S02.E03: F Is For Fire

[formerlyfreedom]

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The team encounters a nine-year-old girl, Mathilda, who is seemingly haunted by a Jinn, a spirit in the Islamic faith.

Dropping Sunday, July 4, 2021.

[phalange]

Based on the final scene, if we assume the dual exorcism worked, is Mathilda just a pyromaniac?

Sheryl using Lexis to get Kristen to talk to her is so manipulative, and this isn't the first time she's gotten Lexis to lie to Kristen. Even without Leland's influence, Sheryl is still a crappy mother and grandmother. Also, it's weird to me that Kristen, being an atheist ex-Catholic, sends her kids to a private Catholic school. 

Kristen is really spiraling. Going out to hook up with guys at bars (with her wedding ring still on!), taking pills with alcohol, and now she's seeing the evil jinn. Yikes. It could be her guilt manifesting or she could really be possessed or both. Wonder who took the tea set out of the trash. The jinn? Lexis? 

[Chaos Theory]

10 hours ago, phalange said:

Also, it's weird to me that Kristen, being an atheist ex-Catholic, sends her kids to a private Catholic school. 

 

Not really.   Sometimes private schools even “religious” ones are better then public ones if you can afford them especially in the city.   They are smaller and have a better teacher to student ratio.   
 

I rewatched season 1 focusing on Sheryl to see if the show just kinda decided to make her “bad” in season 2.  She was the one who gave the girls the AI glasses and told one of the girls to punch a kid with a rock and then got mad at her for “snitching”.   Like Kristen she is protective of the girls and  got frantic when they disappeared with a ghost girl so she isn’t Leland level evil or at least “probably not” but she is not an innocent player in the game and I can definitely see her playing a psychiatrist to gain insight into her daughter’s mental state and then convince one of her granddaughters to talk to mom Io forgive her.   

Edited July 4, 2021 by Chaos Theory

[Nellise]

This wasn't one of the better episodes for me. I like David and he didn't have much to do. I felt like in other episodes there has been a long discussion of whether to do an exorcism and making sure it was truly necessary and this one they jumped into it in about 5 seconds. Ben rigging up his phone seemed unnecessary. He's a tech guy, he knows how to set up cameras that can run all night. The part with Kristen in the bar was painful to watch, but I think that was intentional at least.

I was also distracted the whole episode by the father of the girl: if something ever happens to Paul Rudd, we have a backup.

[Chaos Theory]

this definitely wasn’t one of the better episodes but I meant to add.   It felt like filler.   But I did like Ben and his demon and kept thinking that Ben and Kristen should take their demons on double dates.

Dr. Boggs is a soft touch.  But it is fun watching him process Kristen and now apparently Sheryl explain what is actually going on in their lives

The main story was kind of boring except watching Ben try to defend religion that wasn’t Catholicism especially since he doesn’t really believe in it either.  Watching the Catholic priest and the Muslim kinda go at each other instead of work together is probably why the exorcism didn’t work.  

Edited July 4, 2021 by Chaos Theory

[Broderbits]

7 minutes ago, Chaos Theory said:

 Watching the Catholic priest and the Muslim kinda go at each other instead of work together is probably why the exorcism didn’t work.

IDK, the Djinn seems to have latched onto Kristin and I took the ending to mean the little girl is actually a neophyte pyro.

I think these rituals are just fun distractions for the demons that break up the monotony of being eternal.

[AimingforYoko]

12 hours ago, phalange said:

Kristen is really spiraling. Going out to hook up with guys at bars

Considering she started out at murder, isn't she going backwards on the "bad girl" scale? What's next, shoplifting?

Edited July 4, 2021 by AimingforYoko

[Annber03]

I really feel for poor Dr. Boggs. First he's blindsided with Kristen's confession to murder and now all this stuff with Sheryl. He's really getting quite the interesting look into the Bouchards this season, isn't he :p? 

I was thinking initially she was genuine in her attempts to reconcile with Kristen, and on some level I do think she wants to come back into the family fold, but yeah, that little "breakdown" she had in Boggs' office was definitely manipulative, so I too am wondering just what her deeper angle is here. She's certainly not working on Leland's behalf, but there's something weird going on here, for sure. 

I quite liked the case in this episode, myself-the debate over Catholicism versus Islam was interesting (and oooh, did I wince at that Aladdin remark from the priest), I liked learning more about jinns, and the dual exorcism, as it was, was pretty intense and freaky. And yet I'm also not one bit surprised it didn't work, because it always seems these exorcisms, regardless of the faith involved, always seem to have some lingering unresolved issues with them. Unfortunately for that family, it seems there's nothing they can do, so I will not be surprised if the team hears about the home being destroyed at some point. Provided the jinn doesn't turn towards Kristen, that is, which sure looks pretty likely (presuming these hallucinations she's seeing are real, of course). 

