III – Episode 3 immediately picks up at the end of Robert (Sacha Baron Cohen) and Catherine Ravenscroft’s (Cate Blanchett/Leila George) earlier confrontation, with him speeding away in the car and her chasing behind.
The story then takes a sharply unexpected turn to the day that Stephen (Kevin Kline) and Nancy Brigstocke (Lesley Manville) learn of Jonathan Brigstocke’s (Louis Partridge) death. As DCI Duggins (Rob Jarvis) and Officer Davis (Vineta Rishi) explain the circumstances as an accidental drowning, Nancy appears unbelieving of what she’s hearing. At one point she even tries to rationalize the whole thing away with a simple case of mistaken identity.
As Robert wakes hungover and parked in what appears to be a random neighborhood, the Brigstockes are greeted by a frantic Richard Perkins (Youssef Kerkour) at the Galilei International Airport where they are then taken to identify Jonathan’s body. Nancy doesn’t handle the encounter so well and learning that Italian law requires embalmment before transport makes the situation more macabre. Stephen, on the other hand, appears to be more intrigued by the fact that Jonathan’s face isn’t swollen and the fresh cut on his right forearm. The Morgue Doctor (Guy Mandozzi) explains that Jonathan didn’t spend a lot of time in the water and the cut was likely accidental.
The story returns to the past where Catherine thanks Jonathan for entraining Nicky/Nicholas Ravenscroft (Kodi Smit-McPhee/Bertie Haarer/George Haarer) and wishes him good luck with his travels in Rome. She briefly thinks of leaving things there but then asks Jonathan to stick around for a ‘thank you’ drink at the bar.
While Robert decides to take the public bus to work, Catherine strategizes how to best get ahead of her problem with Stephen. At the same time, Stephen celebrates the success of his hard work by treating himself to some of Nancy’s jam preserves. His moment is completely spoiled when Catherine’s condescendingly sanctimonious message plays over his machine. Rather than try to arrange a deal, threaten him, or apologize, she simply acknowledges his work on the book.
With Nicky asleep for the evening, Catherine turns her attention to Jonathan at the hotel bar. It doesn’t take him long to revert to his earlier shy persona when she makes the conversation more intimate. It’s merely minutes after this that she’s inviting him back to her room. Sometime later, Richard along with a Judicial Officer (Daniele Nicoli) will not only take Nancy and Stephen to the hotel room where Jonathan was staying, but he’ll also escort them to the accident site. While there, Stephen can’t help but think how selfish Jonathan had been and why he chose that day to save the boy. This is where Nancy learns about Catherine and becomes outraged upon learning that Catherine has already returned to London.
In the present, Justin (At Malik) escorts Stephen to meet with a local bookstore owner, Claire (Claire Price). It isn’t revealed at the moment, but for some reason, Stephen specifically asked Justin to get his book displayed at this shop. While they briefly discuss the book and a possible future reading, Robert stops at a café to read the book for the first time.
The episode ends with Stephen and Nancy’s visit to the site where Jonathan drowned.
Disclaimer Review
Compared to episode 2, this episode was practically dreadful. I understand that it was crucial for the story and character development but I just wasn’t feeling it. I don’t know if it was the atrociously awful sex scenes or Nancy and Stephen’s unemotional trek to Rome. I didn’t feel that the Nancy and Stephen scenes were acted too badly, but they just didn’t hit home for me.
The Catherine and Jonathan sex scenes, on the other hand, were just awful. From his awkward shy schoolboy persona approach to her ravenous, sex-starved cougar persona, it just felt bad. I’d have to give the episode a 4.6 and hope to not see another like this.
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