Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Episodes 9-13
SPOILERS AHEAD: In the final 5 episodes, Kimmy celebrates her 30th birthday. The party ends up being a disaster when her boyfriend Logan and her friend from GED class, Dong, get into a fight over her, and Dong admits to her that he wants to be more than just friends. At first, Kimmy decides to stick with Logan, but when he reports Dong to the immigration authorities to get him out of the way, Kimmy realizes that Logan is not the nice guy she thinks he is and she dumps him in favor of Dong. Before she and Dong can explore their new relationship, however, she is called back to Indiana to testify in the trial against her former captor and abuser, Rev. Richard Wayne Gary Wayne.
The trial doesn't go well at first, partly because the prosecutors are incompetent, partly because one of the Mole Women, Gretchen, refuses to testify because she is still brainwashed by the reverend, and partly because another of the women, Donna Maria, pretends that she can't speak English, and no one in the court thinks to get a Spanish translator. The main reason the trial is a wreck, though, is simply because the reverend is such a smooth talker that he has the judge and the entire jury mesmerized and completely under his spell. Titus watches the trial online and finds himself falling for the reverend's crazy ideology, which makes him realize how evil and dangerous this guy is, and he ends up convincing Kimmy to go back and testify, even though she had refused at first.
Kimmy's initial testimony doesn't go well. There is an absolutely chilling flashback scene where we learn that Kimmy had a chance to escape from the bunker 7 years ago, but she turned it down because Richard Wayne manipulated her into staying, through her fear, guilt, and self-doubt. I was very disturbed by that scene, because that is exactly how the church of Christ manipulates people into staying--fear, guilt, and self-doubt. I have to wonder if the show's writers know or consulted with someone who has experience with cults and controlling religions, because they got that emotional blackmail spot on.
Later, however, Kimmy and the other women confront their fears and go back to the bunker, where they obtain proof that the reverend is a liar, and he is convicted and sent to prison. So the first season (the show has already been picked up for a second season--yay!) ends on this very satisfying note while setting up conflict for future episodes. I'm very excited to see where they go with it next.
The trial doesn't go well at first, partly because the prosecutors are incompetent, partly because one of the Mole Women, Gretchen, refuses to testify because she is still brainwashed by the reverend, and partly because another of the women, Donna Maria, pretends that she can't speak English, and no one in the court thinks to get a Spanish translator. The main reason the trial is a wreck, though, is simply because the reverend is such a smooth talker that he has the judge and the entire jury mesmerized and completely under his spell. Titus watches the trial online and finds himself falling for the reverend's crazy ideology, which makes him realize how evil and dangerous this guy is, and he ends up convincing Kimmy to go back and testify, even though she had refused at first.
Kimmy's initial testimony doesn't go well. There is an absolutely chilling flashback scene where we learn that Kimmy had a chance to escape from the bunker 7 years ago, but she turned it down because Richard Wayne manipulated her into staying, through her fear, guilt, and self-doubt. I was very disturbed by that scene, because that is exactly how the church of Christ manipulates people into staying--fear, guilt, and self-doubt. I have to wonder if the show's writers know or consulted with someone who has experience with cults and controlling religions, because they got that emotional blackmail spot on.
Later, however, Kimmy and the other women confront their fears and go back to the bunker, where they obtain proof that the reverend is a liar, and he is convicted and sent to prison. So the first season (the show has already been picked up for a second season--yay!) ends on this very satisfying note while setting up conflict for future episodes. I'm very excited to see where they go with it next.
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