Like Mother, Like Daughter – As the fifth episode of Wilderness begins, Liv Taylor (Jenna Coleman) answers the door and asks Caryl (Claire Rushbrook) what she is doing there. Caryl complains about not being able to get ahold of Liv before rushing inside. Garth (Eric Balfour) is shown being put in a police car. Will (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) returns home where Caryl tells him she has been hearing all about this girl named Cara. In private, Will hopes Liv hasn’t told her mother anything. They discuss the risk of anyone knowing what happened. Liv claims that her mom only knows about Cara’s accident and how devastated Will was about his colleague.

Will wanted to come home and just hit the reset tonight. Liv says her mother is there because she is worried her marriage is in trouble. Will pleads with Liv to set her mother straight since they can’t afford to have her there asking questions. He thinks they should put on a show to reassure Caryl that everything is fine. Liv says the only thing worse than his endless groveling is her mother saying “I told you so”. When they come out, Liv tells Caryl that they should celebrate her first visit to the Big Apple. Caryl is staying a week until they have a proper chance to catch up. She hasn’t had a holiday since Ron’s cremation so work shouldn’t be a problem.

She promises that they won’t notice she is there. When Caryl suggests she can sleep on the sofa, Will offers to book her in at the Lowbeck. Caryl reminds him she is family. Will wants her opinion on a gift he bought for Liv. He says he just wanted to treat his wife. Garth is questioned by Detective Rawlins (Marsha Stephanie Blake) and Detective Wiseman (Jonathan Keltz). He gets upset with the questions about their workouts before asking what this is about. Garth is asked if he knows what was in Cara’s locker. Wiseman shows him forty thousand dollars, proof of ID, and information about a rental. Wiseman explains Cara was looking for a place to live.

The detectives suggest he and Cara were in different relationships, he is delusional, or he is lying. In the morning, Liv wakes up Caryl who complains about the sofa. Liv hopes Caryl can see that nothing is going on and that there is no other woman. Caryl asks why Will was sleeping on the couch. Liv says she is a horrible snorer. She pleads with her mom to make an effort with him. Seconds later, Detective Rawlins visits. Liv goes with her and learns that they’ve arrested Garth Lanahan. Liv admits that doesn’t surprise her. She tells the detective how Garth seemed possessive. Rawlins shows Liv two pictures to see if she can recognize the people in them. Liv says one is her and the other is Cara.

Rawlins reminds her she said she hadn’t met her before Yosemite. Liv guesses they had gone to the same gym. If she had met Cara, it would make Rawlins wonder why she’d lie about that fact. Later, Liv tells Will about Garth’s arrest. He suggests it would’ve been different if Cara hadn’t said no because Garth proposed that night. Cara felt bad for him so she asked Will not to say anything. Liv thinks he should tell the police about the proposal and the ring although Will doesn’t think that is a good idea. Next, Will speaks to Soil (Everick Golding) to get a suite for Caryl. Bonnie (Talia Balsam) comes over to talk about Garth’s arrest. Caryl is introduced to her.

Marissa (Natalie Sharp) interrupts to say hello. Before Will leaves, he makes sure Caryl is going to come to dinner with them later. Caryl tells Liv she thought they’d do Times Square and be done with it. She admits Liv’s father would often make promises that he couldn’t deliver. Caryl tells her about the excuses he’d make. She doesn’t think Liv has that issue with Will who goes after what he wants. Rawlins begins focusing on Liv because she had prior knowledge of Cara. Wiseman comes in and says he cracked the case. He shows Rawlins a recorded interview with Zach and Anton. They say they ran into Cara in the corridor and she was upset. Garth is asked about that since he lied previously.

He allegedly blew ten years of sobriety that night. Garth says he loved Cara before demanding a lawyer. Caryl tries to visit Will but ends up speaking to Bonnie instead. Bonnie admits she likes working with Will and they’d be lost without him. She says she has a daughter who hasn’t spoken to her in three years, but she gets it. Caryl claims she is just interested in their lives because Wales is a long way away. She asks if she should be worried about her daughter. Bonnie says Will is at work 16 hours every day so that doesn’t leave a lot of time for cheating. Garth calls Liv to complain about the detectives twisting everything.

He asks if Cara said anything about them that night. She was going to leave him and he needs to know why. As Liv hangs up, Ash (Morgana Van Peebles) approaches her to ask if she is ghosting her. Liv says nothing and keeps walking. Then, she tells Ash to leave her alone before going inside. Detective Rawlins learns about the call from Garth to Liv. Caryl arrives later and tells Liv that she wants her to go out with Will on their own tonight. During dinner, Will admits it has been a horror show. The fact Liv is sitting there means the world to him. Liv says enough of the past because it is over. While they’re out, Caryl searches their apartment.

Will tells Liv that he’d like to focus on having a baby. He wants to do better and make a proper commitment. He believes Liv would be the most incredible mother. Liv doesn’t want to believe it although Will insists this is real. He doesn’t want to waste any more of his life. Will thinks spending all their time pretending their fine is scarier than having a baby. Caryl finds something that interests her. Liv agrees to try to have a baby with Will. The detectives question Garth about his call with Liv Taylor. He learns what Liv said about him possibly being possessive. Rawlins wants to know if he let Liv in on his plans for Cara.

