'Lovecraft Country' Episode 2 Review: [Spoiler's] death raises burning question, is Montrose real dad of Atticus?
Drama, comedy, death. The second episode of HBO's brand new show 'Lovecraft Country', based on Matt Ruff's book of the same name, takes us through choppy but gripping course of what's next on Atticus Freeman's (Jonathan Majors) journey as he tries to find out what happened to his parents.
Atticus's journey saw him tag along with two confidants — his Uncle George (Courtney B Vance) and his childhood friend Letitia Lewis (Jurnee Smollett) — both indispensable parts of their plan. Reclaiming one's birthright as true Lovecraftian warriors in an ocean filled with White dominance in the secret magical artifacts of their realm isn't an easy task. Neither is surviving as a Black man in America. Continuously inspired to reclaim what's his, even though others don't want him to take it, Atticus is finally taught the most indispensable lesson of all. And while death clouds the final minutes of the episode, it is the spectacular montage of Atticus finally unleashing his powers with the titular 'Whiteys on the Moon' song playing in the background that has our hearts.
The episode kicks off with Uncle George and Letitia inside the gigantic Braithwhite mansion the trio had arrived at, at the end of the pilot. Leti can be seen dancing amidst the lavish opulence of the mansion to 'The Jeffersons' theme song and you know its foreshadowing something far more sinister than their innocent selves can imagine. We see Uncle George and Leti pretty much fit the same tailored constraints their characters had been bestowed with in the pilot. In terms of development, there isn't much. These are characters impossible to dislike and the show seizes that advantage, working it to its benefit without any build-up whatsoever. Its a common thing to fear for a character's fate once they have said something deeply wholesome or profound about what they'd like to do in the future, so with those swords dangling above the trios head, viewers too are transferred into the magical dangers of the mansion.
The HBO miniseries that follows the story of Atticus Freeman claiming his birthright in the Lovecraftian world sees him finally unleash what he's made off. After navigating the murky and threat-filled waters of the mansion, Atticus and his friends find themselves prisoners at the hands of Samuel Braithwhite, owner of the mansion and presumably the father of the mysterious lady in the silver car that kept tailing Atticus. Ironically, Samuel ushers them through the grandness of the mansion and its assembled guests, urging them to participate in whatever cult level black-suit soiree is going on when they arrive. Soon, however, Uncle George protests to their practices and the trio become prisoners running for their lives.
This is where they finally encounter Montrose. Atticus's father has been a prisoner of the Braithwhite's all this time. Of course, there's no escaping the grasp of the Braithwhites, and things end with Samuel shooting both Letitia and Uncle George. Their only way out is Atticus participating in a magical ritual that Samuel hopes will open a door to the Garden of Eden. And this is where satire breathes a fresh air of irony into the current stream of things on the show. On one hand, we have Atticus and company nearly killed thrice by racist whiteys on the planet in just the first episode. On the other hand, we have a whole bunch of sour White people too hesitant to give one single seat up for a Black man. And these parallels are something 'Lovecraft Country' highlights and contrasts to sheer perfection with expertly timed hilarious social commentary.
In the backdrop of Tic's PTSD from Korea and Leti's sister struggling to get a job because of the color of her skin, Samuel's privileged goals aren't just shallow but simply ostentatious. The fact that he even thinks the human race can be fixed by a Garden of Eden like humans don't ruin everything they touch, no matter how pristine, is vapid and reeks of a privilege Atticus can only run away from. No wonder when the climax hits and Atticus unleashes his powers amid the magical rituals, watching Samuel turn into stone as the Braithwhite mansion comes crashing down is satisfying to say the least.
This, followed by a crushing character death is only amplified by Majors' skills as an actor as Atticus learns that Uncle George couldn't make it out alive of the catastrophe that befell the mansion after he was shot. In those moments, as Atticus sees George collapsed on Montrose's frame, the show does a remarkable job of questioning who Atticus's real father is. Sure, he was closer to his uncle than his father, but is it possible that George was the real father? At one point in the whitey soiree, George and the trio are forced to hallucinate visions of Atticus's dead mother Dora. "This isn’t real. You’re dead," George tells his brother Montrose’s wife. "Dance with me anyway," she replies almost too promptly, thus teasing that there was more than just what we might have been led to believing the relationship was between the two. That would also explain Montrose's weariness towards his own son, whether he has known it all along is a mystery we can expect to unfold later.
The other mystery that sparks intrigue is the character of Christina Braithwhite (Abbey Lee) — the trio's mysterious savior in the silver car. It's obvious she wants powers she is being denied out of the cult's discrimination against women. Considering she tries to get Atticus on her side, the prospect of an ally is always open. But her loyalties also lie elsewhere so it will be a fun game to witness. That and of course, more of her helping a cow give birth to a baby Shoggoth. There's no dearth to these ridiculously unexpected yet blissfully entertaining moments on the show. Two episodes in and they definitely could set a steady pace and sequence of characters, but otherwise, a decent successor to the pilot.
'Lovecraft Country' airs on Sundays at 9 pm only on HBO.
