S02.E04: Take Your Father to Work Day

[Trini]

Martin is delighted when a murder at Claremont Psychiatric brings the NYPD into his territory, allowing him direct involvement with one of Malcolm's cases. While working the same job, Ainsley's suspicion grows when she feels Malcolm may be hiding something from her. All the while, Malcolm and Ainsley must dodge their mother, who's wondering why they got rid of her favorite rug.

Airdate: Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021

[Driad]

Yay!  I wondered on January 16 (in the s2e01 thread) whether their mother would wonder about the rug.  Looking forward to this.

[Chaos Theory]

 Edrisa and Martin a pairing I never knew I always wanted.  They were just so much fun together.  Edrisa fan girling over Martin and Martin treating Edrisa as a colleague something I would love to see again.

I was surprised that Jessica found out that Ainsley killed Endicott so early in the season.  I was expecting to wait at least a couple more episodes but I am glad the show is moving fast with the reveal.  I still say the Whitley family drama is the best part of the show. 
 

Ainsley growing suspicious about just what happened that night is a good story that is being written and acted really well.

Edited February 3, 2021 by Chaos Theory

[redfish]

I'm starting to wonder if the things Martin said in that angry outburst to Malcolm might be what he's really feels and that might be a dangerous thing for Malcolm. I mean it did look like he was going to walk out of the prison and leave Malcolm to be shocked to death. I wonder if the show will go there where Martin might end up trying to kill Malcolm. Yikes.

Got to hand it to Jessica. She's a lot more smarter than people give her credit.

I wonder if Martin escaping from the asylum will be the season finale.

 

 

[nodorothyparker]

The murder of the week has never really been the main draw of this show, but does it feel to anyone else like they've been increasingly sloppy this season? Last season they'd zero in on a suspect who seemed to fit and then Malcolm would swoop in and tell them why they had the wrong guy with some pretty precise reasoning. This season it feels like they're just accusing any old person they can think of and then letting events eliminate that person for them to move on to the next suspect in their immediate sightline. 

Whoever thought having Malcolm sit in on group therapy was a good idea, yikes. I realize in the end they were allegedly playacting to see what they could draw out, but that was rough. Malcolm is nowhere stable enough to be that close to his father while he's supposed to be working, and I too wondered just how much truth there was in Martin saying he felt Malcolm had destroyed his life. As much as Martin loves to play himself up as the family man who loves his children, it's hard to imagine he doesn't feel some of that after being locked away from the cushy life he had for 20 years. There was a real moment of hesitation over whether he was going to go back for Malcolm was he was being stunned over and over or whether he was going to take the opportunity to leave him there.

Jessica does have better instincts than she gives herself credit for, but she really should have known better than to think she'd get a straight answer out of Martin. I'm glad there's at least some movement on the Ainsley story even if I still don't love that Martin and Malcolm are pulling all the strings.

He killed 23 people, Edrisa. I get what they were going for in her fangirling and treating Martin like any other colleague, but it's stuff like that that makes her seem like a child with a dead body fetish who's completely out of her depths in this line of work.

 

 

[Cotypubby]

I noticed Michael Sheen’s real accent came out a bit during that outburst. “Your fatha and your mutha!”

[AnimeMania]

2 hours ago, nodorothyparker said:

He killed 23 people, Edrisa. I get what they were going for in her fangirling and treating Martin like any other colleague, but it's stuff like that that makes her seem like a child with a dead body fetish who's completely out of her depths in this line of work.

Edrisa's job is just as much about profiling as Malcolm's is. Malcolm profiles the psychology while Edrisa profiles the actions/methods. Edrisa should have just as much interest in talking to Martin about how/why he and other serial killers do certain things as Malcolm does.

[mertensia]

That look on Gil's face as Edrisa was fangirling..... 🤣🤣

Jessica's definitely a shrewd cookie.

[cameron]

Michael Sheen's line about Rick Steves was priceless.

[tennisgurl]

The Whitlys are all so extra, I love it. Of course Jessica has this whole speech planned to confront Malcolm about Ainsley and him possibly killing Endicott and covering it up, and even had the one bit of evidence she found under a literal silver platter to dramatically reveal. The only thing shocking about this family having a secret passage in their house is the fact that they only had one. That we know of. 

I found this episode to be an improvement over last week, we had a lot of movement on two of the major plots, especially with Jessica finding out about Ainsley and Ainsley starting to remember things too. Ainsley might be even more upset about her whole family (even her serial killer dad) keeping this a secret from her then the fact that she killed a guy. 

 Edrisa and Martin are the pairing I never knew I wanted. Made all the better by Gil's reaction to them sharing a medical joke. "He killed 23 people." 

[Chaos Theory]

I find episodes that deal with the Whitley family drama and the mysteries that intersect with them far more interesting.  I am not looking forward to JT’s return.  I love the actor and the character but his story just isn’t doing it for me and taking away from the more interesting stories.   This show doesn’t do subtle well and to tell a story like racial bias you need to be subtle.  
 

