'I Know This Much Is True' Episode 2 Preview: The past comes back to haunt Dominick as he tries to save Thomas
Spoilers for 'I Know This Much Is True'
The series 'I Know This Much Is True' is based on the bestselling novel by Wally Lamb and written and directed by Derek Cianfrance and stars Mark Ruffalo in a double role as the Birdsey brothers. It's premiere last week on May 10 showcased the intensity of the show and what's to come. Geared up for six episodes, the series takes us into the life of brothers Thomas and Dominick Birdsey, their relationship and their family life.
Thomas has paranoid schizophrenia and we're shown the depths his mind can dive into as he cut off his hand in the previous episode. Through flashbacks of their younger days, the first episode introduced us to their personalities, their step-father Ray Birdsey (John Procaccino), their mother's (Melissa Leo) death, and how Dominick has always taken care of his brother. We are taken into different phases of the brother's lives and how as twins, they are stuck with each other in a way that can seem to Dominick as a huge sacrifice.
Towards the end of the emotional first episode, we see Thomas being taken to a prison-like facility after he has a violent breakdown at a library. We see Dominick struggle to get his brother back to the home he used to stay in, where his brother felt safe. In the same breath, we are shown the way people with mental illness are treated by a system that refuses to acknowledge emotion or sentiment.
For the second episode, we could speculate whether we get to see if Dominick does get his brother out, or if not, how does Thomas fare in a place that looks at him like a criminal? Dominick had begged officials to get in touch with Thomas's social worker and doctor, and in the upcoming episode, we get to meet social worker Lisa Sheffer (Rosie O'Donnell) and Thomas's psychiatrist, Dr Patel (Archie Panjabi). Are they as empathetic with Thomas as Dominick is, or do they believe that, since the passing of the brothers' mother, Thomas has progressively gotten worse?
We also get into the narrative of the fact that Thomas's breakdown in a violet library that saw him cut his hand off, has gained media attention. It doesn't look like Dominick will leave his brother to media's scrutiny, but how long can he keep them away for?
The way the series has been started, we can expect further flashbacks into the brothers' lives, especially the way they were brought up and what is their mother hiding behind their biological father's identity? Small events such as school field trips, had affected Dominick's lives in ways that he's now able to express, years later. We're hoping Dr Patel is able to give insight on this.
You can watch the preview released by HBO here.
The synopsis reads, "Tensions arise between Dominick and his girlfriend, Joy, as the media takes an interest in Thomas's case; Dominick finds a potential ally in social worker Lisa Sheffer but clashes with Thomas's psychiatrist, Dr. Patel, as she probes into his past."
'I Know This Much Is True' airs Sundays at 9 pm EST on HBO.
