S02.E08: Stay Beautiful

[formerlyfreedom]

Javier takes on one of the strangest and most gruesome jobs he has ever done. Letty goes further down a rabbit hole until she finds herself at rock bottom.

[Nancypants]

Oh my God this is hard to watch.

[TC3200]

Yeah.  Disturbing.    I think I feel a bit ill now. 

[Nancypants]

I don't know how I'm going to shake that one off. Honestly. 

[Irlandesa]

I had to fast forward the Letty stuff.  One of the reasons it took me so long to give this show a chance is because I had heard Letty was a drug addict and I cannot express how mind numbing watching drug use is to me.  Hopefully, I didn't miss anything too important. 

When Carlos showed up, I thought for sure he was going to be revealed as the one behind the murder of Javier's brother and father but I guess I was wrong.  That was very hard to watch--to see both of them in such desperate places. 

[justmehere]

Never mind -- too many disturbing things to detail.

Great line though, that they pull each other back from the ledge.

Edited December 4, 2017 by justmehere

[Nancypants]

That whole bit with the man and wife was way too awful even for me, and I'm fairly desensitized. Did the whole ep have to be so damn bleak? It was one thing after another, each one gutwtenching as hell

 Jeez, show.

[thesupremediva1]

I watched some of this through my fingers. I'm a big baby with drug use, and that kill scene with the husband and wife made me queasy. I actually had to eat an oatmeal bar before bed to settle my stomach.

I say this pretty much every week, but it bears repeating: Juan Diego Botto was Emmy-worthy tonight. The phone calls to Letty ripped my heart out, the uncontrolled rage he had at Teo scared the hell out of me, and the way he handled the realtor was smooth as butter. Javier would be a cartoon without such a skilled actor playing him. I love when characters are allowed to be complex and three-dimensional, and JDB's Javier feels like someone you might actually run across in real life (hopefully you're not on the other end of his needle).

I don't love Letty's storyline right now and I'm not that big a fan of Letty herself at the moment, but I can't skip the acting props that are due the indelible Michelle Dockery. She really nailed it tonight (pun intended).  She was able to lose most vestiges of "together" Letty and even most of the Letty we've known all along as she went down the rabbit hole, but little glimpses of familiar humanity would creep in every now and then to break my heart. I liked that she left the 911 call up for Boner so he didn't die of an infection from that needle wound, and the tears in her eyes when she asked Javier if he was waiting for her to cry? Jesus woman, are you trying to kill us?!

One big problem with this show in a larger context is that you can tell Chad Hodge always wants us on Letty's side. But I don't think anyone could anticipate how popular Javier is. The writers have knocked his storyline out of the park. There's drama and intrigue and murder and family crises and we're all on the edge of our seats. And then you have Letty running around a corn maze high as hell and hanging up on him. I always find Javier's storyline more compelling than Letty's when they're apart. That's a big problem for me. So either keep them together, or beef up Letty's solo arc - because by the end of this ep I was dreading her scenes.

[attica]

1 hour ago, thesupremediva1 said:

I actually had to eat an oatmeal bar before bed to settle my stomach.

This is an actual charming detail. Not being sarcastic. I had no idea oatmeal bars staved off barfing! [files away for future]

What a killer cover (heh) of "Wicked Game." So effective. 

I think Teo wouldn't have bothered leaving that note, and if he did, he'd've left it in Spanish. That was for our benefit, not Javier's. 

I liked the little grace note of Letty's contact list showing Dave with several exclamation points. (Dave!!!) And every time she called him, she said it with several exclamation points, first with a stoner's bonhomie, and last with desperation and fear.

Am I overthinking the follow-up of Mercury Lady's murder? That's gonna leave some evidence, right? (Yes, I'm overthinking it. I know this show by now.)

[Joimiaroxeu]

This episode should've been called "Dave's not here, man."

I don't understand why Letty's so-called friends abandoned her out in the middle of nowhere. It had to have been more than just the drugs but what did they expect to get out of it?

I also don't understand why Carlos let Teo go unless he'd been sent by someone to work Javier so he could get to Teo. But he already knew about the motel, didn't he? So confused...

Aw, Letty and Javier are breaking my heart. They need each other!

[CKTV123]

Quote

I don't understand why Letty's so-called friends abandoned her out in the middle of nowhere. It had to have been more than just the drugs but what did they expect to get out of it?

I'm guessing they stole her purse and anything of value she may have had. Nice of them to leave her with her near-dead phone though. She sure can pick 'em.  

If they wanted to drive home to us just how far down Letty was once it worked. Javier is right. They need each other to stay off that ledge.

