Lovecraft Country Review: Holy Ghost (Season 1 Episode 3)

Every building has its history, and on Lovecraft Country Season 1 Episode 3, “Holy Ghost,” it’s the bones of bigotry that are bubbling to the surface and threatening Letitia’s dreams.

But it’s the hope for change and helping others that drives the main narrative, where the Winthrop house can be a place for positive change than becoming another horror story.

The theme is apparent from the very beginning, as Letitia watches the rising of emotions in church while the recording playing over the scene reflects on what it means to touch people’s lives and do something important.

This episode’s central focus is on the impact Leti can have on those around her, and while she may initially begin the house project as a place for helping the living, it ends up being the saving grace for those who have died.

It’s cyclical in nature, where Leti helps both the dead and the living. She ends up doing both by episode’s end, but not without a great emotional toll.

The episode hits those emotional highs and lows with aplomb, even as it feels like it could be about to spread itself too thin.

Much like the previous two episodes, there is a sense that multiple episodes worth of story are coming to roost with haste within the context of a single hour. This leaves the worry that the story may be far too condensed down and not giving enough of a grasp on its heady, important subjects.

But unlike Lovecraft Country Season 1 Episode 2, “Whitey’s on the Moon,” here we are treated to a confined haunted house story where its historical context is equally valued as much as the impressive focus on Leti.

Everything starts out with the best intentions. Leti is unbelievably excited for all of the good she could do with the house, and those first few days, apart from the spookiness, looks to be going off without a hitch.

But it’s through deciphering Leti’s pain where the episode digs deep.

It’s Leti’s relationship with her sister Ruby where a lot of the pain emanates. There’s a disconnect between them, perhaps a baked-in preconception that Ruby has that no matter what Leti can do, disappointment will follow. With the past instances she names, it’s very possible she may even be right.

We can see how hard Leti is trying to do the right thing, but on the outside, to those catching glimpses like Ruby does, everything takes on a different meaning.

The partying isn’t a housewarming party, but rather a sign of neglecting adulthood and playing with fire because of the kinds of neighbors surrounding them. The sent money isn’t about helping, it’s about living beyond her means.

It’s the little things adding up against Leti, and the inheritance (which we learn to be false) is another one of those instances. It’s not her fault, not in the slightest: but the impression is there, hard to deny without Tic’s revelation at the close of the episode, which causes the half-sisters to drift.

That same pain is also prevalent in her relationship with Tic. They have a clear connection, but there’s this distance between them, like they can never fully settle. Tic nearly has his foot out of the door until his friends are in danger from the neighborhood, and Leti is drawn to her distractions.

They do end up finally acting on their emotions, though. When combined with Leti’s fantasy sequence from Lovecraft Country Season 1 Episode 2, “Whitey’s on the Moon,” it’s something that is in her subconscious, and while it may be awkward and not exactly as she likely envisioned, Leti accepts it as something she wanted.

But like the house, it’s not exactly as she expected or intended.

It’s all about expectations and how things rarely turn out the way you envision.

Jurnee Smollett is undeniably riveting throughout the hour, where Leti’s reactions and emotional pain speaks volumes about her hidden worries and fears. The spontaneous exorcism could be a simple scene of excising evil, but it’s Smollett’s performance that transcends the scene into something more.

There’s this build-up of emotions releasing all at once, at the pain the house has caused her, the bigotry that lives outside its walls and within them, and the agony of potentially losing her sister and about to lose Tic right before her eyes. It’s an exhausting moment for Leti, and Smollett, much to her credit, puts her heart and soul into the scene.

Leti burns so bright, and the horrors inflicted upon her never get her down, not fully. There’s this need for change to happen, that the events of racism on the outside and the cruelty of racism on the inside will not get her down.

She perseveres, and does win the day. But there is an emotional cost.

There is this curious notion that Hippolyta doesn’t trust or believe the story that’s come back from Devon County, even with a reasonable explanation. She can feel the lie, no matter how many times it’s told to her.

Her need to pull out the pages of George’s copy of Dracula is like a great punishment to him, to hurt his favorite book. It’s just like Tic helping out with the guide, where the unease of the lie is eating away at her trust and her appreciation for even helpful gestures.

Will she search for the truth down the line, or will resentments build as Atticus and Montrose hurt someone they care for deeply? There’s the hope that Hippolyta can uncover the truth for her own peace of mind, but the pain that comes with it, and the horrors sure to follow, may be a difficult pill to swallow.

The conversation between Montrose and Tic is certainly strained and bursts into anger, but one line in particular jumps out from Montrose. He mentions that magic exists with white people, too, giving the impression there’s more magic to this world than we’re seeing so far.

Are these chance encounters, or is there a lot buried beneath the surface that some just can’t see?

The ghosts of the Winthrop house can certainly be terrifying, through the wounded visages and floating limbs grasping at the sheets, but there is an over-the-top nature to them that’s also appreciated, same as the violence.

They may be there for terror, but the show does so with a tongue-in-cheek exploitation added to the shocks and scares. What other show could possibly have a baby’s head on the body of an adult and make it both quirky and messed up?

The larger narrative that’s encompassing the episodic nature does feel a little undercooked, at least so far.

The Braithwhites, what is left of them, appear to have unfinished business with the Freemans and their friends. It’s not clear the full intent of this is, as their initial interest is only in Atticus for the sake of the ritual.

Is Christina out for revenge, or is she fulfilling something bigger with the missing texts she mentions at the realty office? With the runes on the Winthrop elevator, it’s clear the house is linked to the larger story, so perhaps everything is connected and there’s more to learn.

But this episode is by far the most exciting and integral of the three so far. While the pilot may be a brilliant beginning, the emotional bonds of this episode, and a brilliant performance by Jurnee Smollett, go so far in making this a complete knockout.

Some stray thoughts on the episode:

• It’s neat to bring back the, “I got you, kid,” line from Lovecraft Country Season 1 Episode 1, “Sundown,” which is a line Jackie Robinson uses in Tic’s dream. There’s a distinct connection for everything, even lines in dreams.
• Shout out to the costume design and wardrobe teams, as each episode keeps up the incredible trend of not only setting the period, but add so much character and personality to the clothing choices for each scene. It’s an unsung part of the show that deserves a ton of praise.

 

What did you think of this episode of Lovecraft Country? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Lovecraft Country airs Sundays at 9/8c on HBO.

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