'Lovecraft Country' Episode 3: After surviving ghosts, sex and racist neighbors, is it the end for Tic and Leti?
There's something ever so powerful and momentous about pairing gospel music with action-packed scenes of gunfights and exorcism that HBO's 'Lovecraft Country' can't seem to get enough of. In what appears as a mostly standalone episode, weeks have passed since the events of Ardham, Episode 3: 'Holy Ghost' kicks off as with a respite following the tragic death of Atticus Freeman aka Tic's (Jonathan Majors) beloved uncle George.
His mostly drunk father and George's wife Hippolyta's burning need to know what really happened to her husband makes it near impossible for Tic to be around the lot. His only alternative at a stay is Letitia Lewis (Jurnee Smollett) who's bought a boarding house in a White neighborhood. Once again, Tic and Leti's nightmares are both supernatural and human - on one hand, are the ghosts of the boarding house's past and on the other hand, are the cross-burning neighbors ready to attack the Black people in their territory. The question that remains to be answered is whether the duo's relationship or whatever's budding made obvious by that sex scene - will survive it all.
For all those guessing just where did the consistent 'f**k up' Leti find all of that money to buy a house - she inherited it from her mother. Surprising as it might sound considering their terrible relationship, it is less than impressive plot mechanics we have to blame for the haphazard placement of events in the story. The abrupt cut-offs have been an issue with 'Lovecraft Country' ever since its pilot, but we shall let that slide this time because Leti's agenda is being driven by forces one wouldn't expect. Leti, blissfully unaware, claims the money came from her mother, causing a huge blow-up between her and Ruby about selfishness. The money however came from Christina Braithwaite, who wanted the house bought for reasons both unknown and unclear. Sadly, that reveal isn't able to help whatever's left between Tic and Leti.
But before we jump into that, special mention goes to every single ounce of horror Leti faces in Winthrop Manor. Cut out as a classic haunted house story, 'Holy Ghost' is as impressive as it gets, matching the likes of 'The Haunting of Hill House' that gave Netflix huge popularity with. Creaking boilers, jawless figures and an in-house elevator on a bloodride - there's nothing amiss. On the inside is original owner's racist spirit, struggling to drive out the house's current Black occupants. The owner - based on a true story of revolutionary White doctors experimenting on Black slaves - can't wait to kick Leti and co. out. His counterparts aka the White neighborhood, can't stop attacking all those inside the house by burning a cross in their yard and tying bricks to their horns to cause incessant noise.
All of this in the backdrop of the housewarming party is both poignant and symbolic. Finally, fed up with their harassment, when Leti decides to smash the car windows with a baseball bat, the gospel music playing in the background makes everything much more phenomenal and cathartic. For a second, we forget about the retaliation to come imminently. And so do Leti and Tic, as they have passionate sex moments after Leti flirts with another man at the party.
Showrunner Misha Green wrote the episode and the sequence in which she ties everything together is exciting to follow. Smollett is compelling in every breath she takes as Leti, with Majors arriving as the most worthy counterpart to her worries and woes. One of their most iconic chemistry exhibited through the scene where Leti is smashing windows and Tic asks the people inside the house to be prepared with guns. After an arrest and harassment at the hands of the police simply for standing up for herself, Leti digs up the house's past and brings in a mystic to exorcise the house. Animal sacrifice spills over to spirits swarming in, right when the racist neighbors decide to attack again. The inevitable happens and they are taken out one by one in a gruesome, bloody manner - something that calls for a due nod to the special effects team.
Yet after surviving all of this, somewhere Tic and Leti's story remains incomplete. Tic discovers Christina had sent Leti the money and confronts her. Charismatic as she might be, Lee's Christina is mostly monotonous and boring. Based on what we know, buying the house somehow gets Christina to her original goal of obtaining a magical book that will help her yield the same powers her now-deceased father did. It's all kinds of confusing but manages to shake things up between Leti and Tic for good. Confrontation and confusion later, what really remains is an unexplored chemistry torn apart by myths and lore that frankly aren't as captivating as the current horror plaguing them. Here's hoping this isn't the end of their dynamics which continues showing potential.
'Lovecraft Country' airs on Sundays at 9 pm only on HBO.