Lovecraft Country S1.05 — Under her skin
Tonight’s episode of Lovecraft Country really ticked all the boxes. They drive the plot forward while also establishing some interesting relationship dynamics, cameoing 2 of my favorite drag queens (Monet & Shangela), and of course, poignantly and graphically displaying the many ways the deck is stacked against Black people in this country.
The episode opens on a white woman waking up in a round bed. Immediately, I knew it was Ruby and she had been somehow changed. EDIT: Thanks to my friend Montana, we have just realized that the white woman is “Dell”, the racist with the dogs from the silo near the Lodge. So, we think this means:
- Dell was a real woman in that episode and she is now dead and they are using her DNA for the potion
- Dell was a real woman in that episode and she is still alive, but they are using her DNA for the potion
- Dell was not a real woman in that episode and someone else was using the potion to become her for those scenes. We know it’s not Christina because they are in a scene together.
Ok back to the story: Ruby, in Dell’s body, attempts to flee and, despite the fact that she is running around like a crazy person, she is treated with respect and dignity by everyone. The police, under direction of William at home, politely bring her back to his house, where he stabs her in the chest and removes her white skin, revealing Ruby.
Obviously that was a traumatic and wild experience, but Ruby realizes that she can accomplish her goals as a white woman and chooses to take the potion again. She doesn’t need to spend any money because she uses the only currency that matters: whiteness. Ruby then realizes she should go to Marshall Fields and get her dream job. As a Black woman, she has been rejected 7 times, but once there is a white face to go with her impressive resume, she is immediately hired as an assistant manager.
At first, she approaches Tamara, the Black woman that they hired the day before Ruby came to apply for the 8th time. She tries to confide in her and support her, but once she realizes that she has no credentials and likely was hired because the manager thought she was attractive, Ruby becomes extra hard on her. In the break room, she hears the other women being racist and tries to toe the line with them.
Meanwhile, William needs Ruby to do a favor for him. He has her work a police/Order function (as herself) and tells her that Christina will meet her there with the task. Christina tells Ruby that she needs to put a rock with the same symbol that we’ve seen on Titus’ pages in the office of the Chief because William is the rightful heir to the lodge and the Chief thinks he killed William, but he did not. Phew, that’s a lot of stuff.
Ruby puts the rock in the Chief’s desk drawer. Then, she hears some moaning in the closet (remember I said there was a torture chamber in his office last episode?). She opens the door and gags at the smell, but then the office door opens and she jumps into the closet to hide. Inside is a half-dead man who is very clearly being tortured. As she tries not to throw up, we hear the Chief explain that he is not actually in the Order yet and he needs Titus’ pages to get in. They sent some people to look for them. Also that he is, obviously, torturing that guy for information.
At the department store, Ruby has a minor breakdown and then forces Tamara to take them all out on the South Side. In the alley, Ruby lets herself slough off her white skin, but then while she is covered in blood, she sees the manager assault Tamara. She returns to the house and sits on the couch covered in blood. Christina comes up from the basement and as they are talking, Christina repeats something that Ruby had said to William. Then, I guessed that she was actually William and I was right! Also, Ruby attacks the heck out of the manager by raping him with her stiletto.
So, the same question for Dell goes for William. Did he actually die like in that story Christina told and then she took his body to remake him? And he really is the rightful heir and she’s just going to assume his form to take over the lodge the way she wants?
Other storylines: Montrose is definitely gay (another thing I guessed last week). He shows up at a man’s apartment and they have sex immediately. Then, they are joined by some drag queens, including my favs Monet & Shangela, as Montrose’s man prepares for a ball. They all go to the ball together and Montrose’s man wins. Montrose has a moment on the dance floor where he really comes into himself. I love Michael Kenneth Williams — he is such an incredible actor. It was a really beautiful scene and I’m hoping we get more into his story at some point in the show.
And finally, Tic beats the shit out of Montrose when he realizes that he killed Yahima and destroyed Titus’ pages. Luckily, Leti took pictures of all of them, so he can still work on deciphering the Language of Adam. There is more Leti and Tic drama and making up (tbh the romantic storyline is the one I care the least about). Also, Tic briefly brings up his ex, Ji-Ah, in Korea and says it “ended strangely.”
The episode ends with Tic figuring out that the writing on his ring, which he originally thought spelled out his initials, actually says DIE. He freaks out and immediately calls Ji-Ah in Korea. He asks her “how’d you know?” and she asks if he believes her now. He asks again how she knew “that” and then she says, “you should have listened to me.” The call ends after Tic asks “what are you?”.
From the trailer for next week it looks like we will see what happened between Tic and Ji-Ah and it will certainly be strange. We also didn’t see any of Hippolayta and Dee, who were heading to Ardham last week. Not sure if they will return to that storyline next episode, but we shall see!
Producer who loves TV, looking for my next opportunity to be creative & pet dogs. View all posts by lizziekreitman
Originally published at http://lizziekreitman.wordpress.com on September 14, 2020.