Monday 25 January 2016

The Returned Episode Six Lucy Review

So this episode focuses on Lucy Clarsen. (Ana Giradot) If you've forgotten who that is, I don't blame you.  Way back in the first episode, she is a barmaid, working in the Lake Pub.  On her way home from work, she is brutally attacked and hospitalised.  In the last episode, we find out that she is a medium who can speak to the dead whilst havinf sex.  The episode ends with Lucy waking up from her attack.

As per usual Lucy  opens with a flashback exploring the titular character's backstory.  Well, I say explore, all we find out is that Lucy arrives in the town and blags her way into a barmaid job.  We then see her medium skills in action, when she has sex with Jerome, so that she can communicate with the dead Camille.  In the present day, Lucy's stab wounds heal miraculously and something compels her to find Simon, who by convenient coincidence is at the same hospital after being shot dead by Thomas.  Simon who comes back to life once again finds Lucy and the two have sex.  In doing so, Lucy reveals some interesting infromation about Simon.  Hitherto, we know that Simon killed himself, but we don't know why.  Other episodes have alluded to how he wanted to kill himself due to depression.  Yet when Lucy confronts him about this, he denies it.  Whilst it was definitely itneresting learning more about Simon, I'm more sceptical of Lucy's narrative.  I think it is somewhat clumsy writing to introduce a relatively new character with a new narrative, six episodes into the series.  I think it would have been much better if Lucy's character and narrative had been established at the beginning of the season, where we could have had more time to learn about her. 

Meanwhile, the theme for the rest of the episode is redemption.  Laure offers to protect Julie and Victor, from the police, whilst Toni does the same for his brother Serge.  Meanwhile, Camille pretends to have been in contact with the children who died with her to ease the consciences of those left behind.  However, the most startling transformation goes to Serge who goes from cannibal serial killer to a nurse-maid.  Upon discovering the unconscious Lena, he takes she home and cares for her.  I don't find this to be the most belieavble and it doens't help that his motives for doing so aren't explained.  Although maybe I'm just sceptical over whether serial killers can really change like this.  However, what I am more sceptical about how Lena, upon overhearing Serge's true identity, goes from threatening him with a knife to having sex with him.  Again, how believable is this really?

What redeems this scene is Toni and Serge's relationship.  After Toni discovers tha the polcie are coming after Serge, he goes to their house house to warn him and also inadvertently spills the beans about Serge to a hiding Lena.  Toni then tells Serge to hide, whilst he confronts the police rifle in hand.  The line "I'm your big brother" sums up his loyalty to his brother, and also marks another interesting transformation.  In one episode Toni goes to burying Serge alive to stop him from killing anyone else to shooting at police officers coming to arrest him.

Menawhile, a panickiing Lena runs into the nearby woods and after getting lost stumbles upon a group of people gathered around a fire.  In the episode's creepiest shot, the all turn to look at her.  Who are they? Comment your best theories.

I think it's fair to say that I have not liked Camille's character, but in my last review, I acknowledged that, partly due to Yara Pillartz's brilliant performance, I was overly harsh on her.  In this episode, her character goes from strenth to strength.  After Frederic discovers her secret, Pierre decides to reveal to the other parents whose children died with Camille.  Camille decides to play the part of medium to bring peace to the parents.  However, this has devastating consequences when two parents kill themselves to join their dead son.  This footage is cross-cutted, perhaps a little confusingly with Lucy and and Simon having sex.  I guess the film-makers wanred to confuse us, as I originally thought we were watching Simon's death scene.  Yet, I found this cross-cutting very confusing. 

From the last episode, it is clear that Yara Pillartz is a talented young actress and it was refreshing to see her explore her acting range more.  I also think that through Pierre orchestrating all this, he is trying to repent for the role he played in Victor's murder.  Does this make him any less vilainous? perhaps.  I still think he has a secret agenda.

Even though they take a bit of backseat in this episode, some important developments are revealed concerning Victor and Julie.  Victor tells Julie that he believes she is a fairy godmother who is supposed to look after him until his mother returns.  I love this idea and I think it works well. Whilst initially wary of him, Julie has become very protective of Victor.  However, it is also revealed that Victor has a scar on his arm, similar to Lena's.  What do these scars means? Comment below.

Finally, upon discovering Camille's true idenity, Frederic enlists the help of his friends to dig up Camille's grave.  Rather than finding her body or even an empty coffin, they find a coffin filled with water.  Other readers have identified that there appears to be a connection between the Returneees and water, but what is it? Why is Camille's coffin filled with water? Let me know in the comments below. 

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