S02.E08: The Last Grenelle

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

Miles is shocked when the clues he began following in Paris lead him to Gideon, who had friend suggestions years ago before making a fateful decision to leave the God Account behind.

Airing Sunday, November 17, 2019.

 

[mommalib]

A touching episode as always.

They better leave Miles and Cara alone or I will riot.

[Nilknarf]

Just really sad about Jaya breaking up with Rajesh. 
But I am also not in favor of them messing with the Miles/Cara relationship. I like them together so much. But Gideon’s warning to Miles; combined with the preview of next week, when they disagree... NOOOO!

As for Trish and Arthur, I predict weeks of will they/won’t they before she decides if  he is able to “balance” both worlds and I’m not that invested in them. 

[Lonesome Rhodes]

My favorite episode.  It's great that some genuine consequences have come to the "prophets" and their loved ones.  The God Account is a jealous God Account.  

I truly love that we got through Gideon a fallen prophet who is paying a severe price.  All he wanted was a loving wife and children.  How can that not be what GA wants for him?  How can GA ask so freaking much of anyone?  Excellent questions of faith, these are.  Kudos to the show for raising them so well.

Trish got her answer.  Arthur could not even agree to a "once in awhile" commitment that he would make sure she knew she was of supreme importance to him.  HE is the one who made it an all or nothing proposition.  It is ARTHUR who wants freedom from commitment to a love greater than the one he imagines as a Bishop.  The very same tree Gideon is uncomfortably perched upon.  Good on Trish for calling him on his selfishness and wanting things all ways.

Gideon, on the other hand, chose poorly.  He believes GA is God Himself.  And he chose a mortal.  Not good.  The question of carrying out God's will over our own, even when our will seems for all the world a fine and honorable calling, is as core as it gets.  

The very deep irony of this show, and of Christian faith history (Gideon's and Miles' God is the Christian one), is that prophets almost always pay a severe price, classically loneliness and even ostracization.  Well, here we have a happyhappy show and now comes this truth.  Wow.  

I am convinced Rakesh is correct in that it is not a done deal that Miles' path is to be like Gideon's.  However, Miles is well past the point where he will know fulfillment unless he is actively a disciple and prophet of the GA.  Cara acts like she is cool with the GA and its implications.  But, is she really?  I have my doubts.  If she isn't all-in to being second-best to the GA, she is 100% NOT the one for Miles.  So far, it appears that their teamwork is being blessed.  This is an indication that marriage would be GA-sanctified.  Of course, that can change.

Jaya revealed herself for the hyper-aggressive selfish woman she is.  It's a great trait professionally-speaking to be as driven as she is and to compartmentalize.  Here, my gut says it has become a cross.  In any event, Run Rakesh!  The same way Trish and Gideon knew what was best, take the massive hint and move on.  Her goals are NOT yours!!!!!!!!  I honor her truth-telling.  I fear the fate she has chosen.  Will she, can she, ever really know love?  Not on this path.  No way.

Finally, Gideon.  How can he believe he is with the right woman?  God Himself chose him.  And she almost demonically threatens him for wrestling with such an enormous truth.  Even if this was a final task, Gideon saw her for what she is.  Godly, she is not.  How can he continue with her? 

Oh, man.  I know TPTB will not allow the profound conflicts to be played out beyond the surface.   Cheap and easy "solutions" will be the order of the day.  But, for this one ep at least, this show delivered magnificently on its promise.  I am grateful.

[twoods]

Poor Rakesh. That was brutal. Jaya just stomped on his heart after he said they were soulmates. 

Trish is also selfish. Loving someone means making sacrifices to make them happy and meeting in the middle. I’m glad  that she figured that out and went back to support Arthur but I hope she doesn’t start whining when he’s spending time with his job. 

I liked Gideon (hi George from GA). I hope Miles and Cara don’t break up but things don’t look good. 

[Brian Cronin]

I missed that Erica Gimpel was added to the cast this season (she was credited last episode despite not even being in the episode). Sort of takes away a bit of the drama of whether Arthur and Trish will work things out. 

[Yeah No]

This was the first episode so far this season that felt more like last season in a good way, with only a few gripes, lol.

