This was quite an episode… lots happened, IMO.
–Ben’s dream of Justin handing out razor blades as Communion wafers was chilling. Is this the first dream where he actually comes into conflict with Justin? Justin said, “This is the body of Christ” and Ben said, “No, it isn’t.” So what is it?
–So Ben considers pre-marital sex a sin, huh?
–I feel completely vindicated in sensing a lesbian vibe between Sophie and Libby. Apparenly Apollonia sensed it too, and sent Sophie a strangely compelling vision… the only bad part of it was the bleeding hand, an image I can’t quite figure out. In any case, I think Sophie would be better off with Libby than Jonesy, at this point.
–There was a kid running around the Dia de los Muertos celebration with a tree drawn on his chest. Coincidence?
–Ben goes to confession and admits to killing a man, so we now know why he was on a chain gang. Scudder was in the confessional telling him his mother wanted to die, and then disappears. Hmmm, who else do we know who can become discorporate at will?
–Norman Balthus thinks Justin needs an exorcist, but I personally think it’s Iris who has the devil in her.
–Things in the Rita Sue–Jonesy–Stumpy–Sophie–Catalina love pentangle are getting messy. Sophie asks Rita Sue for advice, Jonesy dumps Rita Sue, who of course says mean things to him, Stumpy has his Latin girl on the side, but the cards say Jonesy isn’t gone for good, Sophie wants to make things work but has a thing for Libby too… where is this all going? The previews show Stumpy with a gun… it don’t look good.
–I did feel badly for Sophie when she found out about Rita Sue/Jonesy from her mother of all people. Poor kid. She was definitely giving her mother the third degree about her father, asking if it was really a rape, with Apollonia seeming reticent on the point…
–Samson tells Ben that Lodz was involved with whatever “bad thing” happened in the Old Country between Scudder and Management. Involving a bear, perhaps?
–Tommy Dolan better watch his ass. He doesn’t know what he’s dealing with, but make a deal he will, according to the previews for next week. I wonder if Iris is going to be what he asks for…
–…speaking of which–Iris burned the church! She killed the kids! She and Justin soul kissed! WTF?!?
–So the culebra bit Ruthie and she was dying, but it seems like Ben couldn’t save her. Why?
Overall, this ep was the fastest-paced one in a long time. I think we can safely say that Justin is on the side of Darkness and Ben is on the side of light. Still no idea how Lodz fits in with Scudder v. Management, who the guy with the tree tattoo is, how Ben and Justin are going to meet, and what the point of the Love Pentangle is. Looking forward to next week’s finale…