In Wild Cards Season 3 Episode 8, a call from a woman who’s been kidnapped derails everyone’s plans for a fancy night out. Although the “standing pants” and drop dead gorgeous looks kind of get wasted because nobody makes it to the police charity event, the hour certainly doesn’t. It’s one of the stronger ones this season, especially from a case standpoint. As Max stays on the line with the victim, Veronica Dreski, to keep her calm, Vanessa Morgan and guest star Cristina Rosato both do an excellent job of portraying all the urgency necessary to make the story work. And, although two women should be able to bond over something other than sleazebag men, it is admittedly interesting to see the parallels between the cheating husband…and Max’s fool of a partner.
This episode’s biggest flaw comes at the very end. Having successfully saved the day, not only does Max not get anyone to go out for karaoke with her (et tu, Yates?), but when she gets home, she’s met with “surprise” doom and danger. It plays very much like the end of the season premiere, with the whole family assembled and looking distinctly miserable while Mr. Hayashi makes open threats. Viewers don’t really need the warning that we’re this close to the end of the season. In fact, I’d argue it reminds us we’ve wasted our precious little time to beat the Big Bad on the Jessica situation instead of actually advancing anything related to the very high-stakes plot, and we’re smart enough to remember those stakes without having them spoon-fed to us right there at the end.
Furthermore, it’s just one more blow to Max after a season full of them. At some point, that becomes overkill, and her lack of ability to deal with anything in her life continues to be frustrating. Case in point: Wild Cards Season 3 Episode 8 begins with Vivienne grossly overstepping. It’s obvious, through Morgan’s performance and just through stopping to consider how anyone might feel about a parent meddling in a grown woman’s life, that what she’s doing is a problem. Max needs to be able to confront Vivienne about all of this, and she needs some agency back in general. If she can’t have it at home, and she can’t have it in her relationship with her partner, she becomes less our whip smart, empathetic, kicka** heroine and more of a damsel. That’s…not what anyone signed up for—and not particularly interesting either.
Not to mention, we don’t learn anything useful from Vivienne’s “advice,” such as it is. We’ve already had the whole debate about whether or not it’s good for Max to put down roots. Roots—settling into her home—and Ellis, won that round. (Until Vivienne showed up and messed everything up, of course.) It’s like we’re asking the same questions over and over again and expecting different results. Not a good look.
When Max listens to her voicemail and hears that her mother has, once again, gone against her wishes and lied to a real estate agent about her selling her place, she actually needs to be able to stand up for herself. She’s on her way to have that conversation in the final moments of Wild Cards Season 3 Episode 8. But it gets cut short, leaving yet another loose end.
With only a couple episodes left, the odds of this season ending on any kind of satisfying note continue to get longer. That’s not necessarily the fault of this single hour specifically. But at this point, anything that doesn’t lean toward some kind of resolution is more annoyance than big, suspenseful end scene. Still, Wild Cards Season 3 Episode 8 feels more like this series at its best for all but those last few minutes. And, after a season of Detective Ellis totally ignoring his partner’s feelings and acting just absolutely insensitive as a result, we’ll take the win.
MORE: Earlier this season, Vivienne set up a whole fake birthday party just so she could meet Ellis. He saw through her lies.
More Wild Cards Season 3 Episode 8 reactions
- Just barging in and helping yourself to your daughter’s French press, while being all “I hope it’s not that hazelnut nonsense”? That’s it. We can’t trust Vivienne. Period.
- I do like those little hand motions Tamara Taylor makes when Vivienne’s asking for the sugar, though.
- “Do you own a property? That I don’t know about? Because if you do, I’m sure the coffee over there would be really good.” When you’re trying to get your mom to back TF off your coffee but don’t want to be rude because you thought she was dead until very recently. Also, Morgan’s great here. Love the way she uses pitch to show how WTFed out Max is when she asks those questions.
- “But this is my home.” Max says this twice. Unlike Vivienne, she doesn’t seem to think settling down is “a trap.” Honestly, after her whole speech about book clubs and WTFever, I have a lot more questions about the truth of why Vivienne never reached out. Pretty sure she gave away more than she intended there, but I hope I’m wrong because I don’t like what it means for Max and George.
- …and she, apparently, neither ships ElliMax nor Max and Yates if she’s trying to set our girl up with a real estate random. Uncool.
- Speaking of Yates: OH. MY. GOD. LOOK AT HER. What a moment. The way Amy Goodmurphy enters that scene with so much confidence, that little twirl, all of it…LOOK AT HER.
- She knows she looks good, huh.
- “Well, look what the cat named Marc dragged in. You clean up nice, Detective.” He does. Especially when he shows up without the unnecessary other woman.
- And now, Max gets her confident strut in. ALSO EARNED.
- Wow! Hello, Hot Stuff.” “Right back at you, Baby.” Max and Yates forever.
- Also, do I even need to point out the way everything slows down and Ellis just gazes as Max arrives? The framing is jush ohhhhhh, so romantic.
- He hasn’t earned the right to gaze like that back yet, but we’ll allow it because at least it feels like Wild Cards again.
- She’s looking for him to compliment her with that insistent, little look. (Good.)
- “That’s a…beautiful dress.” “Thank you.” “I’ve never seen you in a tux before.” “Ehhh, it’s a rental.” “You should keep it. You wear it well.” Sometimes, we can have nice things!
- My notes mentioned this hostage MacGyvering up a phone right before Max asked if she was MacGyver. Amazing.
