Review: ‘The Curse’ Episode 2
In its second episode, The Curse loses none of its awkwardness, but it does give a much needed dose of tragedy and humanity to its principle characters.
After dissecting just how fake and self-serving Ashe, Whitney and Dougie are in the series pilot, this episode manages to produce the opposite effect. Despite how duplicitous they all still are, I found myself warming up to these characters, as their private lives are put on full display.
Of course, there are still some painful, cringe-inducing scenes, but it was already clear from the pilot that that would be a core element of The Curse. In fact, in this episode they’re even more uncomfortable, I think because now that I don’t find these characters purely unlikable, I feel like squirming even more when I see them in these awkward scenarios.
Dougie has a date whose main focus is on his wife’s death and his role in it, since he was over the legal alcohol limit when the car crash that killed her occurred. Asher looks to send a file from his former workplace, a casino, to himself so he can incriminate the company and stop a hostile interview with him and Whitney from being broadcast. Whitney, meanwhile, is grappling with her pregnancy as she tries to involve herself in the art world, attempting to ingratiate herself with Native artists and an experience she can’t understand.
At least in these instances the characters are well meaning. In a brilliant fusion of acting and directing, it’s clear as day once Asher looks around the casino that he feels the sadness emanating from his environment and its patrons. With Whitney, there is the sense of being an outsider wishing she could gain some kind of insight that she’ll never have, and no amount of posturing can truly hide her discomfort and uncertainty. Even more tragically, Dougie doesn’t make these same efforts to conceal his sadness; he bears it clearly in how he carries himself.
I truly didn’t expect the series to delve so quickly into how lonely these characters feel, and as impressive as the framing and camera movement were in the pilot, I assumed that the show’s trademark stationary shots would be unchanging throughout The Curse. This time around, there are frequent slow zooms, honing in on rare moments of intimacy, and less rare moments of deep sorrow.
In some ways these zoom ins felt like new works of art being created before my eyes, with a lasting image that lingers for far longer than the scene’s dialogue or action. The series has found another way to communicate the sense of dread and unease that is its bread and butter, this time through a dramatic lens. For as much as I enjoyed the pilot episode, I never would have anticipated that I would become so emotionally invested in these characters just one episode later.
And it doesn’t take anything away from the cringe-inducing moments, even if they are less overtly comedic than in the pilot. In one scene, where Whitney stands at the frays of a conversation between Native artist Cara and three friends of hers, I found myself placing my hands over my face, peeking at the screen through the gaps between my fingers.
This episode also offers a very interesting parallel between the lighting system Asher recommended for the casino and his documentary series with Whitney. The lighting tones change based on the time of day, so the customers don’t have to feel like they’re missing out on the outside world when they spend hours upon hours hopelessly losing their money.
In much the same way, Asher and Whitney’s documentary series, and the many social media accounts in real life that chase the same ‘feel good’ content, have a bright, cheery exterior, often packaged into short-form videos to trigger their viewers’ dopamine receptors and leave them wanting more.
Given Asher and Whitney’s grand plan for the series, it’s fair to say that both ventures seek to create a false reality to belie their immoral, exploitative actions. If they succeed, they will lead to despair and ruin for their subjects, while the ones who orchestrate their operation won’t just carry on as normal, but will continue to profit from their hardships.
Greatly expanding its characters’ depth, this second episode of The Curse marks a welcome change for the show, offering a compelling tone shift while still retaining its core elements. After finishing episode 2, I’m even more excited to continue watching this series than I was after its pilot episode.
