‘Hightown’ Episode 5: Jackie shows how an addict’s obsession can do more harm than good
Since the beginning of 'Hightown', Jackie Quinones (Monica Raymund) was not a character that one could sympathize with. Her addiction to various substances including all kinds of alcohol, weed, cocaine influenced her to make decisions that were self-destructive. In one case she even ended up harming the life of another woman in an attempt to enjoy a thrill ride while both were flying high on multiple substances.
What is worse was her reaction to having inflicted this on the other woman. She joined a rehabilitation center purely to ensure that the charges against her were dropped down to misconduct instead of a felony which would lead to time in jail if she was found guilty. She did not even stick it out at the rehab when the rules didn't suit her taste and the doctor didn't indulge in her obsession with finding the truth about Sherry; the girl that Jackie had found washed up on the shores of P-Town.
It was expected that somewhere, an arc for redemption would be introduced and we would begin to see Jackie as more than a selfish woman running behind the next high. However, in episode 5, we are certain that there is no way up for Jackie. After two weeks of being sober, Jackie had fallen off the wagon in episode 4. All the noise that she had made about finding who Krista Collins (Crystal Lake Evans) is and her connection to Sherry has led to Krista's death and Jackie is not even aware of how she is responsible for a woman's death.
Krista was brought to Osito's (Atkins Estimond) attention because of Jackie and it was also because of her that Krista was left without a sponsor. Krista also served herself up on a platter to Osito when she went in looking for a fix after her sponsor abandoned her. She had been giving sexual favors in return for sponsorship, however, her sponsor was not ready to accept the risk that came with Krista after Jackie blackmailed him into releasing information about him to his wife.
What is worse is that for Krista all of this was life and death but for Jackie, she treats it like a game that will distract her from her own life. So when Jackie was downing one drink after another and hanging out with two other women who wanted to join her on a fun "rescue mission", she goes along with the idea. When the two other women get bored after getting kicked out of a cab that they had hired, Jackie doesn't think too much and returns with them. At this time, however, Krista breathed her last. This careless treatment of the lives that Jackie is affecting shows how callous she is even when she claims to be doing all of this for the best of Krista.
'Hightown' episodes drop every Sunday on Starz.