While Jessica debates her next move, Malcolm confronts Trish about her erratic behavior, and Jeri makes contact with a healer.

Jessica is captured and has to decide as to what she’s going to do about the revelation that her mother is a killer and a monster. After some action, the episode evolves into something rather claustrophobic in a way. Jessica and her mother are mostly in a room discussing about their past and what the two remember. It’s interesting in that Jessica’s memories don’t jive with what her mother depicts as the reality. It brings up in a way how we look at our childhoods with rose colored glasses.

In the end, Jessica must figure out what to do with her mother and how to deal with her outside of their dungeon.

Malcolm confronts Trish about her addiction but all of that gets cut short when Jessica tells them the whole investigation of IGH is off. And, while Malcolm attempts to do good, Trish eventually becomes a bad influence. It’s interesting to see her become the “bad guy” in this case. She’s the addict and dealer bringing down others.

But that’s not where the interactions end. Jeri and Inez have some back and forth that’s intriguing. Jeri wants to learn more about Inez and Inez learns about Jeri, and we do so as well. They both represent hope to each other in some ways. Inez sees that Jeri has made herself from nothing and Inez gives Jeri hope for a cure. There’s also Inez’s scars which clearly remind Jeri of her own. The mixing of all of this with sexual emotions is an interesting one and in ways reflects Jessica’s relationship with Oscar.

There’s some interesting stuff in Malcolm doing the work for Jeri and he digs up dirt on her partners. How that plays out, I’m a little uncomfortable with as it both feels uncreative but also has some bad tropes about it. Realistic? Sure. But, for a show that’s so good in some ways, there’s some cringy moments. And maybe that’s the point?

The episode in a way is the quiet before the storm as relationships advance. It’s those final moments that really matter. The episode is a step back from the excellence of the previous one and while delivering interesting character interactions, it slows things down as they begin to ramp up.

Overall Rating: 7.15