'Clarice' Episode 3 'Are You Alright?' Spoilers: Will Clarice 'snap' while interrogating a murder suspect?
In last week's Episode 2, we saw Clarice Starling (Rebecca Breeds) earn the trust of at least some of her colleagues such as sharp-shooter Tomas Esquivel (Lucca De Oliveira). We also got some insight into Clarice's past and her childhood. The show chose to alter what we know of the character with that bit of retconning. Instead of being the only child orphaned at 10 when her father, a police sheriff, is shot dead, we get a Clarice who had a younger brother and sister.
In 'The Ghosts of Highway', the flashbacks focused on Clarice's brother and the day the Starling family found out their father had been shot. Clarice had to cope with her memories as she confronted Novak (Tim Guinee), the leader of a group of militant secessionists called the "Statesmen". She finds a young boy trapped by the group who reminded her of her little brother.
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What to expect in Episode 3 'Are You Alright'
When Clarice returns tonight with Episode 3 titled 'Are you Alright', expect similar flashbacks. But these will center more around recent traumas vis a vis the terrifying Buffalo Bill. The official synopsis of the episode reads: "In order to prove to Krendler and the VICAP team that she is fit for duty, Clarice must find the psychological key that will unlock a confession from the suspect in the three river murders."
In the trailer for the episode, we see her facing the suspect, Karl Wellig (Kris Holden-Ried) who is a tough nut to crack. In her initial assessment of his demeanor, Clarice is surprised about how he doesn't seem scared of the agents at all, despite being in custody. She is instructed to "be with him" till he "snaps". But as Clarice sees a moth settle on her hand, the question is, will Wellig snap before her or will she?
We also see glimpses of Kal Penn's character Shaan Tripathi run down the stairs trying to locate someone, but he is too late. With a PhD in library science, Tripathi is VICAP team's resident nerdboy who knows how to link up leads and analyze seemingly disparate sets of information. His run downstairs is prompted by something an officer tells him. So it is possible that he spoke to someone who gives him information and he only later realizes that the person he met could be connected to the murders and the suspect?
Clarice's relationship with her team hinges on her getting him to talk. So, we look forward to 'Hannibal Lecter'-style prison interviews, where we will see Clarice play a psychological game of one-upmanship with the suspect. But who will win?
'Clarice' Episode 3 airs on Thursday, February 25, at 10 pm ET/PT on the CBS Television Network.
