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S01.E09: The Oxbow


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Key Hawthorne family secrets are revealed when Garrett is forced to reflect on his 14 years of solitude in the woods. Also, Alison turns the screws on a local reporter, with shocking results.

"View from Mount Holyoke, Northampton, Massachusetts, after a Thunderstorm, commonly known as The Oxbow, is a seminal landscape painting by Thomas Cole, founder of the Hudson River School. The painting depicts a Romantic panorama of the Connecticut River Valley just after a thunderstorm."

 

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One of the men depicted in this painting is the painter of next week's episode title painting.  Actually, this isn't the first painting of a painter.  The Chess Players depicted a painter.  The Gross Clinic included a self-portrait of its own painter.  The Artist in his Museum was a self-portrait.  That seems to be where the pattern ends.  Four paintings of painters in a row, though.  But it'll end after four because the next one is purely a landscape.  

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I'm also wondering if in pairing with the theme of "paintings of painters" we have a "killer of killers" story.  Mitch was a true crime buff.  Maybe he discovered killers in his own community and meted out a little vigilante justice.  Or Tessa did, having seen his shit list, and Mitch covered it up with Garrett's and Maddie's help.  Maybe Allison's, too, though she's not sharing the knowing looks the other two do.  

Quoting two of my posts from last week's thread above.  I was wrong, The Oxbow does include a tiny self-portrait of Cole and his easel in the rocks in the foreground.  So five in a row, but the pattern does end after that, I think.

Not a bad Garrett episode.  I don't particularly like the character.  I think he is the least interesting of the Hawthorns but at least I don't outright hate and want to punch him like I do Brody.     I did likd Garrets conversation with Alison and Cam.  I thought those were well done.  His scenes with Madeline and Tessa were too predictably vague.  

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I guess having Mr. Friendly from Lost guest star in an episode driven by flashbacks is kismet. At least so long as Terry O'Quinn is unavailable. Unfortunately, the minute Tessa asked Garrett to say he'd never killed anyone and he said he couldn't tell her that, I knew he was referring to the old man in the flashbacks.

It was easy enough to figure out, because on TV, coughing = imminent death. It's never just a cold or allergies, it's always a harbinger of doom. 

I literally burst out laughing at the nonchalant reaction of the news anchor. "Oh dear - it appears our correspondent has been assaulted. Perhaps fatally! And now, the weather . . . "

And now let the new speculations begin. It's the mayor! It's the female detective with the ridiculously over the top accent!

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I literally burst out laughing at the nonchalant reaction of the news anchor. "Oh dear - it appears our correspondent has been assaulted. Perhaps fatally! And now, the weather . . . "

I thought the entire scene, from the first sentence of the letter she was made to read (and the head nod to her right, indicating the kidnapper was there) to the news anchorman wrapping it up was hilarious. I am roaring just thinking about it. The rest of of the show? Meh. 

Tess and Brady(?)Brody(?) have negative chemistry, if that's even possible.

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Did young Garrett say to his mom at the end:  "He tried to kill me"?   Why was he covered in dirt?

I think he was covered with blood.  And I don't have any idea what he said.  Because important things are said right before the commercial break, and I never understand them.  Such as, what did Jack say to Garrett just before the commercial break?  Which led to:  right after the commercial break and Garrett called his girlfriend (the daughter of the first SBK killer).  Did he say "I am your father?"  Impossible, but it sure sounded like it.

Help????

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I liked this episode because it gave us a sense of how Garrett got to be who he is now.  I still don't think he is an accomplice even with the covered in dirt and blood scene.  

I also agree that the televised murderer is most likely Allison and that doesn't mean she is the actual accomplice, she seized an opportunity to help Garrett and do in the reporter, although there is a strong argument to be made that Allison keeping the reporter alive and using her to muddy the waters both politically and for Garrett would better serve her.  

Madeline remains the key in this whole tale and we won't know the majority of the truth until she tells it.

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The show is starting to go in circles.  We've been here before.  Garrett is the main suspect, and then it's someone else who is the killer.

When Garrett was killing the old man, I was thinking, "Damn guys, there are less painful quicker ways to kill someone than smothering them to death."

I was actually laughing when the reporter got killed.  That was even worse than the non-conversations Garrett and Madeline had.

I wonder if they are going to do something stupid like there is another sibling, locked away, that no one knows about, and they are the killer.  That would be beyond lame.

