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4.5 That's My Dog Jake: "I must have been a serious asshole in a previous life." David: "I don't think it works that way. Things just happen." David was lucky. David was stupid. David was lucky *and* stupid. Despite an outstanding performance by Michael C. Hall, I didn't much like this episode. Yes, I could tell what it was really all about: David's insecurities. Life wasn't safe for him without Keith. David could cheat. David could pick up a stranger and get killed. Something awful could happen, and it most certainly did. Why did David swallow Jake's stories? Why did a smart guy like David even pick up a hitchhiker at all? Yes, okay, for sex. And throughout the experience, David kept fantasizing about it turning sexual, because that would have changed everything and made it safe for him. Jake encouraged it by giving David mixed signals, almost like he could beat David up, take his money, and still be his friend. Every time David played along, though, Jake went off on him. It ended with them following a dog remarkably like the one Nate followed in the previous episode, and it was still the wrong dog. David's life flashed before his eyes, ending with the Bus of Death. Why didn't Jake follow through and kill David? Was he mostly talk? Does he kill them sometimes, and David just got lucky? Nate's bereavement group and Claire's class critique had a similar flavor. (To each other, not to what happened to David.) Claire's group told her that her self-portrait was vacant and empty. Nate was finally opening up to his group with something of a self-portrait of emptiness, too, when a false alarm went off. Neither group was the right one for them. I thought it was odd that everyone in the bereavement group was old. Don't people usually have more of a need for counseling after a violent and/or unexpected death? Ruth was the comic relief, playing matchmaker for Kyle with a woman acquaintance who also played inappropriate games with shit. And George went off on her for it, yelling at her for being loving and sensitive and trying to help others. In contrast, Margaret was kinder to Brenda in this episode than she has been in the entire series. She actually told Brenda that Brenda would make a good therapist. And she told Brenda the truth, that Joe wasn't the one for her. But all that wasn't enough to save this episode for me. It was nasty and unpleasant, and left a bad taste in my mouth. I should have been terrified for David, and I wasn't. More about meaning: -- This week's misdirected Opening Death: you think the guy is going to have a heart attack in the hot tub, but instead, his wife fell in the shower. Happy anniversary, honey. The poor guy thought he was being punished. Parallel to David doing a good deed and almost dying, perhaps. -- There were three hot tub references: the Opening Death, Keith talking about finally being able to afford one, and Margaret's inappropriate reference to some professor's shlong. What did these references have in common? Was it just sexual? Hot tubs as a success symbol ? -- Jake dropped the corpse David was transporting into the street, which was like dumping out David's profession, which was pretty much his life. Later, Jake trussed David up and left him in the back of the van, making David like the corpse he was transporting. -- What did the dog mean? Nate's dog led him to the belief that Lisa might still be alive. David's dog nearly led him to his death. Jake treated David like a dog, something that wasn't human and wasn't worth consideration. I've always hated that cliche. -- Nate talked about being angry, and the fire alarm went off. -- Brenda thought her relationship with Joe was the healthiest she'd ever had. Right. Bits and pieces: -- "Anne Marie Thornton, 1966-2004." I assume it was her body that Jake tossed out of the van. This was the first death dated 2004. -- Gold acting stars for Michael C. Hall, who always hits it out of the park. I may not have liked the story they gave him, but his performance was excellent. -- Keith left for three months to tour with Celeste. Except I assume David will ask him to come home now. -- Margaret's outfit during the lunch-with-Brenda scene was even more outlandish than usual. Maybe I came off with that impression because her immense collar was all over the place. Continuity error. -- Sophia showed up stoned and disrupted Rico's work life. I was rather impatient with this plot point. I like the character of Rico, but I'm just not that interested in his life away from the Fishers and the funeral home. Quotes: Keith: "We're gonna be able to buy a fucking house with the money I'm making. With a pool and a hot tub and a steam shower. And room for kids." David: "Yeah. All of which you'll be sharing with the cooler, smarter, hotter guy you're gonna meet on tour." Nate: "Bush just lies and no one cares." Maybe this entire episode was a parable about what Bush has done to the United States, with Jake as Bush and David as us. Yeah, that works. Nate: "It just doesn't stop, does it?" Ruth: "It gets better. But it never goes away, no." Brenda: "You're being wildly inappropriate, as usual. And, as usual, I am feeling irritated and resentful." Margaret: "Well, that's your shit." Two stars, Billie View all comments or post a comment. |
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