The thing about Bellamy Young is her time  on Scandal has given the the gravitas to pull off scenes  for the “you missed a spot” reveal and still be able to be terrified when her daughter gets in bed with her because she had a bad dream.   

Jessica really needs to think about getting a single bed.

Edited February 4, 2021 by Chaos Theory

[AnimeMania]

1 hour ago, Chaos Theory said:

Jessica really needs to think about getting a single bed.

That would mean no sleep-overs for Gil. Martin totally knew that Gil was Macking on his woman.

[dippydee]

1 hour ago, Chaos Theory said:

find episodes that deal with the Whitley family drama and the mysteries the intersect with them far more interesting.

Same. The family dynamics are by far the most interesting part of the show. I love the Whitleys in all their combinations but Jessica and Martin are just extra special even in a phonecall. I really hope they get some screen time together soon. 

2 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Ainsley might be even more upset about her whole family (even her serial killer dad) keeping this a secret from her then the fact that she killed a guy. 

Yeah, that’s what I’m thinking. I wonder if them hiding things from her pushes her into darker territory more so than what actually happened. I’m glad they’re moving the plot along though. I know it’s called Prodigal Son but I find Bright the least interesting of his family.

Also, Edrisa and Martin was also unexpectedly awesome. I wouldn’t be against more of them talking.

[momo]

Wasn't Endicott self-defense?

[l star]

How did Martin know about Gil and Jessica? I loved that moment- "and my wife." I thought it was interesting last week that Martin's fantasy was all about Jessica instead of Malcolm. Jessica must have been really desperate to call Martin about Malcolm and Ainsley though. Interesting that it didn't end up putting her off what she'd figured out at all. It all just makes me want more Jessica and Martin scenes.

Malcolm should take Martin's rant more seriously. I suspect that there is some truth to it. He covers up his crazy very well, but I have the feeling it would come pouring out relatively easily. That's especially true now that he's been locked up for so long. Interesting that he blames Malcolm as much for ruining his mother as he does for ruining him. Way to project there Martin. I think Jessica is far from ruined.

Edrisa cracks me up. He facial expressions when Gil reminded her how many people Martin has killed were perfect. Poor Gil though. He was trapped in the Whitly crazy this ep.

6 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

The Whitlys are all so extra, I love it. Of course Jessica has this whole speech planned to confront Malcolm about Ainsley and him possibly killing Endicott and covering it up, and even had the one bit of evidence she found under a literal silver platter to dramatically reveal. The only thing shocking about this family having a secret passage in their house is the fact that they only had one. That we know of. 

I found this episode to be an improvement over last week, we had a lot of movement on two of the major plots, especially with Jessica finding out about Ainsley and Ainsley starting to remember things too. Ainsley might be even more upset about her whole family (even her serial killer dad) keeping this a secret from her then the fact that she killed a guy. 

That speech should have been ridiculous but I loved it. Bellamy Young can really carry off those dramatic speeches so well. Scandal trained her well. I loved too that Malcolm just broke. He didn't even try to lie to his mother. I felt his real concern then too- losing Ainsley. He's not hiding all this to get away with it. He's scared. It makes a lot of sense considering his father and really fleshes out his motivations in a great way.

I agree that Ainsley is going to be most angry about the lie. I wonder if Jessica will be the one to break next. She's definitely a lot smarter and more perceptive than she gives herself credit for, but she looked so scared and hopeless at the end. It will be hard for her to keep that fear in check.

"That's Ward Z. The woman's ward. A magical place I hear." Hahaha Martin.

[Chaos Theory]

2 hours ago, momo said:

Wasn't Endicott self-defense?

Not really.   He was unarmed.  Malcolm actually was aiming a gun at him.    Endicott was making vague threats against the family but at the moment neither Malcolm or Ainsley were in immediate danger.

He also never actually killed anyone himself.  His thing was getting others to do his dirty work.  

Edited February 4, 2021 by Chaos Theory

[kelslamu]

Sometimes Malcolm's looks make me think of Eric Foreman.  I don't know why.  Can you see Edrisa, Malcolm, and Martin "in the circle"?

When you are wondering if your children killed someone the only person you can talk to about it is your serial killer husband.

I was watching a movie called The Cottage from 2012 and was happy to see Bellamy Young in it.  I've never watched Scandal so PS was first time I've seen her in anything.  You could see the Jessica Whitley in her then. lol

I also just realized Malcolm played Jesus on The Walking Dead.  I cannot believe I didn't see that before.  

Edited February 4, 2021 by kelslamu

[perkie1968]

12 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

He also never actually killed anyone himself.

Isn't he the one that stabbed Gil?  

 

12 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

He was unarmed.  Malcolm actually was aiming a gun at him.  