- Wild Cards Season 3 Episode 8 has a lot of really lovely moments between Max and Chief Li, especially right at the start of the hostage situation and at the end. She’s so very overwhelmed and unsure of whether he’s the right person, and he is nothing but soft and reassuring.
- I also love this little throwback to Li’s big episode last season: “Max, I was sitting on a bomb, and you got me through it. I can’t think of anyone better to help her through this.” He is so sincere. Beautiful.
- “Max…you got this.” Imagine if everything in her life wasn’t making her believe she didn’t.
- Something special about how Yates marches over to her desk and is all “Max.” The superior partners at this point.
- I hate that he looks better with his little bowtie undone.
- “He can barely afford to put gas in his car.” Literally everyone.
- “What are you gonna tell her, Max?” “Well, I’m not going to tell her that her husband’s a lying, cheating, dog-breath scumbag. She’s already got enough on her plate.” “…yeah, good call.” Sir, I hope you hear what happens when you scorn this woman.
- “He was with his mistress while I was being kidnapped.” This woman’s heartbreak.
- (Also, I’m concerned about this being a warning for the future. If Detective Dope is with the girlfriend when something bad happens to Max…)
- This exchange broke me, between Veronica crying into her bound hands and…well, Max’s everything. “I’ve just been in denial. I feel so stupid.” “You’re not stupid. And you’re not to blame. Ok?” “You don’t have to say that just to keep me calm.” “I’m not. Sometimes, it feels easier to just avoid some things all together. She sounds so unbearably sad. And that can totally be about both the pain over Ellis finding someone else and her mom clearly giving red flag after red flag. Ouch.
- “My whole job is about finding flaws in buildings. I couldn’t even see the cracks in my own marriage.” That pained way Max closes her eyes when she hears this!
- “Max, we don’t have enough information to panic yet.” “Well, that’s never stopped me before.” She’s so real for this.
- “I appreciate you dressing up for me, Detective. But I only got five minutes.” Me if this man ever decides to apologize to Max.
- The camera has a really interesting perspective for a lot of Wild Cards Season 3 Episode 8. I particularly like every single time it’s angled up from the perspective of that phone. That’s especially well done when Max is pacing, right between Veronica getting cut off and calling back. Really neat.
- “The curly fries are to die for, Sir…not you, Veronica!” From conspiratorial whispering to Li, straight into “oh, sh**, gotta reassure this woman” in less than the blink of an eye. Genius work.
- …but why is Li giving Yates such a stern look over ordering some takeout, when it’s clearly the junk food that’s going to save the day? First, he wouldn’t let her go to the cult? Now, this? Wildly unfair. He’s lucky he’s being so sweet to Max throughout this hostage situation.
- “Fries before guys.” “Amen, sister.” Not the scummy husband having the same burger aversion that Detective Butthead has had this season…
- “I get it. Boys are so lame” GET HIM.
- “Stare and tell me the story.” The hands.
- Every single answer in The Alphabet Game. Amazing.
- “I’m starting to think crime does pay.” Never change, Yates. Not ever.
- “I’m extra good at math when I’m hungry.” And I would die for this BAMF of a genius. Don’t underestimate her!
- “Well, here you are. Kidnapped, alone, and scared. And all you’re thinking about is how this is affecting your little brother. You’re a good person.” Morgan’s bittersweet smile here…ouch. Also, compare this to Vivienne. Not great for Mommy Dearest, not great at all.
- “I just wanted to come in here and tell you that…Veronica’s really lucky that you picked up the phone today.” Brilliant delivery from Giacomo Gianniotti here—he rushes, almost breathless, on the first part because Ellis has gotta go save the day…but then pauses before being so soft. What a way to land an emotional moment.
- And she’s all heart eyes.
- Sometimes, I hate them.
- “You have to find her. Please.”
- “And trust me, there is no one I believe in more to save the day than him.” Morgan puts on a show here. Max is so very obviously hurt that she still feels this way, what with everything else going on.
- “Well, if you think that about him, he must be a special guy.” “He is.” My heart. And her heart is just…what an outpouring of emotion from Vanessa Morgan, in a moment where she’s probably actually doing the majority of the acting without a scene partner. Incredibly difficult stuff.
- ElliMax doing ElliMax things. No big!
- Max’s stories, always wild.
- “Ellis, please.”
- Yates grabbing Li’s shoulder.
- “Sorry. I just really needed to hug someone.” “It’s ok. I get it.” Li!
- “The handoffs were seamless. It was like…” “A pit crew?”
- “Yates, you’re Baby Spice.” “Yeah, this baby needs chicken pot pie and bed. And not necessarily in that order.” Normally, I’d be all for Yates saying this…but Max needs someone to be a constant for her. And it ain’t whatshisname right now.
- “Well, I’m Scary Spice, and I really, really, really…wanna go home.” Super tone from Michael Xavier here. Killed it.
- Ok but you could offer to go with her even if you don’t know the song, Detective Dope.
- “How dare you scare me like that!” Her little head tilt and smile up at him. “I had it all under control, ok? Promise.” They’re married. You can’t convince anyone with eyes and ears otherwise…which means he’s cheating on her with the journalist.
- HIT HIM HARDER.
- Annnnnd doom.
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of Wild Cards Season 3 Episode 8 “The Hostage Always Rings Twice”? Leave us a comment!
New episodes of Wild Cards air Mondays at 8/7c on The CW. Stream them the next day.