Wise informs Garth that a tip-off last night sent them the Taffin ring. Caryl approaches Liv to tell her Will is cheating on her. She believes Liv already knows and has been pretending with her. Caryl says he was having an affair with the dead girl Cara before showing her six Polaroid pictures of her. She tells Liv that this is good for a possible divorce settlement. Liv believes she is trying to pay her back for telling her what she saw. She remembers Caryl telling her she ruined her life and calling her depraved. Caryl claims Liv has always been a fantasist and this is more of that. As they argue, Caryl admits he’d never left if Liv had never said anything.

Liv finally admits that she knows about the affair, but she refuses to go home with her mother. Caryl hopes her daughter isn’t thinking about starting a family with this guy. She says he will leave her and she’ll be stuck. Caryl insists she is only trying to help. Liv says it is the first time for everything before her mother leaves. Garth is questioned by Wiseman and Rawlins. Wiseman suggests Garth went after her because she wouldn’t marry him. He goes through the theory that Garth shoved her from the back. Garth begins crying as he admits he thought she was going to say yes.

He also got drunk when he shouldn’t have, but he is adamant that he didn’t kill her. Liv catches up with Ash and apologizes for being awful earlier. Ash says she would’ve ducked and covered if she knew her mom was in town. Liv questions why she is so good to her. Ash has been where she is and it isn’t a place she’d wish on her worst enemy. Liv thought she could see a way through for a tiny moment. She gets a message from her mom saying the police might be interested in the photos. Before she rushes away, Ash tells her she knows where to find her. When Liv calls Caryl, she says she hopes she isn’t blackmailing her. Caryl claims she is just keeping her safe.

She wants Liv to come home. Rawlins and Wiseman discuss the evidence against Garth and how it is only circumstantial. Liv visits her mom and tells her she wins. Caryl informs her that she has been missed by everyone. She wants drinks because they’re celebrating. Caryl says she would’ve never done and she thinks Liv knows that. Liv takes the pictures. Caryl urges her to hang him out to dry because he deserves everything he gets. Outside, Liv tells her mom that she loves her. Then, she asks a taxi driver to take her mom to JFK. Caryl says she can tell the police that Will was sleeping with that dead girl. Liv says it wouldn’t be bad for Will. As she gets emotional, she claims she didn’t mean to do it.

Caryl insists Will did this and there is no badness in Liv before she leaves in the taxi. Later, Liv looks at the picture as well as Cara’s social media. Once she gets home, she learns that Will has ordered dinner. She asks him about the pictures because she knows they’re not Cara. He says it is Marissa and it happened before. Will claims there is something wrong with him although he believes he can fix it. Liv breaks a glass and says he wants it all with everyone. She begins making a mess and screaming. Garth arrives with the delivery and asks if the three of them are friends. Liv says they are. Garth says no one likes a liar. They offer to let him join them for dinner.

Garth catches Liv trying to call the police moments later. He pulls a gun on her and says that wasn’t a friendly thing to do. Garth knows that she told the police a bunch of crap. Liv says she is on his side, but Garth doesn’t believe her. He wants to know what Cara said to Liv. Then, Garth asks who he was because he doesn’t think Cara would leave unless she had some place to go. Will says it was him. Garth thought Cara hated him. Will questions why else she’d come to Yosemite. He admits they started sleeping together almost immediately after he moved there. Garth tells him to shut up before pushing him against the wall. There is a scuffle. Liv tries to get the gun, but Garth steps on her hand.

He holds her down while saying she knew. Garth begins choking her. He thinks Will killed her. Liv manages to grab something and hit Garth in the head with his multiple times until he falls over.

 

Wilderness Review

As the story of Wilderness has progressed, it has started falling apart at the seams. Truthfully, those viewers who haven’t watched a lot of television and movies may enjoy what Wilderness has to offer. For others, there is going to be a feeling that they’ve seen all of this before and many will agree it has been done so much better previously. One of the main issues is the lack of genuine care for any of the characters because none of them are likable individuals.

The only one who may deserve an ounce of sympathy is Liv’s mother Caryl. If the characters weren’t brain-dead, Liv would’ve left with her mother. Unfortunately, each episode has demonstrated time and again that none of the characters function higher than a kindergarten level. No one would’ve shed a tear if Garth had killed Liv and Will or himself for that matter.

I praised the lighting in one of the earlier episodes, but it has worsened especially in this episode. The series is overflowing with clichés, such as the final scene with Liv hitting Garth. How many times has that happened on television? It likely wouldn’t be hard to guess the ending considering the series is so predictable.

The series has a clear agenda although it often contradicts itself and really doesn’t have any meaning at all. Despite a reliable cast, Wilderness is nothing more than a waste of time that will have no lasting value for the viewer. The episode scores a 4 out of 10. Recaps of Wilderness are available on Reel Mockery here.

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