#tim chiou

I Was a Simple Man

“When we were first developing this project, and kind of looking at who Charlie Nicoletti is; he owns a bar, he’s loyal to his family, but then he has this skill where he’s able to put on these characters and be so believable that he completely disappears.”

“And this role as Charlie gives him the opportunity to play all these people because he’s a con man, and you’re like: ‘Holy cow - is that Milo?’”

“Milo’s character Charlie is truly the apple of Leo’s eye; he believes in him, he believes that he’s smart enough to lead us.”

“The more I work on Emma, this question comes up for me a lot - ‘Can I trust you?’ It’s like when you’re falling in love, which I think everybody can relate to, it’s ‘Can I trust you with my heart?’ It’s great because I don’t have that at all with Milo; I know that I can trust him as my scene partner, as my executive producer.”

“Working with Milo as a producer has been amazing. He’s always trying to do everything he possibly can for everybody.”

“He is involved in casting, in writing, in editing - in everything.”

“In not in a way that even trumpets it, he’s just very generous spirited.”

“I wanted to work with him, and then when I heard he was also producer, I figured the show was going to be done with a lot of class and style.”

“Milo Ventimiglia, like the first thing he’s doing since This Is Us; you have to know that he’s got a great eye and he has a huge track record of success.”

‘If you enjoy heist-themed series or movies, then we are more than certain that you have been watching The Company You Keep, which now has two episodes out, and with weekly releases, the suspense is most definitely high...we are here to talk about the second episode which had a lot more substance as compared to the first one, making it more exciting.

There were some things we liked about The Company You Keep Episode 2, and some things that didn’t quite work for us, but we will let you know towards the end of this recap and review whether or not you should go ahead and watch...

If most of you are following The Company You Keep for Milo Ventimiglia, we completely understand because he is the star of the show despite there being several other characters around him who get just as much screen time...

The second episode of The Company You Keep definitely picked up some momentum when compared to the first episode, which spent most of its time establishing characters and setting the scene for the entire show. We were really hoping that the second episode of The Company You Keep would have something a little more unique and exciting, but sadly, that wasn’t the case.

However, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a good episode. We have realized that when it comes to heists and stealing, sometimes the old recipes with a few added spices work best for any show, and by the looks of it, The Company You Keep is sticking to some of the known tropes that they know will work well, and it should be no surprise that they are indeed, working well.

The Company You Keep Episode 2 definitely had a lot going on for it, whether it was Charlie and his family, Emma, and her family, and of course, Daphne, who has been established as the main villain...You’d think Charlie and his family would be the bad guys but they are just good people in bad circumstances, who occasionally steal a lot, but still, they are good.

You will understand this irony a little more when you watch the first two episodes...and hopefully it will be clarified a little more in the coming episode.

But if you are looking for a villain, the focus will be on Daphne who is far from backing down and has established that she will get what she wants and won’t hold back, even if it means learning sign language and potentially hurting Charlie’s niece...

We do think that The Company You Keep Episode 2 was a lot better than the first, and here’s why. This episode showed progress when it came to Emma and Charlie, which let’s be honest, is something we have all been looking forward to. We weren’t expecting their first date to actually happen, but it did, and that can only mean that the creators know exactly what the viewers want, or at least that’s what we’re hoping.

Charlie and Emma show a lot of progress in this episode, from Emma being convinced that this is a rebound situation for both of them, to pushing Charlie away, only to eventually realize that she does in fact have feelings for them and her being scared of them is truly an understatement.

Our favorite scene of The Company You Keep Episode 2 wasn’t the date but it did include Charlie and Emma, only the two of them didn’t know they were in the same place at the same time. If you have watched this episode, you know exactly what we’re talking about.

Emma has continued following her hunch about Daphne being the main brain behind the entire crime syndicate, and Charlie and his family are under a lot of pressure to pay Daphne the money they owe because she doesn’t stop with the threats. So, Daphne’s hotel room is the one place they can look for something against her.

Emma and Charlie both end up in her hotel room at the same time but manage to remain unseen from each other. It was a brilliantly done scene and we hope that Charlie and Emma cross paths this way a lot more often in future episodes until they finally catch each other in the act.

