Shining Vale 1×02 “Chapter Two – She Comes at Night” introduced us to more of the characters that will have an influence on the Phelps family going forward. Of course, the biggest player in all of this, at least for Patricia, is the mysterious woman who just keeps showing up in her dreams. There’s plenty of evidence that Pat is not, in fact, just hallucinating…But then, well. There’s Terry, constantly trying to convince her that her experiences are completely invalid.
Which, to be fair, “this ghost lady burned me in my dream, and I woke up with a burn mark” is kind of difficult to believe. But the mark is there when Pat wakes up. And the bacon grease explanation doesn’t fit for someone who…hasn’t been making bacon—or anything else, for that matter. So, we’ve got good ol’ Terry running around, telling his wife she’s losing her mind. And his behavior—visiting the man she had an affair with, stealing his espresso machine—is totally normal.
It’s here that Shining Vale really seems to be hammering home a point: Terry has his rage, which he talks about in therapy. He has his own erratic behavior. But whatever is going on with him, no matter how well Greg Kinnear plays up the irrationality of it all, is rational. Terry is the one with problem (or multiple problems), and even poor Frank was helpless in her wake. She was so upset, after all. His part in the affair was blameless. A whole week of sex was totally accidental for him and his dick.
Basically, Shining Vale 1×02 had me at “yes, we’re exposing these double standards for men and women. And we’re throwing some humor and horror into it because we can.”
So, let’s continue.
A second mysterious figure, previously only seen by Pat, also makes an appearance in “Chapter Two – She Comes at Night.” This time, everyone gets to meet her as Valerie He, Ryan’s mom. Again, we’ve got evidence that Pat isn’t just imagining everything, especially when it comes to this totally creepy neighbor…But, well. Nobody else sees a problem. Weirdly enough. And let’s not even get started on the Stepford Wives in that cafe, or the fact that Pat clearly remembered picking up some Sylvia Plath—only to come home with a dog-eared, marked-up (heinous) copy of her own book.
Also weird: Not Jake’s new friend, who (thankfully) isn’t an online predator. Nope. Fred’s dad is…not at all normal and also has something in common with Terry: His wife cheated. Why this house brought these particular folks together and what that will mean going forward, though? We’ll never tell.
Thoughts on Shining Vale 1×02…
- That whole night-time sequence with the speedy, glitchy movement? Horror. Trope. Gold.
- Pat at Pat: Don’t go in there. Also Pat: *reaches for the door to go in there* Ok!
- The number of times Mira Sorvino’s character is, all, “use your words, Patricia” is such a call out to literally every writer, ever. I hate it here (kind of love it).
- There is nothing I love more than hearing Courteney Cox yell “HOLY FUCKING SHIT.”
- …or maybe just Courteney Cox all-out losing it in general. But still. The above is pretty golden.
- Again with the mother-daughter bickering. Iconic relationship. Amazing chemistry. Zero notes.
- “Maybe I don’t need to use my body to define my self-worth.” Louder. (But it’s totally also fine if you take pride in your appearance.)
- “I hope you also signed up for The Time Travel Club.” I love her?
- “Unchecked anger can build into unfiltered rage.” I am in this quote, and I do not like it.
- “Are you exercising? Eating right? Have you made any friends in town?” Yes, yes. All of these things are going to magically cure Pat’s depression and/or haunting. Totes. This also cures all the chronic illnesses, according to people who know jack shit. For the record.
- “Take control. Use whatever you’re dealing with—fatigue, depression, guilt—and write to that.” This show should really just @ us.
- “I don’t bake.” “What about parent-teacher night?’ “I don’t parent.” And I don’t love anyone but you, Pat.
- “I’m trying to meet people, and you’ve raised me with literally no social skills.” Gaynor, explaining why I live my life on twitter dot com.
- “You’re just going to mansplain it away with some logical explanation.” And then he…mansplains what mansplaining is. Why are men?
- “I fuck everything up! I know that!” No, really. Who at Shining Vale knows me?
- “I’m using my words. What words?” Same.
- You…nobody cares about your stress dreams, when Pat just got burned by hers. WTF, Terry.
- “Good news, Patricia. You’re not crazy.” Team Ghost at this point.
What were your favorite parts of Shining Vale 1×02? Drop us a comment!
And make sure to catch more Shining Vale, every Sunday on Starz!
