Ratched Review: We All Go A Bit Mad (Season 1 Episodes 5-8)
As mentioned in my review of Ratched Season 1 Episodes 1-4, this season starts off painting a twisted picture of who Mildred Ratched is. So, it is expected that the final half of the season will completely paint that picture.
Unfortunately, while the majority of the final four episodes do create clean answers to many of our questions, the biggest one remains open. It’s frustrating to go this whole journey with Edmund and Mildred expecting there to be a finality to his murderous predilections, only to get to the finale and have no such luck.
My expectation from the beginning is that Mildred Ratched will find a way for the state hospital to save her brother. However, the further we get into the first season the more obvious it is that the only answer for Edmund is to have him killed — he is a danger to society, after all.
This is why Ratched Season 1 Episode 8, “Mildred and Edmund,” is seen as nothing more than an unnecessary nuisance. The show easily could have wrapped everything up with how things ended with the conclusion of Ratched Season 1 Episode 7, “The Bucket List.”
The only logical explanation for how the show ended the way it does is the creators are banking on a second season being ordered by Netflix. However, the season still could have ended with “The Bucket List” and still left enough intrigue for there to be a second season.
That final episode is just filled with unnecessary content to extend and fluff up the first season. The only thing of note with that episode is Huck’s death in the course of Mrs. Wells — believing she is Dr. Hanover — releasing Edmund from the hospital’s custody.
Sure, it is an exciting sequence of events wherein Ratched explains to Nurse Bucket her desire for her brother to be humanely killed only for those plans to be sidelined by the return of Mrs. Wells and her multiple personalities. However, are these scenes really necessary to serve the plot forward?
Ultimately, I find that they create more chaos after the show has seemingly slowed down and plateaued. That is the problem — either “Mildred and Edmund” is an unnecessary episode or “The Bucket List” creates a sense of finality to the season that renders the final episode unnecessary.
Maybe the problem doesn’t lie within Episode 8, but rather Episode 7 — a common problem with many of Murphy’s productions. It’s a problem fans have noticed time and time again with American Horror Story.
As previously mentioned in my review of the first half of Ratched, Ryan Murphy endings are very much 50/50 with their success rate — even if he’s not the “creator.”
Despite this glaring issue — the second half of Ratched delivers on all of the same intrigue and fascination as the first half. It may even be safe to say that the second half ever so slightly outshines the first half.
It serves to prove that there isn’t a single character on this show — except for Huck — who doesn’t have a bit of madness within them just itching to get out. Watching these final four episodes is a rollercoaster of different breaking points and we are more than happy to be along for the ride.
Once the show establishes that Dr. Hanover isn’t endgame for this hospital, the remaining storylines fall into place and begin to make more sense with their significance. The beauty of this show is that not even the smallest details should be discounted — such goes for characters as well.
Take Louise for example — she is the front desk clerk at Ratched’s motel — no one really pays her any mind, but by the final notes she is a key player in Edmund’s cat and mouse game with his sister. This proves you can never discount even the smallest of players in the game.
The sad, slow descent into darkness that is Dolly’s story catches us off guard and really tugs the heartstrings. She’s just a young girl who wants the excitement of being loved by a bad boy — who doesn’t?
Getting involved with Edmund ends up being her undoing, even though we know the minute she pulls that trigger against Mrs. Briggs we hope she makes her way out. It’s a great tool for the show to exhibit just why we have to keep all people in mind — not just the ones visibly suffering from some kind of mental malady.
Even Mrs. Wells comes out and surprises us with how she plays into the bigger picture of it all. Like previously mentioned, she aids in the release of Edmund from the hospital’s clutches.
However, the biggest surprise from her actually comes much earlier in the series’ plot when she turns on Dr. Hanover — her Apollo personality taking over — and kills the crooked doctor. It is certainly not the ending anyone could have expected for this devilish man.
It’s slightly problematic — especially considering these events take place in 1947 — for one of the few characters of color to be the one to not only go insane but also kill a man. This is the exact image we as a nation are trying to pull away from with regards to individuals of color — especially Black individuals.
It honestly could have served the series better to have Mrs. Osgood or even Ratched herself kill Dr. Hanover. This way the story never treads into problematic territory.
Unfortunately, Dr. Hanover’s death isn’t the only scene that can be taken in a negative light considering the current climate. Mrs. Osgood’s death at the hand of her servant — who is also a person of color — isn’t any better. And using the excuse of the time period doesn’t excuse it.
In the effort of being better with how we represent certain populations and communities, we need to stand up and hold the entertainment industry accountable. It isn’t enough to wave our hand and say, “look how well the show represents the LGBTQ+ community through the story of Ratched and Gwendolyn.”
There also needs to be accountability of how much Mrs. Wells’ story feeds into the negative light our nation has always put on the Black community. Ratched should have kept Mrs. Wells’ story one of a sick, mentally ill woman seeking help and treatment from a state run mental hospital.
It’ll be interesting to see if this show will in fact be renewed for a second season — my money is on yes — and whether or not the representation given will continue to move toward a more positive light. I believe in our world getting better and having that progressive move reflected in the stories we watch.
Until then, may we all find ourselves on the beaches of Mexico sipping margaritas and finding joy in just being who we were always meant to be.
Other Thoughts:
- Considering their extremely rough beginning, Betsy and Ratched becoming friends by the end is the best thing.
- Cynthia Nixon has her moments where she outshines Sarah Paulson — which is always worth noting.
- If Mildred Ratched is the dark, then Gwendolyn Briggs is the all-powerful light.
- Why does Dolly and Huck have to become unfortunate collateral damage on the journey of Edmund Tolleson? Is it because they are the most innocent of all the characters?
- Surprisingly, Huck has to be the greatest character on the show — he never lets anyone push him around and he proves time and time again that he is doing his job to help people.
What did you think of these episodes of Ratched? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Ratched is now streaming on Netflix.
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Mads Misasi
Mads is a part-time entertainment journalist and full-time marketing content creator. They love any and all TV Dramas with a few sitcoms mixed in. Join in the fun talking about TV by following them on Twitter: @dorothynyc89.