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The best moment of the show was when Jack brought Garret "Escape from Alcatraz". Bahaha! That kid is either hilarious or terrifying. No in between with him. 

So "he" tried to kill Garret, and that's why he left home. Is "he" his father? Did Garret stumble upon him in the midst of the killings? Does he know who the other killer is? I still think the mom is involved somehow. 

It got interesting at the end, and I get the reason for the Garret flashbacks, but the pacing just felt off with this and I was mostly bored. 

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12 hours ago, Free said:

It's been a recurring pattern with the painting corresponding to each episodes' scenes.

No!  Seriously???

I'm kidding.  We posted that fact back with episode 1, and posted about it in each thread since.  

Speaking of which, if the paintings hold clues, and CBS has also said there are a lot of clues strewn about, then looking ahead at the rest of the ep titles makes me suspect

Spoiler

Maddie

more than ever, given the first ep title and the last.  

9 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I guess having Mr. Friendly from Lost guest star in an episode driven by flashbacks is kismet. At least so long as Terry O'Quinn is unavailable. Unfortunately, the minute Tessa asked Garrett to say he'd never killed anyone and he said he couldn't tell her that, I knew he was referring to the old man in the flashbacks.

It was easy enough to figure out, because on TV, coughing = imminent death. It's never just a cold or allergies, it's always a harbinger of doom. 

I literally burst out laughing at the nonchalant reaction of the news anchor. "Oh dear - it appears our correspondent has been assaulted. Perhaps fatally! And now, the weather . . . "

And now let the new speculations begin. It's the mayor! It's the female detective with the ridiculously over the top accent!

I was hoping someone else recognized Tom Friendly.  Poor guy, typecast as an Other again.  And I laughed at the Cough of Doom, too.   It's like the Vomit of Pregnancy.

Couple of good laughs, but mostly Garrett sadness. Eh. 

As to the rather desultory plot, still wondering if Mitchell was in fact suffering Alzheimer's (and Gunther was still covering when he claimed to be playing chess.) 

Allison has no motive to kill the reporter. Personally I wondered if she was going to get even with hubby by sleeping with her too. The thing is, SBK #2 doesn't either. 

I was amused by the way Garrett living in the woods still had newspapers to keep track of Cam's  strip.

Edited by sjohnson
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I will make no apologies - I love this screwy, wacky show - warts and all.  Virginia Madsen is pure gold - and still so lovely (contrast that to Ellen Barkin in Animal Kingdom - zoinks).

Garret is by far my favorite character, so this episode really made me happy.   Creepy kid was hysterical and we had very little of brother 'Bad Hair" which helped.  (Is that a wig?)  Awful.  I really hope somehow Garret gets a happy ending.  

This is the perfect summer fare for me,  and I am glad it's being sold as a (10?) part event, which I hope means it will have a conclusion at the end.  Reminds me a bit of Harper's Island.  

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57 minutes ago, sjohnson said:

Allison has no motive to kill the reporter. Personally I wondered if she was going to get even with hubby by sleeping with her too. The thing is, SBK #2 doesn't either. 

What she was forced to read was a threat. Killer #2 knows they are digging deeper. The last thing the reporter relayed to Allison was the police woman getting into the car with the mayor. So it seems she might be getting too close to the truth, and that was the movie to kill her. Also, as a message to Allison - stop digging around. 

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10 hours ago, Cardie said:

Of the kids, only Alison could have offed the reporter. Garrett's in jail, Cam's in rehab, and Tessa was with Brady. 

Where was Jack?  ; )

They haven't mentioned Tessa's childhood trauma in a while.  Maybe Caleb tried to kill his son Garrett and a child Tessa killed Caleb to stop it.  Which would explain Garrett's fondness for her, I guess.  

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The show is starting to go in circles. 

Starting to? I've stuck with this show despite its shortcomings but I'm afraid it's going to end on a big cliffhanger with no resolution, just like The Whispers. Not that this show is anywhere near as awful as The Whispers, but I'd say its chances of renewal are equally slim. Where can they really go with this? You can only misdirect the audience for so long in a murder mystery. The only real way to do a second season of American Gothic is to have a completely different family and a completely new mystery next year.

When Garrett was smothering Mr. Friendly the door suddenly slammed closed behind him and at first I thought someone had walked in on him in the middle of the mercy killing. Since that didn't happen to be the case I don't understand the significance of the door slamming shut. Was it supposed to be some kind of metaphor, or was it just the wind and nobody bothered to do a re-shoot?

