Sunday, June 14, 2015

The Messengers, Season One, Episode Nine: Death Becomes Her


Nadia is watching a zombie movie at night when Peter arrives back with Erin.  Erin explains that Joshua is getting Rose from the airport and that everyone else is getting take out. Peter of course ordered a chicken fried stake for Nadia.  Erin goes to check on Amy when she is told that Amy was in a bad mood tonight.  Nadia and Peter talk about Joshua's vision and then settle down to watch the movie.

Erin tells Amy that she loves her before leaving.  When Erin leaves, Amy sits up suddenly like she is being compelled and makes her way to window, to stare outside.

At The Last Super Bar and Grill, Vera looks at Amy's drawings and questions how she could have known about Michael. The Messengers start to consider how Amy knows about Michael and Joshua interjects to suggest that it's destiny, reminding everyone that Amy is the daughter of a Messenger. Joshua says that maybe Amy can even help Vera find Michael.  Their takeout arrives and the Messengers prepare to leave but before they can do so, Joshua gets a frantic call from Rose saying that she is hiding in a cemetery and because the devil is chasing her. Joshua promises that he will come to Rose's aid.

The Messengers prepare to leave and the lights flash off before the Devil makes his appearance behind the bar, declaring that they need to talk. Joshua demands that the devil leave, saying that he is not welcome here.  Raul instructs the other Messengers to walk away. They all head out through a door and find themselves on the other side of the bar. The devil makes it clear that they are going to have a nice little chat or they will end up dead. A determined Joshua heads for the door saying God would not allow them to be killed.  The devil's eyes go red and he asks Joshua to test him.  Joshua whispers to Kao that they cannot leave Rose out there and Kao promises that they won't.

The devil asks to know exactly what Joshua saw in his last vision.  Vera asks where her son is, suggesting then they might tell him about the next vision.  The devil wants to make a deal and says that he will tell them a story and if they pay attention, he will tell Vera where Michael is, clear Raul's name with the feds and return every dime Kao lost but when the devil turns to Joshua, Joshua is quick to say that he will not make a deal.  The devil says that when he's done, he's sure Joshua will give him everything he wants.

Peter and Nadia are watching the zombie movie, when Peter hears a sound at the front door.  It's Nadia who gets up to check the door and it turns out that Eliza is there. Eliza just walks into the house and introduces herself, adding that she is worried.

Joshua keeps looking at his watch and the devil says that it will have to wait until after the story. Vera points out that the devil is the one who took Michael and Raul adds that the devil is the one who killed Cesar.  To those charges, the devil simply says that he is not the one who is fooling them now and that it's time they open their eyes.  The devil adds that they should know the whole truth about their destiny.

The devil asks them if they know why April 6th, 2008 was a very special day.  It seems that it's the day that Michael was taken from Vera and the devil calls it an important moment for all of them. In a hospital Vera is freaking about losing Michael, Raul is getting an injury on his arm looked at, Rose is talking with a friend about the proposal she received, Erin is being wheeled in to have Amy, Joshua is visiting with a parishioner, Peter is talking to a social worker about moving in with new parents, and Kao is curled over in pain in the waiting room.  The Messengers concurs that they crossed paths seven years ago because destiny was trying to bring them together. The devil argues that destiny would have succeeded had he not tried to have Rose killed, adding that Rose isn't who they think she is.

Eliza asks Erin and Peter where the rest of The Messengers are and is told that they'll be back shortly. Eliza then opens a scrapbook containing pictures and clippings about The Messengers. She points to a picture of Erin in a hospital bed and asks what's going on.  Erin explains that she had to have a surgery.  Eliza says that this isn't possible because when the seven Messengers are together ,they no longer feel consequences for their gifts.  Erin questions why she is still getting sick and Eliza declares that something is wrong.

