides of people hidden when our backs aren’t turned.
– don’t want to give anything away, but next week’s episode could very well be the best of the series: the material looks to be returning to the more serious territory of episodes like ‘The Weekend’.
What did you think of Amy’s latest rampage through Abaddon? Two more episodes left, then we’ll play the waiting game to see if there will be a season 2!
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