Whatever it is I’ve been waiting for as Briarpatch gets closer to the end of the season, Briarpatch 1×07 “Butterscotch” doesn’t deliver. In fact, it doesn’t even come close. Instead, even as this show gives us some answers, it continues to deal in the same messy, chaotic way of withholding information that we need to, you know, relate to the characters.
And that’s the problem, not the plot – which isn’t my favorite – or the fact that the show rarely gives us anything, but the fact that the way it does all of that makes it hard for us to really root for anyone. And if you watch a show where you don’t really love anyone, or want anyone to win, what’s the point?
I mean, I guess we want Allegra to win. We kinda do. But do we because we’ve been made to feel like she’s right, because we love her? Or is the only reason we want her to win that we like Rosario Dawson enough for that to bleed into the character?
No need to answer that question, is there?
FIVE THINGS ABOUT “BUTTERSCOTCH”:
- I know they think this is edgy, but the way this show begins every episode with a non sequitur is driving me insane. I’d actually like my plots to have some sort of coherency, and this just makes it feel we’re in a procedural, every episode a different case. Except we’re not decidedly not.
- Faith/Family/Fidelity? A little on the nose for the senator that stands for none of those things. Which shouldn’t be surprising, all politicians are liars in a fundamental way, but it kinda stings more than it usually does, in 2020.
- Oh joy, Allegra is now …eh, I guess you’d say between three men? I’m still not even sure what’s going on with her and Jake, OR with her and her lawyer, not to mention her and the senator, but good for her, I guess? I’d go with the lawyer – he seems to be like the only good guy around. Though Spivey did take a bullet for her. And knowing this show, the lawyer is probably not that good. But no to the senator. Big fat no.
- Either Felicity has really bad taste in men, or there are just no good men in that town. Maybe we need to bring Alexis Rose in to do a Singles Week like on Schitt’s Creek? At this point, what could be worse?
- The bodies are dropping like flies in this show. I bet they kill someone else in 8 or 9, someone big, to make us go wow. Even though nothing this show does can make me go wow at this point.
Agree? Disagree? What did you think about “Butterscotch”? Share with us in the comments below!
Briarpatch airs Mondays at 11/10c on USA Network.