But he was a dangerous man who had people killed at the drop of a hat.  It's like saying Martin was unarmed, still doesn't make him any less dangerous.  Or any of the lovely people who are in that facility with Martin.  Everyone is dangerous, even unarmed.  

[Chaos Theory]

14 minutes ago, perkie1968 said:

Isn't he the one that stabbed Gil? 

No.  He got one of his minions to stab Gil.  
 

 

15 minutes ago, perkie1968 said:

But he was a dangerous man who had people killed at the drop of a hat.  It's like saying Martin was unarmed, still doesn't make him any less dangerous.  Or any of the lovely people who are in that facility with Martin.  Everyone is dangerous, even unarmed.  

These people being dangerous doesn’t mean you can walk into the building and start stabbing them.   There was an episode last season where Jessica was outright ordered by another guy to outright kill Martin.   It would have still been Murder if she had gone through with it.

[AnimeMania]

5 hours ago, kelslamu said:

Can you see Edrisa, Malcolm, and Martin "in the circle"?

Edrisa would have whiplash, she would look like she was watching a tennis match. She wouldn't be able to tell which person she found more fascinating.

[cameron]

14 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

Not really.   He was unarmed.  Malcolm actually was aiming a gun at him.    Endicott was making vague threats against the family but at the moment neither Malcolm or Ainsley were in immediate danger.

He also never actually killed anyone himself.  His thing was getting others to do his dirty work.  

Think it was Endicott who stabbed Gil.

[KaveDweller]

10 hours ago, perkie1968 said:

But he was a dangerous man who had people killed at the drop of a hat.  It's like saying Martin was unarmed, still doesn't make him any less dangerous.  Or any of the lovely people who are in that facility with Martin.  Everyone is dangerous, even unarmed.  

I think Ainsley could argue that what she did was self-defense. But, it isn't an obvious case. Endicott was dangerous and threatening her and Martin, yes. She was scared he was going to eventually hurt her. However, the level of force she used to kill him, was definitely not necessary. She slit his throat (from behind) and then stabbed him about 7 times.

It would come down to whether the DA believed her and possibly how sympathetic she was to a jury.

[Roxie]

Not specific to this episode, but do people of a certain social class really go around on an average day as dressed up as Jessica does?

[Tachi Rocinante]

On 2/2/2021 at 11:47 PM, Cotypubby said:

I noticed Michael Sheen’s real accent came out a bit during that outburst. “Your fatha and your mutha!”

Yeah, that was baaad.  They should've cleaned it up in post.

[Perfect Xero]

On 2/4/2021 at 11:32 AM, Chaos Theory said:

No.  He got one of his minions to stab Gil.  
 

 

These people being dangerous doesn’t mean you can walk into the building and start stabbing them.   There was an episode last season where Jessica was outright ordered by another guy to outright kill Martin.   It would have still been Murder if she had gone through with it.

I'm pretty sure it was Endicott who stabbed Gil, then he left his minion to deal with the mess.

It clearly was not self defense in a legal sense, as he didn't pose an immediate physical threat in the moment, but I think it was self-defense in a practical and moral sense as they had every reason to believe that Endicott was going to make good on his threats and that the law would not be able to stop him.

[Perfect Xero]

6 hours ago, Tachi Rocinante said:

Yeah, that was baaad.  They should've cleaned it up in post.

I'm guessing that they tried and that was the best take they could get. Maintaining a fake accent while yelling like that is difficult enough, but in ADR the actor has to match the pace of the original performance so their lips match up, and that there's likely a limit on how many times they can attempt such a scene without risking the actor's voice and it's extremely difficult to get something like that right.

[Happytobehere]

On 2/2/2021 at 11:02 PM, nodorothyparker said:

He killed 23 people, Edrisa. I get what they were going for in her fangirling and treating Martin like any other colleague, but it's stuff like that that makes her seem like a child with a dead body fetish who's completely out of her depths in this line of work.

 

 

This right here is why the more I see of Edrisa, the less I like her. She is consistently inappropriate, unprofessional and borderline deranged. There is no way she would not have been reprimanded at the very least, prevented from leaving the morgue as a mid-level punishment, or outright fired by now. Hell, that BS with Martin should rightly have resulted in her being sent packing.

As for Martin’s verbal assault against Malcom, that is 100% how he truly feels deep down inside. The lovey dad thing has always screamed, “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer” to me.

I found it interesting that Jesse knew that Ainsley was the killer. A mother knows her child.

 

[rove4]

On 2/5/2021 at 9:36 PM, Happytobehere said:

This right here is why the more I see of Edrisa, the less I like her. She is consistently inappropriate, unprofessional and borderline deranged. There is no way she would not have been reprimanded at the very least, prevented from leaving the morgue as a mid-level punishment, or outright fired by now. Hell, that BS with Martin should rightly have resulted in her being sent packing.

She's basically just a caricature. There for cheap laughs and little else.  

[Sile]

The therapy scenes are always among my favorites.  I really need more Hector, show!