In the eighth episode of the second season of Dead Like Me, George meets a surprising person while on a reap; meanwhile, the other reapers have interested experiences while doing their jobs. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Dead Like Me.
GOD, THIS SHOW IS GETTING SO GOOD Y’ALL.
- I know I’m repeating myself at this point, and I don’t care. It’s really exciting to me! It’s like I finally get this show, and that makes writing about it so much more rewarding, too.
- Oh, there is SO MUCH BRILLIANCE HERE.
- Let’s talk about Mason and Roxy first. I adore the opportunity I got to see them hanging out and getting along! The hope of a vacation in Cancún brings them together in a way that we’ve never really seen before. Plus, their entire plot is hilarious and entertaining. I don’t know that I read any ~deep subtext~ into their scenes. I just liked that they took place in a single “room,” so to speak, and that the writers utilized this set well. I wasn’t cool with all the shaming going on with the women’s clothes, but otherwise, I found Mason and Roxy to be downright charming. I’d love to see them pair up again.
- The same goes for Rube and Daisy, who spend the day at Reggie’s school. Rube as a substitute teacher? Priceless. Oh my god, it’s unreal! Initially, I was amused with his distaste for children just for the sake of it, but that’s because I totally missed what was going on. And it was great to see Daisy connect with the kids, too! But the entire reason that he was put in this situation was to hint at what was unraveling him. His uncomfortable behavior in front of the kids, the calls he is making from the phone book, his desire to treat George with kindness and grace… oh my god. It’s the letter he sent to Rosie. He’s trying to find her. Oh my god. This is particularly fascinating because Rube went to such great lengths to get George to stop going home, and now he’s doing precisely the thing he told her not to do. Whatever happened to him all those years ago must have been awful. Are we ever going to find out?
- My heart. 🙁
- Y’all, everything with Joy and Phyllis is equal parts painfully awkward and completely revelatory. I take back what I said in the previous review: Now I understand why Joy is the way she is. Through “The Escape Artist,” the writers reveal that Joy’s mother was largely absent for her daughter’s life, choosing a selfish path of political revolution while her daughter was still just a kid. Even before Joy was a teenager, her mother disappointed her. It completely explains why Joy is so rigid and strict. Her mother did not discipline her, and Joy despised that. My god, Joy makes so much sense! And while Phyllis does criticize her daughter in constructive ways, I’m glad that the writers also let Joy state her side of this. Her mother abandoned her all the time! It explains why Joy is so willing to smother Reggie, to never leave her alone and give her space, to not let her do what she wants.
- THIS EPISODE SERIOUSLY CHANGED EVERYTHING I THOUGHT ABOUT JOY.
- And at the end of this, Phyllis and Joy at least exist on the same ground, even if it’s only for one moment. It’s heart wrenching because they’re trying to understand one another. I loved that bit where Phyllis urged Reggie to go to bed, but Joy said she could stay up if she wanted. A REVERSAL OF ROLES. SO GREAT.
- Reggie. Reggie. Oh my god, she met that pet reaper. Does Rube know about pet reapers? Hell, do any of the reapers know about them? Well, Reggie suspects something now, and she has confirmation that someone knows George, and that kid didn’t speak in the past tense, and OH MY GOD, WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN.
- Then there’s George. Wow, everything about her story is unexpected. Trip is something else, isn’t he? Even though I don’t find him attractive, I understand why George has so much chemistry with him. They’re both very sarcastic, they have a sense of humor about how they view themselves, and there’s this instant respect between them that’s hard to describe. It’s like… they’re both outsiders in a sense, and they’re desperate for a way out of the rut that is their life. And here they are. In the same room. At the same table. It’s meant to be.
- EXCEPT IT’S TOTALLY NOT. Well, for a second, I thought this show had dealt one of the worst bits of irony I’d seen so far. THIS GUY IS HER REAP? THIS IS THE GUY WHO HAS TO DIE? OH, FUCK. Why must everything be so tragically unfair???
- EXCEPT IT ISN’T ALWAYS THE CASE. I was slightly relieved that it was Trip’s father who was about to die, just because it meant that George might still be able to pursue something with Trip. But then Trip’s father dies in front of him, and everything is sad and awful. 🙁
- In a moment of grief, George calls home and is shocked to hear her grandmother on the other end. And you know Phyllis knows that that was George on the phone with her. Oh my god, this has to be foreshadowing for some big confrontation or reunion of sorts, right? RIGHT?
The video commission for this episode is now archived on MarkDoesStuff.com for just $0.99!
Mark Links Stuff
– I have been nominated for a Hugo in the Fan Writer category! If you’d like more information or to direct friends/family to vote for me, I have a very informational post about what I do that you can pass along and link folks to!
– I have announced what the next books I am reading on Mark Reads will be, as well as updated y’all on the events, cons, tour dates, GOING TO EUROPE OH MY GOD, and general shenaniganry going on in my life. I have a similar post up on Mark Watches, detailing the next two shows I’m doing as well as the return of Double Features, and I finally explain what happened with my Vimeo account. Check these posts out!
- Mark Reads Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is now published and available for purchase! It’s available in ebook AND physical book format, and you can also get a discount for buying the ENTIRE SET of digital books: $25 for 7 BOOKS!!!
-Â Video commissions are open, and you can commission a Mark Reads/Watches video for just $25!
