S02.E02: Sleeping Giants

[Tara Ariano]

With Daniel still in an induced coma, Janet and Amantha await news of his condition; Teddy's business plans take a hit; and Tawney delivers some unsettling news to him.

[AuntiePam]

That 45 minutes went by really fast -- a sign of an excellent episode.

 

The standout scene for me was Tawney confessing to Teddy about what happened with Daniel, that he'd asked if he could kiss her, and that she felt a connection with him.  I was tense, waiting for Teddy's reaction, and he surprised me.  Did she tell him because she felt guilty and had to confess, or because she's worried that the feeling is still there, and she needs Teddy to do something about it?  Whichever it was, the little kiss might not have been enough. 

 

Happy that Daniel woke up and seemed pleased to be alive, joking with his mom and Amantha.  Who wouldn't be happy though, after having that ass**** intruding on your coma! 

[Armchair Critic]

I don't even know the guy's name, but he talked to the father of somebody else that was possibly involved in the murder which looks even more like Daniel was set up.

 

Glad Teddy didn't lash out at his wife for admitting she had feelings for Daniel, but I still don't like or trust him.

[Fisher King]

From my understanding, (correct me please) the man that Trey visited was Mr. Melton, dead Georgie's father(?) who also has doubts about Daniel's guilt, and presumably has no inkling that Georgie is dead. He said he hadn't heard from him after calling him "queer" two years ago.

 

Nice scenes with Daniel, his mother and Amantha after he woke up -- so sweet...and a little sad when he called out for Kerwin.

 

Yes, AuntiePam, how dare that evil, rapist ahole invade Daniel's coma!

 

Teddy continues to be an ass for the most part.

 

Good moment with little brother Jared listening to Mazzy Star on the Walkman. Was that Hannah's voice on the tape?

[bourbon]

Dang, this show is so brilliant.

 

My favorite scene was the scene where Tawney confesses to Ted Jr.  They are standing on opposite sides of the room, the distance between them as wide as the emotional distance that has opened up between them.  Loved, too, the scene where Tawney's friend from her women's group talks about her feelings towards Daniel.  Really a beautiful meditation on Christian love and forgiveness, and how even Tawney struggles with it.

 

And to add to the Christ imagery this show does, we have Amantha anointing Daniel's hands and feet with oil (lavender lotion) like the woman of Bethany.  Don't know if that was an intentional parallel, but knowing McKinnon's attention to detail, I would think not.

 

This show has the most exquisitely drawn characters on TV.  Sympathies shift from one scene to the next, as they do in real life.  Sheriff Daggett (dogged?) started out as the villain of the piece, but is now one of the more sympathetic characters, looking for justice even for a man he suspects is a rapist and a murderer.  Critics often comment how slow the show is, but I think that's wrong.  Each scene is a revelation, with new layers being revealed.  There is something happening all the time.  

[Tara Ariano]

Here's Sarah's post on the episode!

[Fisher King]

My favorite scene was the scene where Tawney confesses to Ted Jr.  They are standing on opposite sides of the

room, the distance between them as wide as the emotional distance that has opened up between them.  Loved, too, the scene where Tawney's friend from her women's group talks about her feelings towards Daniel.  Really a beautiful meditation on Christian love and forgiveness, and how even Tawney struggles with it.

Great post, bourbon. All of it.

 

Your point of Tawney's Christian love and forgiveness rings so true. I see her as someone who sincerely tries to walk that walk. I also believe that that's one of the main conflicts with Tawney and Teddy. He's just not as "devout" nor on the same page as Tawney. It also doesn't help that he feels Daniel's a threat to the family business. He's paranoid, jealous and wants Daniel to disappear while Tawney has innocently tried to be helpful.

I guess it's a good thing that Tawney was honest with Teddy about Daniel having deeper feelings for her but Teddy's resentment toward him reflects in his cold shoulder with her. If T had her faith, it would be a different situation. JMO

[peeayebee]

From my understanding, (correct me please) the man that Trey visited was Mr. Melton, dead Georgie's father(?) who also has doubts about Daniel's guilt, and presumably has no inkling that Georgie is dead. He said he hadn't heard from him after calling him "queer" two years ago.

 

Ohhh. I thought he said he called him a quitter. I kept wondering what Georgie was supposed to have quit that would be relevant in the show. I really wish I had rewatched S1.

 

Did she tell him because she felt guilty and had to confess, or because she's worried that the feeling is still there, and she needs Teddy to do something about it?

 

I think she was feeling guilty and also that she worries the feeling may still be there. Seems like saying something out loud can sometimes make that feeling stronger and sometimes can make it dissipate. We'll see what happens here. I also wonder if she said this in hopes of Teddy opening up to her about what was bothering him. I know I've done that in relationships, expecting my confession to elicit one from the other person. Of course it could be that she thought what was bothering Teddy was his belief that she had feelings for Daniel. That's probably more likely.

 

I loved this scene. I love Tawney. Her honesty and goodness always shine. I was kind of pissed at Teddy for not being more supportive of her since she was being so open with him. He did say that she was brave to talk about this. (I think he said this.) I understand his anger and hurt about everything is keeping him from being magnanimous, but I just wanted him to hug her and thank her for being honest.

 

Amantha's reaction to the doctor's good news was so irritating. Way to piss on the good news. Why not bring Bobby Dean in to piss on it while you're at it.

 

Does anyone actually rent rims?

[Frisco]

I cannot get enough of this show.  I'm glad Daniel is out of the coma. Exactly peeaybee...who rents rims???? LOL  Cannot stand Tedddy or Amantha.  Looking forward to next weeks episode.

