S01.E02: Whitey's On the Moon

[nodorothyparker]

Airdate 2020.08.23

Quote

Recovered from their terrifying night, Leti and George luxuriate in their new surroundings, while Atticus grows suspicious of their Ardham Lodge hosts who unveil cryptic plans for Atticus' role in their upcoming "Sons of Adam" ceremony. Later, the trio stumble upon a clue that could lead them to Montrose as each takes an unwelcome walk down memory lane.

 

[Scarlett45]

RIP Uncle George!!!! We loved you! But knew you weren’t long for the world. 
 

So who/what gave Atticus’ great great grandma that book and helped her get the hell out of dodge so heavily pregnant???

 

I am eager for more episodes and to read the book when the season is done. 

[Empress1]

DAMMIT NOT UNCLE GEORGE

[paigow]

Jeffersons theme + Marilyn Manson....so the Creepy family and the redneck Amish village never existed? This has to be Inception. George might be the father! Call Maury!

Edited August 24, 2020 by paigow

[peridot]

I wasn't expecting the memory wipes and force fields.  I guess they really were wizards.

Does anyone think that the guy that was escorting them around gave the clues to Uncle George?  The book just happened to be askew in the bookshelf and the bylaws just happened to be on the table.  He was kind of smirking when George confronting the order.

It was disgusting that the order were mind-fucking the trio just for their own amusement.  I'm glad George didn't break his vows (again?). 

I laughed when Montrose was digging his way out of captivity to find the trio were already there, waiting for him.

I wasn't sure if George was permanently dead, but I guess so.  That's a shame, I loved his glee when he was surrounded by all of his favorite books.

 

[ShellsandCheese]

That was trippy! Shocked that Uncle George appears to be dead, dead. Also, Tony Goldwyn's voice still does things to me. I really don't trust those two younger Braithwaite's either.

[Empress1]

1 minute ago, peridot said:

I wasn't sure if George was permanently dead, but I guess so.

I’m holding out a little hope that someone will work some magic (but I think he’s for-real dead). He was so reassuring when he told Tic and Leticia not to let anyone make them doubt themselves.

[DearEvette]

Woody Lives!!  But Uncle George dies.  😥

I thought it was interesting in the opening scene that 'Movin' on up' montage (before we realize that Leti and Uncle George had been mind wiped) their different versions of having 'arrived'.  For George it was good books.  For Leti it was lovely clothes.  I am like their spiritual offspring because for me it would be both!  And I loved the outfilt she finally settled on,  Leti brought fashionable Town & Country horsey set realness!

I also found it interesting the conversation between Christina and Tic was an illustration of two different sort of privileges at play (Male vs. white) but as usual the intersectionailty that Leti would represent in that conversation is completely absent.

Really enjoyed a peek the prickly family dynamics between Tic, George and Montrose.

The rest of it was a bit of a mind-fuck.  Kinda like Get Out on steroids.  But the show continues it's exploration of psychological horror where the horror isn't at all in the form of real monsters.

And then to top it all off we get a Gil Scott Heron spoken word piece.

I am really enjoying this!

[Scarlett45]

15 minutes ago, peridot said:

I'm glad George didn't break his vows (again?). 

 

I don’t think George broke his vows. Atticus is WAY older than his daughter (Atticus is at least 23, that girl is 11-13), it’s likely he hadn’t even met Hippolyta when he and the woman he was dancing with had their thing. Did they confirm that was Atticus’ mom?

8 minutes ago, DearEvette said:

I also found it interesting the conversation between Christina and Tic was an illustration of two different sort of privileges at play (Male vs. white) but as usual the intersectionailty that Leti would represent in that conversation is completely absent.

YUP. 
 

Also i wonder if a female Braightwhite saved Atticus’ great great grandmother. If a woman knew the spell wasn’t going to go right no one would’ve listened and she may have thought the slave was the last chance to save the book and the bloodline. 

 

8 minutes ago, DearEvette said:

I thought it was interesting in the opening scene that 'Movin' on up' montage (before we realize that Leti and Uncle George had been mind wiped) their different versions of having 'arrived'.  For George it was good books.  For Leti it was lovely clothes.  I am like their spiritual offspring because for me it would be both!  And I loved the outfilt she finally settled on,  Leti brought fashionable Town & Country horsey set realness!

I knew it was a total mind fuck when all the clothes fit perfectly AND the Butler brought her salt without her having to ask him!