Plus, we got to see Karima again, which, yay :D! Nice to see her pop in briefly and allow us a few fun sibling moments between her and Ben. I hope she'll be showing up again down the line (especially since there's still that whole unresolved thing with her and that Alexa device talking about that baby from last season. I want to know what that's about!).

(Also, when I saw the promo for this episode last week, I totally thought Mathilda was Lynn for a brief moment. From some angles she kinda looked like her.)

6 hours ago, Nellise said:

I was also distracted the whole episode by the father of the girl: if something ever happens to Paul Rudd, we have a backup.

Ha, I thought he kinda looked a bit like Ben Affleck, myself :p. Maybe a mix of Rudd and Affleck. Also, that guy that Kristen was flirting with in the bar looked really familiar to me as well, or at least, he reminded me of someone, but I can't think of who. 

But ooh, Kristen sneaking out for a bit of late night fun. Hm. I mean, it's not exactly shocking she'd at least consider the idea, given her flirtation she's been having with David and the fact that her relationship with Andy has been rather...distant, literally and figuratively. It was only a matter of time before she'd be tempted towards such a thing as it was, and now that she's gone to the lengths of committing murder, I guess that's emboldened her to try and do some things she's resisted up to now that would be bad, but not anywhere near as bad as, y'know, killing someone. 

I am a bit surprised she'd just up and leave her kids in the middle of the night to go out and look to hook up...but even then, she has left them alone before, so again, not too unexpected. I am relieved, though, for her sake, that she didn't go out again at the end. Especially given the state she was in. 

13 hours ago, phalange said:

Wonder who took the tea set out of the trash. The jinn? Lexis? 

I'm wondering that, too. I actually gasped a little when it reappeared. I get Kristen wanting to toss it, of course, but considering Lexis and Mathilda both had that same set, and considering they were both connected to that fertility clinic, she may want to keep that for potential evidence purposes down the line. 

5 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

But I did like Ben and his demon and kept thinking that Ben and Kristen should take their demons on double dates

Ha, seriously :D! I am just waiting for him and Kristen to compare notes about their respective demons at some point. I am very curious about what this demon's revealing about Ben in regards to the sexual aspect of things. I know some articles prior to this season mentioned Vanessa, that woman he was interested in last season, so I'm guessing this demon's going to have some connection to all of that, or will be a way to explore his history with relationships in general. 

And the demon's attempt to suggest that his beliefs aren't being respected is interesting, too, especially considering the hint of tension between him and David this episode. One reason David and Ben have managed to get on well during their time working together has been because they've had that third team member who was a buffer-first it was Judy, now it's Kristen. But with Kristen distracted with her own stuff, that seems to be exposing some potential cracks in the friendship between David and Ben. Add in the fact that Kristen and Ben have tended to be on the same side in terms of their attitudes towards religion and superstitions and so forth,, but now she's kinda wavering more and more, and as a result, Ben's feeling more alone in his stance, and yeah, easy to see where that's a prime opportunity for a demon to tap into or introduce those doubts in his mind. 

I liked the episode overall, myself, but I agree it was very weird and off-kilter. Which I think was the point, mind, but even so...

[Chaos Theory]

Of course adultery is not on the same level as murder but Kristen is in a very dangerous place right now with nothing to center her.   She is putting herself in dangerous situations looking for a thrill which is what the djinn is symbolic of for her.   She is quite capable  of burning her entire life down if she isn’t careful and Kristen is being anything but careful 

Edited July 5, 2021 by Chaos Theory

[Nellise]

On 7/4/2021 at 7:09 PM, Annber03 said:

I liked the episode overall, myself, but I agree it was very weird and off-kilter. Which I think was the point, mind, but even so...

To be fair, when I say that this wasn't one of the better episodes, the bar is so high for me for this series that even a "bad" episode is better than 95% of all other shows. I think it helps that I went to Catholic schools all the way from kindergarten through high school, so the things they are discussing are very interesting to me even if I think the particular episode doesn't execute perfectly.

Edited July 7, 2021 by Nellise

[Snazzy Daisy]

Brenda is back as Mathilda Mowbray!

Interestingly, both characters are fire-related. Will there be any connection between these two disturbed children down the road? We’ll see…

 

Edited July 5, 2021 by SnazzyDaisy

[Snazzy Daisy]

David’s explanation to Sister Andrea is basically the essence of EVIL - “something to do with the manipulating of embryonic implantations in a local fertility clinic in order to result in disturbed children”. 

