Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Hemlock Grove, Season One, Episode Four: In Poor Taste

Letha is in a hammock sort of dozing in front of Peter's place.  He comes outside and asks what she is doing there and she says that though she has passed this place a thousand times that she never gave a second thought to who might live there.  Peter asks why would she and Letha replies that he is not who he thinks she is.  Peter sits on the hammock and starts to stroke Letha's leg and she throws her head back in ecstasy.  Letha opens her eyes suddenly and we find her on the school bus with Peter staring at her.  It seems that this entire scene has been nothing more than a fantasy.

Christina is in bed and she is having a bad dream. The Swan twins wake up and listen as she mumbles in her sleep.  They argue about calling her parents, when it becomes clear that she is dreaming about finding Lisa's body. Suddenly, Christina wakes up screaming, so the twins comfort her.

A wolf is running through the forest and is clearly on a rampage. Pullman gives a description to Clementine about what he saw the night that Brooke died.  Clementine asks if he was under the influence of alcohol or narcotics that night. We get a flashback to Pullman telling Roman that it was him. Clementine asks if there is anything that could not have been fabricated by newspaper or TV reports.  Pullman is not happy that Clementine is calling him a liar. Clementine brings up Pullman's service in the military and she tells him that people who have seen the things that they have seen, see things in a different way.  Clementine then asks if there is a single piece of forensic evidence that Pullman can remember because it would go a long way to make sure that this didn't happen again. Pullman tells them that the "demon dog went for her lady parts first."

After the interview with Pullman, Norman brings Clementine a coffee and she asks what he thinks about the demon dog story.  Norman says that Pullman suffers from typical dissociative symptoms associated with sever psychological trauma. Clementine points out that Pullman was right about the murder because the animal did go "snatch first."  Norman counters saying that Pullman has seen other things which corroborate his point of view. Clementine asks what Norman would do next and Norman replies the creature Pullman described didn't seem probable and that he would go to the most likely place it would have come from and suggests that she head to White Tower without making an appointment or saying Norman's name.

Shelly is having breakfast and reading an article about the animal attacks in the paper.  Olivia tells Roman that she has business to attend to and that he needs to give his sister a ride.  Roman says that he has plans after school and Olivia asserts that his plans are giving Shelly a ride.  Olivia points out that it seems he and Peter had a lot to talk about and Roman says that they are building diorama of the solar system. Olivia points out that Peter told her that he was there to talk about English.  Snarkily Roman answers that he didn't want to upset her but he and Peter take turns being Juliet and that he hopes the banging of the headboard does not upset her. Olivia tells him that what he drags into the house he will clean up.  Roman asks, "have you ever made a threat so cryptic that you yourself don't even understand it?" Olivia drops the crockery she was carrying and announces that she will not have that filth in her house.  Roman stands and says that he has to head to school and asks if he should pick up some batteries for Olivia's vibrator.  Olivia responds, "you're proud of that filth which you aim at your own mother." Roman simply tells her to imagine that what comes out of his mouth next, is exactly what Olivia wants to hear. He walks out of the room with Shelly following.

Shelly is writing an email to Norman I presume, where she reports on the fact that Olivia is showing less and less patience and a decline in her temper. She then writes about running into Jenny from the club.  Shelly reports that Jenny was ringing up a sale at the jewelry counter and that she looked at Shelly with a lack of enthusiasm and the barest nod.  Shelly says that she was crushed and that she thought about what offense she could have caused. It turns out that Olivia got Jenny fired and Roman calls his mother a "farm fresh cunt." We get a flash to Roman and Jenny having sex in his car.  Shelly reports that she was horrified by Olivia and Norman's rashness. Jenny then turns to Olivia and holds up a pair of earrings and says that they are perfect for her.  Roman says that Olivia would not be impressed with earrings and walks out, forcing Shelly to hand them back.  Shelly adds that if the family continues on this course that it will not end well.

Clementine is listening to the police scanner as she does research on the murders and checks out the Godfrey institute.  It seems that the police have found something relevant to the case. Clementine drives out to meet Tom and asks when it was discovered.  Tom is shocked to see her. Clementine examines the fecal matter and takes a sample.  Clementine says that she can't find much from the hair she discovered, other than the fact that it's human and probably female because of the length.  When Tom moves to walk away, Clementine asks if she can interest him in a glass of Rye.

Olivia is sitting in front of her mirror and when she checks the vial with the drops she puts in her eyes, she discovers that it is almost empty.  She pauses for a moment and looks around and then puts a drop in her eye. Clearly, something is not right with her and she almost looks ill.