[paigow]

7 minutes ago, Scarlett45 said:

Did they confirm that was Atticus’ mom?

Yes. Ghost lady is / was bio-mom.

https://www.primetimer.com/features/lovecraft-country-whos-who-on-hbos-intriguing-new-series

Edited August 24, 2020 by paigow

[Scarlett45]

1 minute ago, paigow said:

Yes. Ghost lady is / was bio-mom.

Thank you. 

[Indigo Luna]

Unexpected Marilyn Manson is unexpected! 

Whew so much in this episode. I kept hoping that at the last second Uncle George would be ok like Leti but damn. And he was trying to imply about who Tic's real dad was? Oh shit. 

Also...we gonna talk about how that cow gave birth to one of those creatures or...what? Cause that was like X-Files weird right there. And the dude was like, "Have you done this before?" and Christina was like, "No its my first time" and the farmer family acted like it was a usual and happy thing to witness?! Like what?! 

I kept looking at that blonde guy and kept referring to him as "shorter, creepier Alexander Skarsgard."

[SeanC]

I wasn’t as wild about this episode compared to the premiere. The climax makes a confusing muddle out of what in the book was a fairly straightforward event.

[Scarlett45]

3 minutes ago, Indigo Luna said:

Also...we gonna talk about how that cow gave birth to one of those creatures or...what? Cause that was like X-Files weird right there. And the dude was like, "Have you done this before?" and Christina was like, "No its my first time" and the farmer family acted like it was a usual and happy thing to witness?! Like what?! 

I kept looking at that blonde guy and kept referring to him as "shorter, creepier Alexander Skarsgard

Yes!!(to all of what I quoted)What did they do to the cows to make them give birth to those guard monster things? Also I did think the young blonde man looked like a slightly less handsome Alexander Skarsgard (although still handsome). 

[paigow]

2 minutes ago, Scarlett45 said:

Also I did think the young blonde man

You say blonde..I say borderline albino...

[Broderbits]

2 minutes ago, Scarlett45 said:

Also I did think the young blonde man looked like a slightly less handsome Alexander Skarsgard (although still handsome). 

To me, he looked like one of the "Children of the Damned" all grown up and a tad more human.

[dramachick]

Uncle George!

This episode was a roller coaster of emotions for me.

I was laughing and singing along with the Movin' On Up. ☺️ And then I was grossed out with the delivery of the breach monster calf 🤮. I thought the love scene was real 😍 and then shit got real 😬. I was cheered when Montrose's shackled hands erupted from the earth 😂 and I despaired when the Grand Dragon shot Leti and George 😨. But my righteous anger was stirred with Gil Scott Heron's Whitey on the Moon 😠 and that carried me through the weirdness of the ceremony until Grandma Hanna showed Tic the way out 🤗. But then Uncle George was dead 😞.

I really like the blending of sci fi with the real life terrorism present during the time period because that's the only way for the storytelling to be organic and authentic for these heroes as they navigate both worlds. I'm thankful that Jordan Peele and Misha Green and other African American writers now have the platforms to show how the most painful parts of history can be woven into entertainment in a way that everyone can enjoy, and African American actors can have rich, multidimensional characters to play.

Looking forward to next week!

[Scarlett45]

Also can we play homage to Johnathan Major’s nude body in that bathing scene. Lawdy I almost fainted (single lady during COVID-19, I rarely see men unless they bring me takeout)

[edhopper]

The last thing I expected was this storyline at the big creepy house to end so quickly. I guess this will more episodic with a bigger theme going through it all season.

RIP Uncle / Daddy George.

 

[Scarlett45]

5 minutes ago, edhopper said:

The last thing I expected was this storyline at the big creepy house to end so quickly. I guess this will more episodic with a bigger theme going through it all season.

RIP Uncle / Daddy George.

 

Who says it’s ending? I can totally see Christina Braithwaite showing you again and needing their (mostly Atticus’) help. She wasn’t in the room- she is probably still alive. 

[shoetingstar]

20 minutes ago, Indigo Luna said:

Unexpected Marilyn Manson is unexpected! 

Whew so much in this episode. I kept hoping that at the last second Uncle George would be ok like Leti but damn. And he was trying to imply about who Tic's real dad was? Oh shit. 

Also...we gonna talk about how that cow gave birth to one of those creatures or...what? Cause that was like X-Files weird right there. And the dude was like, "Have you done this before?" and Christina was like, "No its my first time" and the farmer family acted like it was a usual and happy thing to witness?! Like what?! 