The couple has managed to keep up their appearances for now, but we’re only at the second episode, so who knows how long that will last...

There was a lot more that happened in The Company You Keep Episode 2, and one of the things we really liked was Emma and her brother, David, bonding through his campaign and her work. He might be the first person she has opened up to about her work, and we hope to see more of this brother-sister relationship in the future.

Of course, another highlight of this episode was Charlie’s family and them trying to steal an already stolen necklace, which was an interesting plot twist...although the idea wasn’t very original. We do love seeing the Nicoletti family working together to try and pay their debts, and there will be a lot more of that in future episodes.

A special mention must go to Charlie’s father, Leo, played by William Fichtner, who performed brilliantly in this episode, especially during the necklace heist.

The viewers are definitely loving the chemistry between Catherine Haena Kim and Milo Ventimiglia who play Emma and Charlie, and episode three of The Company You Keep should show a little more progress as well as some hurdles between the couples.

We can also expect Daphne to continue being a big part of the show, and as much as we love her presence, the character needs to be taken down to make room for a bigger villain, or at least that’s what we’re hoping for.

The Company You Keep does need to have some tricks up its sleeves to separate this show from the crowd and gain more viewership in the coming episodes...

Conclusion

Charlie and his family are really good at what they do.

If you've taken nothing else from the first two installments, it should be this. Because with their backs against the wall and a ruthless Daphne breathing down their necks, they executed a con that had no business working out, yet they still managed to pull it off and make a dent, albeit a small one, into their massive debt.

But while everything (eventually) came out roses for the Nicolettis on The Company You Keep Season 1 Episode 2, the budding romance between Charlie and Emma hit a snag.

Crossing Maguire has wound up costing Charlie and company more than they could have imagined. They took a significant risk, it backfired, and now they are forced to jump into new jobs in hopes of quickly paying Daphne off and getting their lives back.

But it's not easy to come across millions of dollars, plus we need this mystery to last all season, so we're in for a series of cons along the way.

The auction con, as I've nicknamed this one, comes about very quickly and dovetails from Charlie and Fran infiltrating an auction to Leo stepping into an old disguise. And it works much better than you think.

Milos is the perfect character to introduce here when you're dealing with the likes of high society people whose reputation means more to them than anything.

All he has to do is drop a little bait, and Mrs. Ellsworth is more than willing to open her house up to strangers who promise to give her more exposure and bragging rights.

The climax of the con, which involves whether or not they'll get away with stealing the necklace, is pretty nerve-wracking, if only because I still don't understand how Charlie got that dog to cooperate enough to stay out of the way AND then meet him outside.

I'm always willing to suspend disbelief, if necessary, regarding television because it's not always made to portray everything in a realistic light. We're here to be entertained more than anything else, and it was a lot of fun watching those tense few minutes to see if Charlie could pull it off.

While the way they obtained the necklace was wild, what they had to do to get paid was even wilder.

Someone of Mr. Ellsworth's profile is always looking to be in a position where others envy him. And you gain that envy by always holding onto your reputation. Charlie used his status against him, and he made him an offer he couldn't refuse.

Can you imagine what it would look like if he kept the necklace? Sure, he's out of some money now, but what does a man with finite wealth fear more than anything? The knowledge that one wrong miscue could cost him everything.

Birdie: So, we will do your bidding. But I would be grateful if you would leave my daughter out of it. Whatever ASL night school classes you've signed up for, maybe it's time to drop them. Daphne: You know, my mother used to say, 'The only thing more dangerous than a man with nothing to lose is a single mom with everything to prove.

Daphne is slinking around the outside of this hour, and she's the kind of villain you can appreciate because she's not cartoonish or overly aggressive. She's menacing in an underrated way. A blank slate that the Nicolettis will need to fill in if they want a chance at getting out from under her one day.

It was never obvious what the relationship was between her and Maguire, but one photo slots everything into place.

This was once again a moment you must take with a grain of salt because what are the chances Leo would recognize and have been to the landmark in the picture of Daphne's mother? It's a little too convenient, but whatever, it helps Charlie to start working on that slate.

