Perpetual Grace, LTD Review: Felipe G. Usted. Almost First Mexican on the Moon. Part 2 (Season 1 Episode 4)
It’s Father’s Day on Perpetual Grace, LTD Season 1 Episode 4, “Felipe G. Usted. Almost First Mexican on the Moon. Part 2,” and the shadows of the fathers loom over their sons.
As a theme, neglectful fathers becomes a burden for most of the characters. James can’t properly communicate to his father, who walks the town as an astronaut. Glenn’s father is mostly absent and considered the town drunk, even, as he mentions, there are other town drunks. Hector is absent from the bring-your-father-to-school event, Pa stepping in with nefarious intentions.
Luis Guzman
The only person with a salvageable father-son relationship is New Leaf, and that is taken from him and close to being lost entirely.
Dash Williams is fantastic as Glenn on the episode, continuing the aloof but unbelievably likeable performance to perfection. Glenn’s charm is in how innocent he is throughout the nefarious deeds he doesn’t realize he’s part of.
But the promise of friendship, and joining James’ imaginary gang (who wouldn’t want to be part of The Special Boys, though?), is so much worth the risk and personal damage he’s receiving along the way.
The first encounter with Glenn’s father (another Patriot alum, Michael Chernus), of telling Glenn his mother is never coming back, is such a impactful start. From the almost terror in young Glenn’s face reads, this could have been the very moment he froze and never grew past. Something so traumatic, especially while being read Call of the Wild, certainly carries a weight.
Glenn’s journey through the sights and sounds of Mexico is a strong look into his character. The amount of pain and suffering he goes through on behalf of James makes him infinitely sympathetic, the speckled perspective shots and noise attacks a harrowing experience. He has a sombrero to fight back the heat, but his kindness, of not wishing to sully his father’s gift, makes him push through tough conditions.
Each proceeding moment becomes a worst case scenario for him, nearly everything injuring him. The motorcycle lady, an entire procession band, the beaming sun; they all add up to a dire trip west, or what Glenn perceives to be west, his own personal gauntlet to end up in the same spot James is anyway.
It makes his journey almost pointless in the first place, if James could attend both tasks, in the end.
It’s a grander point Perpetual Grace, LTD is making. All of the running around and close calls are more than likely far more trouble than the reward.
James having to break it to Felipe that he will not make it to space due to the death certificate is another dashed dream the show manages to take from its characters. Felipe sends so much effort to get here, only for a single paper filing to be his downfall. Efren Ramirez’s complete disinterest while floating in zero gravity is one of the show’s more soul-crushing visuals.
Chris Conrad
Perpetual Grace, LTD takes a lot from its characters.
The remaining side stories are a little lighter, to make way for James, Glenn, and New Leaf. Pa making his way to Hector’s kid’s school is alarming, but with such a large crowd it’s a wonder what he could possibly do there. Ma is apparently going to be placed (alive and safe?) in a hole by Hector with a breathing apparatus, which is devilishly strange.
For Perpetual Grace, LTD Season 1 Episode 4, “Felipe G. Usted. Almost First Mexican on the Moon. Part 2,” the idea of dashed dreams and broken families becomes its strongest assets. No one really benefits on this episode, outside of perhaps Hector with his account clearing, Glenn’s glass of water nearly throwing a wrench in even that.
It’s a madcap hour, hilarious in its peculiarities and eccentricities.
What did you think of this episode of Perpetual Grace, LTD? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Perpetual Grace, LTD airs Sundays at 10/9c on Epix.
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Kevin Lever
Kevin Lever has been following television closely for most of his life, but in starting to cover it, he has grown a further appreciation. He strives to give the blockbusters their due, and give the lesser known shows a spotlight to find more fans.