I kept looking at that blonde guy and kept referring to him as "shorter, creepier Alexander Skarsgard."

Never expected MM! I'm loving the music choices! Usually black people = Hip Hop. Nice to see some ironic, definitely not expected choices.

So the monsters need a Host to be born, yet they live in the ground or at least hide in the ground from light.

What the hell operation was Papa Fitz Braithwaite having in the beginning? I thought Atticus was having a dream or vision at first. Whatever it was, it reminded me of the music video for "Losing My Religion" by REM, directed by Tarsem Singh. Which was partially inspired by The Incredulity of Saint Thomas by Caravaggio.

This is definitely a show that will have me diving into the behind the scene choices. I want a rundown of the art chosen,etc.

I'm holding out hope for Uncle George, so I'm not in mourning yet.

[edhopper]

10 minutes ago, Scarlett45 said:

Who says it’s ending? I can totally see Christina Braithwaite showing you again and needing their (mostly Atticus’) help. She wasn’t in the room- she is probably still alive. 

I get that. But I didn't expect Papa Braithwaite's end and the House coming down so soon. Or them getting back to Chicago so soon.

 

And speaking of George, I suspect we might see him in a less corporal form at some point.

[Scarlett45]

2 minutes ago, edhopper said:

I get that. But I didn't expect Papa Braithwaite's end and the House coming down so soon. Or them getting back to Chicago so soon.

 

And speaking of George, I suspect we might see him in a less corporal form at some point.

Ah! Yes yes. Courtney B Vance is too famous to just be gone in episode 2. 

[AnimeMania]

Just now, shoetingstar said:

What the hell operation was Papa Fitz Braithwaite having in the beginning? I thought Atticus was having a dream or vision at first. Whatever it was, it reminded me of the music video for "Losing My Religion" by REM, directed by Tarsem Singh. Which was partially inspired by The Incredulity of Saint Thomas by Caravaggio.

He was providing the Appetizer for the dinner.

Dora (hallucination?) tells Uncle George that he can go flying with his children. Uncle George only has one child, unless he doesn't.

That stained glass window depicting Adam, Eve, serpent and apple seemed more like the pornhub version of the Garden of Eden.

[shoetingstar]

10 minutes ago, AnimeMania said:

He was providing the Appetizer for the dinner.

Dora (hallucination?) tells Uncle George that he can go flying with his children. Uncle George only has one child, unless he doesn't.

That stained glass window depicting Adam, Eve, serpent and apple seemed more like the pornhub version of the Garden of Eden.

Ew. I was hoping it was that - some human Pâté? So he think he Jesus, huh?

[HC87]

I dunno....this show just seems to be a bit too much....

[paigow]

12 minutes ago, shoetingstar said:

Ew. I was hoping it was that - some human Pâté? So he think he Jesus, huh?

Maybe he turned to stone because his surgical wound got infected...

[Cotypubby]

What. The fuck!? Wow that was quite intense for just the second episode! 

[FlowerofCarnage]

I think Christina and William are the same person. 

[Annber03]

Awwwwwwww, George :(! 

...all right, well, that was quite an episode for me to watch, considering I'm running on just a short number of hours' sleep. "Get Out on steroids" is a very apt way to describe this one. 

The Marilyn Manson song had me doing a double take, too :p. And the birth scene made me think of an episode from the first season of "Evil", just 'cause of all the slime and blech-y weirdness of it all. 

Also, the scene of Leti appearing mortally wounded for a time had my heart racing, so thanks for that, show. 

1 hour ago, Broderbits said:

To me, he looked like one of the "Children of the Damned" all grown up and a tad more human.

Yes. 

[MrWhyt]

1 hour ago, AnimeMania said:

He was providing the Appetizer for the dinner.

Dora (hallucination?) tells Uncle George that he can go flying with his children. Uncle George only has one child, unless he doesn't.

That stained glass window depicting Adam, Eve, serpent and apple seemed more like the pornhub version of the Garden of Eden.

that was what the whole talk between george and montrose at the end was about. Along with george's hallucination it heavily implies that he and Tic's mom had a thing.

[DearEvette]

1 hour ago, edhopper said:

I get that. But I didn't expect Papa Braithwaite's end and the House coming down so soon. Or them getting back to Chicago so soon.