At the bar, Joshua says that he is going to make a break for it because Rose is in trouble. The Devil puts on some music and continues with his story.  The devil got a drug dealer to shoot Rose and it wasn't a fatal shot because God put a pause in his plan. It seems that the devil was summoned to heaven, warned not to interfere and is cast down to earth seven years later. The Messengers felt the devil's arrival and then they were all awakened with their gifts. The devil reveals that he would have done things differently if he had known about Rose and asks how well The Messengers know Rose.

Back at the house Erin asks how many Messengers there have been and Eliza responds that they - the sixth generation of Messengers, were called just after WW11.  Umm how hold is Eliza supposed to be? Eliza reveals that she was angry and they were tested to see if humanity was worth saving. Eliza says that she no longer has visions and that things haven't been easy. It seems that were times that she wasn't always lucid.  Eliza however assures The Messengers that she is in a good place now and knows that something is wrong.

The Devil asks if The Messengers were aware that Rose got her start in Afghanistan working as a combat nurse. One night she meet a young lieutenant who was mortally wounded.  He begged to be allowed to go home to God and Rose injected him with morphine. Upon hearing this, none of The Messengers judge Rose and they sympathise with her. The devil reveals that the soldier was the first person Rose killed but not the last.

Eliza tells Peter and Erin that her Messengers fought back with everything they had and that many of them will die.  With this news, Nadia leaves the room and Peter stands and follows.

The Devil tells the group that he is honest about his dishonesty but Raul is not buying it.  The devil suggests that out of everyone, Raul should have known better because he is the under cover agent. The devil points out that Raul got into El Heffe's group by getting close to him.  To a confused Vera, Kao explains that the Devil is suggesting that Rose is playing the long con - getting close to them and having the Messengers do her dirty work.

Peter heads to see an upset Nadia.  When Peter tries to approach her, Nadia yells that she doesn't want Peter to die before initiating a kiss. They stare deeply for a moment into each other's eyes before kissing again.  Suddenly, there's a piercing scream. Erin goes to check on Amy, who cries that she had a nightmare.  Erin looks at the drawings on Amy's bed and Amy swears she has never seen them before. One drawing is of a cemetery and the other is a person in a coffin.


Vera and Raul bicker about trusting the devil and it's Kao who suggests that since they aren't being released, they might as well listen to what the devil has to say.  The devil continues with the story.  After leaving the military, Rose got a job at the hospital and specialized in taking care of critically ill patients. Rose however brought the war home with her and once again decided who would live or die. No one noticed when the old died a little faster and so over 3 years, Rose killed 6 people.

Vera expresses her doubt to the devil and he replies the six dead people aren't really who matter and that the seventh person Rose killed is who matters. . Rose it seems was having an affair with Charles, a doctor on staff; however, the good doctor refused to leave his wife.  One day Charles's wife was in a car accident and after nearly losing his wife, Charles decided to finally be a good husband.  Charles's wife was scheduled to recover and so Rose killed Mrs. Heart out of hatred and stole her wedding ring out of jealousy.  The moment Rose put on the ring, she broke her seal. The devil reveals that Rose is the horseman of death.

Suddenly, Joshua collapses onto a chair and his eyes flicker.  Vera says that Joshua is having a vision, as the devil begs Joshua to tell him what he sees.  Joshua suddenly changes into Kao.  It seems that Joshua used the distraction to slip out. Outside, Joshua gets into a car and speeds off. The devil congratulates the Messengers on helping Joshua to escape but says that they have certainly gotten their friend killed. Raul is quick to deny believing the devil.  The devil asks if they believe that Rose is in some kind of danger and that Joshua is on his way to save her.  Vera argues that Rose has been helping from the beginning but the devil counters suggesting that Rose was using them and not helping them.  Raul asks why the Devil isn't on the same team as the horsemen and he explains that while he is a big fan of the horsemens work,  he doesn't want to break all the seals, bring on the rapture and end humanity because he wouldn't have humans to play with anymore. The devil declares that the apocalypse is good for the horsemen but bad for him and the Messengers, thus making them strange bedfellows. The devil asks again about Joshua's vision but Raul is still resistant. The devil declares that they may be allies in stopping the horsemen but they are not friends, when The Messengers question him on the things he has done to Them.  The devil reveals how he approached Rose and was shot down, so he tried to have Rose killed.  The devil declares that Rose needs to be stopped and since he cannot do it, The Messengers need to.