Oh Teo. You were up shit creek before but now you are a dead man walking. 

[HollyG]

37 minutes ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

I also don't understand why Carlos let Teo go unless he'd been sent by someone to work Javier so he could get to Teo. But he already knew about the motel, didn't he? So confused...

Teo left that note on the floor next to the body that read "Carlos let me pee". I took it to mean that Carlos was being a nice guy and loosened Teo's ties so he could use the bathroom. He didn't mean to let him go at all. 

[Nancypants]

• Ok Letty mayyybbeee This is Rock Bottom.

[dubbel zout]

Dr. Abbott hired a hit man! That's not how I ever thought Everwood's town doctor would end up.

Letty's bad luck that her housekeeper was also the motel's owner. That was a satisfying exchange.

Who is Carlos again? Is he another brother who was terrorized by the father? It seemed very obvious to me that he was totally unequipped to be in the same room as Teo, even if Teo were hogtied. I was surprised Javier allowed him to stay. He was obviously distracted.

[Joimiaroxeu]

2 hours ago, HollyG said:

Teo left that note on the floor next to the body that read "Carlos let me pee". I took it to mean that Carlos was being a nice guy and loosened Teo's ties so he could use the bathroom. He didn't mean to let him go at all. 

Yikes, my poor vision. I thought the note said "Carlos let me free." And again I wonder why Javier hadn't already killed Teo. Now Teo is free to go get backup.

It sort of sounded to me like maybe Ava's restaurant was being used to launder drug money. Perhaps the deal between her father and whoever went sour and that's why he was killed. Teo probably showed up to manage things on behalf of whoever he's working for.

[Sim]

Is anyone else worried that, given all the members of Javier’s family that are ending up dead, Teo is going to go straight to Ava and the nieces? I know she won’t be taken in by him again but I doubt he’s going to try to be quite so sly this time

[HollyG]

Quote

"It sort of sounded to me like maybe Ava's restaurant was being used to launder drug money. Perhaps the deal between her father and whoever went sour and that's why he was killed. Teo probably showed up to manage things on behalf of whoever he's working for".

Meant this to quote Joimiaroxeu. Not sure how I messed it up!

When Javier was speaking to Carlos in the kitchen about why he hadn't killed Teo yet, he talked about the restaurant. He said something like 'his father bought the restaurant for Ava and then suddenly people started dying and Teo was hanging around'. Surely Ava would know if money was being laundered there but she seemed to be anti-crime... at least for herself. I got the impression it was more about the actual restaurant/building. Maybe her dad (or someone) hid something there... papers, money, something buried under the building?? 

Edited December 4, 2017 by HollyG

[peridot]

I really hated seeing this side of Letty.  I found Javier's story more interesting than her various trips.  When that guy in the fox mask was crouching down on the ground, I was half afraid he was going to rape her.  I'm glad the show didn't go there.

Javier just has the worst misfortune.  Although Carlos was an idiot, Javier's going to feel like he killed two brothers now. 
His case with the married couple was completely messed up.  Have we ever met clients of his that were complete psychopaths before?

Seeing him cry at the end almost made me cry.  I hope Letty pulls her head out of her ass soon.

[red.]

Soooo I must have missed part of this episode, but it was too grim to go back and re-watch:
1) Why did the guy want to have his wife killed (and watch her die)
2) Did he shoot himself afterwards?

Also, plot twist- Ava is the one coordinating all of the family hits so she can have her restaurant and live happily ever after the way she wants to 

[Nancypants]

Letty= Wanderer in the Sea of Fog.

See ep 1.

Super beautiful.

[HollyG]

38 minutes ago, red. said:

Soooo I must have missed part of this episode, but it was too grim to go back and re-watch:
1) Why did the guy want to have his wife killed (and watch her die)
2) Did he shoot himself afterwards?

Also, plot twist- Ava is the one coordinating all of the family hits so she can have her restaurant and live happily ever after the way she wants to 

The wife poisoned him with mercury, which is slowly killing him. So he returned the favor... killing her outright also with mercury. Not sure if he shot himself or not and the entire episode was far too traumatic to watch any part of it again.

That would be a great plot twist to have Ava the person pulling all the strings. 

[Hanahope]

Definitely the grimmest episode in the show.

I just gotta wonder how Letty got into the middle of the forest.

Poor Carlos. He had to be a nice guy to Teo and not just tell him to pee his pants.  If I were Javier, I’d be hightailing it to Ava’s to protect her and the daughters.  I don’t see Ava ordering the deaths of her family.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

How convenient for TPTB to provide fast forward options so readily with all the artsy "trippin'" sequences.  ZZZZZZZZZ.