I am glad they'll be getting back to Chicago.  Obviously their family is key to something.  Also, didn't Uncle George say they had chapters/lodges all over the country? Imma need to do a closer re-watch, I think I was a little too taken with all the visual stuff pay close attention to a lot of the storytellling. 

Also I kept calling their guide (William)  Mr. Alabaster.

[tennisgurl]

Not Uncle George! Someone find that magic book and bring him back right now, at least as a spirit guide! I am not mourning quite yet, as I think its possible for him to come back...or maybe its the denile talking. 

So now we know what happens when you set Get Out in the 50s, and make it even crazier. 

This show is sure moving fast, we already destroyed the creepy mansion, took down the first evil wizard, and have gotten it confirmed why this magic cult is so interested in Atticus. I assumed that this would be a sort of episodic story with them looking for Atticuses dad on a road trip through Lovecraft Country, but I guess we are heading back to Chicago? I am super interested to see where this is going, I am always excited to watch a show where I dont know what is going to happen. 

Well its not Lovecraft without cannibalism, dark magic books, and creepy rural people who look like they're about to break out into a community theater production of The Wickerman. Be on the lookout for anyone who looks kind of scaly-y...

The back and fourth between Christina and Atticus was interesting, especially the talk about the intersection between gender and race privilege, and how they both jump when their respective crappy fathers say how hi. I wonder when we will see Christina again, and the blond guy, who I suspect might have been the one leaving clues for uncle George. When Uncle George was giving the council of creeps his whole speech, he looked kind of...smirky? Amused? 

That cow birthing a bug monster was all kinds of nasty, something new and creepy is happening every second! 

[thuganomics85]

I can safely say that I would have have predicted that this episode would kick off with a happy montage to the tune of The Jefferson's theme song!  At least it was fun watching Leti and George smiling and being gleeful for a few seconds.  You know, before.. well, everything else happened.

Certainly surprised over how fast this show seems to be moving.  I figured the whole creepy mansion story was going to last for a few episodes; especially after getting a named actor like Tony Goldwyn to play Samuel; but, nope, the mansion is already destroyed, and Samuel and his ilk ended up being turned into dust!  That said, since Abbey Lee is billed as a regular, I have to imagine Christina will come back into play.  Curious about William's fate as well.

Of course, Courtney B. Vance is also a regular and, well, that did not look good for George!  I have to think he really is dead, but he will either be brought by flashbacks, or some kind of crazy magic would resurrect him.  Or maybe a hallucination will be stuck in either Atticus or Montrose's mind.  But I have to imagine there will be a big fall-out over this.

Jamie Chung now shows up as some kind of solider that Atticus has to fight off in a hallucination.  Have to imagine she's going to be connected to whatever happened to him in Korea.

Just realized that Erica Tazel plays Dora/Atticus' deceased mom.  Wish she got bigger roles, because she was amazing as Rachel on Justified.

Montrose has been found already.  He certainly seems like a piece of work, but I am confident that Michael Kenneth Williams will be able to add a lot of layers to the character. 

This show is crazy and I'm loving every minute of it!

[Cheezwiz]

1 hour ago, DearEvette said:

Also I kept calling their guide (William)  Mr. Alabaster.

That's a good name for him. For me, blonde concierge is "Bargain-bin Alexander Skarsgaard."

Well, dammit, RIP Uncle George. I knew he wasn't long for this world, but I loved seeing him under piles of books. I hope they Obi-Wan Kenobi him back into the show somehow. Montrose does not look like he's going to be as much fun.

That whole cow birthing the creature thing was hilariously icky and weird. The joyful smiles on their faces as if they were cuddling an adorable new puppy, when it looked like one of those chest-burster critters from Alien! WTF!?

One thing I'm enjoying about this show, is that there are always elements in the plot, dialogue or background that I want to go look up and read more about. I would like to read more about the painting of the animals in Eden. I was also not familiar with the Gil Scott-Heron spoken word poem until watching this.

 

Edited August 24, 2020 by Cheezwiz
I do my best writing & editing after already hitting "post"

[Chicago Redshirt]

Going into Lovecraft Country, one of my biggest fears was not about the raw exposure to racism nor the horror of Lovecraftian monsters. No, I'm speaking of course about the possibility of new J.J. Abramsisms. I am a fan of most of  J.J.'s work. I really am. But he has a tendency to set up various mysteries and interesting premises and then either drop the ball on explaining them (see Lost), to just let things spin out of control (see Lost and Alias) or to explain them in confusing and/or disappointing ways that lead to more questions (see The Force Awakens/Rise of Skywalker). With Lovecraft Country, those fears were somewhat constrained because he is collaborating with Jordan Peele and he is adapting an existing novel, which presumably has a dependable framework for its universe. Still, there is that haunting voice in the back of my head going, "You're going to invest all this time and energy in a show only to be let down when it wraps up!"

