PIT BABE II, episode 4: thoughts, observations, questions...

I’m really loving this season so far! Every episode is full of tension and all kinds of deliciousness! Also, cinematically, each episode feels like a short separate film with its own special atmosphere, which is really great. This episode was just as exciting as the previous one. It had some really sweet and cute moments as well as some truly shocking ones. There were two scenes in particular that completely shocked me. One of those scenes was Manit’s murder at the hands of Winner on Tony’s silent order. It was absolutely brutal. I knew that Manit was about to go down as soon as he began to demand things from Tony (the look on Tony’s face said it all), but I had no idea that he would go down in such a horrible way. I was shocked and not a little scared. I guess that murder scene marked Winner’s point of no return. But was Manit only ever there to serve as Winner’s initiation ticket or will we see him again? I mean, the way people keep coming back from the dead, it makes one wonder. Tony has always been an excellent villain but now he gives off even more dangerous and deranged vibes. Speaking of Tony, I wonder if we will ever learn the story of his miraculous return to life. I wouldn’t mind seeing him regale Babe with all the particulars before doing something nefarious that only he is capable of. (Did I mention that I absolutely love Tony’s lair (and hair)? Interiors on this show are so good!) Another shocking scene was during Babe and Willy’s sparring match when Willy put his arms around Babe and actually kissed him on the shoulder. I did not expect that! My jaw dropped. How dare he?! Every episode Willy’s actions towards Babe become more and more provocative and every episode we see more and more of his true face. I never had any doubts that Willy’s single-minded determination to get in Babe’s face was part of some plot, but in this episode it became obvious that Willy actually hates Babe. So, whatever he is doing or whoever’s orders he is following, it is very much personal to him. Is he Tony’s biological son, I wonder? I think Babe never bought into Willy’s I’m-your-big-fan schtick. However, it was only during the hospital scene in the previous episode that he began to have an inkling that Willy isn’t just a nuisance. Then he learned that Willy had been behind the wheel of the car that had hit him, so now he wants to find out why Willy is pursuing him and what his true intentions are. Babe tried asking him directly and, when Willy denied everything, decided to change tack. I don’t believe even for a second that Babe believed Willy’s words and I’m convinced that his apology was just a ploy to keep Willy off this track while he finds another way to find out the truth. In the preview for the next episode there is another scene between them where it looks like Willy might be using some powers on Babe. Babe looks like he is resisting but Willy might have the upper hand. Returning to the current episode, I was glad that Alan and Jeff resolved their issues. Their altercation was painful to watch. Naturally, I enjoyed each Babe and Charlie scene – they were particularly sweet in this episode and they are my favourites, so I turn all mushy when I look at them. But there were also things that I didn’t enjoy. I must say that I don’t trust Chris. In fact, I don’t like his character at all. There is just something slippery about him that puts me off. His relationship with Pete, which progressed during this episode, doesn’t sit well with me. Maybe I’m too old-fashioned, but I’m not a fan of such relationships. Pete is Chris’s boss, which puts Chris in a subordinate position. However, Chris discovered Pete’s strange (inexplicable, really) fascination with Way and decided to use the fact of their striking similarity to his advantage by giving Pete what he assumes he wants. This puts Pete in a more dependent position, because it is Pete who craves intimacy and connection, whereas for Chris (I’m sure) it is a calculated way (no pun intended) to get something out of him. He obviously has an ulterior motive, because I don’t think that he is into Pete at this point, which makes this whole storyline extremely distasteful. So what is Chris up to? What is he after? Why does he know so much about Way? Is he supposed to? Does he have a connection to Way? Is he in any way connected to Tony? How did Tony get his hands on the same serum they are developing at the lab? A coincidence? I don’t think so. Now the question is whether as the story unfolds we will get the answers to these and many other questions or whether it is simply the case of some shoddy writing? I hope it’s the former! I love a good guessing game and so far this season has been giving us a lot of things to digest, discuss, and dissect. Yet I must say that I am a bit worried about the writing here, because some dialogues sound confusing and awkward and sometimes characters’ words make no sense. It could be blamed on translation, I suppose, though sometimes I get the feeling that the script was rushed and not polished enough, leaving a lot of inconsistencies and illogicalities. Having said that, I must praise the production of the show. It’s truly on another level. As well as the acting. Can’t wait for the next episode!