Yes, the husband committed suicide.  Javy's sad reaction confirms this intention.

I would so watch a series all about the adventures of Javy.  It's a major downer for me when we see him self-destructing through his ties to Letty.  I'm not saying this insanity is unrealistic.  It's one of the few things in this show that feels authentic to me.

Too bad about Fredo. 

JDB blew it again with his various pronunciations of "Ava" in his conversation with Teo.  He really brought it in this ep, otherwise. 

Finally.  Finally...we saw Letty obviously altered.  Unsteady movements, slurred speech, and such.  Of all the victims, it was a savvy maid who caught her.  This was a very nice touch.

Now, assuming there is some kind of reunion with Javy, let's just see if Letty undergoes a medical detox.  Given her history, this would be a necessity.  Any bets?   How about the parole office finally going after her?  You know, the place that knew just how to deal with her anytime they felt like it?  The Sub-Director who hates her guts?   

[Nancypants]

I doubt show will have Letty go through a Medical Detox. It would be much more in keeping with the tone of the show to write it so that she sweats it out the Hard way. Also giving MD a chance to act her way. Superbly through the suffering that is Detox and the sometimes grim business of being Letty.

Remember, its no fun if its easy.

[gibasi]

Damn it, I have had 2 posts disappear on me.  Third time is the charm?

I did not like Letty at all in this episode.  I did not like her calling Jacob while she was drunk.  I thought that the show should have made clear that it was the reason Estelle was not letting Letty talk to Jacob.  As it is I am not sure that is what they were going for at all-maybe it was just showing us that it was a return to the old days when Estelle had control over Jacob and Letty had no rights at all.  But now Letty has voluntarily given Jacob to Estelle and it was for his own good.  So I feel sympathy for her there.  But then she is calling him because she is drunk and feeling sorry for herself.  Now I don’t feel anything for her and agree with Estelle but I wish Estelle had said, Call me before talking to Jacob and make sure you are sober when you do so. I wish the show had made it clear that was why Estelle was saying no if in fact that was the reason.

I did not like Letty getting together with her old pal, Dave.  Another high school friend?  It seemed that way.  But getting totally wasted and acting like she was at Burning Man or something-Blech.  And I hated her crazed dancing.  In the pilot we saw her listening to the self-help tapes and trying to do the right thing.  When she reverted to her old destructive ways it was after a lot of beat downs-the restaurant guy, the stress of not saving the victim from Javier.  When Letty is stealing and thieving she seems so sophisticated and confident.  Drinking and drugging Letty is just trashy.

I agree with the poster upthread that Javier’s story is much more compelllng.  And he is easier to root for even though he kills people!  He seems kind and acts kindly towards other people.  He is able to t think of other people whereas Letty always seems to be thinking only of herself.

My favorite episodes have been the ones where Letty and Javier are working together.  I hope the show gets back there and does it quickly!  No more of this spiral of Letty’s.  It is not fun and this show is better when it is fun.

[red.]

On 12/4/2017 at 10:55 PM, HollyG said:

The wife poisoned him with mercury, which is slowly killing him. So he returned the favor... killing her outright also with mercury. Not sure if he shot himself or not and the entire episode was far too traumatic to watch any part of it again.

That would be a great plot twist to have Ava the person pulling all the strings. 

Thanks! That makes sense. I thought I heard a gun shot at the end but wasn't sure. 

[Nancypants]

This episode has haunted me all week, especially that horribly sad Mercury couple.   Everything else was gutwrenching as well. I literally have had to watch cute kitten videos on Youtube as a Palate Cleanser.

The acting in this show is superb.

[msrachelj]

On 12/4/2017 at 7:37 AM, Nancypants said:

That whole bit with the man and wife was way too awful even for me, and I'm fairly desensitized. Did the whole ep have to be so damn bleak? It was one thing after another, each one gutwtenching as hell

 Jeez, show.

i am surprised this was something a "hit man" would do. though i don't know much about the profession! it was horrible and i want to know more backstory. so the wife was fed up with her husband, as happens so much in life, that she decides to slowly poison him. whatever happened to divorce?  why didn't the husband do it himself instead of shelling out all that money while he sat there and watched? i guess he could be there and watch the torture but could not perform it himself. 

 i'm disappointed in javier. shooting someone, etc is a big difference from this.

and boy i ff'd all the lettie stuff. she may be one of those people who will just never get her shit together. i have no sympathy for con artists, thieves, druggies, who would rather cheat and steal instead of getting a damn job and being a role model for your son. she's not really likable. 

 

and javier, really did not see that his brother was not capable of looking after what's his name in the basement? i knew that was going to happen. he should be smarter that that. 

