On Becoming a God In Central Florida Review: American Merchandise (Season 1 Episode 6)

Krystal, Cody, and Ernie all get what they’re after in On Becoming a God in Central Florida Season 1 Episode 6, “American Merchandise,” only to realize that they’ve been chasing down a mirage. 

From Cody asking Krystal to marry him, to Ernie facing down an armed robber, most of the characters endure their most high-stakes moments yet this season. It’s an episode full of huge emotional swings, and is by far the show’s best and most compelling hour to date. 

Cody’s proposal to Krystal is both charmingly earnest and hilariously awkward.

He doesn’t have the self-awareness to realize that Krystal views his grand gestures more like clownish gimmicks — and the cardboard cut-out of himself, complete with a diamond ring taped to his two-dimensional hand, is admittedly a bit much.

Krystal may have little patience for Cody’s sentimentality, but she’s obviously enjoying the benefits that come from their relationship. 

One thing that On Becoming a God in Central Florida makes clear is that when people like Krystal find themselves in society’s upper crust, they desperately need to believe they’ve actually done something to earn it. Krystal looks smug and triumphant as she ascends the mansion’s staircase, even though it was Cody who did all the work to get them there.

Krystal’s buoyant sense of belonging is then immediately punctured by the humiliation she endures from Obie. In the context of a benefit dinner that costs thousands of dollars to attend, his ridicule makes the business proposal to expand her “splashercize” class seem frivolous and pathetic, even though it isn’t.

It doesn’t matter how good Krystal’s idea is because as long as it’s coming from a low-class single mom with a rural Florida accent, none of the men in the room are prepared to take it seriously.

While Krystal is confronting the casual sexism expressed by her potential investors, Ernie’s Latinx recruits are likewise struggling with the how white-centric the Garbeau system is. Taken together, these two storylines show how impossible it is to be successful when there are so many barriers put in place based on gender, ethnicity, and language.

It’s hard enough for Cody to make FAM work in his favor, but for Krystal, Ernie, and his Spanish-speaking recruits, it’s damn near impossible.

The standout performance of the episode comes from Mel Rodriguez, who continues to imbue Ernie with such open-hearted tenderness that his outburst at the end of episode marks a shocking turn for the character. 

When he yells at Krystal on the font lawn, accusing her of trying to take away his hope, it’s a side of him we’ve never seen before. Rodgriguez tackles his heavier material in this episode with tremendous skill, and I hope we get to see a lot more of these moments for his character moving forward.

Stray thoughts:

• Cody’s name is apparently short for Codworth because of course it is.
• The reveal that Ellen is Cody’s mother is a delight, especially when she informs Krystal that her son is “a feckless tit.” The maternal shade! 
• The political demonstrators wearing alien masks are a neat reference to the original run of the The X-Files.
• Watching Warehouse 13 definitely taught me that when “Running Up that Hill” by Kate Bush starts playing in the background, something big is about to go down.
• It will be interesting to see how Mirta Herrera’s investigation of Obie Garbeau plays out. I’m curious to see what kind of relationship she develops with Krystal and the others.

What did you think of this episode of On Becoming a God In Central Florida? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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On Becoming a God in Central Florida airs Sundays at 10/9c on Showtime.

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