S01.E07: The Glass Sandwich

[Pallas]

The Foxes are forced into a crisis that will either bring them back together or tear them apart.

[Nande]

What a complete waste of my time this was, 7 hours of running around to still never get an answer as to WHY they're running in the first fucking place. 

[Maysie]

We watched the entire series and I can’t say I hated it, but I didn’t love it. 

On the upside, it was suspenseful, and I found that I was pulling for some people (mainly the Mexicans that Alli basically forced into helping them). It was also interesting to see where they went and how they got there. I found the daughter’s meltdown on the beach while they were eating “Mexican s’mores” realistic. In fact, I thought the kids’ behavior and attitudes realistic (if not a little maddening) given the fact they’ve been raised offline and off the grid. I liken it to Qanon believers who believe even the most ridiculous bs because it’s all they know.

On the downside, the running around and always eking their way out of tight situations became a bit unbelievable. The wife was all over the map-one minute she’s resisting and resentful and the next she’s all in-and that seemed to be the case all through the series. I ended up hating Alli and Mrs, Alli. To me, he’s a narcissist and possibly quite mad.

 I was also frustrated by the whole Calaca thing. All the talk of Calaca, all the workings to get to Calaca and then it’s just dropped?

From what I read, this season is not really about what they did that made them go on the run, but mainly about how they get to the destination. I haven’t read the book, and I’m not sure I will. I am curious about why they are running and why Mrs Alli not only sticks with him, but subjects their children to this life. To me that’s more interesting. I don’t necessarily believe that they kidnapped the boy (I think the feds planted that story). But I think it has to be something pretty significant for this kind of federal interest and response-something like terrorism (ecoterrorism?) or of military sensitivity.

If it’s on my radar when it returns I’ll give it a watch to see how it turns out, but it’s not something I’m actively waiting for, like Ted Lasso.

[Cotypubby]

Worst parents of the year perhaps?

I hate Ali so much, he is such a jackass narcissist. I was rooting for the cartel.

I’m certain the kidnapping story is just a ploy, the government is not going to devote that many resources to a child kidnapping from 9 years ago. My guess is the wife (whose name I totally forget) did some kind of eco-terrorist thing in the past that killed people and then Ali took her on the run. In an earlier episode she told the daughter “Your father never killed anyone,” with an emphasis on “father.”

[overtherainbow]

I too was invested and sucked into this show in the beginning and I’m annoyed we still know so little and so much has been dragged out! At least it’s one of those shows where there’s not a lot to have to remember, plot-wise for when the next season comes out. Though, I feel it wouldn’t make a huge difference if it was revealed or not because it appears we're also not meant to like or sympathize with Allie much, seeing as how quick he is to use people and endanger them like Chuy.  

The wife being the one they’re really after would be an interesting twist, but I have feeling that’s not the case. Spoilers for those who haven’t seen the movie –

Spoiler

the father was also quite domineering in it, to the point of practically holding his own family hostage to his vision, eventually leading to his death after he took his ideals too far. The wife was very subservient in the movie, just like the wife in the series who basically goes along with whatever he does

.

[pezgirl7]

I enjoyed this season and am sad it's over already. I watched this episode not realizing it was the finale. Although I'm curious about what the big mystery is, not knowing it doesn't ruin the show for me. Allie definitely looked a bit crazy at the end, and the daughter looked happy on the boat. Despite her breakdown on the beach, I think she takes after her dad.

I think the government is after both of the parents, but I feel like Allie is definitely the linchpin and the one with the connections to Calaca. 

[hurrrz]

This show jumped the shark for me. 7 episodes of edging with no real payoff. The kids were frustratingly dumb. And Allie can foresee anything, really. That bust out of the jail was all hinging on there being an extra set of keys around. 

Also - they bought the VW bus 3 days ago. 3 days is a long time to get anywhere in Mexico. Sure, you can limit it to the coast, but even then, there's 2 of them. The likelihood of the mob finding them this quickly seems very slim to me. 

[IDreamofJoaquin]

I just don't fucking get why the family continues to be absolutely messy.  Why send a kid to the store alone and then instead of waiting in the van where the kid could come back to Margot decides to drive away????   Like stay together, dummies.   They can't make a simple plan just to get supplies but then come up with a brillant plan to get someone out of jail? 

[Andromeda]

This show was maddening. I can't imagine worse parents. While I know that's part of the plot, I also am reaching my limit in tolerance. Finally the wife decided to do the right thing by her kids and take them back to the U.S., away from the cartel, but son went off alone -- AGAIN -- and dad had to break him out of a Mexican jail.

I hate the lead character, and am just waiting for the kids to get away from his toxic parenting. The daughter's summary on the playa was so right on, but nothing came of it.

Julian as a fake name helps confirm my suspicions that Dad did something similar to Julian Assange, except perhaps he sold the national security secrets instead of posting them on the internet, because money is apparently no object (a foreign entity paid him). Just like the famous FBI criminal Robert Hansen. Or he sold his algorithm, which — developed under salary at the NSA — is the government's property. This is why the NSA is after him, and not some other government entity. I could see his wife also committing a crime like stated above, some terrorist attack that resulted in someone's death, but I see the father as the main criminal being sought.

I just want to see the egomaniac arrested.

[aghst]

I don’t remember the movie much at all.  I think The father was more of an eccentric or crackpot who was going to live off the grid and forced his family to as well.

Funny thing is River Phoenix plays the son in the movie and he also played the son in another movie about a family on the run called Running on Empty where the parents were radicals in the ‘60s who bombed some lab thinking there wasn’t anyone in there but turns out to kill people.  So the parents debate whether to make the kids, particularly the River Phoenix character, continue to be on the run with them or let them have their own life, like going to college.

On this show, I liked the first couple of episodes of them escaping but then realized the whole season was going to be about close escapes.  When they introduced the Mexican cartel I rolled my eyes.  What a cliche these days, any time Americans go to Mexico on shows,  a drug cartel is involved.

I guess they wanted to see if they could grab some of the adrenaline-fueled energy of BB or Ozark.

There is no way they escape that compound but all of a sudden, Margot is street savvy about shooting out the tires as well as threatening Hugo’s life.  Kind of incredible like Dina T-boning the police car perfectly without injuring anyone seriously or killing someone.

Then again making it through the desert is also unlikely.

Margot and then Dina being angry makes for dramatic scenes but a more likely reaction after all that they’ve been through is PTSD.  But botH of them give up their objections becaUse the family keeps getting in crisis situations.

 
Allie still bragging about giving them adventure is really offensive.  Not only have they left bodies in their wake, they victimized bystanders, like breaking into that safe.

Some other observations, no way a dozen or two dozen street kids find them in a city of over 9 million people.  There was an overhead shot of the market where they were abducted by the orange caps.  It pulls back and shows how vast the city is.  Doubtful those kids can traverse the city on foot in one day let alone encounter them.

I don’t think NSA agents are like FBI or CIA with weapons training, especially this middle aged odd couple.  Yet two of them go to Mexico city to surveil the Internet cafe or expect Dina to call in?