'City on a Hill' Season 1 Episode 4 review: The women finally find their voice amidst a din of misogynistic roars
This review contains spoilers for 'City on a Hill' Episode 4: 'The Wickedness Of The Wicked Shall Be Upon Himself'
It took three episodes for Showtime's 'City On a Hill' to build momentum and, with episode 4, the storyline moves a tad bit faster.
The focus is once again on the four leading characters who have their own problems and struggle to come to a solution.
However, before we dig deeper into the lives of the leading ladies in the show, here's a quick recap of what happens in the fourth episode.
The criminal side of the series takes precedence in 'The Wickedness Of The Wicked Shall Be Upon Himself.'
The episode also ties up the first loose end as it shows the return of Jimmy Ryan (Mark O'Brien) who goes missing after ratting about the armed robbery van sunk at the bottom of Lynne Marsh. He is shown to be captured by the FBI in Miami, where he is intercepted by Jackie Rohr (Kevin Bacon).
Meanwhile, Frankie Ryan (Jonathan Tucker) and Cathy Ryan (Amanda Clayton) have problems with their kid who is struggling with nightmares, owing to the negative vibes in the family ever since the bank heist that Frankie and Co. pull off.
In what may please fans, Reverend Jasper Fields has a charge against him that may not just deface his position, but could also impact the way he goes about trying to set the city right in his own way. It is revealed that he sexually harassed Kayla Willy (MaYaa Boateng), one of his members of the coalition, by asking her to take pictures of herself in her swimsuit and send it to him.
There is much light shed on the Kelly Kinicki case that Decourcy Ward (Aldis Hodge) takes charge of in court as he questions Tommy Hayes (James Micheal Cummings) and rattles one of the other suspects in the case. Rohr is pretty much Rohr—bribe-taking, slyly threatening and smooth-talking his way to get work done. But he still adds value to Decourcy's cases.
Just like the third episode, the focus remains on the leading ladies of the series.
To start with, there's Jill Hennessey's Jenny Rohr. The actress shines brilliantly in playing the role of a wife who, she says, has "had the path chosen for her" rather than choose one herself. Hennessey delivers a strong performance as a woman who is trying to be listened to and loved.
Going by her interactions with Rohr, you notice that she loves her husband but finds it hard to accept the man he's become.
While Cathy doesn't necessarily face trouble from her husband (she would just slap the wits out of him if he did cause any), she finds it hard to get through to her daughter Kick Ryan (Blake Baumgartner).
Lastly, the talented detective in Ward's office, Rachel Benham (Sarah Shahi), digs out leads, finds important clues and does all the painstaking work, while also trying to fend off Rohr's flirty advances and putting up with a team that thinks she's somehow getting lucky.
What shines through all this are her witty replies to Rohr when he tries to get her attention and asks her out. "Yeah, a saggy-b****d whiskey d**k old man is exactly what I need." And then later: "I’m not gonna be your minor conquest because you’re feeling vulnerable."
Episode 4 doesn't really introduce something new. Everybody just does what they have been doing.
But then, the women get a chance to speak up.
Each character in the show has their own story to share, but each time they try to come out on top, they find out that the earth doesn't necessarily revolve around them.
'City on a Hill' is still an impressive show and delivers exactly what it promised.