Kristen flirting in the bar is cringey - not taking off her wedding ring, cannot remember the guy’s name. What’s wrong with you mama K?

Poor Ben! His demoness is far from sexy. Is Abbey wearing Lexis’ retainer?

I hope the show doesn’t forget about the hint that they planted back in season 1 re Karima’s baby. Is it related to RSM Fertility? Abortion or IVF or something else?

The slowburn of Lexis’ story is killing me. Her connection with RSM Fertility, her special bond with Sheryl, her new fangs and now her red teacup set. 

Dr. Boggs microwaves his warmie teddy to sit on during session is very hmm… girly! 😅

This is one scary Jinn. Kristen may need her own exorcism sooner rather than later if he lingers around her.

Edited July 5, 2021 by SnazzyDaisy

[Annber03]

1 hour ago, SnazzyDaisy said:

David’s explanation to Sister Andrea is basically the essence of EVIL - “something to do with the manipulating of embryonic implantations in a local fertility clinic in order to result in disturbed children”. 

I loved Sister Andrea's reaction when David explained all of that to her :D. She was like: O__O

 

Quote

Dr. Boggs microwaves his warmie teddy to sit on during session is very hmm… girly! 😅

Haha, yeah, that was an interesting little detail. Does he have some kind of back pain or something, I wonder?

[jada]

Have they ever succeeded in exorcizing anyone? 

[Snazzy Daisy]

1 hour ago, jada said:

Have they ever succeeded in exorcizing anyone? 

Bridget Farrell (S01E07) and Caroline Hopkins (S01E05).

1 hour ago, Annber03 said:

I loved Sister Andrea's reaction when David explained all of that to her :D. She was like: O__O 

I wonder if the show will let us know about Sister Andrea’s backstory, she seems knowledgeable.

[Ceindreadh]

I feel like I'm missing something with the tea set.

Why did Kristen feel the need to dump it in the first place, just because Matilda had the same one?

[Annber03]

25 minutes ago, Ceindreadh said:

I feel like I'm missing something with the tea set.

Why did Kristen feel the need to dump it in the first place, just because Matilda had the same one?

Because Mathilda and Lexis are both connected to that fertility clinic and now Mathilda's got this issue with fires and seeing a creepy demon, and Lexis is going through her own weird stuff as well. So anything they have in common, even something as simple as a tea set, is that much more concerning to Kristen as a result.

Plus, someone in a discussion elsewhere pointed out that the tea sets both had red designs on them, and given the history with that particular color on this show, well....

[tennisgurl]

 Dr. Boggs certainly is getting a whole lot of the Bouchards lately, between Kristen basically confessing to murder and now Sheryl trying to use him to get information on Kristen to get back into her good graces. I liked this episode, exploring the Djinn and the differences between them and supernatural creatures from the Catholic faith like demons was interesting. I actually wanted to see more of the Catholic/Muslim exorcism, it was really interesting and a bit funny. So a priest and a Imam walked into an exorcism...

After quite a few episodes of the more overt supernatural, we seemed to be back to being more ambiguous this week. Was Kristen seeing a Djinn, or was she delusional? Was Mathilda possessed or being influenced by a demon or a Djinn, or does she just have pyromania? The ending seemed to imply that she was a pyromaniac all along, but was she always that way or was it the Djinn that started it? Is Mathilda one of the other test rube demon babies? Kristen really needs to keep her mom away from Lexis, if she has some demon in her no way should she have her as an influence. 

Ben's creepy sex demon returns yet again, now with sexy (?) retainer action. 

That was one creepy Djinn, and I really liked the musical que that followed it around. Sexy but also super disconcerting. Kristen is really playing a dangerous game.

[Norma Desmond]

I did not get the ending. The girl was still possessed? Does she have firestarting powers? Didn't the Jinn jump from her to Kristen?

 

I thought Sheryl was going to attack Dr. Boggs. She is so creepy. I think Sheryl is evil.

 

Edited July 7, 2021 by Norma Desmond

[Anela]

I didn't mind the episode, but I thought, "And she's back on her bullshit" when Sheryl called the same therapist that sees her daughter, and then broke down in fake tears, when he called her on it. I like Kristen's directness. 

I don't understand why Kristen didn't tell them that she was seeing the djinn, too. Unless I'm forgetting something, she's usually on top of things. Kills a guy? calls her therapist, and admits to it. Goes out to a bar and seduces someone? Calls her therapist, and asks for medication. 