If Daphne is looking to prove herself to a man who doesn't treat her like an equal and certainly not a son, then that's something that Charlie can use against her. She's an intelligent woman and hellbent on proving that she would be the one in charge, not Maguire's son.

In a male-dominated world, it's not easy to ascend to the heights she wishes.

And add in the fact she's a person of color. Well, we can take some educated guesses as to why she has to work twice as hard to prove to her father that she's ready to lead, while brother Connor apparently gets nary a wrist slap for being a part of why Daddy Maguire is currently locked up in the first place.

There's a lot of interesting meat on the bone here, and I like that the series highlights Daphne and makes her more than just the woman who will show up at the bar, sending a thinly veiled threat toward a Nicoletti and then disappear as quickly as she came.

Give us the mind games and the drama, but raise the stakes as well and allow us to see all sides of this complicated tale.

Speaking of complicated, things between Charlie and Emma start to get very complex, and to this point, they still don't realize who the other one is.

While Emma frets about falling into a rebound, I still maintain that it's more than that. A rebound is jumping right into a new relationship after a breakup, usually with some residual feelings for the ex lingering around.

A rebound can be unhealthy when you're just jumping into something new without completely dealing with the effects of what just happened in your prior relationship.

I get that you think you know me or whatever. But the truth is you don't. Don't pretend like you do. -Emma (to Charlie)

Both Emma and Charlie were coming out of toxicity, not fully functioning, committed relationships. And yet neither one was particularly heartbroken with those ended because they both knew it wasn't what they thought it to be.

How long should you mourn something you know was wrong and not what you deserve? Is a week sufficient enough? Or do you need to wait a whole year to ensure you're over your thieving, cheating ex?

Now, what's obviously intriguing here is that we know from the outside looking in that this relationship is headed toward an implosion. One way or the other, these two will learn the other's secrets, and they'll have to navigate that when the time comes.

But right now, these two people have more than an intense attraction. They're nervous and awkward because they're dealing with new feelings they've never experienced. Emma is scared to death by Charlie because she looks into his eyes and sees herself reflected.

They're both in unchartered territory, and they must be willing to take a chance on the other and figure out what a relationship between them looks like.

While it may have looked like they would come face-to-face in Daphne's suite for a few seconds, and everything would be blown to hell, the show would be wise to nurture this relationship and show the complexities of two people falling for one another and letting their guards down.

But keeping one piece of themselves hidden for as long as possible.

It's not a formula that breaks the mold or anything, but when done right, it can be absolutely captivating.

If The Company You Keep Season 1 Episode 1 was the coronation of the Nicolettis, then this hour belonged to the Hills, who get extended screen time, which is much appreciated.

So much of Emma and Charlie's identities are wrapped up in their family. And for Emma, she does everything she can to distance herself from the political machine. And for the most part, her family seems to respect that.

It's refreshing to see Emma push back against their wishes while offering support and guidance. She loves her family, and they love her, but she's content to make her own path and follow her destiny.

The relationship between Emma and David is lovely, and much like Charlie and Birdie, you can tell these two have a tremendous amount of love for one another.

Confiding in David about her job was a huge step for Emma, and it came about because of how much she could see her brother believed in her and trusted her. Whether or not she decides to help David's campaign, he will still love, respect, and value anything she's willing to contribute.

On paper, the Nicolettis and the Hills could not be more different, but at the heart of their families is something so similar.

The Notes I Kept

Daphne learning ASL to taunt Birdie was crossing the line, but I loved that Birdie confronted her because you want to come at her; that's one thing, but Ollie hasn't done any wrong. And Birdie will be damned if she gets caught up in a mess she's not a part of.

They weaved the running joke that Ollie was stealing things into the hour in a jokey way, but I would be shocked if, at some point, they don't wind up including her in a con. And I'm not sure how to feel about that.

Fran and Leo are couples goals. I can see why Charlie has such a big heart and opens himself to love because he has this great representation of what love can be like around him.

Everyone in this cast is so pretty. It's like a 2000s GAP ad coming to life.

Charlie's best undercover look this week? Hands down, the beanie. You couldn't tell him he wasn't a photographer extraordinaire!