The more Briarpatch I watch, the more it’s supposed to make sense. Except, the more Briapatch I watch, the least sense the ways they’re trying to make it all make sense end up actually, you know, making sense. That’s pretty much the case with Briarpatch 1×06 “The Most Sinful Mf-er Alive,” an episode that actually has some emotion, but that ends up being as convoluted and weird as the rest of the show.
Jake Spivey was an interesting character from the beginning, and TV is filled with anti-heroes we end up loving. Spivey could have been one of them, the charisma was certainly there, and the spark of whatever it was with Allegra was there either. Instead, the whole thing has been obfuscated in a way that makes even the good moments feel …well, like less than.
Normally, someone taking a bullet for someone else would be something to talk about, in Briarpatch it’s barely a blip. “Oh, he does care,” I thought, as it happened, and then I put it out of my mind as I continued to try to piece together this 5-thousand-piece puzzle with just a quarter of the pieces available. Not that I have any chance of making much progress.
FIVE THINGS ABOUT “THE MOST SINFUL MF-ER ALIVE”:
- There’s nothing I hate more than this show’s decision to cut any vestige of tension by ending on a cliffhanger and then NOT PICKING UP RIGHT WHERE THE LAST EPISODE LEFT OFF. Every time they get us even remotely interested; this happens. I’m not even sure what the point is. Shouldn’t they want to keep our attention?
- The sense of missed opportunity in the Spivey/Allegra connection is strong. I don’t even care what it is that’s between them, the show hasn’t built it up enough, but as a storyteller, it just hurts me that the one thing that might have made this show somewhat interesting isn’t getting the mileage it should.
- Hell, I wouldn’t even mind a flashback episode at this fall. Why did Allegra take the fall? Did things transpire the way she tells them? We’ve spent half the season circling around this question, and I’m not sure we actually have an answer.
- I will admit Spivey’s way of buying loyalty seemed more or less smart, the only problem is loyalty isn’t ever really bought. It has to be earned.
- Everyone’s got their own agenda, that much is certain. But at this point I’m starting to wonder if there’s anyone here who WASN’T involved in what happened to Felicity, one way or another.
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of Briarpatch 1×06 “The Most Sinful Mf-er Alive”? Share with us in the comments below!
Briarpatch airs Mondays at 11/10c on USA Network.
