RECAP Lovecraft Country: Season 1 Episode 2 — Whitey’s on the Moon
Culture Editor Bianca Gregg is back with her recap column, this time spotlighting HBO’s newest series “Lovecraft Country.” Get introduced to the characters, memorable scenes, and plot-twists as we dig into the racially-charged supernatural guilty pleasure.
FYI — For those of you who don’t know, ‘Whitey’s On the Moon’ is a reference to activist/artist Gil Scott Heron’s song of the same title. (Heron is most known for his hit ‘The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.’)
On tonight’s episode of ‘Lovecraft Country’ we resume with Atticus, Letitia and Uncle George arriving to the Arkham House, still in search of Montrose. William answers the door. Letitia and Uncle George enjoy the living quarters as the theme song to “The Jeffersons” plays in the background. Letitia tries on several outfits that happen to all fit her and Uncle George enjoys a host of his favorite books. Atticus, however, is not moved. He continues to replay the night before in his mind.
When Atticus joins George and Letitia, he questions how all the clothing in Letitia’s room happens to fit her.
William escorts the trio to breakfast. While on the walk to breakfast, Atticus questions William about when his father will return from Boston. He informs Atticus again that he has no further knowledge about his father’s return. Atticus also asks if he can call his father but once again William shuts down the idea.
The group sees a portrait of the former owner of the original estate, Titus. William tells the group that Titus became wealthy from being in the shipping business, in other words, the slave trade. Atticus takes notice of the gold ring Titus is wearing in the portrait as they move along to breakfast.
At breakfast, Atticus questions Letitia and Uncle George about the previous night. They have forgotten all of the events of the prior night, including the monsters that attacked them in the woods. Uncle George tells Atticus to cut the questioning because they are being watched. After breakfast they head into town. Still attempting to jog Uncle George and Letitia’s memory, Atticus hears the very whistle that called off the monsters that attacked them the night before. He chases down the sound which leads him to a woman holding two dogs while guarding a large stone prison. Atticus suspects his father is locked away inside.
As night begins to fall, the trio heads back to the home for dinner.
While in the woods, George recalls a story that Atticus’ mother told him about a relative that escaped from the fire in the original Arkham house. Suddenly the group is attacked by one of the monsters. Christina appears with the whistle and calls the monsters off. Once again Letitia and Uncle George forget about the monsters.
When they all return to the home, Atticus witnesses a man being operated on. The man is Christina’s father Samuel. Samuel is part of a cult that desires to pick up where Titus left off.
Atticus tells Christina whatever spell she put on Letitia and Uncle George must be lifted. At that moment all three of them are trapped in different rooms and suffer from visions of things that do not truly exist. Uncle George sees his long lost love, Dora. Letitia envisions intimacy with Atticus but he becomes a serpent. Atticus battles a woman name Ji-Ah from the war.
Eventually the visions end and they come out of the rooms they had been trapped in. William appears and announces dinner to which only the men are allowed to attend.
At the dinner, Uncle George announces to the cult and Samuel that Atticus is the last person from the bloodline of Titus and according to their bylaws, they must obey any of his demands. Atticus requests for everyone to leave but Samuel makes sure to remind him that he is only their to help and not as a necessity.
Uncle George and Atticus head to the prison in hopes of finding Montrose. He is not in the prison but they are discovered by the female guard. Before she can kill the men, Letitia appears and knocks her unconscious. Montrose emerges from the ground while Atticus, Uncle George and Letitia await him. Montrose is furious they came to rescue him but Letitia reminds everyone they need to go.
On the car ride, Uncle George updates Montrose on what they have learned about the Arkham house, suddenly the car is crushed. Another spell by the Braithwhite’s. Christina and Samuel arrive and Samuel shoots Letitia as she gets out of the car wreck. She dies in Atticus’s arms. Uncle George is coming out of the car and Samuel asks Atticus who else needs to die because of his defiance. He points the gun at Uncle George and shoots.
They all return to the home. Atticus is being bathed in preparation of the ceremony to open Eden. He watches as Letitia is revived. Christina tells Atticus her father will cure Uncle George so long as he helps with the ceremony as promised. Christina gives Atticus the same gold ring Titus had on in the portrait. Meanwhile, Uncle George tries to tell Montrose to just take Letitia and Atticus and leave. Montrose refuses to leave without Uncle George. George reminds Montrose that Atticus may not be his son which infuriates Montrose but Uncle George tells him he may be all that Atticus will soon have left. I assume George could possibly be Atticus’s real father.
The ceremony begins. Atticus screams as his power is used to help Samuel open Eden. While attempting to open Eden, Atticus sees his ancestor that had escaped from the home some years before. At that moment the home begins to shake and crumble. The ceremony fails and Samuel turns to stone. Atticus runs to escape from the home and sees the spirit of his ancestor running out of the house. He narrowly makes it.
Relieved, Atticus sees Letitia walking to him from Uncle George’s car. They embrace and slowly walk over to the car. In the backseat Montrose tearfully holds the lifeless body of Uncle George. Atticus is heartbroken. The failure of the ceremony also meant the death of his uncle.
He apologizes to George.
