Damnation Episode 8
Bessie was an impetus in tonight’s episode, but she wasn’t crucial to the overall success. No one’s good in the virginal or biblical sense of the word, and I’d think the writers would’ve better addressed this discrepancy. Up close and from a distance, the locals aren’t without sin, and once again the title, “The Goodness of Men,” was lost on me. What happens in Holden that doesn’t occur anywhere else? Is there a purifying lake or hot springs that washes away sins and iniquities of a destined few that the capitalists want to bottle and monetize? The answer is no. Damnation at its core is about a land grab that’s complicated by stubborn farmers. Eight weeks and counting of flashbacks, the jigsaw puzzles that are Seth and Creeley Turner reveal more pieces to help the viewer understand who they are in Iowa. The flashbacks could be more economical, which would allow more present-day action and forward momentum. I don’t need weekly pendulum swings into the past to understand that Seth’s father is despicable, greedy, and sick with delusions of a better life. His adult sons are on opposite sides of a rich, powerful, and noteworthy man, the kind he aspired to be, but wouldn’t live to see that day. Is the show heading towards a grand redemption for the brothers in the season finale? It would make sense because of their difficult past at the mercy of their father and his band of misfits. If that’s the case, what will motivate them if the show’s renewed for a second season? Once they’ve mended their broken relationship, will they team up to fight the Black Legion and industrialists? The show thus far has banked on keeping their angst alive and a reasonable distance between them. It’ll be interesting to see if my armchair predictions happen.
