Shining Vale 2×08 is the type of season finale you sit back and say, “yes. Inject that into my veins” to. The finale is one Hell of a ride from start to finish, and it leaves us with both a sense of completion and a need for more. Which, of course, is exactly how a season of television needs to end in this era of absolutely nothing being guaranteed. Basically, we have two simple rules for concluding chapters: First, give us answers, just not too many. And second, tease us with something to look forward to exploring next season, should more chapters get written. (Just don’t leave us with nothing but an X-Files-style of a failed attempt at forcing more, though.)
Well. “Chapter 16: Redemption” shows just how much of an understatement calling our rules “simple” is. Because not only does the episode follow the rules in an effortless way, it also creates some really sweet full-circle moments and is just wildly creative and entertaining.
“Pregnancy psychosis”
The second Pat became pregnant, parts of this finale — much like parts of last season’s finale — became inevitable. (More or less.) In this case, obviously, we needed to know about the pregnancy’s origins…and what would come of it. Additionally, because no TV pregnancy is easy, and because most TV births are all about dramatic effect, one could easily predict that Shining Vale 2×08 would, somehow, go there. But would we, in any way, call anything about this episode predictable? Uh, absolutely not.
Or. Ok, fine. We’d be lying if we said Courteney Cox taking whatever she was given and delivering it — big time — wasn’t predictable. Here, it’s all about Pat’s shocked and fearful reaction to seeing Rosemary again while she’s trapped inside the wall. The paranoia, just being on edge throughout the episode, the sense of pure and utter betrayed horror when she encounters Terry at Ruth’s place. Then, of course, there’s the pain of giving birth and the rage at Terry when he proves utterly useless during that particular horror show. And let’s not even get started on the way she has to take in, then project, the shock and awe of Nellie and her fellow inmates running the asylum.
We’ve probably said this before, but this series often feels like basically an excuse to just let Cox…play. Throw all the best (craziest) bits of her iconic characters together, mix in a little something extra because of the wildest plots you can come up with, and there we have it. And it’s really what we, as viewers, deserve.
Of course, Cox isn’t alone in this. Never has been. Mira Sorvino has been fantastic from the start; in that regard, this finale is no different. The scene where a gleeful Nellie in a bloodied nurse’s uniform greets Pat with a “we took over the asylum!” is good enough with just that one interaction. But then, we get treated to the world’s most bizarre, chaotic, unfathomable celebration with all the other members of the Shining Vale Free Women’s Association. (Note: All of this praise doesn’t even begin to touch on the genius of also taking on Rosemary again while still having Ruth to worry about.)
Cleverly tucked in amongst the nightmare, there’s the little nod to “Rosemary’s” appearance in the asylum photo from yesteryear at the end of last season. Except…no. That was Nellie, stolen uniform and all, all along. So, now, we have a little bit more knowledge about those aspects of the past. And the rest, as they say, is hysteria.
…or is it? Does this mean Rosemary wasn’t back in Shining Vale 2×08 to warn Pat off her path to birthing her little not-goat? And…if thinking Ruth had Rosemary’s and Nellie’s face all this time was just so-called pregnancy psychosis…why was Sorvino our Ruth from the very beginning? Are we also “completely delusional” now? Right. Every time we think we know something, we learn we probably don’t. That is, as always, part of what makes this series completely brilliant.
“You really are your mother’s daughter.”
Somewhere outside the chaos, yet most definitely still affected by it, we have Gaynor. For her, so much of this season has been about trying to find her way. First, she had to adjust to having her mom back. At the same time, she had to try to figure out how to be a normal teenager again — or at least close to it — after spending months taking care of herself, Jake, and even their father. But she has struggled the most with searching for ways to set herself apart, to find a clear place to draw a line and say, “no. I will not be like the other women in my family.”
But, as we see yet again in Shining Vale 2×08, she’s trying so hard to be “not Pat” that she’s also not giving herself a chance to be…herself. Gaynor is a talented writer, and her recent experience with a potentially-not-there priest is the type of story that sells. As in, whether or not she has the family sickness is still up for debate (and hopefully, the answer will be no). But. As for whether or not Gaynor has the family talents, we already have that answer. And it’s a resounding yes.
“You are strong, and fierce. And you can tell someone to fuck off with your eyes just like you’re doing right now. You’re also a great writer.”
The scene where Kam gives Gaynor the push she needs to give herself a chance is incredibly sweet, and it gives an otherwise hectic (but, like, in the best way) finale some much-needed grounding. Merrin Dungey does a fantastic job of playing that vital adult figure…who also happens to know Gaynor’s mom. That unique role of being not a parent, yet not quite completely outside the family, makes Kam the perfect person to nudge Gaynor in the right direction. And Dungey gives us this interesting, relatable combination of authority figure and friend, as well as someone who’s equal parts proud and amused by the whole thing.
