Loot Season 3, Episode 5, “Joyride,” is a heartwarming exploration of Molly and Nicholas’ friendship. This episode, written by Gabe Liedman and directed by Rebecca Asher, is a breeze and a joy (pun intended) to watch. The former is not because “Joyride” is necessarily “easy TV.” That term’s context varies; no matter, it doesn’t always give the show the credit it deserves. For this episode, there is no lack of depth. Rather, it’s full of it between Molly and Nicholas. The tension isn’t all that pressing, but Loot knows its significance within the show.
As for the “easy TV” context that alludes to a lack of needed attention, Loot’s edit and storytelling encourage anything but a passive viewing experience. On its surface, “Joyride” is the kind of character-driven episode that has become increasingly rare. Getting to spend this much time with characters – without any major pressures from the plot – is particularly special today. TV is full of shortened, streaming seasons. Loot pulls it off, and it happens to do so with an excellent, jaw-dropping Kesha cameo. Yes, that’s right — a Kesha guest spot!
MORE: Everything We Know About Shrinking Season 3
Molly and Nicholas Go Back to 2011
When Howard brings up the conflict of Nicholas passing up acting gigs to Molly, it initially feels as though the comedy will retrace its steps. After all, Loot Season 2, Episode 3, “Vengeance Falls,” spends plenty of time showing that Molly needs Nicholas. Then, Loot Season 3, Episode 2, “Would Hit,” shows that Molly has grown to a place where she doesn’t need Nicholas for everything. So, “Joyride” speaks to that by proving there’s more to learn about Molly and Nicholas. The episode’s blasts to the past don’t undercut the integrity of what’s known.
They improve it tenfold by revealing new shades of the two characters and their 14-year relationship. “Joyride” really plays out like an origin story in that sense, and Loot tells it with so much care. The transitions into 2011 are so well blocked and executed that they’re nearly missable. Ellie Goulding’s “Light” is almost jarring until it’s not, because Kerri Drootin and Charlie Haggard are fantastic music supervisors. It’s the perfect track to set the tone of 2011, and it finds its musical bookend in Kesha’s “JOYRIDE” performance. The latter serves its purpose of facilitating an emotional moment (and a bit of humor), but Maya Rudolph and Joel Kim Booster are what make the scene figuratively sing.
MORE: Loot Season 3, Episode 3 Review: ‘Lady Molly’
Friendship Is a Powerful Thing
Because of how big (complementary) the characters are and how broad the comedy for them can be in the present, there’s a chance that Molly and Nicholas are unrecognizable in the past. The script and performances find authentic touchstones that make the characters entirely believable. Loot intentionally slows the pacing down to find Molly and Nicholas in a place where they both really need uplifting and organically find it through each other. It’s impactful to see the influence that Nicholas has had on Molly’s life, so it’s moving to see Molly try her best to return the favor in the present.
“Joyride” doesn’t rely on dialogue like that from Nicholas and Molly at the start of the episode to define their friendship. It finds far greater success in drawing those parallels between the past and present. In those seamless pulls between time, Loot makes the characters’ argument for why it’s so hard for both of them to let go. Their reasons become more complicated as the tethers become tighter between them. That contract scene is one of the most concise examples of that complex bond – they promise to take care of each other forever.
“Joyride” takes a realistic journey to that final scene. Loot creates something special by giving these two characters and their story its undivided attention. It earns that “I love you” over cereal, as it does the love confession between Molly and Arthur. Loot values platonic and romantic love, and Rudolph and Kim Booster play that moment with such honesty and tenderness. It also perfectly captures the show’s sense of humor to disrupt that deeply moving scene with a witch in a box. It’s so well-done!
MORE: Read our Loot Season 3, Episodes 1-2 review.
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What did you think of Loot Season 3, Episode 5, “Joyride?” Let us know in the comments below!
New episodes of Loot Season 3 stream on Wednesdays on Apple TV.