My heart broke for Rakesh.  I almost expected another guy there at the party with Jaya when Rakesh crashed it.  Her telling Rakesh that dating these people her parents are setting her up with was "nothing" looks like it could have been a lie.  The sad part about it is that without her parents' meddling in their relationship she and Rakesh would have continued dating until perhaps in the future both of them were ready for marriage to each other.  And that would have been fine.  Despite the proposal, I don't think Rakesh really is ready for marriage, as he said himself, he just wanted to do whatever it took to be with her.  And thinking that's what it took because that's what her parents wanted, he asked her.  And it's sad because that was the wrong move at the wrong time.  I can't really blame Jaya for turning him down because marriage right now wasn't what either of them wanted anyway.  I don't think that means she never loved him or doesn't still love him.  What I do think is that her parents sabotaged their relationship.  I don't know if it will be possible for them to ever get back together, but in my experience, if they really love each other they will eventually be able to overcome any obstacle.

I still don't get what the big deal is with Trish.  I don't think Arthur is deluding himself about balancing his duties as bishop with his marriage.  He's a big boy that will work it out with her, and it's not like married priests are unheard of in the Episcopal church.  It is actually more the norm and the entire church is structured in such a way to accommodate it.  I don't know why the show wants to make following a calling to serve God an either/or proposition that's incompatible with a committed relationship.  Now with Gideon on the scene and what he told Miles, it's like that's the new big threat to their relationship (the guy at work is another one looming).  I don't believe that the actual God would ask people to make that sacrifice on his behalf or I wouldn't be a Protestant that believes in a married clergy.  And now we're supposed to worry that this jealous and possessive "God" will ask Miles to sacrifice Cara?  BS!!!!   

On another note, I find it interesting that Arthur, a priest, doesn't believe that God is behind the God Account.   I flip flop on that myself.  Especially this season the GA seems way too all knowing to be the product of any present level of human generated technology.

[Trini]

I know they gave some hope for Arthur and Trish, but they broke up two couples tonight! This is supposed to my feel good show! At first I wasn't invested in Rakesh and Jaya, but they've grown on me, and I hope this isn't the end for them.

Do not like them saying (re: Miles and Gideon) that it's either prophet, or love. That's just dumb; and Biblically speaking, there were a number of single prophets, but that's not actually a requirement. There were also prophets with spouses and families too.

Also Gideon's wife seemed weirdly opposed to the God Account stuff - weird because they didn't give an explanation. Maybe there were valid reasons but we'll never know; it seemed extreme that she left with the son(?) just because he talked to Miles.

I just don't like all this extra relationship drama they're throwing at everyone. And they could have still done this story with Arthur and Trish trying to balance the new relationship with his new role as Bishop, without the back and forth of him quitting the ministry - and then coming back - and them getting engaged and breaking up. Seems like they didn't really have a plan when they introduced those elements at the end of last season.

So the painting mystery is solved, but we're still not much closer to who/what is behind the God Account. I assume a new clue will be coming soon-ish?

That 4-year-old did not paint that, whatever, show!

[Brian Cronin]

1 hour ago, Trini said:

Also Gideon's wife seemed weirdly opposed to the God Account stuff - weird because they didn't give an explanation. Maybe there were valid reasons but we'll never know; it seemed extreme that she left with the son(?) just because he talked to Miles.

Yeah, holy shit, she went from 0-60 out of nowhere. It was really weird. 

[Yeah No]

6 hours ago, Trini said:

Also Gideon's wife seemed weirdly opposed to the God Account stuff - weird because they didn't give an explanation. Maybe there were valid reasons but we'll never know; it seemed extreme that she left with the son(?) just because he talked to Miles.

Yeah, they made her look almost like Trish in that she couldn't share her spouse with a calling.  I interpreted her facial expressions in her first scene as fear coming from jealousy and possessiveness.  Granted, we don't really know the extent to which Gideon neglected his relationship with her when he was working with the GA.  It could have been that he really couldn't balance the GA with marriage and family, but like you and others I don't like it that the show chose to make it look like an either/or choice.

I woke up this morning wondering what the GA was doing for 5 years in between Gideon's last friend suggestion (Audrey) and Miles.  Unless I misunderstood something, the show made it sound like Gideon was right before Miles but with a 5 year gap couldn't there have been someone else between them?  I wonder if now we're going to get "treated" to yet another previous person (or people) coming out of the woodwork.

Edited November 18, 2019 by Yeah No

[Empress1]

6 hours ago, Trini said:

Also Gideon's wife seemed weirdly opposed to the God Account stuff - weird because they didn't give an explanation. Maybe there were valid reasons but we'll never know; it seemed extreme that she left with the son(?) just because he talked to Miles.

