'Run' Episode 2 sees Billy and Ruby's sexual escapade meet anticlimactic end while her husband has cut her off
'Run' in its second episode sees Billy (Domhnall Gleeson) and Ruby (Merritt Wever) end up in the roomette that has been "turned down" and Ruby's first thought is sex. So was Billy's but he is disturbed by the fact that Ruby now has a family of her own and so he is hesitant. Ruby is unaware that Billy knows about her family and so she continues to hope that Billy and herself can have some sexy times together in the roomette. Instead, it becomes a psychologically charged 30 minutes as the two of them face rejection in different ways.
Firstly, Billy rejects Ruby because he is unable to stop thinking of the life that she has built. Unable to accept this rejection after initiating the sex herself, Ruby decides to have it out with Billy and tells him that the only reason she decided to hop on this trip was to have sex and if Billy cannot give it to her, then she will take it from whoever leaves the bathroom next. It is apparent that the two of them have always argued and stood toe-to-toe arguing a lot and this time is no different.
The man who comes out of the bathroom is a hot looking dude named Derek and Ruby approaches him as Dolores and even goes to the extent of inviting him over to her roomette. Once inside, Derek seems to have understood the situation exactly right and offers to help her out and stays with her, and just when he is about to leave he tries to initiate "sexy talk" with Ruby but that fails terribly. She is so inhibited that she is unable to address her desires in words. In fact, this gives an interesting insight into the kind of person Ruby is.
Initially, Ruby thinks about using this little tete-a-tete to her advantage, but decides against it and tells him the truth. Instead, Billy decides to distract her and the two of them start playing drinking games, and with Derek too. The two of them have a lot of fun with their new friend, but Ruby really hasn't forgotten what she really wanted in the first place out of this trip.
Just when she is about to ask him one more time, Billy says something that ruins the happy mood that Ruby had managed to build so far. Somehow, mentioning how she doesn't look 19 anymore triggers all of Ruby's self-worth issues and in seconds, her self-esteem drops down as well. It is interesting, because the more she doubts herself, the angrier she gets at Billy because she believes that he is the one who has started her off on the destructive line of thoughts.
So Ruby decides that it is time for her to get off this exciting ride and go back home. She gets off the train and she even decides to apologize to her husband, and in an attempt to get herself back home she tries to withdraw cash at an ATM and realizes that all her cards are now declined. She calls home and hears the voicemail recording that announces to everyone who calls her home that she has abandoned her family and that no one knows where she is at the moment. The message also clearly indicates that her husband doesn't care about where she ended up either. The look that she has on her face is not just shock, but disbelief as well.
How will she get back home without cash, or transport now that she has gotten off her train? The very sexy beginning of the show definitely turned out anti-climactic, for Ruby at least.
New episodes of 'Run' releases on Sundays on HBO.