“Ok. Don’t be weird about it.”
Later, when Gaynor shows up and saves her mom from toppling backwards down the stairs, there’s this fascinating play on what happened in Chapter 8. Gaynor couldn’t save her dad, but she did do the only thing that might save her mom by being the one who, ultimately, had to check her into the hospital. Now, she manages to show up in time to prevent something awful happening in relation to those stairs…and she’s still saving her mom’s life — just in a different way now. Then, there’s the moment when Pat notices her hair. The moment is this great blend of something really touching and Gaynor trying, and failing, to keep up the mother/daughter pair’s usual antagonistic method of communication.
In some sense, the dark hair and the reaching out at just the right moment can be seen as Gaynor’s way of closing a book, of embracing all the parts of her mom that are also parts of her. She’s not running from Pat — and therefore also not running from Gaynor — anymore. But, well. Why spend too much time focusing on a metaphorical embrace when we can just think about how the actual embrace at the end of the finale. Gus Birney brings so much emotion into that, while Cox makes sure Pat is nothing but completely floored. (As are we.)
What a long way we’ve come…but it’s not like we expect things to stay quite so sunny forever. Especially if Gaynor winds up with the dreaded writer’s block. Or, worse yet, some kind of deeper connection to the town’s supernatural side. Basically, what we’re saying is: More’s coming, right?
Final Shining Vale 2×08 thoughts:
- That nail gun bit at the beginning was a nice twist on the usual “hiding from serial killer in a slasher flick, who then just goes attacking the wall you’re hiding behind and barely misses you” trope.
- “I don’t care about you, and I don’t care about your womb.”
- Love how “does it involve killing my family” and “does it involve killing myself” are both snide AF…yet delivered in completely different flavors of snide AF.
- “You can use these tissues to wipe off your belly.” “Just like high school.” I—.
- “I want get a new doctor! And I want to move from this hellhole.” Relatable.
- The part with Terry trying to get Pat to take her medicine while Pat is basically a stubborn child about it is too funny when it’s an adult acting that way.
- The repeated “no” when Pat sees the freezer full of breast milk had me like “yes.”
- Am I the only person with a brain that’s TV-rotted enough to hear “you sold our baby” and think about that time Rachel convinced Joey her boss wanted to buy her baby or…
- Sweet shot setup to make that spatula almost look like a knife.
- “I’m not paranoid. Everyone is out to get me!”
- “Now, slow down. Slow down. Who’s after you? The man who did this to your hair?” The way Judith Light goes from “placating mom type” for most of this, to “conspiratorial whispering” on the very last line…love it.
- Not very much of a fan of the whole Pat salivating over the idea of slapping her kids thing…did love the way Cox and Light sold the actual slap.
- “Pat, please don’t cry. Please. It’s not flattering. And without your long hair, you know, there’s nowhere else to look.” We’ve all been here.
- “I only gave it to you because you said you would read anything. So, if it sucks, you can tell me. I can take it.” Me when I ask Lizzie to read my shitty writing.
- “I don’t want to be like my mother.” Things we all say before we realize it’s too late.
- “I am all for going to college. Some of my finest memories of incurring debt and gaining weight are from there.” Oh, hey. Same!
- No but I’ll never get over this weird AF doctor being Andrew Malik from Suits.
- If the surprise missing sister turns out to be connected to all this…
- I felt Pat’s “what the fuck” when Jake left so hard.
- Was Terry trying to become the mayor…or show us he’s got some 5G/magnetic superpowers from getting vaccinated? (Or whatever the latest bullshit conspiracy is for that.)
- “This dream couldn’t get any worse.” Nellie’s wild AF dance begins. “…it just got worse.” Ok but y’all pronounced “better” wrong — twice.
- Still can’t believe Sorvino thought she couldn’t dance when she did DWTS after filming some of the stuff on this show but ok.
- She’s…trying to hold them back with the archaic dildo, isn’t she.
- “You look just like me.” “Yeah…embracing my worst fear.”
- Tag yourself. I’m “shut the fuck up, Terry.”
- “We’re the first family of Shining Vale.” That…is probably not a good thing.
- “I want to try to be a writer.” “I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.” Legit.
- “…and his daughter Button.” Welp. So, the “read page 111” was a “no” then.
- So, what kind of fucked up ritual do we need to perform to make sure we get many, many more chapters? There’s so much storytelling left to do! Psychotic postpartum depression, anyone? How about a new mayor, who may or may not be the Devil? Jake deciding not to hide anymore? Gaynor the writer?