In the kitchen, the adults look over Amy's drawings.  Eliza says that Amy had been touched with a gift all her own.  Erin snatches the drawings, reminding them all that Amy is just a kid and adding that she doesn't want Amy involved in this.  Eliza looks at a drawing of Rose holding a needle beside a patient.  Erin explains that it's Rose and that she knows every language and translates what God wants them to do.  Eliza is shocked by this and reveals they didn't have a communicator in their group. The gifts of The Messengers are all the same every generation and so this means that Rose is not a Messenger.

The devil sits at the bar staring at the The Messengers. Kao expresses her worry about Joshua and Raul suggests that Kao should be worrying about Rose.  Vera brings up the fact that the first vision Joshua saw was Rose in a hospital bed and that's what led him to her.  Vera wonders if Joshua saw Rose because she is a horsemen. Raul argues that Joshua saw Vera and her son and asks if Vera is a horseman. When Vera says no, an angry Raul declares that Rose is not a horsemen and that the devil is a lying sack.

At the bar, the devil stakes a shot.  The Messengers wonder how they can be sure what is going on.

Joshua arrives at the cemetery and climbs over the fence to get in.  Joshua stops and asks God for some kind of sign before continuing on.

Eliza declares Rose an impostor and that Erin wouldn't be getting consequences from her gift if the 7 Messengers were all united. Eliza asks to know more about Rose and Peter reveals that Rose was shot 7 years ago and then spent the intervening years in a coma. Eliza says that seven years ago was when she felt the first seal break.

The devil tells The Messengers that everything Rose told them has been a lie.  Still on team Rose, Raul points out that they saw Rose's wing but the devil says that's all smoke and mirrors. Vera wonders if it's worse that they're starting to believe him  or that Rose betrayed them.  Raul demands to know why the devil argued for Leeland to become a horsemen.  Satan explains that he did so thinking that he could convince the horsemen to rally around him but instead, they allied with Rose.  The devil tells Vera that none of this would have happened if she had killed Rose like he asked her to.  We get a vision of Vera waking up and speaking in a strange language which the devil calls the language of the dead.

Raul asks for proof of what the devil is saying and the devil pulls up a video on the television of Rose bailing Leeland out of jail.  

Back at the house, Erin says that she only felt two seals break. Eliza however is confident that she has felt three with the first being April 6th, 2008.  Erin points out that this is the day Amy was born. Eliza says that Rose must have broken the seal then and is in fact a horsemen and not a Messenger.

At the bar, The Messengers realise that if the Devil is telling the truth, they only have one horsemen left to stop.  Koa asks when this all happened and the Devil asks why they didn't think it was strange that Rose was out of town the day that Leeland was released.  When Vera answers Rose went Seattle, to see her ex, the camera focuses on a Seattle postcard, tacked to the corkboard behind the devil. Vera  The devil takes the postcard down and explains that Rose got money from Cindy Richards, then bailed Leeland out herself, convincing him to kill hundreds. Vera asks again why the devil didn't tell them from the beginning and he simply says because he is the devil, they never would have forgiven him.

Joshua is running through the cemetery looking for Rose. Joshua comes across a mausoleum and when he touches the door, it opens easily. Joshua makes his way inside and sees a slightly ajar coffin.  When Joshua moves to look inside, he finds it empty and Rose calls out to him from a corner. Joshua unties Rose and helps her to her feet, encouraging her to move quickly before the devil can come back. Rose however stops Joshua and asks if he has had another vision.  Joshua says yes and that it can wait but Rose is insistent. Josh lies saying that he saw two brothers who own a mining company in West Virginia.  Rose thanks Joshua and steps back as the other horsemen arrive. An earnest Joshua asks what's happening and Rose questions what good is prophetic visions if you don't pay attention to what you see. Joshua realises that Rose was right in front of him the whole time.  Joshua asks Rose what she wants and Rose asks what death always wants.

