So what’s going on with V.M. Varga? Somehow I think there’s more than money laundering involved. What’s in the truck? Why are offices being taken over? What’s in the document containers?
The way he dismissed their concerns about not being able to launder much inconspicuously through the lots makes me think that his purpose is something other than money laundering, but he’s happy for them to think that that’s all that’s involved.
…surmise…
Shouldn’t they have immediately gone to the authorities about Varga? Did they break the law by taking that loan? What exactly was his hold over them when they first met?
Threat of violence/death?
Great episode. I called BS though on it only being 35 years between the “kid” writing the screenplay and the stepfather we saw in the opener and in the coffin. And sure enough, there’s 48 years between the two actors.
I agree that it was a great episode.
This is in spite of the fact that the whole thing was her chasing what is to us an obvious red herring. The murder has nothing to do with the victim’s past - he was the random victim of a stupid mistake - but of course she doesn’t know that.
I think the LA trip may end up being her “Mike Yanagita” experience that causes her to rethink the investigation in some way.
Also, I’m now going to be looking for things in the plot that parallel or somehow relate to the story of the little robot.
And I wonder if the appearance if Ray Wise was a nod to the upcoming return of “Twin Peaks”.
I can’t see Ray Wise grin, twinkle in his eyes, without thinking of the Devil in Reaper. That performance was so iconic, it obliterated Twin Peaks for me.
What year is this supposed to be happening?
2010, with flashbacks to the 70s.
That bothered me, too. Trying to make myself believe that the ‘Ennis’ actor might only be 60 or so (and failing) was a big distraction.
I was also annoyed by the clunkiness of Gloria leaving her suitcase outside the office; why would she have done that? As a plot device, of course–clunky!
I hope that’s it, and it wasn’t just a ‘flesh out Gloria’s background and state of mind’ interlude.
The fact that Gloria’s motel room contained a ‘box that turns itself off’ (just as the story’s robot did) seemed a bit too cute. But maybe Hawley and crew will make it pay off.
Surely Wise’s character will appear again; why use him for a one-off?
Interesting to learn how “Ennis” found his new name; I’d been wondering about whether there was some personal connection with the other Stussys. Apparently not a direct one.
Apropos of nothing, those boxes are a real novelty that can be putchased. I did notice the parallel to the robot.
The shoes also being in the room was interesting. The series opening in East Berlin included shoes being urinated on. The bail bondsman brother mentioned at one point that he only had one pair of shoes that hadn’t been urinated on.
Do the shoe references have some meaning, most likely symbolic, or are they just thrown in to give us something to talk about? Perhaps the shoes, the idea of turning oneself off, maybe even Ray Wise and his odd “bill of divorce” story, are all red herrings, in reference to the red herring of Ennis Stussy’s past.
When I was watching the credits, I noticed that Stella Stussy is played by Linda Kash. The name seemed very familiar to me, but when I looked her up I didn’t notice anything that really leaped out at me (besides possibly her roles in “Best in Show” and “Waiting for Guffman”).
However, there was one role that she is really, really famous for (as far as I’m concerned): the Kraft Philadelphia cream cheese angel. That ad campaign lasted for 14+ years!
I have to admit that thing kinda fascinated me. I almost feel like buying one now, just to play with it.
I want one! It would get old, but it’s a great conversation piece, and a cool gift.
When I was a kid they were cheap plastic things that you could buy from the back of comic books. As I recall, they were coffin shaped and the hand was a green claw.
Now people make them as well made wooden boxes.
I remember the claw ones, but as I recall they’d snatch a penny that you put in a slot.
This episode was the first time I ever saw the “turns itself off” version. (No doubt both versions work via the same basic mechanical principles.)
I think you’re right about the penny.
I do think that there were also cheap plastic things that turned themselves off, but they weren’t the coffin and claw.thing.
I just saw it, and also had problems with the age difference (between the young writer vs the step-grandfather and the young woman vs the diner waitress). The waitress looked younger than the step-grandfather but the young woman was roughly as young as the writer.
As always, the episode was fun, but a little odd, in that it didn’t seem to advance the main plot at all. The big thing we learned is how the step-grandfather acquired his name.
By the way, did she have her friend on the police force pull over the school bus just so she could talk to her son? That seemed an odd thing to do, but perhaps in a small town, they’re cool with that sort of thing.
I really don’t understand the reason for this episode. It really didn’t seem to have any point, other than to perhaps show her tenacity in an investigation.