This episode continues to reveal new information linked to the first episode as some parts of the scenes have a lot of pressure, while others don’t. The search of the location of the capstone and Peter’s escape still capture the thrill in this episode. The CIA agents and Mal’akh have their own reason for putting Langdon on the spot, as Langdon continues to search for the location of the capstone. With the help of Warren Bellamy, Katherine Solomon, and Nuñez, they still couldn’t decipher the code. Bellamy tells Katherine and Langdon that there’s another step before he and Katherine try to escape.
The openings and closings of Peter’s escape are an interesting development of the story. In the beginning, the make-believe character believes that he’s experiencing reality while Mal’akh is performing a sloppy job holding him hostage. In his mind, he’s conscious of his surroundings. He is able to find the key to unlock the underground tunnel door along with his dead son’s belongings. His freedom from being a hostage is finally over, only to find himself in a rabbit hole: a hallucination. The closings show that Peter’s body is left partially submerged in a glass container filled with water.
The use of flashbacks to tell the background story between Zachary Solomon and his family is also interesting. It reveals new information about their past that sets up the cause-and-effect principles in the play. One flashback scene shows that his father refuses to bail him out of jail for drug trafficking when his family members disagree. Another flashback scene shows that Katherine’s emotional tensions and the world she lives in are contrary to her brother who is still sitting in jail: the dialogue, the shots between the two, Zachary Solomon’s foot, and the environment. Zachary changes over the years, and his relationship with his family is more distant than before. As a result, Zachary’s death or what Mal’akh wants is all based on his father’s decisions.
Despite the positive, some scenes aren’t exciting at all. The shift of the scene from Nuñez getting out of the car to complete his mission to Langdon and Katherine sitting in the car isn’t exciting. There isn’t any time pressure and the danger is present. The focus on Nuñez getting the piece of crime evidence for Langdon and Katherine is cut off. Even though a flashback scene provides new information, the feeling of anxiety and fear is lost.
The same goes with the scene when Mal’akh watches Inoue Sato pulls up to Peter’s mansion. The scene doesn’t sustain emotional intensity or give a reason of him getting away so easily. It never shows if the antique he throws in the car is stolen from the mansion. It never explains how he gets away with the item. It never shows how he manages to pass the police officers without her feeling suspicious of him. It is just left to the viewer’s imagination to fill in the gap that flatten the emotional tone and reason.
Then again, the scene evokes suspiciously the hidden secret that Sato is hiding, as it’s in episode 1. Is she a corrupt director of the CIA as the result of Mal’akh getting away? In episode 1, it’s odd that she’s at the crime scene without showing how she knows about the crime. In episode 2, she seems unconcerned about who her friend is when a police officer tells her that her friend came to visit Peter’s mansion earlier. She just keeps quiet and turns back to look who drove away earlier.
Episode 2 is good, even though it doesn’t give the feeling of riding a roller coaster throughout the entire episode. Some scenes are more interesting than others, especially the flashback scenes. Not only do they provide information that is missing in the present time. It sets the stage for the story and the characters to move forward, similar to the ending of this episode.
Rating: 7.7/10
