Rectify Review: Girl Jesus (Season 3 Episode 4)

What makes Rectify  so striking is its quiet storytelling.

On “Girl Jesus,” we see the Senator for the first time since he’s had his stroke, and it’s the first time we actually feel a little compassion for him. He has been a villain since day one, working against Daniel even when it means sweeping things under the rug. It’s also clear that he’s been hiding something, and that something likely has to do with Hannah’s death.

But the stroke has rendered him helpless. He can no longer speak clearly, though he does try to tell Marcy something — only nondescript sounds come out. Marcy tries to give him water to drink, instructing him to suck on the straw, but he can’t swallow it properly. It’s painful to watch, and Marcy herself doesn’t want to stay there with him. He’s left alone.

Meanwhile, it’s hard not to wonder if Daniel, on some level, does want to go back to prison. He’s flippant about getting his form signed for the parole officer, not seeming to understand the importance of such details.

He also hasn’t been reachable, which could be something of a misunderstanding — it’s unclear if Daniel thinks it’s okay to not have a phone on him because he’s working, or if he simply doesn’t care. There’s something rebellious in this as well, and he even cracks a joke in his dry way.

Williams: I want to make sure you understand the severity of this situation, Daniel. The fact that you are under suspicion for a very serious crime makes your probation much easier to revoke. They can lock you up for jaywalking.

Daniel: I’ll watch my step then.

Williams: Is that a joke?

Daniel: It’s just the way I think.

What Daniel does do well with is having a project, and there’s possibly nothing better for him to do than to paint that pool. He likes to have a task that he can complete, and he was thwarted from finishing the kitchen at his mother’s house. This gives him something mindless to do, and something to do with his hands.

There’s something significant about that empty pool, too. Maybe it’s a symbol for emptiness that Daniel feels, or maybe it signifies cleansing and baptism. Which leads to me to Tawney.

I don’t feel particularly invested in the relationship between Teddy and Tawney, and I’m not sure I’m supposed to. Still, it’s nice to see them in counseling and to hear the therapist bring up their similar backgrounds. It’s also nice to see them reunite over a bit of nostalgia, though I think what I’d rather see is Tawney moving on without him and focusing on herself. In their therapy session, she confesses she isn’t sure she wants to be with Teddy at all, and it seems liberating in a way.

She does assure Teddy that she and Daniel will “never happen,” but “never” seems like a strong word. Tawney sees the good in Daniel, as she states when she’s talking to Carl. There’s also the comment Daniel makes to Amantha, saying he has “been in love once.” His “girl Jesus” is Tawney, and she makes him want to be better.

Daniel’s situation has certainly turned everyone’s world upside down, and it looks like his mother’s marriage could be headed for trouble now, too. Of course, Janet takes Daniel’s side and wants to continue looking out for him. She buys him all new clothes for “his trip” — for when he leaves, and she’s also talked to Ted Sr. about making sure Daniel gets money from the business that should really be his anyway.

Ted Sr., however, is concerned for the safety of his own family, and has been ready to get rid of Daniel since he learned what Daniel did to his son. You can’t blame him, obviously. But you also can’t blame Janet. Her love for her own son is unconditional, and it’s bringing out a side of her we didn’t see early on. Janet is no longer meek and quiet — she’s more and more willing to say what’s on her mind and to defend her son.

The episode ends with Daniel back at the pool, looking into the empty space, and then ruining the job he’d done in another quiet, but poignant moment.

What did you think of this episode of Rectify? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Rectify airs Thursdays at 10/9c on SundanceTV.