Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Episodes 5-8
I think the theme song to this show is permanently lodged in my brain. For a show with such a dark premise, the theme song is relentlessly upbeat: "Unbreakable! They alive, dammit, it's a miracle/Unbreakable! They alive dammit, 'cause females are strong as hell." This may become my new personal theme song.
Anyway, SPOILERS AHEAD: So in episodes 5-8, Kimmy kisses a boy (her co-worker), receives a visit from her fellow Indiana Mole Woman Cyndee, goes to school (a GED review class taught by a teacher who gave up years ago and doesn't care whether they fail), goes to a party at her boss's house, and gets one of her fellow GED students to tutor her in math. By the end of episode 8, it's clear that her fellow student has a crush on her, even though she's dating one of her boss's wealthy friends whom she met at that party. Kimmy also finally admits to her boss Jaqueline who she is in an effort to get Jaqueline to be brave enough to divorce her unfaithful husband.
The episode where Cyndee visited was especially poignant. Cyndee has stayed in Indiana and is essentially living off the pity she receives as a victim--people have donated money and given her a car and a house, and she even has a boyfriend who is really gay but is willing to marry her because he feels so sorry for her and the abuse she suffered all those years. Kimmy is appalled by this. Even though she is living in squalor with Titus, she's too proud to take charity and, as mentioned in my last post, she really doesn't want anyone to know about her history because she doesn't want them to think she's a freak.
Titus is extremely intrigued by Cyndee and desperately wants to know the inside scoop on life in the bunker, but he only manages to ask a couple of questions before Kimmy shuts him down. His best question is, "Was there ever a moment when you were like, 'The real prison is in our minds?'" It's a joke, but it really does get to the heart of what it's like to live in a very restricted environment: they get inside your head and create so much fear and self-doubt that even when you're physically able to walk away, you can't do it emotionally. There's a brief flashback scene in episode 8 where one of the Mole Women refuses to leave the bunker because she thinks it's all a trick. I can relate to that fear and disorientation of learning that everything you thought was true was all wrong. It can make a person feel like they're going crazy. At least I felt that way for a long time.
Anyway, SPOILERS AHEAD: So in episodes 5-8, Kimmy kisses a boy (her co-worker), receives a visit from her fellow Indiana Mole Woman Cyndee, goes to school (a GED review class taught by a teacher who gave up years ago and doesn't care whether they fail), goes to a party at her boss's house, and gets one of her fellow GED students to tutor her in math. By the end of episode 8, it's clear that her fellow student has a crush on her, even though she's dating one of her boss's wealthy friends whom she met at that party. Kimmy also finally admits to her boss Jaqueline who she is in an effort to get Jaqueline to be brave enough to divorce her unfaithful husband.
The episode where Cyndee visited was especially poignant. Cyndee has stayed in Indiana and is essentially living off the pity she receives as a victim--people have donated money and given her a car and a house, and she even has a boyfriend who is really gay but is willing to marry her because he feels so sorry for her and the abuse she suffered all those years. Kimmy is appalled by this. Even though she is living in squalor with Titus, she's too proud to take charity and, as mentioned in my last post, she really doesn't want anyone to know about her history because she doesn't want them to think she's a freak.
Titus is extremely intrigued by Cyndee and desperately wants to know the inside scoop on life in the bunker, but he only manages to ask a couple of questions before Kimmy shuts him down. His best question is, "Was there ever a moment when you were like, 'The real prison is in our minds?'" It's a joke, but it really does get to the heart of what it's like to live in a very restricted environment: they get inside your head and create so much fear and self-doubt that even when you're physically able to walk away, you can't do it emotionally. There's a brief flashback scene in episode 8 where one of the Mole Women refuses to leave the bunker because she thinks it's all a trick. I can relate to that fear and disorientation of learning that everything you thought was true was all wrong. It can make a person feel like they're going crazy. At least I felt that way for a long time.
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