I thought I recognized the girl's foster mother - she was in Homeland. 

Edited July 7, 2021 by Anela

[quirkygal]

On 7/6/2021 at 7:56 PM, Norma Desmond said:

thought Sheryl was going to attack Dr. Boggs. She is so creepy. I think Sheryl is evil.

I think she's setting him up for blackmail. She was in a very suggestive position clinging to his hips and legs. Not sure where the camera is/was but totally felt like a set up.

have we learned what Sheryl did for a living before becoming an incompetent granny? She seems to gamble online a lot and had no problem turning on Leland ....

 

[Annber03]

1 hour ago, quirkygal said:

have we learned what Sheryl did for a living before becoming an incompetent granny? She seems to gamble online a lot and had no problem turning on Leland ...

Not so far, no. I'd also like to know about her relationship with Kristen's dad, and what led to their divorce. I mean, given Sheryl's behavior throughout the series thus far, I can guess at one of the reasons for their divorce, but I also wonder if there was more to it, and how her dad played a role in everything as well. 

[Scout Finch]

On 7/6/2021 at 8:46 AM, tennisgurl said:

That was one creepy Djinn, and I really liked the musical que that followed it around.

If you mean the song, that was "Mission District" by The Black Angels. Awesome, psychedelic rock group from Austin and among my top 10 favorite bands!

Where did the red tea set come from? I seem to recall Leland leaving a gift for the girls.

[Norma Desmond]

13 hours ago, quirkygal said:

She was in a very suggestive position clinging to his hips and legs. Not sure where the camera is/was but totally felt like a set up.

Yup. I thought she was going to force oral sex on him or bite the family jewels off. But it makes total  sense that she might have done it to frame him and blackmail him into giving Kristen's secrets away.

 

Edited July 8, 2021 by Norma Desmond

[Chaos Theory]

12 hours ago, Annber03 said:

Not so far, no. I'd also like to know about her relationship with Kristen's dad, and what led to their divorce. I mean, given Sheryl's behavior throughout the series thus far, I can guess at one of the reasons for their divorce, but I also wonder if there was more to it, and how her dad played a role in everything as well. 

Honestly I think Sheryl might just be a man eater.   She might not be the worlds most attentive grand mother but as she told Kristen she babysits five? Kids for free on a regular basis while their father travels all over the world doing who knows what.    We know what Leland is but I think this season we are seeing that Sheryl is more then just a slightly narcissistic hedonist who might lose track of her granddaughters a little too often but instead their is something…:.darker at play with her.   I would find it fascinating if she knew full well who Leland was pretty much from the start.  A man hater dating an Incel.  What if Sheryl sold her soul to the Devil a long time before Kristen Bouchard met David Acosta?

Edited July 8, 2021 by Chaos Theory

[Norma Desmond]

13 minutes ago, Chaos Theory said:

.  What if Sheryl sold her soul to the Devil a long time before Kristen Bouchard met David Acosta.

I thought the same thing - didn't Sheryl tell Leland he wasn't the first demon she knew?

Can't wait for the next episodes!

 

Edited to add:
 

Quote

Brenda is back as Mathilda Mowbray!

It's the same actress? Cool!! I wonder if it means something, or they just liked her work as Brenda so much that they invited her back as another character.

 

Edited July 8, 2021 by Norma Desmond

[kwnyc]

On 7/8/2021 at 3:05 PM, Norma Desmond said:

t's the same actress? Cool!! I wonder if it means something, or they just liked her work as Brenda so much that they invited her back as another character.

She really did an excellent job with the possessed child. She's a very good young actor.

[raven]

I enjoyed this one.  Whatever's going on with Kristen is interesting.  The dueling  exorcisms were amusing and the djinn seemed to have a sense of humor (blowing fire at the women on the street).  Creepy kid was creepy.   I didn't miss Leland even though he's been entertaining this season; Leland acting as if he could see into the laptop camera was freaky deaky last week!

Sheryl though - dammmm.  Zero boundaries and a pro manipulator. 

Ben's demon visitation/visitor wearing a RETAINER???  What is up with that?? LOL  Never change, show.

This season is firing on all cylinders for me so far.

[Cirien]

On 7/7/2021 at 12:56 AM, Norma Desmond said:

I did not get the ending. The girl was still possessed? Does she have firestarting powers? Didn't the Jinn jump from her to Kristen?

 

I thought Sheryl was going to attack Dr. Boggs. She is so creepy. I think Sheryl is evil.

 

I am really confused. That was what they were implying right? She had fire-starting powers now? (unless she got her hands on more chemicals)