Loot Season 3, Episode 8, “Mr. Maro Gold,” implements big changes that are more confounding than impactful for some characters. This episode, written by Nick Lechmann & Maggie Sheridan and directed by Carrie Brownstein, tries to unpack whether people can change, which is one of the comedy’s paramount themes. There are some more predictable turns in that, like with what happens with Destiny. Even between Arthur and Molly, “Mr. Maro Gold” doesn’t play coy about where things will end. It’s still mostly enjoyable and deeply funny.
So, it’s not frustrating that the stories unfold predictably. It’s more so that Loot takes an inconsistent, uneven approach to get there. For instance, “Mr. Maro Gold” really feels the weight of everything that hasn’t come before it. In the sense that this season continues to struggle with missing time and telling more than it shows. That is frustrating from a visual medium. Luckily, there are two episodes left for Loot Season 3 to regain its footing and end as well as it starts.
MORE: Everything We Know About Shrinking Season 3
Destiny Goes Solo for Van Life Tour
Unfortunately, the relationship between Destiny and Howard never really gets a chance. It’s only two episodes ago that Loot forecasts a positive future for them, defining the relationship’s difference and significance for Destiny and Howard. Now, it’s over because Destiny never changes, which isn’t entirely surprising. It’s only disappointing that the set-up for her exit – the van – is so flimsy because it relies on the Wells Foundation. Loot’s first two seasons strike a better balance between the non-profit’s work and the characters’ arcs than this season does.
Again, “Mr. Maro Gold” finds Loot in a position where it explains more than it shows about how the Wells Foundation is doing. Nicholas says that “Molly Nation” has taken off since he’s been in Korea, but the episodes in between his exit and return rarely touch on that. If there is a TikTok trend, why can’t Loot show it the same way that it does the (very scary) AI video? Also, Sofia mentions that the non-profit is amidst a big PR push before their next “billionaire takedown,” but the last one happened at the start of the season in the UK. So, it’s difficult to believe that all of this work happens off-screen.
While Destiny and Howard may have always been destined for a short-term relationship, the opposite is true for the sisters. Their relationship has been one of the more compelling dynamics this season. It’s disappointing that Loot wraps up this chapter so soon. However, there’s progress in Destiny calling to say goodbye, and Sofia being vulnerable enough to let Destiny back into her life. Overall, X Mayo has been such a wonderful addition to Loot’s ensemble. Hopefully, “Mr. Maro Gold” isn’t the last time that she appears as Destiny.
MORE: Everything We Know About Ted Lasso Season 4
Molly and Arthur Can’t Move On From This
This episode also introduces Zane Phillips as the titular guest star, staging a Fire Island reunion with Joel Kim Booster. Upon his arrival, it’s obvious what Loot is doing – Maro is Arthur’s opposite. Molly says he has a “smooth brain,” and Maro says all the “right” things to Molly. Those differences work without “Mr. Maro Gold” positioning Arthur as the only one in the wrong. After all, there’s already a rift between Arthur and Molly, but this episode makes it seem mostly one-sided. It doesn’t help that the their pivotal conversation happens between episodes.
Therefore, any assertion that they are working things out falls flat. Then, their attempts at “radical honesty” only pertain to superficial things. While likely intentional to emphasize their inability to openly communicate with each other, it further undercuts that they’ve made even slight progress since that bird-watching trip. There, Arthur says that Molly buys herself out of situations, and Molly insinuates that an adjustment to her problem-solving skills in her relationship with Arthur may be a backward step she’s unwilling to take.
“Mr. Maro Gold” doesn’t address that. Nicholas says Arthur is “resisting a lot of the things that make” Molly who she is. That’s not fair after Arthur and Molly agree about the need for terms in the relationship. That folds into that unfortunate final scene, when Arthur says that they will compromise on being unhappy together forever. Of course, Molly takes Maro to the gala! There’s nowhere for Arthur and Molly to go – they can’t communicate, and they can’t be unhappy forever. After the last two seasons of building up to this relationship, Loot must redefine why Arthur and Molly are meant to be or let them move on.
MORE: Our review of All of You, starring Brett Goldstein and Imogen Poots
—
What did you think of Loot Season 3, Episode 8, “Mr. Maro Gold?” Let us know in the comments below!
New episodes of Loot Season 3 stream on Wednesdays on Apple TV.