I thought so too. Maybe the God Account was taking up all his time and he couldn't focus on the wife and child? It felt very extreme to me for her to be like "You're doing something that helps people and makes you feel fulfilled? I'm leaving!" I mean, if he were a teacher - a demanding job that requires a lot of time and energy and helps people - would she have a problem with that? If he volunteered at a soup kitchen in his spare time, would she have a problem with that?

I was side-eyeing Jaya; that date excuse felt flimsy to me, and at some point her parents would have been pushing her to marry whoever else they set her up with since they thought she was single. This secret dating stuff wasn't sustainable and I'm actually glad Rakesh forced the issue even though it didn't go the way he wanted it to. It seems to me that if you're not mature enough to stand up to your parents, you're not mature enough to be in a relationship. It wasn't even about the "romantic comedy" - what does that even mean? - it's about being able to be in an actual relationship with someone without sneaking around, and he does deserve that. She was asking too much of him. I liked when Ali pointed out that Rakesh wasn't wired for pretending he didn't care when he did - he wasn't about that "cool girl" life, and he shouldn't pretend to be.

[zoey1996]

I thought it was interesting that Gideon referred to being a prophet.  Isn't Miles already the prophet?  His podcast is called The Millennial Prophet.  So far, Miles has done a good job balancing the God Account works with the rest of his life, and I can't see that changing.

I was glad to see Trish at the Bishop Consecration.  I really hope that works out.

I felt sad for Rakesh.  Jaya could have accepted the proposal with a lengthy engagement period rather than turn him down completely.  Or ask for more time to think it over.  I get it - she's conflicted about the attitude of her parents, and her career as a doctor.  But still...

[Empress1]

39 minutes ago, zoey1996 said:

I felt sad for Rakesh.  Jaya could have accepted the proposal with a lengthy engagement period rather than turn him down completely.

I don't understand why this wasn't an option when Jaya's parents wanted them to get married.

[Orbert]

It's Jaya.  She really doesn't want to get married, not now.  Jaya's parents thought they should get married now that Rakesh is such a big-shot and things will be great.  But Jaya and Rakesh were kinda freaked out by that because they themselves hadn't really thought that far ahead.  In time, they might have come to that, or not.  Jaya is also very career-driven and is doing quite well herself.  But mostly, I think they got scared and that's how they decided that the fake break-up and then getting together on the down-low was a good idea, when anyone could have told them it was a stupid idea.  Rakesh's solution was to propose.  Get everything out in the open.  We get married, but it's *our* idea, not yours.  The problem is that Jaya had been telling him for days to just back off, trust her, let this day pass and we'll regroup, and he couldn't do that.  Because he loved her.

Out of all that, the thing that bugged me the most was Rakesh saying "Don't do this."  Exactly the same words that Arthur said to Trish only minutes earlier.  "Don't do this."  Okay, we're supposed to see the parallel, we get it.  But please, give the viewers a little credit.

More than anything, Audrey wanted to see her father paint the place that meant so much to her.  That's why she created the AI program, to paint in the style of her father.  She fed it dozens of his paintings (or maybe it was hundreds).  I finally got that; I'm not sure if we knew that that was what was going on with AI painting program, but I missed it.  Anyway, I thought I was a genious when I figured that out, but before I could celebrate, it turns out a four-year-old kid could do it.  He's five now, and you should see what he can do now!

But the closure with Audrey and August's mom (can't remember her name) was good.  That was indeed a genuine Season One feel-good ending.

Since Jaya broke up with Rakesh, I knew Trish would be there, because "Don't do this" was going to work once and fail the other time.  That's why they shouldn't have used the exact same words.  I mean, I'm glad Trish came back, but in a way I didn't think losing both Trish and Jaya would have been such a bad thing, either.  There are a lot of secondary characters on this show, and significant others of secondary characters are basically only there to provide drama for the "real" secondary characters (the dad, the best friend).  Does that make them tertiary characters?  Between them and the fact that any character from a previous episode can return, that's a lot of characters to juggle.  I wouldn't mind them streamlining things to focus more on just Miles and Cara and the main point of the show.

