It wouldve been taught in screenwriting courses, and developed a What could have been?
cult of imagination,Heat Vision And Jack-style.
But last night wasLone Stars second episode, and second episodes are hard.
Credit: Bill Matlock/Fox
Especially if the show is trying to do something unique.
(Remember: after the monumental two-hour premiere,Losthad a Kate episode.
And not even one of the good Kate episodes.)
Short answer: No.
More importantly, it kept things dangerous.
The episode started with Bob/Robert walking hand-in-hand with his new(est) wife, Lindsay.
Lindsay ducked into the bathroom.
A man recognized Bob, called him Frank Colson, and exclaimed that he was owed $25,000.
This was not the smoothly paced double-life that Bob is used to.
but the implication was clear: Danger is all around Bob.
The world is constantly threatening to close in on him.
Cue the limo sex!
Cue also an angry tirade from LindsaysSabrinamom, who cant believe she missed her daughters wedding.
Lindsay doesnt care about eloping, though: as she told Bob, she liked their fast-paced wedding.
We live like weve got a plane to catch, she said.
Nominally, this should be exactly what Bob should want to hear.
But Bob wants more for his new wife.
He wants her to have the best day of her life.
He wants her to feel like a queen.
He wants her to be feel as happy as hisotherwife did onherwedding day.
(ReadRobert CarosThe Years of Lyndon Johnsonif you have a couple years to spare.
He seems to make everyone around him incredibly happy.
But he basically betrays everyone around him, all of the time.
NEXT: The exception to the rule.
In some was, this episode belonged to Papa John.
Bob is a blank, a person bred from birth to have no real identity.
John is the opposite.
Decades of larceny color his face.
He walks at his own pace.
In a neat visual joke, his red jacket matched the color of the booths in the restaurant.
and John is a true personality in the constant act of fading from sight.
This makes him both more interesting than Bob and less complex.
He gets bored easily.
Still, no ones clean inLone Star.
We saw her negotiate Drews release on a DUI charge.
(Drew blamed it on the European beers, which everyone knows are more alcoholic.)
Mark her as an intriguing-character-in-waiting.
Everyone is guilty of something.
A good con man doesnt act clean he lets the mark see just the right amount of dirt.
(Side note: Did anyone seeWall Street 2?
When did green energy become the go-to subplot for stories about corporate subterfuge?
NEXT: Grab a towel, its time to meet the crazy sister!
Writing staff, this episode isnt overstuffed enough yet.
Pull the Sibling Lever!
(Blast you, puritanical broadcast TV censors!)
In just a couple of scenes, Gretchen complicated Bobs previously straightforward Midland existence.
She likes snooping around just for the sake of snooping.
She totally ruined Lindsays tenth birthday, and dont even mention Church camp.
If you ask me, the best scene of the episode was the brief interlude in the playground.
She talked like a classic drama-addict.
Theres somebody like me in every family.
Perhaps Im wrong, but Bob looked dangerously smitten.
Or maybe just curious.
Gretchen is a wild card, much less easier to pin down than either of his wives.
By episodes end, though, he had to recognize a threat.
I loved how she repeated both of his lies back to him.
Come to Greenfield High School, son.
There was a lot more in the episode, not all of it good.
Johns anger over Bobs Bad Daddy story seemed utterly out-of-character.
I get the sense that people who checked intoLone Starfor the first time might have been disappointed.
Still, Im with it to the end no matter how soon that might be.
Viewers, what did you think of this second outing?
Which sibling rivalry did you enjoy the most?
Do you think well ever learn more about exactly how Bob got together with Cat?
Seriously, has Texas ever looked this cool?
