Love is in the air this week on 11.22.63, which put the Kennedy assassination on the back burner (for the most part) in “The Eyes of Texas.” The episode existed in that sweet spot the show so often occupies, where it deftly balances romance, friendship, and creepy assassination plots. (Big ups to Daniel Webber, who is approaching “Gary Oldman in JFK“-levels of creepiness with his portrayal of Oswald.) This is a show that will move seamlessly from Oswald posing for the infamous photo published in Life to Jake and Sadie sitting at a piano while he pecks out “When I Saw Her Standing There” for her. I liked the episode, but I can imagine it might have come as a shock to viewers who haven’t read the book and didn’t know how central a role Jake and Sadie’s relationship plays. (Is there any way to say “I read the book” without sounding condescending? Food for thought.)
Intimacy is a huge part of this episode, and manifests itself in many ways. I like Bill’s growing affection for Marina, which seems to be reciprocated to an extent, and how that stands to affect his and Jake’s mission. (Of all the changes to the source material, which so far have been slight, Bill’s expanded role is my favorite.) In one of the most solid breaks to commercial I’ve ever seen, Miss Mimi shows up at Jake’s place in Dallas and refers to him as Mr. Epping. Jake is able to placate her by saying he’s in Witness Protection, but I gotta say that Sadie and Miss Mimi are going to be very confused by the Beatles and The Godfather Part II. This is all solid plotting that, well-directed by Frederick E.O. Toye, who did such a great job with last week’s episode. It serves to expand the ensemble, which is a nice development, because I never thought of 11.22.63 as an ensemble drama.
Obviously it’s Jake and Sadie’s relationship that gets the most screentime, and for good reason: James Franco and Sarah Gadon are adorable together. Things take a turn for the creepy when they wake up from their romantic night in the Hollyhock Bungalows to find that someone has taken pictures of them and slipped them under the door. That someone turns out to be Johnny Clayton, played with maximum ick factor by Grey’s Anatomy‘s T.R. Knight.
I like this subplot, but I’ll be honest, it kind of fizzles out after Jake and Johnny’s confrontation in the parking lot. But it does involve one of my favorite 11.22.63 standbys, Jake talking to people in the ’60s in ways they’re not used to being talked to. It’s, um, a very specific trope. But the show uses it well! Franco has an affinity for the word “fuck,” and it’s always good to see Jake take it out of his arsenal. Exchanges like this are simultaneously creepy, funny, tense, and crowd-pleasing:
JOHNNY: Let’s try to handle this without profanity.
JAKE: Fuck you.
Yeah! Eat 21st century, you clothespin-wearing dick!
For all the interpersonal drama, “The Eyes of Texas” did a good job of moving the story forward. Hearing George de Mohrenschildt talk about “powerful friends in the CIA” was a bold step forward for the show, which wisely doesn’t indulge in the stranger conspiracy theories (think about how much more crowded this would be in New Orleans mob boss Santo Trafficante was involved [even though Trafficante was totally involved]). The conspiracy is a part of this show, but it is not the entirety of it. 11.22.63 is about good people like Sadie, Bill, Miss Mimi, and Deke, people who don’t deserve to have their America upended by a lone gunman or an impenetrable web of conspirators.
A Few Thoughts
- Regarding the ending, I think ’50s music is just inherently creepier at night. Thanks, Fallout
- “There’s two hours of Russian bullshit on that tape if you wanna catch up”
- Great staging of Jake and Sadie’s dance in the bungalow, and the visual emphasis placed on their watches. Time is like a third character in the room
- “If you’re staying out here, wait in the car with the other babies”
- “When you refuse to tell people the truth, Mr. Amberson, you deny them their dignity”
- Nick Searcy is great casting as Deke. He does good father figure
About Author
