By The Nerdling
As the night becomes dire, a hero emerges.
Spoilers will commence in 3…2…1…
So how does a man in a metal mask with an armored car end up being a Purge Night savior?
In a previous life, Joe was a floor manager at a manufacturing plant. He was a little unlucky in love. When we meet him at the start of the episode, he had been stood up by his blind date the night before. His father/co-worker encourages him to keep putting himself out there. Joe seems ready to drop the idea of dating all together. As a well-liked man at work, Joe is often the one who speaks for the workers. Even when the plant shuts down unexpectedly for cheaper pastures overseas. Pleas of “these men have families” don’t sway the big bosses leaving Joe and his sick father out of work.
Joe’s story sounds like a set up for a Purge villain. Being the consummate good guy has Joe running the opposite way with a list of those to be protected when The Purge is made into law. What really helps to sell Joe’s story is the great character actor, Lee Tergesen. In endows Joe with such vulnerability and honesty, his journey to Life Savor isn’t a stretch.
Jane is on Joe’s list. How she got there, we don’t know (but I’m guessing the mom). Right now, Jane needs all the help she can get. Arriving at Ryker’s, Jane confesses she hired an assassin. Ryker is not too concerned about Jane’s contract killer. His family is out of the country. The mansion is a fortress. Ryker suggests they hunker down and drags Jane thru a tour of his home. Reaching the elevator to the basement, Jane picks up on Ryker’s eerie calm. She decides to run deeper into the house to get away from her increasingly creepy boss.
Stumbling into a bathroom, Jane finds her assassin dead. “Never send a woman to do a man’s job,” Ryker says smugly as his body guards grab Jane. In the basement, Ryker is hosting a man party. Like perverted works of art, fully clothed women are tied up and displayed. They are there to be fondled by the men. No sex or nudity is allowed, but somehow Ryker’s party is beyond indecent. If the ladies shut up and take it, they are allowed to go home in the morning.
Ryker throws these parties to pay tribute to his father’s time “when men were men and women were not.” Sounds exactly like the kind of guy who proudly touted “no blacks, no broads” as a hiring motto. Ryker is angry he can’t tell a woman how he feels about her without risking her going to the media and him losing his company. I guess it would be pointless to explain that if he is losing his company, he is doing a lot more than confessing feelings.
Ryker is the victim of PCness. He “did nothing wrong,” but his “life would be ruined.” This scene is so freakily on point with the how Republicans describe the Kavanaugh hearings. I swear Jeremy Robbins (the episode’s writer) has a crystal ball.
Seeing this side of her boss has Jane wishing she never felt guilty for hiring an assassin. Her compassion is thrown in her face by Ryker when he calls her weak for not following through. Ryker gives the nod and Jane is taken away to be displayed as the other women. It is worth pointing out, Anya played the game. Allowed Ryker to use her. Now she is a guest at the party and has the corner office Jane should have gotten. Her smug smile makes me want to vomit. Here is hoping Joe, or even the Matron Saints make an appearance soon.
Penny and Miguel are no better off than Jane. Miguel is chained to a tent post and Henry is salivating at the idea of taking Miguel’s eye. Then he wants to make the Marine watch his sister’s death. Penelope begs for Henry to let Miguel go, but Miguel tells her to stop it. They are either leaving the Carnival of Flesh together alive, or they will meet on the other side with their parents.
Miguel headbutts Henry and gets himself free of the tent poll. The two men wrestle around for the key to Miguel’s manacles. Miguel easily overpowers Henry and kills him. The guards realize two martyrs have escaped and go looking them. The siblings create a distraction with a smoke grenade and a fallen tent. They bury themselves underneath a pile of body bags on a dump cart and escape the CoF.
Jenna and Rick, after having such a good twist in their boring storyline, return home safely and back to their marriage drama. Jenna denies having feelings for Lila. It makes it hard to believe her when she is frantically making phone calls to Lila’s cell phone. Jenna confesses she is unsure about their marriage after seeing Rick take the gun from Stanton. Rick grew up with nothing and he doesn’t want his child to suffer as he did. Jenna feels Rick should know when enough is enough. The excess the Stanton’s have, that Rick obviously covets, is too much.
Jenna finally gets through to Lila’s phone, but a man answers stating Lila is dead. Jenna tearfully breaks the news to Rick. He comforts his wife and baby, offering to make eggs when there is banging at the door. It is a blood-soaked Lila begging to come in.
This drama is only going to go one way and it will be Rick killing Lila, or the other way around. I’m not convinced Lila didn’t have a hand in the raid on the Stanton mansion. She just seems way too shady.
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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