The Girlfriend Experience 2.9-10: The End of Illusions

A doubly-powerful double episode of The Girlfriend Experience last night - 2.9-2.10 - with both Erica & Anna and Bria's separate stories delivering game-changing punches.

Anna's decision last week to have a baby with Erica - by getting impregnated by a client - predictably leads Erica to end their relationship.  But she does it in what we've now come to recognize as Erica's predictably ice-cold sadistic, shattering way.  She leaves Anna waiting in the office.  This was Anna's fault.  But Erica could have come out and talked to her, rather than calling in security.  And then, when Anna comes to Erica's apartment, Erica taunts Anna by kissing her, only to set up the revelation that Erica's former girlfriend is now on hand.   Well, she's clearly no longer former.  But Anna is stronger than Erica thinks, and I have feeling she'll have the last word on this (at least, I hope so).

Meanwhile, in Arizona or whatever part of the Southwest Bria is in, things are heating up, too,  Bria confides in Paul.  Maybe I was wrong about him.  Maybe he's not out to kill Bria.  Maybe he's just an a-hole.  In any case, he deserves what Bria brings to him - a rifle with which she shoots up his car.

Also of significance is Ian, and the lack of his much vaunted protection. The way he lets Bria and her "daughter" go off the grid is ridiculous - unless he's a double agent - nah, that doesn't make sense - but there's something about him that doesn't seem quite right, either.  That's what I've been saying about Paul, and last night we saw that he's been playing some kind of peculiar game, too. (Did he tell Bria that he was married? I can't recall, but I don't think so.)

Pretense is of course what The Girlfriend Experience has always been about.  But it's reaching new levels in this split-personality season.

See also  The Girlfriend Experience 2.1-2: Two for One ...  The Girlfriend Experience 2.3-4: Hard to Come By ... The Girlfriend Experience 2.5-6: In and Out ... The Girlfriend Experience 2.7-8: Sundry Seductions

And see also The Girlfriend Experience: Eminently Worth It (my review of Season 1)

 

It all started in the hot summer of 1960, when Marilyn Monroe walked off the set of The Misfits and began to hear a haunting song in her head, "Goodbye Norma Jean" ...