The flashback kicking off this episode is one of the darkest yet. 35 years ago, but 10 months after the dam burst, we see the Circle, that Milan has spoken off before. It is a religious sect led by Milan whose members include Simon's parents, a young Pierre and the mysterious man who has been helping Claire. For me it strongly reminded me of religious sects like The People's Temple. Milan takes on a Jim Jones-esque role and tells everyone they must die to be saved. Meanwhile, the police raid Milan's cabin and find a group of children including Serge, Toni and baby Simon ready to be poisoned. When return to the Circle, all but three of them are dead: Milan, the mysterious man who is the eponymous Etienne and Pierre. Milan kills Etienne, Pierre kills Milan but then decides not to kill himself. He runs away from the murder-site, to reveal that none other than Victor is watching.
I'm still trying to figure Victor out, as I think that he must have some religious symbolism. As one of The Returned's key themes is religion, maybe Victor is a prophet of sorts, like Jeremiah or Ezekiel. Let me know your thoughts on this. Gwilym Mumford of the Guardian also picked up on these metaphors by speculating, after a later encounter between Victor and Milan, that he is a god-like figure who gets to decides who lives and dies. Considering that Victor has been responsible for a few deaths already, I think Mumford's theory has some weight. What do you think?
But back to the Circle, it was really interesting to see a young Pierre fail in following through on his pledge. I think this goes a long way to showing his present-day motivations. In the modern-day, he has picked up where Milan has left off gathering his own group of followers and continuing to torture poor Audrey. Boy, she's really drawn the short straw, has she. Anyway, I think now Pierre is completely acting out of guilt. He failed to follow through earlier and is now trying to make up for it. He's certainly brainwashed the young Frederic into working for him.
The last time we saw Frederic was just after he and Lucho shot "dead" Mrs Costa, a price that Lucho paid for by jumping out a window. Something that Victor influenced him into doing. Mrs Costa is taken to the local hospital, but more on her later. Victor's story is the more interesting one. He's taken to the army base, where he is questioned, but gives nothing away. This is also the same base, where Milan is held. After Victor has another of his hallucinations where he sees two separate Julie-related visions. One where she is sitting happily on a beach with a strange boy and another where she is shot dead by Milan. Victor confronts Milan about his vision, but the deluded Milan insists that he only saves people, he doesn't hurt them. This is when the police captain and Milan face off. Off screen something, presumably, Victor, happens to cause the policeman have a psychotic break. He kills one soldier and prepares to kill more, when he hallucinates them as soldiers, before he is killed himself. The next thing we see is Victor leaving the army base, alone. What happened to Milan? Let me know your theories.
However, Victor, isn't the only returnee in the base. There is also Adele, whom everyone seems to have forgotten is one of the Returned. Still hallucinating Thomas, she is locked in the base for questioning. Meanwhile, Simon who is tired of waiting takes Chloe to rescue Adele. What happens to Simon? It's not shown, but Chloe finds her way back to her mother. And int he panic caused by the police captain's breakdown, the pair escape. Well, Chloe does, but Adele goes to retrieve Nathan who is gone, presumably taken by Lucy.
Chloe is taken in by the Segurret family. In the last episode, we saw Jerome and Berg making it to the dead side of town where they are reunited with Claire, Lena and Camille. The Horde are on the move and Chloe chooses her family over them and more importantly Virgil. However, Berg recognising Etienne in the Horde decides to follow them. Meanwhile, the Segurrets trying to escape from the town, but are picked up by the army who have infiltrated it. This is how they end up in the army base with Adele. Nothing else of consequence really happens, except at the end where the Segurrets escape with Chloe. I'm not sure if anyone else noticed, but when the Segurrets tumble across the dead soldier, it is Jerome who take shis torch, but Claire who takes his gun. Nice reversal of gender roles there.
Back in the forest, Lucy is leading the Horde to the sinkhole, but her grip over them is slipping. Virgil calls her out on how she is leading these people into ruin, but Lucy she insists that she has to lead them there to prevent the Horde from becoming like the creatures in the caves. For me this was a neat idea. It showcases a transformation of the dead. Take Esteban as a case in point, he was once a regular returnee like Camille, but upon learning about his parents' suicide, he becomes another silent member of the Horde. Is it possible that the less that The Returned have to live for, the more likely it is, they'll up as revenants endlessly wandering the earth in purgatory. Scary thought, right?
Earlier I had associated some religious symbolism to Victor and I'm starting to do the same with Lucy. Due to how she is always wearing a white dress, I think that she's an angel of death of sorts. She has certainly the dead for long enough. But as already discussed, she is losing her authority. Even her former lover Morganne is refusing to listen to her.
We finally find out about the relationship between Etienne and Berg. They are father and son. Berg has returned to town to find out what has happened to his father. In a flashback, it is revealed that Etienne was the architect who designed the dam that burst. Victor then arrives at Etienne's house out of the darkness and warns him not to build the dam as hundreds will die. As we know, Etienne refuses to listen. The dam is built. It bursts, floods the town killing hundreds. I also think that this was a good way of highlighting Etienne's motivations. He dies in the Circle to save serve penance for his sins. What do you guys think? Did Etienne deserve to die for what he did?
Lastly, we come to Julie and Mrs Costa. By sheer coincidence, Mrs Costa is taken to the same hospital where Julie is hiding. And it is revealed that Julie is harbouring feels for Ofelie. Just as the two appear to be working thing out, a scream goes out and Ms Costa comes back to life on the autopsy table. In a private encounter, Mrs Costa informs Julie how she and Victor were for looking for her, when they were confronted by Lucho and Frederic who had been sent by Pierre at the Helping Hand. Mistakenly thinking that PIerre is holding Victor prisoner, Julie goes to rescue him, but instead walks straight into Pierre's clutches, and he confines her to the same dungeon where Audrey and Sandrine are being held.
I'm quite glad that Julie's left the hospital - I confessed last week that I had thought her storyline had stagnated so it was good to see her taking some action.
Next week is the finale of season 2 and the season finale overall, as because as far as I know, they are not making a third series. Last season ended with a confrontation between the dead and the living. This year could be something a bit more complicated.
Some questions which I would like your thoughts on.
1. What does Victor symbolise? Do you agree with my 'prophet' theory or Mumford's 'god' theory?
2. What about Lucy? Thoughts on my angel of death 'theory?'
3. Did Etienne deserve to die for the destruction of the dam?
4. Where was Serge and Toni in all this?
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