[slf]

I'll be honest, I struggle with a junkie being considered worse than a hitman. I mean, yeah, junkies tend to be selfish liars and that can be infuriating but shit. She doesn't murder people for cash because of daddy issues. Her shit, ultimately, is less destructive for other people (I would argue that the show has been fairly realistic when depicting her addiction and the effect she has on others but has taken an almost ridiculously fairytale approach to Javier The Hitman With A Heart of Gold).

Letty's spiral is why I've never even touched weed. When the guy in the wolf mask was crouched down behind her? Definitely thought he was going to attack her. I actually thought the whole cornfield thing was a setup. You're so unbelievably vulnerable when you're high; the idea terrifies me. 

[NumberCruncher]

3 hours ago, slf said:

I'll be honest, I struggle with a junkie being considered worse than a hitman. I mean, yeah, junkies tend to be selfish liars and that can be infuriating but shit. She doesn't murder people for cash because of daddy issues. Her shit, ultimately, is less destructive for other people (I would argue that the show has been fairly realistic when depicting her addiction and the effect she has on others but has taken an almost ridiculously fairytale approach to Javier The Hitman With A Heart of Gold).

This...especially the bolded.  I enjoy Javier just as much as the next guy but on no planet are his and Letty's deeds comparable.  He's a killer, regardless of whether his victims deserved it.  To me, he gets a lot of credit for calling Letty out for being the train wreck she is, but at the end of the day, the only person she is likely to kill is herself.  Yes, it's a fiction and JDB is hot, but we're not supposed to admire Javier's chosen profession.  In fact, this episode was practically screaming to the audience just how monstrous his deeds had become.   It wasn't just murder--he pretty much tortured that woman to death.  Yuck.

Edited December 8, 2017 by NumberCruncher

[Lonesome Rhodes]

I believe there is an excellent discussion to be had as to the nature of innocents being harmed more/less by a thieving junkie as opposed to a hitman careful to kill non-innocents.   Good on the show for begging such.

Me?  Give me an avenging/killing (not murder!) non-angel (Javy.  Charles Bronson's architect!) over a vortex of taking like Letty.  The wife in this ep is one of the all-time most deserving of her fate I have ever seen.  I am not saying Letty deserves killing.  I am saying she has caused much more evil and damage.  

[justmehere]

3 hours ago, NumberCruncher said:

we're not supposed to admire Javier's chosen profession.  In fact, this episode was practically screaming to the audience just how monstrous his deeds had become.   It wasn't just murder--he pretty much tortured that woman to death.  Yuck.

Agree - and he was affected too. He's mentioned more than once how a heart attack (via injection) is the best way. Probably, for the victim, but for him too. It's neat, it's clean, he can stay emotionally remote. This one was dirty and ugly, and it got to him. Hopefully it's a turning point.

He was right that he and Letty pull each other back from the ledge -- and they also point out each other's failings. Both have been resistant to giving up their bad actions, though. Maybe with this hit and Letty reaching rock bottom, maybe there is change ahead. Their previous attempt wasn't nearly good enough, as Jacob can attest, no matter how good the intention. I think it will be a long road, though, which is good for us as it means the show can continue (I hope) another season or two.

 

ETA: @slf said

6 hours ago, slf said:

has taken an almost ridiculously fairytale approach to Javier The Hitman With A Heart of Gold).

I agree and disagree here. It has been glossed over in some ways, but also not:

-Letty's momentary lapse re: Sean aside, she has kept after him about stopping, pushing him to see how bad it is (even as part of her likes that he's dangerous).

-The horrible way his father revealed his profession to his family

-Silk getting killed

-Lashever catching him and nearly sending him away for life

-Ava rejecting him. His persistent attempts to maintain contact with her (his lifeline) showed him finally starting to wake up instead of acting as if it didn't really matter because of his issues.

-The incident with Jacob and Teo

-And now, with this last hit, he finally knows how bad it is.

Ultimately, I don't think the show sees it as romantic or OK, however great a guy Javier is otherwise. Maybe the point is showing that there is more to him than what he does. Just as there's more to Letty than her addiction. They both just have a lot of work to do.

Edited December 8, 2017 by justmehere

[attica]

12 hours ago, slf said:

Letty's spiral is why I've never even touched weed.

Letty is the highest-functioning user I have ever seen. ...Aaand she's fictional, which is, to my mind, how such a thing is possible.

[slf]

16 hours ago, Lonesome Rhodes said:

I believe there is an excellent discussion to be had as to the nature of innocents being harmed more/less by a thieving junkie as opposed to a hitman careful to kill non-innocents.   Good on the show for begging such.

