Emergence Review: American Chestnut (Season 1 Episode 8)
Emergence Season 1 Episode 8, “American Chestnut,” juggles the further expanding list of secrets and half-truths that the show operates under.
At this point, Emergence is moving along with its first season at a really efficient pace, burning through plot like it’s candy, and is doing so quite well. It’s reminiscent, in both good and bad, of Empire‘s first season and how it laid waste to seasons worth of plot within a few episodes.
ROBERT BAILEY JR., ALLISON TOLMAN
So far, it seems to have a rather masterful handle on its storytelling so far and won’t eventually burn out the way that it did for Empire and other shows of their ilk who have tried similar things.
While “American Chestnut” certainly shake the status quo up in ways that the rest of the season has done, it also allows itself some time to ruminate on the state of where these twists have taken us now. So much of the episode is characters reciting what has happened, in one form or another, to each other, and it allows for this nice breath of fresh air.
This might have been hackneyed or rote in a lesser show’s hands but “American Chestnut” finds excellent ways to incorporate all of what we know into furthering the plot and developing the characters. We’ve already seen Jo and Chris discover the fake neighborhood and the secrets it holds, but this show allows for Piper and Alex to find it too and have their own reactions to it.
ENVER GJOKAJ, ALLISON TOLMAN
On top of that, they get to react to what they imagine where Jo’s reactions and how they feel about never knowing about it. The series understands that the emotional response is as important, if not more than, as unraveling the mysteries themselves. How characters feel about things drive the plot, not the other way around.
The scenes between Alex and Piper make for fascinating ones because these are two characters that are fully aware of the unease between them. Having him be the one that goes with Piper to find the neighborhood and not Mia or even Jo is a smart one that allows us to explore their particular relationship.
Even more interesting are the ways that we get to see the deepening of Piper’s own emotions and how she demonstrates them. So often, the way that Piper speaks is a bit minimalistic. She manages this fine line between being honest and forthcoming while also having a tone that gives away very little.
DONALD FAISON, ALEXA SWINTON
It’s not flat so much as it’s somewhat basic, which has worked in the past to sell that she is still an AI. With “American Chestnut,” however, we get these glimpses into Piper that feel a bit more human than what we’ve gotten. The show allows her in these moments to just be a little girl that is frustrated, scared, and slightly angry.
If nothing else, Emergence wants you to really feel that this is a little girl, not code, and is as alive and human as anyone else on the show.
What did you think of this episode of Emergence? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Emergence airs Tuesdays at 10/9c on ABC.
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Drew Koenig
Drew has an ongoing, borderline unhealthy obsession with pop culture, but with television in particular. When he's not aggressively trying to get out of a perpetual state of catching up, he can be found passionately defending the ending of Lost. More of his online work can be found at The Lost Cause and he also co-hosts The Lost Cause Pod.