III Sommerso – As the third episode of Ripley begins, Tom Ripley (Andrew Scott) talks about himself and his relationship with Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn). Dickie interrupts with Marge (Dakota Fanning) to say they’re going to Naples to find something important. Marge and Dickie talk about buying a refrigerator later. Tom admits he’d rather hang himself than buy a refrigerator because that would mean staying put. He goes on to say that a refrigerator is not freedom. Tom is there when they bring the refrigerator home. At the motel, Matteo (Vittorio Viviani) tells Tom that Riccardo already stopped by to pick up his mail. He can’t say whether the envelope came from the Long Island Shipyard.

Herbert (Kenneth Lonergan) writes that he believes Tom has been unsuccessful in convincing Dickie to come home. He says Tom is no longer obligated to help them. Tom looks around for something before approaching Dickie. Tom tries to steal the letter in Dickie’s pocket. When Dickie takes a break, Tom asks if he wants to get a drink. Dickie wants to see Marge. Tom doesn’t think he should give up on his latest painting. Moments later, Tom sees Dickie reading the letter. He follows him and listens to him talking to Marge about the letter. Tom believes Dickie is trying to come up with a way to get rid of him. Marge says he can just tell him to leave. Dickie finds him standing in the rain later. He tells him to come and dry off so they can go to dinner. At the restaurant, Dickie tells Tom they should go to San Remo for a couple of days.

Marge urges them to go together since she’s on a writing streak and shouldn’t leave. Tom and Dickie get on the train. They reach the motel and book a double room for two nights. Once they enter their room, Dickie mentions there’s a perfume Marge likes and he can’t get it in Naples. The next day, they go to shops looking for the perfume. They end up splitting for a brief time. Dickie catches up with Tom at the beach. They watch men build a human pyramid. Dickie calls them fairies. Tom doesn’t mind because what they did was impressive. Then, they decide to take a boat out. Once they’re out on the water, Dickie asks Tom if he remembers Freddie. Dickie says only he and Marge will spend Christmas with him in Cortina. He thinks it’s time for Tom to see more of Italy.

Tom asks what his father said. He mentions the letter and claims Herbert’s tone was dismissive. Dickie says his dad felt Tom was lying to him because he claimed he was close to coming home. He felt Tom was taking advantage of him. Tom says he understands everything. He claims he’s only offered his friendship and respect while offering nothing in return. Dickie asks if he wants him to say the real issue, but Tom quickly says no. Tom agrees to leave. When Dickie tries to start the boat, Tom hits him with the oar. He hits him again and again. Once Dickie is dead, Tom takes his ring, watch, sunglasses, and other belongings. He burns the rope so he can use it to dispose of Dickie’s body. Before he can toss the body into the water, another boat appears in the distance.

Tom drives the boat away to avoid being caught. When he tries to get rid of the body, he ends up falling overboard. He tries to dodge the boat only to get hit by the cement block. Tom manages to grab the rope and climb back into the boat enough to unplug the motor. Then, he climbs into the boat and finishes disposing of Dickie’s body. Tom stops the boat near rocks and goes through Dickie’s belongings. He sets the boat on fire but it doesn’t burn. He tries to sink the boat. Tom makes it back to the motel room. The maid checks on him but says she’ll come back later. Tom grabs the money and tries to leave in a hurry. He goes to the receptionist to ask for the bill and passports. Once Tom gets what he needs, he leaves the motel. He passes by the boat owner speaking to some police officers outside.

Tom gets on the train and leaves. He’s wearing Dickie’s ring. The episode ends with a shot of the boat still out on the water.

 

Ripley Review

The third episode of Ripley was fine although nothing spectacular. Dickie’s murder wasn’t as impactful as it could’ve been partly because the boat scenes weren’t well done. The editing was poor since viewers will be able to clearly tell when Dickie’s body isn’t on the boat. It was obvious that the boat was empty well before Tom threw the body overboard.

This series really didn’t need to be eight episodes considering how tedious each has been so far. Many scenes drag on for far too long to the point that they feel tedious. Regardless, Ripley isn’t half bad. The story is compelling and the series does a decent job of sticking to it without changing too many things.

It’s good that the series decided to take the story seriously and the black-and-white scenes are a nice touch. Overall, it’s enjoyable as long as viewers remember that this is on Netflix. The episode scores a 6 out of 10. Recaps of Ripley can be found on Reel Mockery here. Find out how to support our independent site at this link. Learn more about advertising with us here. Discuss this show with friends at the Reel Mockery Forum.