The Sinner 3.6: Faustian Bargains

Ok, I now at least understand why Harry doesn't just arrest Jamie, to get him off the street, since Harry knows Jamie murdered at least twice.  In The Sinner 3.6 the answer becomes clear: Harry realizes that Jamie holds a key to helping Harry understand at least some of Harry's troubled soul.

It's the most philosophic episode we've seen so far, with references to Kierkegaard, Aquinas, and, of course, the ever alluring Nietzsche and his ocular abyss.  And it ends with Harry taking Jamie up on his offer to let Jamie bury him, in  return for a written confession which Harry has in his pocket, but agrees to burn, if Jamie digs him up.

Which makes no sense, if you think about it.  What does Harry gain if Jamie digs him up - surely better than letting Harry die - but the price Harry has to pay for that is burning Jamie's confession?  It makes no sense for Harry the detective.  But it does make sense for Harry the troubled soul, which, in a way, is what The Sinner has always been about.

It's not going too far to say The Sinner in the three seasons we've seen so far is not just the psychos Harry hunts down, but Harry himself.   And, just for good measure, we also learn in this episode that the painter that Harry is now sleeping with is somewhat out of her mind, herself.

The philosophers who probe such questions are indeed good accompaniment to such a narrative.  So would Faust and his notorious bargain.   It's only television, but viewers of this series are in effect parties to this bargain as well.

See also The Sinner 3.1: Second Degree Murder, First Degree Detective ... The Sinner 3.2:  The Contractor and the Contractee ... The Sinner 3.3: The Baby Monster ... The Sinner 3.4-5: Why Doesn't Harry Just Arrest Jamie

And see also The Sinner 2.1: The Boy ... The Sinner 2.2:  Heather's Story ... The Sinner 2.3: Julian's Mother ... The Sinner 2.5: The Scapegoat ... The Simmer 2.7: Occluded Past Unwound - Mostly ... The Sinner Season 2 Finale: The Ambiguity of Harry

And see also: The Sinner season one: Wild, Unconventional, Irresistible Mystery

 

Rectify 2.8: The Plea Bargain and the Smart Phone

Hey, have you ever been involved in a plea bargain for, say, a speeding ticket?  Heres's how it works:

You're pulled over for speeding, let's say, 20 miles over the speed limit.  You come to court, ready to plead Not Guilty.   An attorney or a police officer pulls you aside, and says, if you're willing to plead guilty to a lesser offense - speeding only 10 miles over the limit, or driving with a broken tail light - we'll put aside the original charge.  Never mind whether you were guilty or not in the first place, or - if you're inclined to accept the offer - that you never had a broken tail light in your life.  If you accept the offer, everything's all wrapped up for you. No further prosecution on the original charge.  And it doesn't matter in the slightest if you're guilty or not.

Crazy, isn't it?  But this in effect is what Daniel is being offered.  A lot worse, actually, because he has to admit that he killed Hannah - just as you'd have to admit that you were driving with a broken tail light, even if you weren't, in the speeding example - but the dynamics are the same.  Guilt or innocence doesn't matter.  It's all wrapped up, forever, once you accept the terms.   It was therefore gratifying and right that Daniel in effect rejected the plea deal offer.

Several other profound and excellent threads in Rectify 2.8.

The conversation between the current sheriff, Daggett, and the previous sheriff was priceless.  It's good to see Daggett settling in to his role as protector of the truth.   And the revelation that George came to see the previous sheriff after the law had dealt with Daniel is very significant.   In addition to committing suicide, we now have another reason to see George as a crucial character in this story.  Let's assume George came to see Daggett's predecessor and committed suicide for the same reason.   Is that reason because he was the killer, or did he just feel overwhelmed with guilt because he let Daniel go to prison for a crime George knew Daniel did not commit?

On that score, it was good to finally hear Daniel's recorded confession.   No wonder the original sheriff thought that maybe it was coerced.   Sure didn't sound even the least bit convincing.

The other profound moment was the conversation Daniel had with Tawney.  It looks as if there's perhaps some closure in their sudden relationship, with Daniel speaking from his heart to her.  I'm hoping Daniel can find someone he can relate to like this in a subsequent season, who is not married to his step-brother.   In the meantime, you can't beat their conversation as far touching points in philosophy and religion that would have made Thomas Aquinas proud.

And the series continues to excel in memorable lines pertaining to someone who has been locked away from the world for two decades.  The standout in 2.8 is Daniel opining about a pay phone - which indeed, as he says, is rare to find - that he likes talking on a phone that isn't smarter than he is.   Classic media observation!  (For more on the evolution of smart phones, see my New New Media.)

See also Rectify 2.1: Indelible ... Rectify 2.2: True Real Time ... Rectify 2.3: Daniel's Motives ... Rectify 2.4: Jekyll and Hyde ... Rectify 2.6: Rare Education ... Rectify 2.7: The Plot Thickens

And see also Rectify: Sheer and Shattering Poetry ... Rectify 1.5: Balloon Man ... Rectify Season 1 Finale: Searingly Anti-Climactic

 
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Rectify: Sheer and Shattering Poetry

My wife and I saw the first four episodes of Rectify on the Sundance Channel last night, and found it one of the most extraordinary reels of television to come down the pike in years.

The basic story is about the release of Daniel Holden from death row after 19 years.  His release, based on DNA evidence, is a "vacated" verdict, which means he can be brought up on the same murder charges again (double jeopardy does not apply for vacated verdicts).  This would be a powerful story in itself, as Holden's lawyer Jon Stern (played by Luke Kirby of Tell Me You Love Me) and his sister Amantha (played by Abigail Spencer of Mad Men fame) square off against law enforcement who are still convinced that Holden is guilty, and intent on putting him on death row again.

But the real payoff in Rectify is the care it takes and the depth it offers in showing the impact on Holden of being locked out of the real world for 19 years.  This ranges to obvious things like not being confortable with smartphones to subtler but even more profound losses like not being aware of seasons and the pleasures of rain on a hot summer's day when you're locked away.   The dialog and acting in these scenes are sheer poetry, and Aden Young as Holden gives a quietly tour-de-force performance.

He's highly intelligent, and, due to time in prison with nothing else to do, incredibly well read.  His explanation of St. Thomas Aquinas and his attempt to reconcile - or rectify - the material and the spiritual worlds was as spot-on as you'd find in any philosophy class.   The writers deserve kudos for this level of erudition rarely if ever seen on television.

Holden is also a fascinating disquisition for anyone interested in the likely psychological impact of being frozen in prison for 19 years - locked away when was just a senior in high school.   He's most comfortable riding a bicycle and listening to music 19 years or more older, on cassettes.   He has to learn how to feel about being touched - after gravitating from the revulsion he felt for that in prison to a part of him even wanting that, because he was only human, and yet he nonetheless felt guilty about.   The dialog and the acting for these scenes are as also sheer poetry and philosophy, but on a scaldingly personal level that will touch your soul.

In a television world of cops and spies and villains and heros, Rectify is a series which transcends and shatters these genres and tells a kind of a story you've never seen before.

  


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