Lovecraft Country Review: Strange Case (Season 1 Episode 5)
With some struggles along the way, Lovecraft Country Season 1 Episode 5, “Strange Case,” straddles the line of making great points about the race divide at a troubling point in history, but does so in a less than ideal manner that feels like it mostly sidelines one of its best performers.
The main story of what the Braithwhite clan are up to in regards to furthering their power (or, as we find out, Christina’s power) definitely moves up a notch, but the rest feels like things we’ve already touched on, and done better, leaving something to be desired.
Ruby’s transformation makes its point within the first scene, with the boy being terrorized by the cops while Ruby’s new image is given the best of treatment.
Seeing the privilege time and again is reinforcing the point, absolutely, but it does feel a little like spinning its wheels a bit, or at least reiterating something the show has made clear over its previous four episodes. Plus it makes the point multiple times throughout the episode, too.
We know that those in power are awful with race, and it still reverberates to today. But nothing is really done to try and fix that with this newfound chance to change things. With a chance for change, it’s left more toward chastising Tamara rather than lifting her up as jealousy gets in the way.
This ties to Ruby specifically, though, as she sees this divide for herself firsthand and with a newfound place of power, but we’re also losing out on Wunmi Mosaku for stretches of the episode, who is a fantastic performer.
So it’s left as somewhat of a dilemma, where Ruby the character is developing through her frustrations, but the actress playing her is not being utilized as much as she should be so we can see that from her personally. We get most of it through Jamie Neumann.
It’s always a delight to see Jamie Neumann, though, who has been great on another HBO series, The Deuce. She is able to emulate Ruby while also portraying the conflict and the frustration of seeing the world in different eyes.
But it feels like Lovecraft Country is missing an opportunity to see Ruby’s new image lift up someone rather than stomp them down further. It plays into her own insecurities and taking it out on someone else, and while it works as a journey through her character, the story could have gone much deeper.
Christina being William this entire time, and taking advantage of the transformation to live as a white man, feels more like a one-up sort of moment, trying to outdo itself with the twists and turns we expect from pulp fiction.
But much like Ruby’s journey, it feels like Christina has said this part already when she tells Ruby to take advantage and do whatever she wants as her alter ego.
She is laying the groundwork to take over a lodge in a man’s body, something she can’t do in her original form. This part plays into the larger story, and feels like it’s building toward a showdown between Tic and Christina, with the texts being the catalyst to strengthening their power.
Tic’s anger, as a concept, does end up working well to dig deeper into his issues with Montrose. But it’s Montrose working through his own issues where a touching moment breaks through.
Michael K. Williams plays Montrose with such a wounded soul, and it’s through that moment of acceptance at the party, of himself and of who he cares about, that comes as the most real moment for his character yet.
Stories of accepting yourself are needed more than ever, and this one, while abbreviated, works through the hesitation and eventual embracing of who Montrose is deep down.
The star of the episode is the effects work. Those transformations are fascinating, so gnarly and twisted to watch in real-time as someone sheds into someone else. The quick cuts earlier on are great little hints at what’s to come, but Ruby’s change in the alley, and William’s change into Christina, are some of the show’s most striking images so far.
Kudos to the team for pulling off such gory work and holding on it, as it’s an important aspect of not only the genre, but showing the absolute pain that the characters must go through to shed into their original forms.
“Strange Case” feels a little half-finished. It has a great concept and has the right idea, wearing the shoes of another to see the privilege that comes with skin color, but it doesn’t exactly go far enough. It’s tied to Ruby, which works great for her character and deepening her into the weirdness, but it feels like there could be more to say.
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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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.