Olivia then heads out and spies on Lynda, as she steals a bottle of nail polish.  When Lynda sees Olivia, she walks over to her and says, "40 years of Gloria Steinem so that some anorexic could teach girls that it's all about losing weight and pleasing men. If we don't make it easy on ourselves who will? It doesn't have to be this hard, it doesn't cost anything to ask." Olivia tells her that purple is not her colour before walking out and Olivia says, "okay, it's on bitch."

At the high school, Roman catches up with Letha who is leaving to catch the bus and offers to give her ride because apparently, Godfrey's don't take buses. They meet up with Peter who is juggling to entertain Shelly.  When Roman offers his hand to Letha upon being introduced to her, Letha refuses to accept it.They head out together in an SUV and Roman asks if Letha remembers the guy they met in the road, who saw Brooke die and asks if she can speak to Norman about finding more about him.  Letha asks what Roman and Peter are up to and Peter tells Letha that its nothing she needs to know. Roman interrupts and says that there are mitigating circumstances and adds that they think the demon dog might actually be a person. Letha asks if they are high and says that it's not a guy, it's an it and that if they have an idea that it really is a person that a trained professional is better off chasing him.  As Letha talks, Peter reaches behind him and places his hand on Shelly's. Letha asks what they think a psychiatric patient is going to be able to tell them and what they are going to do if they find the culprit.  Roman snarks put him in a pound.


Peter hops out of the car when they get to his place and Roman quickly follows and wants to know why Peter told Letha they were looking for a "demon dog." Peter replies that it "calls less attention to seem like you're a retard than you're hiding something. People paying attention to me isn't the same as people paying attention to you." Roman tells Peter that he will meet him at midnight and heads back to the car.

Inside, Peter approaches the shrine to Nikolai and says, "speak now or forever hold your peace." Lynda returns home and asks Peter how his day was and he tells her a weird day, month, or whatever. Lynda tells him that she ran into Olivia and the general store and believes that Olivia was looking for her. Lynda adds that Olivia was trying to look sly but she could smell the desperation. Lynda believes that Olivia must have gone through the last of what Vince sold her but cannot bring herself to ask someone like Lynda for more.  Peter suggests that she could just give it to Olivia but Lynda asks what would be the fun in that. Lynda says that she brought duck for dinner but Peter says that he is going out.  Lynda then tells Peter that Nikolia was very proud of him and he gathers his things and leaves.

Olivia is at the lab with Dr. Price and he asks how she is and if she has been sleeping.  When he begins to imply that she looks rough, Olivia cuts him off and warns him to be careful.  Price moves onto Norman and says that he bears him no ill will and asks if she has a chance to speak to Norman about a bid for his shares but Olivia says that she has not had time. Price is examining Shelly and Olivia brings up Letha's pregnancy.  Price points out that they don't have an obstetrics lab there and Olivia says that they do now and that he is to acquire the top minds. Price says that Norman will not agree but Olivia tells him that Norman will agree to what's best for Letha. Olivia leaves to get some fresh air but she is clearly having difficulty walking.  When Olivia leaves, Price shows Shelly what appears to be a flower growing in a glass enclosure but says it's not alive.  When Shelly asks for more information, Price simply says soon.

Tom and Clementine are at a bar having a drink and she asks if he has ever thought about funerary practices.  Tom tells her that he doesn't mean to be rude and points out that she asked Peter if he was a werewolf and that he stood there like it was the most sensible thing he had ever heard when it wasn't.  Tom adds that she showed up at the scene today uninvited and then asked him to get a drink so that she could explain undertaking. Tom makes it clear that if Clementine is joking around that he does not find it funny. Clementine tells him that Lisa's autopsy was messed up and that they didn't take any hair samples.  Tom leans back and says that no one has released any autopsy report and Clementine tells him to have a drink because one way or another they are going to need that hair sample.  Tom reminds Clementine that Lisa is already buried and Clementine concedes that an exhumation requires a court order, parental consent and that though she doubts a reasonable case could be made for either, time is being wasted. Tom socks back his drink.

Christina is in what appears to be a hospital and is screaming as doctors inject her with what I can only assume is a sedative. When next we see her, she is back with the twins and says that she's highly medicated.  The twins put on some music and pull out a bottle of cheap champagne. Christina pictures Lisa's dead body and tells the twins that her eyes seemed fake and how sure she was that body wasn't real. Christina then tells them of kissing the body because she thought it would be funny and about her horror at seeing the maggots.