I bring this up because this episode played right into my Abramsophobia. Obviously, I can't expect to get told everything that is going on by episode two, But I feel like there was definitely an opportunity to let a little more light in. And maybe it's the notion of "fool me once" or that I identify more with Atticus than with Abrams' protagonists in his other works, but I'm frustrated that we didn't get more of an overview of what's going on and more questions.

How did the Sons of Adam know that Atticus was a descendant of Braithewaite and in particular a "son among sons"? How long have they known it? Given his potential importance, why didn't they intervene before now? Why didn't they just scoop Atticus up in a Bentley in Florida or Chicago instead of doing the convoluted "abducting Montrose and having him send a letter to his estranged 'son' in the hopes that it inspires him to go on a cross-country trek to find him" plan? Is there a particular reason why the Sons of Adam would keep Montrose in the stone tower rather than in the manor, seeing as how the manor is more secure than the tower and they could (apparently) subject him to mindbending illusions there to keep him under control other than "well if he's in the mansion, he can't pull off a Count of Monte Cristo-like escape"?

What does Atticus's being a Braithwaite mean? Are the Braithewaites that we meet in this episode (Samuel and Christina) unrelated to Titus Braithewaite by blood? What precisely was Samuel's ritual supposed to accomplish? (yes, to somehow open a door to Eden, but what does that mean?) And why did it fail?

How and why did the Sons of Adam control the shoggoths? How and why can they manipulate the minds of Our Heroes? (Presumably, Atticus was immune to the "forget the Shoggoth attack" as a son among sons). 

I guess I should  just let the answers to these and other questions percolate in their own time or just accept, "they just do"/a wizard did it as an answer for now. 

All that said, RIP (for now, at least) George. Last episode, I said to myself, "Are they really going to Sean Bean George?" when he was in the forest. And in launching this one, I noted the icon for the show only depicted Atticus and Leti and was like, "Hope that's not a bad sign about George." But I still would not have guessed that he would be killed this soon. It is particularly sad that he didn't get a particularly heroic or meaningful death, that he was just shot out of spite and could (apparently) have been healed but Braitewaite chose not to. I am trying to figure out if Leti was full on brought back from the dead or was just severely wounded and healed. It seemed to me that she had stopped breathing entirely. The mention of reanimation as part of the Lovecraft universe seems to suggest it is possible within the universe of Lovecraft Country.

The hallucinations (or are they something more?) -- I wonder why George's never fully went sour. Reunion with his lost love might be bittersweet, but it never lapsed into a full-on attack like the other two.

One other thing that differentiates this episode from the pilot: the pilot was unflinching about the centrality of race and racism. It was key to what happened and who the characters were that they were Black. It seemed to me that this one soft-pedaled that a bit. For my money, it downplayed that Atticus's forebearer was raped as a slave, and the ramifications of that fact, that the Sons of Adam want to use Atticus as a tool because of that, that this isn't a legacy to be proud of or that gives one power, per se. And yes, there was disdain for Our Heroes from the townfolk and the lodgemembers alike, but somehow it seemed different to me. 

I question the musical choice of using the theme song for the Jeffersons and what closed captioning tells me is Marilyn Manson.

Edited August 24, 2020 by Chicago Redshirt

[AnimeMania]

1 hour ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

One other thing that differentiates this episode from the pilot: the pilot was unflinching about the centrality of race and racism. It was key to what happened and who the characters were that they were Black.

I could be totally wrong here but, it seems to me like each episode is a self contained story that is over when the episode ends. Maybe each episode also deals with a different problem(s) faced by Black people or differences between Blacks and Whites. The first episode was overt racism, not being welcomed everywhere, separate but equal, among other things. The second episode seemed to deal with lineage. Everybody knew that both people had the same Great, Great, Great, Grandfather in a Secret Society that was purpose built to honor that person. One is given the highest seat of power while the other is met with disdain. The White person is able to trace his lineage back many generations and is very proud of his forefathers. The Black person is unsure who his father is and his lineage is uncertain and marred by rape and abduction (slavery). Also throw in the inequality of women, covert racism, thinking of people only as tools to get what you want and not as people.