Vera demands to be released now that they have heard the Devil's story.  The devil asks if the Messengers are off to save Rose or Joshua but adds that the only thing that matters is that they understand he is telling them truth.  The devil snaps his fingers and the bar returns to the way it was before he arrived. The Messengers start to leave and Vera confronts the Devil about his promise to reunite her with Michael.  The Messenger gives Vera a necklace with the Patent Saint of Mothers and promises the other Messengers will get what's coming to them.  Kao enters to hurry Vera up but when Vera looks back at the devil, she finds him gone. 

Joshua tells Rose that she doesn't have to do this and that he knows there is a good person inside her.  Leeland and Richards call out how much Rose has helped them and Rose adds that she showed the horsemen the light.  Leeland adds that thanks to Joshua,  they are going to find the final horseman.  Joshua tries to escape but Rose uses magic to slam him up against a wall.  Rose approaches Joshua and tells him to rest in peace before kissing Joshua.  Rose then opens her mouth and sucks the energy out of Joshua's body. Joshua collapses to the ground and before he dies, he tells Rose that he lied about his vision.

Back at the house, Nadia reports that she has called everyone and cannot get a hold of a Messenger.  Eliza prays that God help the Messengers and Peter grabs his jacket saying that is not waiting for God. Erin gets a call from Vera, just as Peter hits the door. Erin asks Nadia to watch Amy and leaves with Peter.

The Messengers all arrive at the cemetery and quickly find the mausoleum. Inside, they find a heavy stone casket with flowers on top.  Since Peter is the strong one, he slides the lid open and reveals a dead Joshua.  Erin reaches her hands in, in an effort to save Joshua, but has to tell the group that Joshua is gone. Cue the sad music.  The devil arrives to say I told you so and  Raul accuses the devil of knowing this was going to happen. The devil argues that he is not to blame because if Joshua had stayed at the bar, he would have been alive now. The devil reminds the Messengers that they can stop Rose and all he needs to know is what was in Joshua's last vision.  The devil says that he cannot kill people but he can resurrect people, promising to resurrect Joshua if the Messengers give him what he wants.  Raul calls it a trap and Vera, argues that this is Joshua they are taking about.  Peter adds that  Eliza said it would take all of the Messengers to stop this and both Koa and Erin pipe up to argue that they need Joshua. The devil asks if they have a deal.

Okay some forward momentum but I highly suspect that this will not stop The Messengers from being canceled at the end of the season. So Rose isn't the mammy figure I thought that she was; however, the change to evil isn't necessarily a good thing.  Rose killing that senior white lady and killing Joshua with a kiss plays into some of the worst stereotypes of Black womanhood. Rose was the dark evil temptress trying to seduce the righteous White man on a path of evil. Hmmm where have I heard that racist claptrap before?  And yes, Rose who killed the white wife after being spurned by her white lover? Could this episode have screamed Jezebel any louder?

Eliza has gotten herself together enough to possibly step into Rose's shoes a bit.  Eliza is the only disabled character on the show.  It's true that there are a lot of mentally ill people among the homeless population.  It's large because of the treat and release policy many places have. What I want to know is how Eliza got herself together so quickly.  Every time I see her she doesn't look even slightly scared from her life on the streets.  I get that this is a fantasy show but considering the evils of homelessness, The Messengers really needs to be careful regarding the message it sends.

Speaking of Eliza, how old is she meant to be exactly.  Though I was unable to find out how old Jennifer Griffin - the actor who plays Eliza is, I know that she's not 70, which is the age she would be if she was born in 1945.  How far after the war exactly did Eliza become a Messenger?  This is Hollywood one again not accurately casting for age. 

So do you think that the Messengers will take the devil's deal?