Well, The Romanoffs 1.2, entitled The Royal We, takes a darker, nastier, murderous turn, with none of the comedy of the first episode (The Violet Hour), unless you find dwarfs acting as the royal family Romanoffs (Romanovs) on a cruise to celebrate the family, funny.
But the evil stuff was pretty compelling. Michael Romanoff (exceptional acting by Corey Stoll) has no happiness in his life, including with his wife Shelly, though that's for no want of her trying. He finds himself on a jury for a murder trial, obligating Shelly to go on the cruise she booked for the two of them on her own. Michael seems to hit pay dirt on the jury. A beautiful former ballet dancer, Michelle (excellent work Janet Montgomery), is on it, too. He's instantly smitten. He deliberately extends the deliberations by refusing to find the obviously guilty defendant guilty. He soon contrives to meet with the dancer when the jury takes a break for the weekend - they're not sequestered - and manages to sleep with her after she more or less seduces him. Meanwhile, in contrast, Shelly says no to handsome Ivan, in a corridor near the door of her room on the boat, after they kiss and he clearly indicates his intentions.
She returns to a powder keg of Michael wanting to see more of Michelle, and she demurring (she's married, too). I won't tell you anymore lest I give too much away, but the intensity of what happens is reminiscent of both The Sopranos and Mad Men and Heather, the Totality in different ways. Weiner is not only a master of societal foibles, but the ugliest, harrowing facets of human nature.
With two episodes of The Romanoffs now on the screen, we can see that they're as different as day and night. What Weiner is really after in this new anthology is telling very different stories, with no connection to one another whatsoever, except for the Romanoff label.
Which makes me wonder about the subsequent episodes even more, and want to see them. I'll be back here next Friday with a review of #3.
See also: The Romanoffs 1.1: The Violet Hour: Compelling, Anti-Binge Watchable Comedy of Manners ... The Romanoffs 1.3: House of Special Purpose: Meta Ghost Story... The Romanoffs 1.4: Expectation: Unfulfilled .... The Romanoffs 1.5: Bright and High Circle: Music and Abuse ... The Romanoffs 1.6: Panorama: The Royal Disease ... The Romanoffs 1.7: End of the Line: The Adoption Racket ... The Romanoffs 1.8: The One that Holds Everything: Writer on a Train
It all starts in the hot summer of 1960, when Marilyn walks off the set
of The Misfits and begins to hear a haunting song in her head,
"Goodbye Norma Jean" ...
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