By The Nerdling
Rick and Jenna end up between a rock and a hard place. A decision is made for Jane. Penelope is chosen. Miguel gets close.
Spoilers will commence in 3…2…1…
How much of your values are you willing to compromise for your dream of helping others? Rick and Jenna get their meeting and successfully negotiate an investment deal. Before they rejoin the party, Stanton has a former employee of his brought in. The man has been stealing copper from Stanton’s constructions sites and selling it on the side. Why pay lawyer’s fees to punish the man when “on Purge Night, we do it ourselves.”
We have seen this before in all of the Purge movies, the revenge kills. But this execution was not personal. It was a cold, calculating way of subverting the justice system. Later in the episode, Miguel runs past a woman strung up a tree, still alive, with a sign labeling her a “Snitch”. This is the first time I have really wondered about the justice system in the NFFA government. Why go to the police and risk the scarlet “s”? People can get their own brand of justice one night a year, why would anyone report any crimes?
Jenna is thoroughly shaken by the cold-blooded killing, as well as her husband’s brief consideration to purge when Stanton put him on the spot. She wants to make the world a better place for her unborn daughter and expresses doubts about brining kids into this world to Catalina, the maid from the pilot. “I think part of our job is to make it into the world we want to bring them into,” Catalina assures her. The idealistic Jenna whole heartedly agrees, but her husband is not nearly as principled. “This is the world we live in,” he says. “We can’t change the Purge, but we can change our lives.” Jenna puts her foot down about not partnering with Stanton and Rick acquiesces. For now.
Lila witnesses the tension between the two and swoops in. Earlier, by the pool, Lila confessed she still has feelings for Jenna who admitted she is pregnant. Lila awkwardly backs away, but plays the lurker for the rest of the party waiting for her chance.
Jane finds herself in a dilemma about her decision to purge. The financial specialist is not above using the night to break the glass ceiling. But when a blood-spattered Alison asks “do you notify HR about my promotion, or is that on me” after stabbing Mark to death, will Jane rethink her plans? Jane told Ryker she was going to promote Alison. Mark even pulled Jane aside to assure her if Alison gets the bump before him, he wouldn’t have any hard feelings towards either woman. It is too little too late. Alison wasn’t going to risk not getting the promotion.
While Jane’s want to assassinate Ryker may be seemingly more valid than Alison’s reasons for murdering Mark, the only real difference in this situation is Alison was willing to get her hands dirty for what she wanted.
To make matters worse for Jane, the assassin tracking app crashed just before Ryker’s video call congratulating everyone on getting the big deal done. In the middle of the conversation, someone comes knocking on Ryker’s front door. He walks off camera for a tense couple of minutes and comes back joking it was the pizza delivery guy. I have a feeling Ryker has suspicions about Jane.
Pete the cop helps Miguel after finding out he survived the Gantlet, winning the ’67 Chevelle Pete has been coveting. The two men bond over being Marines and find the blue bus heading into one of the worst areas for Purge Night, conveniently only a mile away. Pete arranges for Miguel to hitch a ride with a couple of reporters.
The reporters (one American, one British) drive around during Purge Night to document the atrocities. The Brit is detailing the night in hopes of dissuading this from coming to his country. He’s not wrong in his fears. Brexit was voted in for the same reason Americans voted for Trump. A twisted sense of patriotism with a healthy dose of xenophobia. The American journalist hopes to show Americans the brutality of The Purge and discouraging them from supporting it. Miguel scoffs at the reporter’s hopes. Miguel is an OMF, Original Martyr Family. A survivor of the Staten Island experiment is a status symbol and the reporters are excited to meet one.
Thru Penelope’s flashbacks, we meet the loving parents. Like many others, they stayed behind for the money and were reassured by an NFFA rep they would be safe in their homes. But they became collateral when the death squads were sent in to make the night a success. Penelope and Miguel were hiding, but heard everything.
Miguel catches up to the bus, but he has to ask to pass a group dressed as creepy nuns unharmed. Travis tells him Penelope has left with the same nuns, he is too late. The cult leader is not afraid of Miguel’s anger. I assumed she started the cult as a cash grab on Purge Night, making deals with various groups beforehand. But she is unblinking when Miguel waves a gun in front of her face, happy to tell him Penelope is about to be reunited with their parents. Does she really believe what she preaches?
Our unidentified purger makes an appearance at the end of the episode and he is not what I expected. After witnessing people break into a home, the mystery man follows inside and kills the would-be assailants. He holds a hand out to the woman and says “come with me if you want to live.” No, he doesn’t, but he has the victim come with him in his armored vehicle. Is this hockey mask wearer a purge savior running around looking like a purger to keep others off his back? Or is he collecting victims under the guise of protector?
Till Next Week!
The Nerdling was born in the majestic land known as Texas and currently resides there after several years of journeying through Middle Earth in a failed attempt to steal the one Ring from that annoying hobbit, serving the Galactic Empire for a time, and then a short stint as a crew member on the Serenity. Since moving back to her homeland, Nerdling flirted with a hero reputation. Saving children from the dangers of adoring domineering, sparkly vampires (champions with souls are the only vampires worth loving) and teaching normals the value of nerdom, all while rooting for her beloved Dallas Stars. Then came the Sokovia Accords and her short spell of saving others came to an end. With Darth Vader’s reputation rightfully returning to badass status, Nerdling is making her way back to the Empire. They do have cookies, you know. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram.
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