Edited November 18, 2019 by Orbert

[FormerMod-a1]

I thought they'd come to conclusion that the god account told Gideon he'd have to choose between being a prophet and his wife because of who Gideon and his wife are and their respective personalities/values/traits.  Whether it's because he gets/got too obsessed with helping his friend suggestions, or she was too insecure, or a both (most likely), it wasn't going to work out for him personally to try to have both.  AND that doesn't mean the same is true for Miles.  The god account hasn't given any such information or edict to Miles.  In fact, as Miles pointed out, it seems to be the opposite.  It keeps bringing them back together when they are separated even for a little while.

[Yeah No]

32 minutes ago, aquarian1 said:

I thought they'd come to conclusion that the god account told Gideon he'd have to choose between being a prophet and his wife because of who Gideon and his wife are and their respective personalities/values/traits.  Whether it's because he gets/got too obsessed with helping his friend suggestions, or she was too insecure, or a both (most likely), it wasn't going to work out for him personally to try to have both.  AND that doesn't mean the same is true for Miles.  The god account hasn't given any such information or edict to Miles.  In fact, as Miles pointed out, it seems to be the opposite.  It keeps bringing them back together when they are separated even for a little while.

No, thus far it hasn't, but through Gideon, etc. the GA has given Miles reason to wonder about it, which to me means that the edict may change in the future.  And I really hope the show doesn't go there.  So far this season the show has been mucking up too many relationships already.

Edited November 18, 2019 by Yeah No

[MissLucas]

Way too much relationship drama for my taste. Can't wait for the love triangle to raise its ugly head 🙄

Show's slowly dropping out of my 'must watch' list.

[Trini]

1 hour ago, MissLucas said:

Way too much relationship drama for my taste. Can't wait for the love triangle to raise its ugly head 🙄

If y'all keep saying this, it's going to come true! 😅

I think there's as good a chance that they don't do a triangle. (And even if they do, I think it very brief or insignificant. When Miles and Cara were with other people last year, those relationships barely lasted two episodes.) Miles/Cara seems to be the one relationship they actually like on this show. I do think they will have drama - because, TV - but I think it's less likely to be something with a third party.

Edited November 18, 2019 by Trini

[Orbert]

I forgot to ask.  What was the deal with Gideon's house?  They kept saying that that's the house from the very first case, the one that started it all, but I don't remember the house or the signficance of it.  And they went there, but they'd apparently never been there before.  What role did the house play in the first episode?

[Trini]

22 minutes ago, Orbert said:

I forgot to ask.  What was the deal with Gideon's house?  They kept saying that that's the house from the very first case, the one that started it all, but I don't remember the house or the signficance of it.  And they went there, but they'd apparently never been there before.  What role did the house play in the first episode?

I don't remember all the details; but as I recall, they were trying to find out where the God Account was posting from, and they had traced it to that address. Miles and Cara went to the house (which was unoccupied and under renovation) and Cara found or recognized something related to her past, but I don't remember what. That thing led back to Miles' mother, I believe.

[KaveDweller]

18 minutes ago, Trini said:

I don't remember all the details; but as I recall, they were trying to find out where the God Account was posting from, and they had traced it to that address. Miles and Cara went to the house (which was unoccupied and under renovation) and Cara found or recognized something related to her past, but I don't remember what. That thing led back to Miles' mother, I believe.

I remember that Miles and Cara found a bunch of photos, or maybe a flash drive of photos? Cara saw a photo of Miles mother when she was in the hospital, and that's when she saw that her mother was his mother's nurse.

I remember the computer freezing or something and forcing them to look at it. I don't remember them going to a house at all, but I am sure it happened.

[Yeah No]

4 hours ago, Trini said:

I don't remember all the details; but as I recall, they were trying to find out where the God Account was posting from, and they had traced it to that address. Miles and Cara went to the house (which was unoccupied and under renovation) and Cara found or recognized something related to her past, but I don't remember what. That thing led back to Miles' mother, I believe.

I remember them going to the house thinking that they would find whoever was behind the God Account there because I believe Rakesh found out the GA was supposedly coming from that address.  When they got there it was (like you say) unoccupied and under renovation.  Plus the door was locked so I think Cara broke in with a credit card or something like that.  It was very spooky because a bright service bulb had been left on in a bedroom, presumably by some painters or something, and Miles and Cara thought someone might be in the bedroom. When they opened the door I was holding my breath, and then we just see the bright lamp.

[mythoughtis]

Trish is asking the impossible.  Part of tne Christian faith is putting God FIRST.  Trish tells a pastor soon to be Bishop that she  doesn’t want to be Second. 
Even retired, Arthur would put God first.  She should already know that.  
We all knew Rakesh and Jaya wouldn’t end well once the secret relationship started.   I wouldn’t trust someone who wanted to keep me secret  either. 