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1 hour ago, TigerLynx said:

I had a horrible thought.  One of the Hawthornes has a split personality or a twin.

Don't you have to start with one? Kidding! I missed the very beginning until a re-watch today, so I was confused as to who the new character was until I realized he was supposed to be "young' Garrett. (Why couldn't they just have Starr shave for the scenes?) I was bored otherwise, as his admission to his sister of having killed was obviously going to be his friend. Always fun to spot the painting.

1 hour ago, ghoulina said:

What she was forced to read was a threat. Killer #2 knows they are digging deeper. The last thing the reporter relayed to Allison was the police woman getting into the car with the mayor. So it seems she might be getting too close to the truth, and that was the movie to kill her. Also, as a message to Allison - stop digging around. 

Maybe I'm just confused but, killing the reporter isn't going to make the police stop looking, it'll just make them look harder. It's true that it'll make them look away from Garrett, but that just focuses attention on Allison. Her hanky panky with the reporter doesn't provide a motive for murder, but it surely provides grounds for disapproval. Which, let's face it, is always a motive for police to charge someone with a crime.

11 minutes ago, sjohnson said:

Maybe I'm just confused but, killing the reporter isn't going to make the police stop looking, it'll just make them look harder. It's true that it'll make them look away from Garrett, but that just focuses attention on Allison. Her hanky panky with the reporter doesn't provide a motive for murder, but it surely provides grounds for disapproval. Which, let's face it, is always a motive for police to charge someone with a crime.

The reporter was digging into the Mayor AND the lead Detective on the very case.  A lead detective who kept insisting on focusing the case on the Hawthorns.   It looks mighty suspicious that the reporter ends up dead when looking into the lead cop investiging the case.

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Where can they really go with this? You can only misdirect the audience for so long in a murder mystery. 

I'm getting some horrible "The Killing" flashbacks! 

Was the actor who plays Grown-Ass Garrett kicked in the forehead by a horse at an early age?  I just find those waves in the middle of his forehead so weird.  I thought it might have been lighting or makeup, but now not so much.

Are we sure that the reporter's video was live (if you pardon the expression)? 

1 hour ago, Lostinthehouse said:

Turtleneck's killer was tall and thin.  Madeleine has a rather matronly build, and therefore not the killer.  Could be Alison, could be Tessa (although no motive, really), probably not the Mayor or Bad-Accent-Policegal.  So, who knows?

I think you're giving the director/production staff much too much credit there.  The "killer" was probably a production assistant who happened to be on the set at the time the scene was filmed and no one really cared if he/she fit the body type of any possible suspect.

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Why would Allison be a suspect in the reporter killing?  Allison successfully managed to blackmail/threaten the reporter into essentially being a positive mouthpiece for the family.  The reporter came to Allison and told her that she saw the mayor and the Irritating Police Lady talking.  Then she was killed.  Doesn't make sense for Allison to have killed her.

No Dylan Bruce this episode.  I'm sticking with my theory.  Dylan Bruce is the SBK and he killed the reporter because she was getting too close.

I enjoyed the insight into Garrett's character.  Although I think they did a horrible job in casting "young" Garrett.  The first time we see "young" Garrett is I believe in 2000.  So he would have been 22.  They certainly could have used the same actor and changed his hair or something.  "Young" Garrett didn't even remotely look like today's Garrett.  His hair is light brown and his eyes are big and round.  Today's Garrett has squinty eyes.  I know people's hair sometimes darkens from childhood to adulthood, but from 22 to 38 the hair should have been the same colour.  Young Garrett looked to me like a young Eric Stoltz.

As for the scene from the painting, was it in the very beginning, when we see Young Garrett climbing the bluff?  We see him look out, and the background was obviously a set backdrop instead of an actual landscape.  We see a meandering river like in the painting.  But his head was in most of the shot.  Did we ever see an exact or near copy of the painting?  If so, I missed it.

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I agree, young Garrett looked nothing like old Garrett.  And the painting scene was only slightly like the painting.  

And there is something really creepy about Starr's face, though I thought it was more around the mouth myself.  He reminds me of a guy I knew whose face was smashed in a small plane crash and put back together with pins.  

If Dylan Bruce is the killer I think that'll be a huge let down, unless something changes pretty quickly.  No one even knows his character's name.  There have been no clues to suggest it's him except for him being a minor character, right?  Maybe him buying the cement company?  