I was kind of wondering if each episode might be loosely based on a famous horror story or horror genre. The threats seem to be very different each episode.

[HC87]

I'll say this, the choice of Heron's "Whitey on the Moon" was a good to see/hear. An oft overlooked response to the Space Race during the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s.

[luckyroll3]

12 hours ago, Scarlett45 said:

Also can we play homage to Johnathan Major’s nude body in that bathing scene. Lawdy I almost fainted (single lady during COVID-19, I rarely see men unless they bring me takeout)

Girl, I was right there with you!

I love'd all the musical choices, including the Marilyn Manson song because it fit so well with the scene. I also love that Leti's always like, "Can we get the fuck outta here!", cause that's what I would be saying at every turn.

1 hour ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

For my money, it downplayed that Atticus's forebearer was raped as a slave, and the ramifications of that fact, that the Sons of Adam want to use Atticus as a tool because of that, that this isn't a legacy to be proud of or that gives one power, per se.

I don't agree that this was downplayed at all.  Every sexual encounter with any slave, is a rape, and Atticus and the rest of his crew definitely realized that immediately without it needing to be stated. The Grand Poohbah also acknowledged this by constantly pointing out that the bloodline was tainted.

[Scarlett45]

7 minutes ago, luckyroll3 said:

I don't agree that this was downplayed at all.  Every sexual encounter with any slave, is a rape, and Atticus and the rest of his crew definitely realized that immediately without it needing to be stated. The Grand Poohbah also acknowledged this by constantly pointing out that the bloodline was tainted.

Yes I agree with you. I don’t think it was downplayed. I think Atticus’ great great grandmother was acknowledged as being  so resourceful and brave for getting the fuck out of there and running through the woods during the last trimester of her pregnancy.

 

2 hours ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

The hallucinations (or are they something more?) -- I wonder why George's never fully went sour. Reunion with his lost love might be bittersweet, but it never lapsed into a full-on attack like the other two.

That might be because George being older and wiser realized it was a manipulation. 

[AnimeMania]

Does anybody know what the hallucinations were supposed to reveal? Was there some kind theme to them, like person you regret not being with?

[Scarlett45]

41 minutes ago, AnimeMania said:

Does anybody know what the hallucinations were supposed to reveal? Was there some kind theme to them, like person you regret not being with?

Maybe?

[LoveLeigh]

I have no idea what is going on, but wow this is one excellent series so far. I just sit back and let it all unfold and do not even try to understand it. This is fascinating and I do watch the episode more than once, but it is complicated. 

For those who love genre pieces, this must be one phenomenal ride. 

[meep.meep]

I too am completely in the dark about what is going on, but unlike other shows where I am confused (like Twin Peaks), this one seems worth it.

Loved that Leti took charge, just like she did the previous night with the great run.

[sempervivum]

I enjoyed this epi, but there are so many details in this show that inevitably, I have questions:

Are we supposed to know (or care) what went so very wrong during the big ceremony? Was it just the appearance of great great grandma?

What was the area of the house concealed by the hidden door in Uncle George's room, and why were we shown it when it was just going to get blown up?

What was lying around in the stone tower (where the evil dog trainer kept the dogs)? Were those supposed to be chunks of people? And why even have ferocious guard dogs when you have the monsters?

What Big Bad Braithwhite organ was being removed and sliced up for lunch, and how does he get along without a liver, or whatever?

Why bother to have a force field (the one the car bashed into at the end)? Why not just have magic ignitions on the cars, that would keep non-Wizards from starting them up in the first place? Seems like a waste of a nice car.

[Chicago Redshirt]

37 minutes ago, sempervivum said:

I enjoyed this epi, but there are so many details in this show that inevitably, I have questions:

Are we supposed to know (or care) what went so very wrong during the big ceremony? Was it just the appearance of great great grandma?

What was the area of the house concealed by the hidden door in Uncle George's room, and why were we shown it when it was just going to get blown up?

What was lying around in the stone tower (where the evil dog trainer kept the dogs)? Were those supposed to be chunks of people? And why even have ferocious guard dogs when you have the monsters?

What Big Bad Braithwhite organ was being removed and sliced up for lunch, and how does he get along without a liver, or whatever?

Why bother to have a force field (the one the car bashed into at the end)? Why not just have magic ignitions on the cars, that would keep non-Wizards from starting them up in the first place? Seems like a waste of a nice car.