[tennisgurl]

That was an improvement I would say on the last few weeks, it was really interesting to see a former God Account Person, and someone who really thinks of it as being a prophet and is convinced that God is really running the God Account. I cant imagine that the God Account really wanted Gideon to be miserable and away from his family, so I guess this is part of the process to get Miles to the God Account. 

I mean, Gideon's wife apparently hates the Good Account, as in, take the kid and run the second he shows interest in getting some closure about it. You would think that Miles was a former mistress showing up wanting to give their affair another chance! "Helping people as prophesied by the lord? How dare you you bastard?!?"  Hopefully this isnt foreshadowing how things will go for Miles and Cara. Cara has always supported the God Account, its what connected her with her mom and half sister, and the GA seems to want them together! I assume it just depends on the people involved. 

Nice seeing Audrey getting closure and them figuring out why they needed to help her and what was going on with her art. That kid must be a freaking painting savant! 

Poor Rakesh, that was a pretty brutal break up, even if I can see why Jaya felt the need to break up. I wish they could have just gotten engaged, and had a long engagement, but I guess it was not meant to be. On the other hand, it looks like Arthur and Trish might be on the path to reconciling, but it will still be a long road. They just seem to have different priorities and ideas of what a relationship should be, and if they want to make this work, they will both have to find some compromises. 

Interesting that Arthur also thinks that the God Account is a person or an AI or something else non godly. I guess he probably thinks that God has bigger things to deal with then sending Facebook messages to his son, or thinks that this isnt the way he pictured God working in his mysterious ways. I do kind of lean towards the God Account being some kind of actual divine intervention, as it just seems to know so much, but who knows? I like it being ambiguous for now.  

[andromeda331]

I still don't know what's up with Trish. I wish they would give us a reason why she's acting this way. Is she sick? Was she married to a workaholic? Something to explain her to spend all her time with Arthur. Arthur was honest and I do think he loves her and wants a life with her. I did like Miles pointing out she wasn't giving him a chance to try.

I'm not sure why Gideon's wife was so against the GA. She really flipped out. But why? Did Gideon spend all of his time on it and neglected their marriage and child? Did the GA account really ask that of Gideon wanting him to chose? Gideon thinks He did and that GA account didn't wanted him to chose love. But I did wonder if it was his version of Abraham sacrificing Isaac. He planned too and went to do so. But God never actually wanted him to that. I know he put the doubt in Miles's mind. But what if that's why the GA chose Miles. Maybe he chose Gideon but his wife wasn't on board. Cara very much is on board. Miles maybe the prophet but he's not alone. He has Cara helping him all the way and loves it. He has his best friend too. Maybe Gideon's wife didn't want to or Gideon's problem was he kept it all to himself.

Rakesh's break up was brutal. I too wondered if Jaya was seeing someone else. As much as I liked them together and understand Jaya not being ready to be engaged, and neither was Rakesh. But Jaya wouldn't stand up to her parents. Whether she's afraid or not ready or something else she didn't. Part of me does wonder if really was her parents, was she afraid to stand up to them or if its really her and she's using them as an excuse. But she didn't and Rakesh didn't want to hide their relationship. Unfortunately, that really only left them with one option break up. Poor Rakesh. 

The friend of the week. It was nice to see why Audrey was involved in any of this and it ended up being because she had been a past friend suggestion that never got help. Never got closer with her father. I can understand why she dropped her father. Seeing her father leave her mother for anyone would be hard but with someone she liked and respected. Its not hard to see why she'd avoid all contact. That's a hard thing to over come. But carrying on her father's paintings was really nice. I might have missed it. But Audrey sounded like she hadn't heard from her father since while Madeline said they called several times. Was she just deleting the messages or did she not get them? I wasn't expecting her to have a brother. But that was an interest touch. I did like see them bonding.

[Orbert]

I think Audrey was mad at both of them and just deleted the messages without listening to them after a while.  So when they actually tried to contact her to let her know that her father was dying, she never got that message.  Even years later, if she saw a message from Madeline, she might still say "Nope, still mad" and delete it.  It's a trope.  So father passed and she never got to see him again or say goodbye, and in her mind that's Madeline's fault.  Or if she really thought about it fairly, it's her own fault, since Madeline did try to contact her, but it's easier to just be mad at "the other woman".