I can see Maddie and Garret being convinced they have to protect a child/sibling now that they don't have to protect Dad but not that Maddie let Dad's accomplice marry into the family and let her son walk away. Although I suppose Tom Price--that's Dylan's character--could have blackmailed/threatened his way into the family and now it's too messy to out him and ruin Alison's mayoral chances and the twins' lives.

The two most crucial questions, whoever aided Mitch, are why these victims were chosen and why the killing stopped when Garrett left. I think there has to be a practical motive for the killings and these are not the work of a true serial killer driven by irresistible murderous impulses. Of course, the show will probably not even address these questions.

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The killings stopping when Garret left could either mean :

1. Garret is the killer(s)

2. Garret caught the killer, so he (they) decided to stop. A bargain was reached. "I won't say anything, I'll leave town. But it must stop."

3. It was a killing for a specific reason and it just happened to be over when Garret found out. 

I am guessing that Garret being covered in blood and saying, "he tried to kill me" is in reference to him finding out about the murders and maybe almost getting killed himself. 

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Or Garrett killed the killer.  Though I don't think Garrett has killed anyone besides Mr. Friendly, or else why bother with that whole story line.  So maybe my earlier theory-- Tessa killed the killer, maybe to save Garrett, and for some reason Garrett had to hide out after.

Maddie and Garrett protecting Tessa makes the most sense to me.  Kindergarten teacher, married to cop, preggers Mary Sue in lemon yellow in this navy world finds out she's a child psychopath like her nephew.  Her unabomber looking/acting bro is the unsung hero.  

 

Starting to? I've stuck with this show despite its shortcomings but I'm afraid it's going to end on a big cliffhanger with no resolution, just like The Whispers. Not that this show is anywhere near as awful as The Whispers, but I'd say its chances of renewal are equally slim. Where can they really go with this? You can only misdirect the audience for so long in a murder mystery. The only real way to do a second season of American Gothic is to have a completely different family and a completely new mystery next year.

When Garrett was smothering Mr. Friendly the door suddenly slammed closed behind him and at first I thought someone had walked in on him in the middle of the mercy killing. Since that didn't happen to be the case I don't understand the significance of the door slamming shut. Was it supposed to be some kind of metaphor, or was it just the wind and nobody bothered to do a re-shoot?

I had the same problem with this scene. If anyone has an explanation, please jump in.

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I know the person who killed the reporter doesn't necessarily have to be the accomplice.  I was on board with the "Tessa did it" train, but we know she didn't kill the reporter because we saw her watching in on TV w/Brody.  

But we don't know that to be true.  That news "report" may have been taped hours before.

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If Dylan Bruce is the killer I think that'll be a huge let down, unless something changes pretty quickly.  No one even knows his character's name. 

It's Tom Price, in the flashback Alison mentioned Tom and Mr Hawthorne were out buying lighter fluid (and duct tape and rope and silver bells!).

Yeah, I am calling Dylan Bruce. At this point, there are few other people it could possibly be. He is one of the only family members that has not been suspected yet, he is always gone for long stretches of time, it almost seems too obvious. 

I did like getting some more information on what Garret was up to in his loner phase, but I wish the show would actually give us some answers, not just constant vagueness. I also liked the scenes with him and Cam, and him and Theresa. It was not just more plot related talking in circles, they actually seemed like conversations people might have. 

You know, for all Jacks creepiness, I can still enjoy his weird sense of humor. And, as I have said before, he really does not seem to be malicious. He can be very pleasant to his family, seems to care about them, he can even be weirdly thoughtful, its just that he seems to have no idea what he does and says is wrong. Seriously, can we find someone competent to help this kid!?

That news reporters reaction to the news lady getting murdered was hilariously nonchalant. "Oh dear, I believe a most fatal murder has taken place. And now, sports!" 

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23 hours ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

They haven't mentioned Tessa's childhood trauma in a while.  Maybe Caleb tried to kill his son Garrett and a child Tessa killed Caleb to stop it.  Which would explain Garrett's fondness for her, I guess.  

I went back and checked that murder board in ep. 2 to see if victim 1 happened to be named Caleb.  Nope, Brian Logan.  So perk up if you hear that name.  He looked like an older dude, 60+.  

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I just don't think the writers of this show have the capacity or sophistication to even contemplate using the closing door as a metaphor. I too thought someone had walked in and witnessed the assisted death, but ended up attributing the slamming door to the "wind" when it was clear no one was there.

