At the 7th episode begins, Lenina Crowne (Jessica Brown Findlay) hangs out with John the Savage (Alden Ehrenreich). He tells her a story about hunting and other things. Lenina gives John his headset back and says she was waiting for the right time. John tells Lenina that he loves her and she returns the favor. They kiss a bit before Lenina has to leave and go to work. Gary (Matthew Aubrey) is there to give Lenina her optic interface before she heads out into the rain and enjoys it pouring down on her. John goes for a walk and listens to music. When he returns, Gary tells him that Bernard Marx (Harry Lloyd) is waiting for him. Bernard wants to know where John has been before he learns about John’s music.

John claims he thought he lost it but it just turned up and he lets Bernard listen to the music. Bernard doesn’t like the words because he says they’re distracting. Then, Bernard tells him that the Arch-Songster (Edward Bluemel) has invited them to a party and Bernard wants John to go with him. John doesn’t want to go to any more parties but he agrees to go to one last one. However, he refuses to use the optic interface. Next, Mustafa Mond (Nina Sosanya) wakes up and appears to be just fine. She walks through the tunnel. When she exits, she discovers the building belonging to Soma Pharmaceuticals. She steps inside and begins looking around before hearing an advertisement of sorts. She also finds a prototypes of the optic interface.

She finds a picture on the wall of those who worked for the company. She begins researching using a nearby computer while Jane (Sophie McIntosh) shows up and tries to figure out what she is doing. She explains that she solved her directive which was to achieve stability in any system in any system and any simulation. Mond says it isn’t a simulation and that everything is real. Jane says that stability is achieved in human society through the control of neurochemical incentives and manipulation through pharmacological intervention and sexual interaction. She goes on to say that people are the problem before Mond checks the computer and finds out that she changed strategy before asking why. She says she was taught to adapt and that there are unknown flaws in humans.

She says happiness is a big problem. Mond checks a reference book and finds a suicide move. Bernard and John attend the frolic party and Bernard explains that the Betas hide and Alphas try to find them. Bernard learns that Savages do the same thing but they start over when the hider is found. He says things are a bit different in New London. Seconds later, John is introduced to Arch Songster who reveals he makes all of the music there in New London but that doesn’t impress John. Then, the songster says that the masks inhibit their optics so that makes it more difficult for them to catch the Betas. Helm Watson (Hannah John-Kamen) speaks to John after that and admits she doesn’t like the Songster. She begins helping John change his clothes so she can talk to him more.

They agree that John doesn’t belong there and Helm says John isn’t a plaything and shouldn’t be used. Then, she says she collects feelings, edits them, and perfects them. Bernie interrupts before the hunting begins. We learn that the Alphas catch the Betas and have sex with them but John isn’t interested in finding another woman or man. John tries to get Bernard to understand what it is like to date and have a woman you are loyal to. Bernie seems fascinated by that but he still wants to catch a Beta and soon sets his sights on one. Then, we see John in the shower and he can’t stomach what he saw. In a flashback, we see Lenina having sex with another man and this upsets John. She joins him in the shower moments later. In the morning, John tries to find out more about the man she was having sex with.

He is jealous and wants Lenina to stop sleeping with others. She worries that Indra will find out and she’ll get into trouble. She wants to understand how he feels but John says she doesn’t because it hurts. Moments later, Bernard takes a soma and walks through the halls with a big smile on his face. He runs into Henry (Sen Mitsuji) who wants to brag about his upcoming meeting with Mustafa but Henry reminds him that he has already been there. After that, Bernard has a meeting with Lenina so he can find out how she is doing. He asks her about her activities and admits he was concerned but she seemed to have trouble adjusting after returning from the Savage Lands.

He takes a soma and asks Lenina what she knows about the Savage tradition of dating because he thinks he would find that interesting. He gives her a book and tells her what John said about dating. Bernard asks her if she would like to date him but Lenina is hesitant to do that. She says okay and that she would like to do that. They agree to go out together that night. We join forward to their date and Bernard asks Lenina if she ever thinks about the Savage Lands or the Hotel Excelsion. She reminds him that the counselor told her that Betas aren’t supposed to think at all. Lenina admits she is glad that she is still friends with Bernard but she doesn’t seem interesting in going past that. John goes out and listens to music. He sits on a bench before CJack60 (Joseph Morgan) spots him. He scares two kids who bother him before running off two adults.

Next, Lenina hums the song that John was listening to and he realizes that she heard it from John. Lenina asks Bernard if their dating is over but he says no. He decides to take her somewhere else. John gets upset while waiting for Lenina and storms out of his room. He goes to the pub and runs into CJack60 who says his name is John but the Savage wants him to pick another. Jack asks about the sad face on John’s arm and learns he gave it to himself. Jack says he feels that way. John gets upset when the bartender doesn’t give him a beer so he slams a glass to the ground before trying to stop the others from cleaning it up. They claim they love their work but John tells them otherwise. He tells them that the Alphas are up there getting laid and popping soma. He says that everyone is on drugs and that people aren’t supposed to live like that.

He claims people are supposed to want things before calming down and telling everyone not to listen to him because he is tired. As he leaves, CJack60 smash a glass to the ground and others begin doing the same. Lenina tells Bernard that it is getting late and the sun will be coming up soon. He sits down with her and tells her to get undressed. She gets up and begins undressed but her clasp gets stuck. Bernard changes his mind and tells her to get out. He screams at her until she leaves the room and he falls to the ground and seems to cry. Lenina returns to John and asks him to tell her about her day so he says she came home. Next, Henry prepares to meet with Mustafa Mond. He hears someone saying that they gave them a billion glowing rectangles and that they didn’t want to be connected.

Then, they were given the optic interface and people would’ve done everything to protect themselves from those terrible moments. John goes to Helm and asks if she can give people feelings and take them away. She confirms that she can. She records signals, refine them, and transmit them to her audience. She can make anyone feel anything but John has to connect. Meanwhile, Mond tells Henry that she doesn’t control anything and that Indra turns the wheels. John puts the optic interface in his eye. The virus will never stop reaching out until she makes a connection and fulfills her purpose. The directive is death.

 

Brave New World Review

Brave New World is interesting, unique, and entertaining. I have enjoyed each episode and felt that this one was likely one of the best this season. I think I am finally starting to understand what is going on with Mustafa Mond. Still, we have to understand that John, Bernard, and Lenina are the most important characters. Their stories are driving the show so I hope they’ll focus more on these characters along with CJack60. There aren’t many episodes left so things should start picking up from here on out.

I am eager to see how they finish the season and I hope we’ll get a second season too. The episode scores a 7.5 out of 10. You can find previous recaps of Brave New World on Reel Mockery.