 

That's kind of what I mean by the show giving an almost fairytale depiction of a hitman. The show may have Letty being, as @attica put it, the highest-functioning user anyone's ever seen but it does show how a junkie uses and damages other people. Meanwhile, Javier - the professional killer - somehow only ever kills bad people. How many good people with a lot of cash want someone dead for justifiable reasons? Apparently a lot because Javier's made a career out of it. 

[dubbel zout]

25 minutes ago, slf said:

Meanwhile, Javier - the professional killer - somehow only ever kills bad people. How many good people with a lot of cash want someone dead for justifiable reasons? Apparently a lot because Javier's made a career out of it. 

Haven't we seen Javier research his targets? Not just their habits and routines, but who they are? I don't mean to excuse what he does for a living, but I've always gotten the impression that he's not the sort of hit man who's going to take a job because someone snapped after the dishes in the sink just. didn't. get. washed.

The show is kind of in a corner where Javier is concerned, as he can't be so reprehensible that we don't like him and want him with Letty, but it also can't whitewash the fact that the guy is a contract killer. So it stacks the deck and has him kill only bad people. It's not a very good compromise, but I don't see what else the show can do.

It would be interesting to see some ripple effects of Javier's hits, though maybe Silk getting killed is one?

[attica]

They're trying to Dexter-ize Javier, I think. Make him attractive by making his victims worse.i agree; it's a tightrope to walk.

[slf]

4 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

Haven't we seen Javier research his targets? Not just their habits and routines, but who they are? I don't mean to excuse what he does for a living, but I've always gotten the impression that he's not the sort of hit man who's going to take a job because someone snapped after the dishes in the sink just. didn't. get. washed.

1

That's what I mean, tho. All of these people (most of them pretty well-off financially) who all know someone horrible enough for Javier to be okay killing them. It's a little ridiculous. Frankly it'd make more sense if he was just some vigilante who kills people because he thinks he's delivering justice.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the show, Javier, and the actor playing (who is great). I just think the writing for Javier can be, well, ridiculous.

[RhymesWithCroatia]

My mind immediately went to Dog Shaming with that note Teo left next to Carlos. Just me? 

This was a tough episode to watch and it was interesting to see how Javier was experiencing a lot of character growth (maybe that's not the right word) while Letty was completely aimless. In the larger arc of the series, it probably makes sense, but I prefer to see Letty on a mission rather than wandering around pointlessly. 

[Moxie Cat]

On December 4, 2017 at 1:32 PM, dubbel zout said:

Dr. Abbott hired a hit man! That's not how I ever thought Everwood's town doctor would end up.

And Joanna Going was the wife. She will forever be Victoria Winters on the 1991 Dark Shadows reboot to me. (Was obsessed back when!) Other's may know her as Megan's soap costar on Mad Men. Beautiful woman.

So what is Teo's game at this point? Does he get the family fortune/business by killing the father and David? Obviously now he has to kill Jav and Ava, they know too much. I hope his endgame is explained by the finale.

[helenamonster]

Oh Letty. Oh no no no no. Where we left her at the end might have been the most unsettling part of an episode made of nothing but unsettling parts, but I'm speaking as a bit of an agoraphobe. I was actually yelling at my screen "Just start walking, start walking in any direction, you will hit civilization eventually!" but being stuck like that can be disorienting on a good day. She's coming down from a trip and is probably also severely dehydrated. But honestly, that's like one of my worst nightmares.

Unsettling moment #2: Boner getting shot with the nail gun. Fucking Christ, I know y'all are high, but have none of you seen a Final Destination movie? Nothing good comes from messing around with power tools! I hope paramedics found him in time.

Unsettling moment #3: put being poisoned with mercury on the list of ways I do not want to die! Normally I don't like when the show leaves the backstory of Javier's jobs vague, but I think it worked here. I didn't know what caused this couple's marriage to deteriorate but I 100% believed their complex feelings for one another and that was all I needed for things to work.

On 12/4/2017 at 10:43 AM, attica said:

I think Teo wouldn't have bothered leaving that note, and if he did, he'd've left it in Spanish. That was for our benefit, not Javier's. 

Agreed about the Spanish, but I think he wanted to rub in Javier's face that it was Carlos's stupidity that got him killed. Teo never would have been able to break out of the hogtie on his own. Carlos fucked up.

On 12/4/2017 at 3:34 PM, Sim said:

Is anyone else worried that, given all the members of Javier’s family that are ending up dead, Teo is going to go straight to Ava and the nieces? I know she won’t be taken in by him again but I doubt he’s going to try to be quite so sly this time

Ohhh nooooo please nooooooo