UnREAL Review: Savior (Season 1 Episode 7)
They went there.
This week’s episode of UnREAL, “Savior” dives right into dealing with the tragedy of Mary’s suicide, which includes a pretty disgusting cover-up.
Did you expect anything less?
Until I saw the preview for the episode, I wasn’t even entirely convinced that Mary would actually die. I actually think I’m still in shock. UnREAL is darker and more thought-provoking than I first imagined it would be when I started watching, and I love every second of it.
Shia has a moment of redemption, sort of, when she realizes that it’s ultimately her fault Mary committed suicide. She struggles emotionally and tries to justify it at the same time, but her pain is what makes her an almost likeable character.
That’s the thing with this show, and it’s something I said last week too: this cast of characters are all pretty terrible people. Yet, we still root for them.
As twisted as “Everlasting” may be, I don’t want these guys to lose their show. I want Rachel to be successful with her job, and I want Quinn to remain the powerhouse that she is. Maybe it’s the misguided attempts at making things right, or the fact that they work so hard, even when that work is morally wrong.
That suicide letter? It’s completely brilliant on Rachel’s part, and it’s also a little bit evil. The sister reads the letter, and we all know it isn’t real. It’s just too perfect. Even the sister knows it isn’t real, but she’s willing to go along with it for the sake of Mary’s daughter — and for the sake of keeping Mary’s awful ex-husband away.
It seems like a win for “Everlasting” and for the network, but I have a feeling this whole this whole thing is going to be coming back to haunt them.
Amidst the tragedy and the stress, Rachel is grasping for a human connection. She hooks up with Jeremy in the beginning of the episode, only shortly after Mary jumps to her death. Later? Rachel just crawls into bed with Adam without saying a word.
But the most meaningful connection is the one she has with Quinn, who is the closest thing to a mentor that Rachel has. Quinn may be tough on the outside, but she at least has a soft spot for Rachel, and that’s been clear from the very beginning of the series.
What did you think of this episode of UnREAL? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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UnREAL airs Mondays at 10/9c on Lifetime.
Ashley Bissette Sumerel
Ashley Bissette Sumerel is a television and film critic living in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is editor-in-chief of Tell-Tale TV as well as Eulalie Magazine. Ashley has also written for outlets such as Rolling Stone, Paste Magazine, and Insider. Ashley has been a member of the Critics Choice Association since 2017 and is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic. In addition to her work as an editor and critic, Ashley teaches Entertainment Journalism, Composition, and Literature at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.