Loot Season 3, Episode 6, “What’s Up With Us,” is all about deciphering if omens are good or bad and whether they’re worth listening to in the end. This episode, written by Zeke Nicholson and directed by Dean Holland, does so through relationship milestones. However, “What’s Up With Us” struggles to bend time to its benefit. This season’s growing struggle with pacing interrupts Loot’s efforts.
The show’s timeline works in underscoring the pressure between and on some characters. Equally, it exacerbates how Loot misses some critical chapters. This season starts so strongly with character arcs that “What’s Up With Us” chips at that momentum a bit. Even so, this episode doesn’t completely derail Loot Season 3 because the strengths still greatly outweigh the weaknesses.
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Loot Tries to Make Up for Lost Time
It’s easy to be as shocked as Sofia when she finds Howard and Destiny in her office. At least “What’s Up With Us” takes a couple, small steps back to fill in some gaps for their relationship. Unfortunately, the same is not true for Nicholas. After such a Nicholas-centric episode, perhaps Loot wants the character to settle in Korea off-screen. However, knowing the character for three seasons means knowing how important acting is to him, so it’s disappointing to miss any part of that journey.
Given that Nicholas only left an episode ago, his absence wouldn’t be so jarring without the expository lines that put Loot’s timeline into perspective. Howard and Destiny being together for a month means that Nicholas has been gone for a significant amount of time. All of that information creates a bit of a whirlwind that makes the episode’s viewing experience feel like playing catch-up.
That factor becomes especially apparent when Howard asserts how much he and Destiny care for one another. Loot hasn’t shown all of that, really. Therefore, “What’s Up With Us” has to rely on telling rather than showing, which isn’t ideal in this case. The same is true for Sofia and Howard’s supposed work wife and husband dynamic. As far as Loot’s recent episodes are concerned, that part of their dynamic is nearly entirely unfounded. So, the expediency of Howard and Destiny’s relationship only favors Sofia and Destiny. Michaela Jaé Rodriguez is so good. It’s believable that Sofia’s perspective towards her sister evolves when she realizes that Destiny really cares about Howard.
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What’s Next for Arthur and Molly?
Elsewhere, it’s a bit jarring for Loot to reveal that Arthur and Molly have been together for six months. Admittedly, that timeline helps what occurs between them in “What’s Up With Us.” However, knowing that it’s been six months since the first episode of the season doesn’t necessarily help the other characters. Like Nicholas, there’s a wish to see more from the other characters – Sofia, for example. Then again, that timing shows how long Arthur and Molly have been a good, stable couple without anything really rocking them, including Adam Scott’s return as John. In that sense, “What’s Up With Us” makes a strong argument for why Arthur and Molly need a bit of conflict – it’s a good thing.
Conflict builds characters and tests relationships, after all! It works in the episode’s favor that Arthur and Molly haven’t really addressed all the power imbalances that have existed beneath their relationship’s surface from the start. Loot Season 3 gradually escalates that, too, so there’s no denying that they’re both aware of those unspoken (to each other) but ever-present factors. The scene on the RV when all of that bubbles up is so well-written. The characters’ voices are incredibly clear. Maya Rudolph and Nat Faxon’s performances are dialed in to the moment. Loot is unbelievably clever to follow that confrontation with them finally seeing the red-hooded shrike, only for Molly’s RV to kill it.
The metaphor writes itself – this beautiful, natural, rare thing is brutally killed by a mechanical symbol of financial richness. Of course, Loot, being the show that it is, can cut through the intensity of that with a hilarious guest-starring performance from Paula Pell. Even so, “What’s Up With Us” earns that needledrop of Nina Simone’s “Do What You Gotta Do.” This show’s soundtrack is fantastic!
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What did you think of Loot Season 3, Episode 6, “What’s Up With Us?” Let us know in the comments below!
New episodes of Loot Season 3 stream on Wednesdays on Apple TV.