Tom is still in the bar with Clementine and he is looking at pictures of his twins and says that they will never be as close as they were in womb, with anyone else ever again.  Clementine tells him that twins run in her family.  Tom get up and tells Clementine that they should do this before he changes his mind.

In the graveyard Peter is waiting for Roman.  When Peter sees Roman's attire, he comments that Roman came dressed up as a gravedigger.  They head to Lisa's grave and start digging and Roman asks if Peter has been to a lot of funerals.  Peter replies that the Rumancek's aren't reliably kicking as a result of their lifestyle choices.  Showing that Roman is all about his sensitivity he asks, "what are they like for you people - funerals I mean?"  Peter tells Roman that they cut off the head because things happen to their kind after death, if you don't cut of the head.  When Roman asks what kind of things, Peter simply replies, "bad things."  Roman then tells Peter about finding his father dead and thinking about how much trouble his father would be in for the mess.

The twins have fallen asleep and Christina is up and wandering around their bedroom. She looks at a map which is marked with the places they have been.

At the graveyard, Peter and Roman open the casket and find that the bottom half is filled with sandbags.   They open the top and find Lisa.  They unbutton her top and reveal that she has been stitched up. Roman hands Peter a knife and he says, "you don't deserve this," before slicing Lisa open and yanking out her intestines.  Roman asks what Destiny is going to do with the intestines and Peter replies, "what she can, no promises"  As Peter closes the jar with the intestines, a car drives up and it is of course Clementine and Tom.   Roman and Peter climb out of the grave and take off running, as Clementine and Tom head toward the grave, where they find Lisa exhumed.  Tom trips over his own shovel and falls face first onto Lisa's body.  Clementine says a prayer over Lisa's body and then rips out hair which is attached to the scalp.  Clementine calmly hops out of the hole and tells Tom to call it in because they got what they came for.

Shelly instant messages Norman and tells him that she has a bad feeling.  When Norman asks what's wrong, she writes that Christina was absent from school yesterday and that she cannot imagine what toll the demon dog's handiwork must have taken on her. Norman asks if Shelly has heard from her and Shelly reveals that she sent Christina a card with a poem and she mentioned Norman's name in case Christina needed to talk to a professional.  Shelly then writes, "today I have seen the dragon," and Peter stares at the screen and does not answer.

When Tom returns home, Christina greets him and says that she couldn't sleep.  He asks how she is doing because he knows she has been through a lot.  She replies, "so have you, I know that smell." Tom tells her not to worry about it. Christina says that she wants to feel life because she wants to be an author and that all of the terrible things which happen to her, bring her closer to enlightenment. Tom replies that when it talks to her, he sometimes forgets who the grown up is.  Christina heads off to bed, leaving Tom staring after her for a moment.

Peter remembers back to the funeral he told Roman about. In this scene is a small child. Lynda calls out for the bottle and the body is hung upside down as the body is passed around. After checking with Lynda, Peter is then given a sword which he uses to chop the head clean off.


Tom gets a call and its Clementine who tells him, "congratulations it's a boy."  The hair sample they got revealed a human male.  Tom says "wonderful." and hangs up he phone as Clementine looks at a picture of Peter.

Just so you know, I didn't make it through this episode sober.  I did my best but with each crappy line, I was compelled to drink.  How is it possible to fit them much bad writing and bad acting in a short one hour episode?  Hemlock Grove is a new low in this genre.

Roman and Olivia have an incestuous relationship, despite the ridiculous barbs they exchanged in the kitchen. What the hell was the fight about and why should we care? Also, while I understand that Roman was upset about Jenny being fired because of Olivia, was it really necessary for him to call her a "farm fresh cunt" Furthermore, what the hell does that even mean?

I am absolutely sick of Christina.  What is she 13? 14? What fourteen year old talks like that? I don't care how emo they are, the lines they give Christina to say are absolutely ridiculous.

The only sensible two people in this story are Tom and Shelly.  I liked that Tom pointed out that Clementine asked Peter if he is a werewolf with a straight face and just how ridiculous the question is.  Tom is a straight shooter and seems above all the nonsense.  Though they had Shelly quoting poetry to Norman, which btw I despised, she also seems above the nonsense.  I would however like to get some answers as to what exactly she is.  Clearly with her body size, weird left eye and her name the authors are encouraging the reader to think about Frankenstein.