Shooting from the hip:

What went wrong during the ceremony could have been a lot of possible things:

A. Samuel Braithwaite could have messed up the language of Adam at some point. 

B. Samuel's dismissive statement about the power of Titus Braithwaite having been "tainted" and "diluted" could have been prophetic.

C. Greatx5? grandma's ghost interfered

D.  Atticus fought back as the ritual seemed to be hurting/draining him

E. Christina Braithwaite sabotaged the ritual by giving Atticus the ring she did. 

My guess would be some combo of D and E.

It could of course all be chalked up to Some Things Humankind Was Not Meant To Know.

The area behind the bookcase seems to be a secret study (no sprawling, spooky manor is complete without one.) Its importance lies in that it led George to plausibly find the bylaws of the Sons of Adam and thus embolden Atticus to demand answers and try to flee. There's also a potential suggestion that William and/or Christina wanted him to find the secret area.

It could be sort of like why vampires have human familiars/lackeys (at least in the Bladeverse). The monsters can't go about during the day (as far as we know) and would raise suspicion in a way dogs don't.  Also, there may be a class divide. It seems like the townies work for the Braithwaites but don't have the same juice as them. They haven't shown themselves to have fancy monster-controlling whistles and such.

There are probably plenty of pieces of skin and such that could be cut off without doing any lasting harm. Also, given that they have near magic healing abilities (see: Leti's healing/resurrection without even a scar), it's plausible that something more serious was cut out of Sam and then healed.

I'm not sure if the forcefield in question was generated by the car or the bridge or what. But it's possible that a stranger might be driving their own car or that someone was trying to come or leave not in a Sons of Adam car. Say Our Heroes had taken Woody instead of wanting something faster.  Having magic inhibitors on their fleet of cars wouldn't have necessarily stopped them, but Bridge Forcefield would. 

[kay1864]

 I love how, for a short time, we were left wondering if everything last night after they were stopped over the county line, was just Atticus’ hallucination/ Imagination. 

Edited August 24, 2020 by kay1864

[Tachi Rocinante]

14 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Jamie Chung now shows up as some kind of solider that Atticus has to fight off in a hallucination.  Have to imagine she's going to be connected to whatever happened to him in Korea.

Isn't she the one he called on the phone??

[AnimeMania]

3 hours ago, sempervivum said:

I enjoyed this epi, but there are so many details in this show that inevitably, I have questions:

OK, here is what I think Titus, (Great, Great, Great, Grandfather) found something called "The Book of Names" which is the book in which God records the names of every person who is destined for Heaven or the World to Come. "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire" (Rev. 20:15, King James Version) during the Apocalypse.

Are we supposed to know (or care) what went so very wrong during the big ceremony? Was it just the appearance of great great grandma?

It is possible that Atticus' bloodline is more pure than Samuel's bloodline because he had two parents that were in the Book of Names. Samuel thinking that Atticus' slave bloodline tainted his lineage, but it might have made him stronger and more deserving than Samuel. Since the door is supposed to be opened during the Apocalypse maybe anybody seeking to enter early was turned into a pillar of salt/stone?

What was the area of the house concealed by the hidden door in Uncle George's room, and why were we shown it when it was just going to get blown up?

Just to use the rules against them. Uncle George was smart enough to find a loophole to put himself on an even playing field with Samuel. If only for a second, before Samuel says he doesn't care about the rules.

What was lying around in the stone tower (where the evil dog trainer kept the dogs)? Were those supposed to be chunks of people? And why even have ferocious guard dogs when you have the monsters?

Chunks of animals, probably pigs and cows.

What Big Bad Braithwhite organ was being removed and sliced up for lunch, and how does he get along without a liver, or whatever?

Probably a kidney or the liver, both are located in roughly the same place on the right side of the body. The slice of meat on the plate had more in common with the liver, than a kidney. Samuel probably used his magic mojo to repair the damage.

Why bother to have a force field (the one the car bashed into at the end)? Why not just have magic ignitions on the cars, that would keep non-Wizards from starting them up in the first place? Seems like a waste of a nice car.

They seemed to be magic symbols carved in all the doorways of the house/castle/mansion and probably all around the town. It is probably the best way of keeping people "out" or "in". It just shows that they have an advantage since they can use magic and have an entire town willing to support them.

 

[bosawks]

I am loving Leti.

And she and Montrose already look like they are going to have an interesting dynamic.