Rectify Review: Yolk (Season 4 Episode 2)
Janet is taking Daniel’s absence harder than anyone.
On Rectify Season 4 Episode 2, “Yolk” (the perfect title, really) we get to see how everyone back in Paulie is adjusting now that Daniel is gone. Janet is, of course, struggling with it the most, particularly since Daniel isn’t returning her phone calls.
Considering what she’s been through, she’s actually holding it all together pretty well. To have lost her son for more than 19 years, only to get him back, and then lose him again? But Janet is tough, and although she’s depressed, she’s also showing more and more how tough she is.
She begins to cope in little ways — cleaning out the refrigerator and finding herself inspired to make a cake thanks to the oven Daniel got for her. In fact, the entire kitchen is a symbol of the way things have changed.
Rectify continues to amaze me with how it can make something as seemingly mundane as a trip to the grocery store completely captivating — and even a little suspenseful. My favorite scene in this episode is when Janet breaks the eggs left sitting in Trey’s grocery cart.
It’s not really that big of a deal, but for her, this is an incredible statement. J. Smith-Cameron herself also admitted in a recent interview that this was a scene she loved doing, and that for her, it meant Janet was breaking out of her shell — literally.
Meanwhile, Amantha is dealing with losing her brother again in her own way.
She’s now showing off her leadership skills as a manager, and she seems to be doing pretty well as far as that goes. “Superman does good. We do well.” But she’s also in search of… something.
It’s like she’s desperately trying to find an outlet while she figures out who she is outside of her brother.
Thanks to her car breaking down, she finds herself back at home, and it strikes me that at least at breakfast (with Big Ted’s famous flapjacks and all) things are almost normal. And by that I mean, we get to see a glimpse of what life was like in that family before Daniel was released from prison.
A traditional family breakfast where everyone seems comfortable and just gets to enjoy a plate a flapjacks — it’s comforting. It’s easy.
The fact is, Daniel getting out of prison caused a rift.
His presence disrupted the routine and changed the dynamics of that family altogether.
It also ultimately disrupted Teddy and Tawney’s relationship, which they are working to rebuild. Tawney is also on a journey to figure out who she is. Quite frankly, it seems that’s what everyone is doing — including Daniel.
She loves school and she loves her work, which seems to both surprise and impress Teddy. I’m glad she’s focusing on herself. Maybe some of the disruptions that were caused when Daniel came to town were negative, but his influence on Tawney might turn out to be something wonderful.
Teddy and Amantha also have moments that remind us that Teddy is also Amantha’s brother, and they have history. They also make an agreement to swap their living arrangements, which will hopefully be beneficial to everyone — especially her mother.
What did you think of this episode of Rectify? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Rectify airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on SundanceTV.
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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.