[AuntiePam]

Renting rims -- I thought I heard wrong but guess not.  I don't get that either.  They'll get chipped and pitted, won't they?

 

I could understand renting rims if you're entering a car in a show, but if you have a show car, you probably already own nice rims.

 

But it did take me back to The Wire, the seasons with Marlo in the rim shop. 

[bluebonnet]

Did an internet search and apparently renting rims is a thing.  Some places starting as low as $20 a week.  I have a neighbor who always seems to have different rims on his SUV.  I kinda figured he was either just really frivolous with his money or that he was some type of Walter White who wanted to show off his ill-gotten dough.  But maybe he rents?  I guess it's like the equivalent of changing out a cell phone cover every day or having a different purse for every outfit.  Only more time consuming.  Either way, it's fitting that Ted Jr. is pushing for this.  He has this extremely fragile identity that appears on the verge of fracture now that his stepbrother has returned to their lives.  A business model focusing on frequent changes to the exterior to give the impression of a different sort of lifestyle is just so Teddy Jr.  

 

Also, I didn't realize that Amantha annoyed me until this forum.  I blame y'all!  Lol.  

[peeayebee]

Teddy is such an interesting character to me. On the one hand, he's incredibly unsympathetic with his resentment against Daniel and this terrible smirk on his face. He really annoyed the hell out of me when he was intruding on his younger half-brother and going through the things in his room. His worries that Daniel might be a vegetable after the coma were insensitive, but I generally don't think that it's wrong to think about the possible outcome of Daniel's attack, even when it's negative.

 

I agree about Teddy being interesting. I get angry at him, and yet his mixed-up feelings are apparent. He's got so many things he's dealing with, so many anxieties -- about his place in the family, his father's love, his wife's love, his place in the community, his relationship with Daniel… It's very complex and interesting.

 

I noticed that whenever he brought up the possibility that Daniel would be a vegetable (or however he put it), he talked about someone having to wipe his butt. It makes sense that that's an image he keeps returning to since Daniel attacked him and left him with coffee -- a substitute for shit -- on his buttocks.

[pasdetrois]

Maybe it was the long hiatus between seasons, but thus far this season isn't captivating me like the first season did. A lot of viewer momentum was lost for me.

 

I don't know if I can keep watching if the actress who plays Amantha keeps chewing the scenery every.time.she's.on.screen.  That's not acting - that's screeching. I'm already FFing through her scenes. It's a very one-note and unrealistic performance.

 

The actors who play the parents, brother and sister-in-law are doing a much better job. I'm interested in how Teddy and Tawney will be changed by the experience of being related to Daniel. Physically, they look like small-town southerners, although their house seems too big for a guy who's a partner in a struggling tire shop.

 

To answer Fisher King's question: I do think Jared is curious about Daniel's role in the murder, and that's why he's listening to Daniel's old Walkman and tapes. If I recall correctly from season one, Jared found a mix tape or something that the dead gir's voice is on, and that's what he was listening to when Teddy barged in.

Edited June 29, 2014 by pasdetrois

[jnhux123]

 I really appreciate the pace of the show. It's strategically slow but it makes for a better story I believe. Click here for the recap from the last episode.

[Kris117]

 

The scene at the beginning with Amantha and her mother where her mother tells her that Daniel is not a plastic doll was incredible.

Yes, I really appreciated that. I loved the bit in Sarah's recap last week where she listed all the times Mom had to refrain from bopping Amantha upside the head while they were keeping their coma watch. And the turtle got a mention. 

 

I just have to think that Teddy was involved in Daniel's beating. He is getting more and more worked up as the news of Daniel waking up reaches him. He is a great character. And Tawney just radiates goodness and simplicity, without appearing simple or shallow. Impressive writing and acting. 

 

I also appreciate Amantha, although she is irritating as all get out. Her entire adult life has been focused on overturning Daniel's conviction, and now that he is out, there's a gaping hole in her life that she doesn't know what to do with. Daniel being in a coma gave her an excuse to totally focus on him again for a few days, so I don't find it surprising that she would react to the good news of his recovery with a kind of hostility. She again has to contemplate what building a life of her own would be like. It's an adolescent reaction, and I think shows that she was frozen emotionally back when she was a teenager and Daniel was tried and convicted and she started her quest. It's an interesting contrast that she is imprisoned by all the anger that she hasn't dealt with, while Daniel, who has been locked up for decades, was able to come to some sort of peace with all that. His rage and grief at Kerwin's death shows what he's been through and where he is now. 

 

The doctor's response to Amantha's hostility was classic. "Perhaps it would be a better use of your energy to be happy at the good news, you raving lunatic." I paraphrase. 

 

I love this show, and this season is shaping up to be even better than the first for me. 

[Endeavour]

Yeah, Daniel was listening to the mixtape in the attic in season one. I don't think we have seen how Jared found it, but I guess he just did.

 

I also thought Daniel was listening to that tape at the cemetery right before the beating. I'd have to rewatch to be sure though. Maybe the song was just playing on the soundtrack.

 

Very interesting take on Amantha, Kris117. She annoys me to no end. Maybe viewing her character through this lens will make her less annoying. Well, I doubt that, but at least it may make some of her actions more understandable.

 

I did find this episode somewhat slower than the others. I agree that a lot was going on but it just felt slower.

 

I forget who brought it up in the last episode thread, but I don't have Sundance in HD either. It was extremely distracting. I watched the first season on Netflix so that wasn't an issue. I think I may be able to watch in HD on demand. I'll have to check.