The strange thing is that Garrett didn't even react to it. If you were smothering someone to death and thought you were alone and heard a door slam behind you wouldn't you jump up and look??? That seems like a really sloppy mistake they should have fixed in editing or with a re-shoot.

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But we don't know that to be true.  That news "report" may have been taped hours before.

But . . . who was playing it, then? If it was the TV station wouldn't they have looked at it before airing it? If it wasn't the TV station, who else could it have been besides the killer?

That whole thing didn't really make sense because the news anchor "threw" to (an expected) field reporter, meaning there would normally be a live feed from some remote location via a camera and sound man (possibly one and the same, possibly two different people) filming said reporter. Presumably the killer murdered the station's camera crew, and had the knowledge and wherewithal to listen for the station's cue to go live and knew how to work the camera and sound in order to broadcast the field reporter's piece, which he forced her to read live on the air. 

If he actually pre-recorded this he would have to lie in wait for the station's cue to go live and replay the tape but I'm not sure it works that way from remote. In any case, he/she would still have to be in the location that was expected to be broadcast from.

Unless the SBK's accomplice has his own accomplice. Which . . . yeah, probably.

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8 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

But . . . who was playing it, then? If it was the TV station wouldn't they have looked at it before airing it? If it wasn't the TV station, who else could it have been besides the killer?

Maybe I've read too many Jeffery Deaver novels with criminal masterminds.  I realized it's far-fetched, but isn't AG the kind of show that has far-fetched elements?

Basically, an episode focused mainly on Garrett in prison and then Garrett in his time out in the woods.  At least the latter had M.C. Gainey who is always awesome, but it as soon as that cough happen, it was obvious that he was a goner, and that Garrett would put him down, which is why he is unable to tell Tessa he never killed someone.  We also get a big moment of teen Garrett being covered in dirt/blood (?), Madeline asking what the hell is going on and him just saying "He tried to kill me!"  Yep, still think he's not the SBK, and is either innocent of any actual murder, or maybe he did kill one person, but it was self-defense.

Meanwhile, the SBK struck again, after the reporter got to close to whatever Connelly and Brody's partner were doing.  I'm guessing there is going to be some kind of major swerve on that part too.

Mitchell and Tom off buying lighter fluid?  Hmm.... the killings stopped by then, but I wonder if that was sign about them two having a relationship and going off by themselves together before.  Maybe it really is Tom.  Or maybe it was just simply a case of the actors not being available.

Christina is apparently pregnant with Garrett's kid.  Maybe this is all a set-up for the next series, where Christina/Garrett's child and Tessa/Brody's child, grow up and form their own serial killing team.  That would actually be kind of funny.

And, yes: the news anchor's reaction to the reporter's death was hilarious.  I get maintaining professionalism, but you would think seeing his co-worker potentially murdered, would shake him up a bit.  Then again, maybe he really didn't like her or something.

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On ‎8‎/‎18‎/‎2016 at 0:23 PM, Winston9-DT3 said:

They haven't mentioned Tessa's childhood trauma in a while.  Maybe Caleb tried to kill his son Garrett and a child Tessa killed Caleb to stop it.  Which would explain Garrett's fondness for her, I guess.  

This is what I was thinking as well, except that Garrett was fond of her (and she of him) even before she killed Caleb to protect him.  I think that Mitch and Garrett then took the body away to bury it, and that's the body Cam saw that night.  It was decided Garrett should go away to keep Tessa from remembering, and perhaps being blamed should Caleb's body be discovered.

  

On ‎8‎/‎18‎/‎2016 at 4:24 PM, ghoulina said:

The killings stopping when Garret left could either mean :

1. Garret is the killer(s)

2. Garret caught the killer, so he (they) decided to stop. A bargain was reached. "I won't say anything, I'll leave town. But it must stop."

3. It was a killing for a specific reason and it just happened to be over when Garret found out. 

I am guessing that Garret being covered in blood and saying, "he tried to kill me" is in reference to him finding out about the murders and maybe almost getting killed himself. 

No. 2 for me.  Caleb was the original SBK, and with his death, the killings halted, most probably because his partner couldn't handle it on his/her own.  Could it have been Maddie's mother, and does she know about Garrett and/or Tessa killing Caleb, and that's why they have been paying her off?    Can't think why the reporter though, unless it has something to do with the cover-up that Brady suspects. 

Jack:  His visit to Garrett was so cute that I actually peeked out from under the covers to smile. 

 

 

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