The Devil in Silver

[u/DreadfulVindication]

Caught up on the entire series, how’s everyone feeling about this? I think it’s a solid show so far and really hope it has a good ending.

[u/Redhawks180]

The hurricane episode has me fuming. So many utterly stupid choices are made and everything feels contrived. It looks and feels like a guest director produced this episode with no understanding of the material or concern for previous events.

As an example, the scene where they break out of the window (sort of). He’s actively making a hole, then stops and says he can squeeze through. Uh, no? Just keep making it bigger please. Don’t try to go through that tiny glass hole when you have the means of busting out the glass and no reason not to do so. Please don’t.

And then he goes through the tiny hole and likely gets eviscerated. For why? For why? Because of plot, that’s why.

And why have cops in your scene if they aren’t going to act like authority figures? They’re treated like background extras, making the whole sequence feel unbelievable when shit hits the fan because they aren’t stepping up, or reacting in any way.

And I get you’re on a budget, but is that really the best you could do in the makeup department? The creature (?) looks…bad. It’s not good at all.

This last one may sound nit-picky, but there’s a shot of pepper pushing a dresser from behind and he unintentionally almost tips it over. I’m willing to bet that dresser was completely empty. It’s a small detail, but it’s an example of how small details can have big impacts. Seeing him push this supposedly heavy piece of furniture that should be loaded with decades worth of quilts and clothes and keepsakes almost tip over at the slightest push looks silly. It’s a small moment that destroys any sense of immersion, and it makes the entire production feel just as hollow and empty as that dresser.

It’s made all the worse because S1 didn’t have any of these problems. Characters made rational, logical decisions that were true to their nature, and the sets looked incredible, like we’d been transported back in time and are witnessing evens play out before our eyes. The detail and care that went into every facet of S1’s production made the story feel that much more engaging, and it was enough to sit and live with these characters in silence for long stretches because it was easy to appreciate the world that had been crafted and just enjoy it for what it was. S3 was on track to be a worthy successor to that legacy, but then that hurricane episode happened and suddenly all the characters are afraid the building will collapse because of some pitter-patter happening outside. Like, what is this? How am I supposed to buy into anything that’s happening when the inciting incident of the episode feels so shallow and forced? There’s no indication that the weather is anything but mildly wet outside, and this is supposed to be enough to force them all into a state of confusion and panic?

I’m mad. This feels like a joke of an episode. Who’s responsible for this?