Self-Destruction.
Look. Usually, I am not the type to write reviews. For 2 reasons: 1. There is always someone who says exactly what I think; there is no need for me to repeat it. 2. Not enough people read reviews, lol. But I do, and no one said what I thought. Especially in regards to the lower-star reviews of this episode.
So, I said, why not? Let it rip! (sorry lmao)
Anyway, as the review title very much indicates, it's about self-destruction. And if you think about self-destruction in this show, there is only one answer. Carmen Berzatto.
Not only is it very apparent that his mental health problems are due to growing up in a mentally unstable house, but it's also the fact that he couldn't do anything about it. At some point in the episode 'Fishes', Carmy goes completely still. He's not there, but he is.
Now if that was not enough to make people understand that, he is on the brink of utter insanity, and all the yelling from season one until that point (episode 6) wasn't enough. Episode 7 should have been an indicator. Because, you see, Richie isn't as bad as he seemed to be in season 1. Actually, not as bad in the Christmas flashback episode. He is capable of being a good person. Until he is in the vicinity of a self-destructive figure, that is, Carmen Berzatto. From Episode 7 up until the last 10 minutes of this episode, he was a completely new (not really, we saw he was trying in the flashback) person. And then, Carmy just gets him going like it was season 1. He is not well, so he makes people unwell.
There was also amazing. Just spectacular symbolism in the cinematography of those last 10 minutes. When Carmen and Richie come face to face. But one is in the light, on the outside, free. The other is in the dark, cold inside, shackled. And quite frankly, the latter was not Richie. Incredible moment from the director and cinematographer. I also have to point out how amazing Jeremy and Ebon's acting was in that moment. The writing is incredible, the cinematography and symbolism elevated it, and the acting just took it to an entirely different dimension. Wow.
Now, if that was not enough. He says it himself. He stood there in that fridge and said, "I did this to myself."
If people thought that because everything was done before opening night and everyone was happy that this was going to work, then they have not seen whiplash lol. The whole "girlfriend-distraction" thing was coming, and anyone could see it coming a mile away. It was just about how it's going to happen.
What people are mad about is that it was "soap opera". That's where I think you're wrong. It was not. That brings me to the whole point of this review. Carmen is self-destructive. He was never going to break up with Claire like normal human beings do. He was going to ruin it. Completely. Run it to the ground. That's exactly what he did. It was not "soap opera" it was not "out of character". It was not anything other than accurate. He is a ticking bomb, and he locked himself up in the fridge because he is, and he ruined his relationship with Claire because he is.
I can't wait and I am very scared to see where the creators of the show will go with Carmy's character from this point onward. Because again, as we saw, the history of mental illness in the family runs deep, and it could just make Carmen fully explode.
Look. Usually, I am not the type to write reviews. For 2 reasons: 1. There is always someone who says exactly what I think; there is no need for me to repeat it. 2. Not enough people read reviews, lol. But I do, and no one said what I thought. Especially in regards to the lower-star reviews of this episode.
So, I said, why not? Let it rip! (sorry lmao)
Anyway, as the review title very much indicates, it's about self-destruction. And if you think about self-destruction in this show, there is only one answer. Carmen Berzatto.
Not only is it very apparent that his mental health problems are due to growing up in a mentally unstable house, but it's also the fact that he couldn't do anything about it. At some point in the episode 'Fishes', Carmy goes completely still. He's not there, but he is.
Now if that was not enough to make people understand that, he is on the brink of utter insanity, and all the yelling from season one until that point (episode 6) wasn't enough. Episode 7 should have been an indicator. Because, you see, Richie isn't as bad as he seemed to be in season 1. Actually, not as bad in the Christmas flashback episode. He is capable of being a good person. Until he is in the vicinity of a self-destructive figure, that is, Carmen Berzatto. From Episode 7 up until the last 10 minutes of this episode, he was a completely new (not really, we saw he was trying in the flashback) person. And then, Carmy just gets him going like it was season 1. He is not well, so he makes people unwell.
There was also amazing. Just spectacular symbolism in the cinematography of those last 10 minutes. When Carmen and Richie come face to face. But one is in the light, on the outside, free. The other is in the dark, cold inside, shackled. And quite frankly, the latter was not Richie. Incredible moment from the director and cinematographer. I also have to point out how amazing Jeremy and Ebon's acting was in that moment. The writing is incredible, the cinematography and symbolism elevated it, and the acting just took it to an entirely different dimension. Wow.
Now, if that was not enough. He says it himself. He stood there in that fridge and said, "I did this to myself."
If people thought that because everything was done before opening night and everyone was happy that this was going to work, then they have not seen whiplash lol. The whole "girlfriend-distraction" thing was coming, and anyone could see it coming a mile away. It was just about how it's going to happen.
What people are mad about is that it was "soap opera". That's where I think you're wrong. It was not. That brings me to the whole point of this review. Carmen is self-destructive. He was never going to break up with Claire like normal human beings do. He was going to ruin it. Completely. Run it to the ground. That's exactly what he did. It was not "soap opera" it was not "out of character". It was not anything other than accurate. He is a ticking bomb, and he locked himself up in the fridge because he is, and he ruined his relationship with Claire because he is.
I can't wait and I am very scared to see where the creators of the show will go with Carmy's character from this point onward. Because again, as we saw, the history of mental illness in the family runs deep, and it could just make Carmen fully explode.