One thing this episode has to tie up, or continue, is the
remains of Andreas’s terrible terrible storyline. Now dead, his body is delivered
to Peter to deal with.
Peter is, naturally, kind of torn up about having caused
his own friend’s death to try and avoid a gang war, especially since said
friend is engaged to his cousin who is even now stressing about his absence,
shopping for wedding gowns and ominously bleeding on some very over priced
fabric (and is biscuit a colour? Really?)
Peter breaks down while he and Roman try to pursue the
often forgotten main plot and ends up beating up PI Isaac after Roman and he
discover he’s also working with Olivia (this comes with some typical but
unnecessary misogyny thrown at Olivia by Roman, of course, as it always does).
Roman helps Peter with the body – but Peter insists
Andreas gets a funeral so his body needs to be found – and Destiny comforted
which is going to be extremely awkward and emotionally draining for Peter. This
promises to be a painful, powerful, wrecking storyline to say the least
While Olivia, having being rebuffed by Shelly (more than
that later) decides the easiest path (after speaking with Isaac) is to check in
on third child who hasn’t had to spend any time with her so doesn’t know how
terribad she is. She tries to connect with Annie, comparing pasts and
philosophies. It’s… awwwkward. While Olivia really tried and Annie really
tries, ultimately they’re very different people. Olivia is very jaded, has been
hurt too many times and generally considers vampires to be natural predatory
species and who cares about the humans they’re chomping on. While Annie has
pursued a career in medicine to atone for the lives she once took – and she is
now dedicated to not hurting people. She has met men, loved them, raised
families and even if she lost them to time she has a much more hopeful and
faithful view of life – but it comes with a lot of hatred for what she is.
The conflict between them is going to be interesting to
see develop – because they both have something to offer the other and something
to destroy the other: Olivia’s self-confidence and faith in her species could
save Annie. While Annie’s faith and hope and positivity can save Olivia.
Conversely, their negativity is super destructive when combined
Ok, let’s hit the hot mess of Johann. A few episodes ago
we had the strong indication that Johann is gay, deeply closeted and clearly
having some severe conflict over that
We now have Johann hooking up with a guy – anonymously,
in a sauna, with drugs and in the dark because he can’t handle it in the light.
We have a hot mess of tropes right there, but to top this off, the sex scene is interrupted by childhood flashbacks of Johann and his abusive daddy. Yes, we have a gay man having anonymous sex and that sex scene is inherently linked to his traumatic childhood – the 80s called, they want their storyline back. Aren’t we past “man has sex with men because of traumatic daddy issues”? Really?
Especially since we have to remember the only other LGBT
representation we’ve had has been Clementine in season one who… oh yes, had
anonymous sex (with a sex worker) and had deep seated mental problems as well. Hemlock Grove this shit is dubious to
pull once, doing a repeat speaks volumes.
I do have a shred of hope, a tiny shred of hope that we
have Johann preparing to come out at the end of the episode and it won’t be a
totally awful storyline. Except this is Hemlock
Grove. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
The best storyline by far is Shelly. Shelly is growing
and changing and developing in particular she has been growing in confidence
for a very long time over this season. It has been powerful to see and she
starts with some strength this episode – she certainly has considerable
confidence in her physical capabilities, happily tossing around violent people
who threaten her. But with Aitor’s endless (and slightly creepy support) she
finds more confidence in herself, confidence in her appearance (there’s an
excellent moment where she considers make up and declares that Aitor will have
to accept her as she is – a scene rather diminished by her digging up a Black
maid along the way). It cumulates in her
facing down her mother (and the reminder of why Shelly has such low confidence
with Olivia’s endless contempt of her) and finally going on a date with Aitor.
I have a horrible feeling it’s all going to collapse but
in the meantime, Shelly is the storyline which keeps me holding on
