The Red Line Review: For We Meet by One or the Other/We Need Glory For a While (Season 1 Episodes 3 and 4)

As witnessed in last week’s emotional premiere, The Red Line isn’t here to play nice. On The Red Line Season 1 Episode 3, “For We Meet by One or the Other,” and The Red Line Season 1 Episode 4, “We Need Glory For a While,” every angle of this story has people on edge. 

There is a level of excitement and anticipation to it that reads like a really compelling news story, which is what keeps driving this narrative forward. We care about the outcome because we see all the sides instead of just one.

On “For We Meet by One or the Other” the stand out performances are definitely Aliyah Royale as Jira and Emayatzy Corinealdi. These two women share a DNA bond but live totally different experiences — a fact that comes between them time and again.

Royale does so well performing the role of Jira that she becomes her. I don’t know anything about Royale, but right now I am to believe she is a young lady adopted by a racially mixed gay couple and recently reconnected with the mom who gave her up. That is just how believable her performance is.

Her heartbreak is our heartbreak. Her confusion and frustration are felt by all of us. This comes as a direct result of Royale’s ability to deliver the lines written so beautifully for her. 

The strongest of scenes are always when she is trying to connect with her mother because there is an invisible barrier up between them and it’s hard to really pinpoint what exactly it is. Corinealdi presents a very strong and determined Tia Young who is just trying to make sense of it all.

In fact, there are times when Tia’s determination to control the conversation get in the way of her communication with her daughter. It is clear that both Royale and Corinealdi carry a comfortability with each other or else their scenes wouldn’t be as showstopping as they are.

The strongest scene between them both comes at the end of “For We Meet by One or the Other” when they go to a gallery together. There isn’t much said between them in regards to revealing themselves and yet it still bares it all. 

Tia realizes her daughter has been sheltered from some of the more harsh realities of her heritage and tries to educate her. While that is all well and good, this moment would’ve been better utilized to make a deeper connection with Jira. 

This lack of connection is really brought to the surface on “We Need Glory for a While” when the three of them — Jira, Daniel, and Tia — all sit down to a family dinner. The adults, especially Tia, argue about what is best for Jira or what Jira needs, meanwhile completely ignoring Jira. 

While Jira isn’t faultless in her connections with either parent, this scene displays just how lacking they are on all fronts of the communication issues. It’ll be nice to see if the coming episodes will see a bridge being forged between all the parties so that a harmony can exist.

The groundwork has been set with Jira and Daniel’s heartfelt subway talk at the end of “We Need Glory for a While.” By laying all their insecurities and fears on the line they are opening up that trust between them and allowing real healing to begin. 

Unfortunately, healing isn’t really going to happen completely until the situation with Paul Evans behind them. 

Paul Evans remains an enigma. The artful storytelling brought forth by the writers has us believing one thing and then turning that around a moment later based on something he does or says.

This tactic actually works to help the viewers have sympathy for both sides of the issue at different times. All through “We Need Glory for a While,” Paul presents as a cop who simply had to make a hard call and got caught up in a political climate he didn’t ask for.

However, there are small moments when Paul will say something where you question whether or not he’s as innocent as we are made to believe. To catch every nuance we have to be paying close attention which is another great creative choice.

Each of these characters reveals many things about themselves without saying anything or by saying one thing and using body language to convey something entirely different. 

Paul is a shining example of this and once again it’s all in Noel Fisher’s delivery. As I said in my review of the series premiere, Fisher is a master at nailing the finer details of each character he embodies. 

In fact, out of all the actors on the show, Fisher is one of the only ones who completely transport us into the mind and soul of his character. We feel for Paul because Fisher wills it so through his looks, his demeanor, and most importantly his eyes.

Another actor of note with regards to this ability is Vinny Chhibber who plays Liam Bhat, Daniel’s coworker. Here is a character with very little dialogue and yet he commands the screen whenever he is on it. 

It takes great skill to be able to draw an audience in without saying a word. Chhibber manages that time and time again. From the premiere to the end of “We Need Glory for a While,” Liam makes us all suspect there is more to his words than he is saying. 

It isn’t until the moment when he goes to the deposition to be there for Daniel that it clicks. Liam is in love with Daniel, it’s clear by how his gaze lingers and his smiles a bit too intimate. 

Chhibber has us rooting for the little guy. Even though Daniel has only just lost his husband and is grieving, we want him to explore something with Liam. Daniel needs someone who is there for him, even if it is just friends with Liam.

Through it all, The Red Line continues to take us on a roller coaster of emotion — one that doesn’t seem to be stopping quite yet. 

In the coming weeks, I would love to see each of the three families come together and have an open-ended conversation. This will go a really long way towards the healing process, for all involved.

It’s hard to say what the ultimate outcome will be, but anything that creates change is an outcome that would be best suited. After all, we have never had a television show present us with all sides of such a hot button issue. To make the outcome something that can easily be brushed aside would be a huge disservice to the groundwork already being laid down. 

Other Thoughts:

1. The parallels made between Jira hanging out with her friends at the cemetery, Daniel and Liam just talking in Liam’s classroom, and Paul going on that date with the EMT are subtle but so important. No matter who or what we are we all need someone to just connect with.
2. That series of pictures of Harrison with another man that Daniel found is going to call into question Harrison’s “perfect” image. I’m here for that development as well because it really plays into Daniel’s comments last week about how people are multiple things.
3. Tia is a strong and confident woman, which I love, but she needs to really learn how to be a politician. She can have the opinions she has, and she can want to make the changes she promises, but not at the expense of her neighborhood’s overall safety.
4. Jira’s newest friend is a nice little comic relief amongst all the sadness and angst.

What did you think of this episode of The Red Line? Share your thoughts in the comments below! Catch up with last week’s review The Red Line Season 1 Episode 1 and 2, “We Must All Care/ We Are Each Other’s Harvest” right here!

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The Red Line airs Sundays at 8/7c on CBS.

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What to Watch on TV: Week of May 5th