Last Looks

Firstly, no way do I agree that you can feel bad for the murderer he's a misogynist manipulative creep. Even creepier that he loves his funeral parlour work so much and wants his wife to feel and do the same!

Secondly, I don't agree with the last episode's mainly assessment of bad it was really good and Cynthia Erivo is magnificent in a 5 part role - who has ever done that! Katie Holmes in this one is great too.

This episode is even a bit better but unfortunately much creepier. In both a fun and sinister way. The chilling song called Sleep Walk we hear throughout is very David Lynch. Charlie gets herself into a lot of peril in this one too. But of course we know somehow she'll get out of it as she always does. Though she gets out of one and the episode ends with a much worse one.

The show and Charlie is starting to grow on me.

Giancarlo Esposito gave a great performance, it has a similar feel resembling the first seasons episode "Escape From Shit Mountain" which is still my favorite so far from this series. However, this episode gave a throwback to the thriller/horror genre of the early 1970's and was just a great watch overall. It does have a tragic overtone to it and asks the question what would you do to achieve your dream which in this series is a common occurrence but unlike previous entries we see how it is perceived by the significant other. Great beginning to only what we can hope will be an even greater season.

As my oldest daughter and I watched "Last Looks" we both realized something unusual for "Pokerface"...in this story we actually sympathized with the killer. That isn't to mean we thought he did the right thing...but we could understand why he killed and the victim brought some of this on herself. This is very unusual and the writers (including Natasha Lyonne) did a great job.

The story is set at a funeral home. It seems the funeral director's wife has invited in some movie crew to film a horror movie there...and he's not thrilled with this. It seems the funeral director sees his job as a family calling...a sacred trust. But this trust is in jeopardy when the wife announces she's leaving him...and she's going to force him to sell the business which has been in his family for many generations. What he does next isn't surprising...and Charlie comes to the rescue.

Giancarlo Esposito is a particular standout in the story. What a fine actor. And the story is really interesting and with some interesting twists. Well worth seeing and a sadder than usual tale...especially at the end.

Esposito and Holmes give wonderful performances - Esposito was equal parts despicable and sympathetic, and Holmes was so likable, bubbly, repressed, convincingly but not cloyingly innocent. However, the mystery itself, specifically the way the truth unraveled, lacked season 1's feelings of stakes and tension. It felt like Lyonne was inorganically fed clues one by one until the action at the end, which to the episode's credit, did feel very satisfying (hence the 6/10; I originally went for 5). Lacks season 1's rewatchability, for the simple reason that every episode feels like it's racing to the end, but not in a dramatic way-- no, it feels like the writer is hurrying us along to the last scenes without any joy or excitement. It's much less clever than it's predecessor.

It is fun at the funeral parlour. Fred Finch (Giancarlo Esposito) has been dedicated to the family firm Finch and Sons Funeral Home.

His wife Greta Finch (Katie Holmes) has had enough, she wants out of the marriage and out of the funeral home. She is going to Miami and Fred kills her.

The idea came from a movie that is being shot in the funeral home. A murder scene and Greta was all for it, as they go good money for their property being used for a movie shoot.

Charlie Cale gets involved as someone wanted to use her car for the movie and she would get paid cash in hand. She befriended Greta.

Giancarlo Esposito has become the go to creepy bad guy these days in Hollywood. He shows some vulnerability here. Unusually Charlie does not catch on to him immediately.