ToĀ addĀ toĀ theĀ conversation,Ā IĀ didn'tĀ careĀ forĀ theĀ momentĀ inĀ SeasonĀ 4. WhenĀ AnnieĀ returnsĀ homeĀ afterĀ beingĀ kidnappedĀ andĀ tellsĀ BethĀ thatĀ RioĀ wouldĀ neverĀ kidnapĀ orĀ harmĀ her,Ā but he did
TheĀ writersĀ seemedĀ toĀ wantĀ usĀ toĀ forgetĀ aboutĀ theĀ kidnappingĀ andĀ shooting,Ā butĀ howĀ couldĀ we?Ā ThatĀ conversationĀ wouldĀ haveĀ beenĀ greatĀ forĀ themĀ toĀ have,Ā andĀ IĀ believeĀ itĀ wasĀ aĀ missedĀ opportunity.Ā I'mĀ notĀ sureĀ howĀ muchĀ AnneĀ knowsĀ aboutĀ whatĀ happenedĀ thatĀ night.Ā InĀ theory,Ā IĀ likeĀ theĀ scene,Ā butĀ IĀ don'tĀ thinkĀ itĀ workedĀ outĀ asĀ wellĀ asĀ itĀ couldĀ have.Ā BecauseĀ theĀ 2x13Ā momentĀ stillĀ feltĀ likeĀ anĀ elephantĀ inĀ theĀ roomĀ toĀ me,Ā ifĀ thatĀ makesĀ sense?Ā IĀ justĀ wishĀ itĀ wasĀ takenĀ moreĀ seriously.Ā WhatĀ areĀ yourĀ thoughtsĀ onĀ this?
(x . x)
That's a really interesting one, anon! I actually think my read of the scene was a little bit different where I interpreted Beth's loaded silence after Annie had said that to her as Beth being reminded of the fact that he had / a reiteration that Beth had been vague on the details with Ruby and Annie about what had happened in the loft.
I also don't think the writers wanted us to forget about the kidnapping and shooting, but I do totally agree that they frequently missed the mark on how they weighted it and balanced it with everything else that was happening. They had these beats of really profound impact ā the park bench fight in 3.06 after Rio's had Lucy killed I think is the most affecting and well done, as well as the scene with Beth and Max in the car after the failed hit in 3.07, which I think is a pretty excellent scene too at capturing everything Beth doesn't let herself feel ā but I think there were a lot of missteps and misfires in the handling of the aftermath generally.
In a lot of ways, I think it comes back to the fact that the show's burdened by the pace it sets for itself. The best way I can really describe it is that it's a stumbling sprint in a circle. That sort of sounds like an insult, but it's not meant as one, haha, what I mean by that is that the show wants to feel like it's always pushing forwards because the girls have to be. There's no time for introspection, for grieving, for anger, because you've got to get the next job done. It's the embodiment, I think, of the task of motherhood with the stakes dialled to 100.
As a form of pace-setting, I think it often works in the show's favour overall, but there are certain situations, certain arcs, where that pacing doesn't work, and the aftermath of 2.13 is one of them. Something that traumatic for three of your major characters ā Beth, Rio and Turner ā needed the pace to be slowed down so that the audience could process it alongside them, but instead, the two month time jump set them right back at a new starting line and pushed forwards, without letting the characters or audience take a breath.
I think it's why we wanted the catharsis of moments elsewhere ā a moment in 4.12 like you said, or Rio's scars, or a Beth meltdown ā which we never got through either writing folly or choice.
I guess in that sense, what I think we needed was an episode before 3.01. We needed to see the direct aftermath of Rio recovering and in particular, I think, Beth struggling (or not struggling!) and the moment she sought out Rhea and Marcus. We needed to see the earlier moments where Annie and Ruby tried to get what happened out of Beth, and the moments they realised she would never tell them everything (like, gosh, imagine how much more poignant the moment of Annie telling Beth Rio would never kidnap her would be if we knew for sure that Beth had never told her?) Basically, I think we needed more context earlier to allow later moments a bit more scope and meaning.
