The Undoing Review: See No Evil (Season 1 Episode 4)

Fortune favors the bold; but when it’s defending your innocence, being bold doesn’t get you very far.

On The Undoing Season 1 Episode 4, “See No Evil,” the men in Grace’s life do what they think is necessary for the best outcome, but it’s in Grace where strength appears to gather most as she attempts to navigate the harsh waters of untruths and shattered perception.

The main thrust of the episode is with Jonathan as he tries to shift the narrative that follows his every step. A lot of the power of this comes from having someone like Hugh Grant in the role, as his charisma and charm do a ton of heavy lifting, even becoming a defense mechanism of sorts.

Jonathan knows he can use both as tools to make most things go away, but here it’s no longer disarming; when he uses it on Grace in the park, hoping closeness with her will win out, it’s her mind that proves more powerful; and with Haley Fitzgerald in her office, she picks up on it right away and makes that power die out immediately.

It’s curious how Jonathan reacts when called out for it, too, as he briefly pauses as though caught and he doesn’t know what to do next. He’s used to his charm getting him away with so much, and now he has to find new ways to convince others. For the first time, he’s not in charge.

This also leads into the television interview that caps off the episode. Jonathan does and says all of the right things, up to a point at least, but the facade slips away and he only causes more harm.

Confessing his love for Elena is the most damaging thing he could say, as it is a lose-lose situation: he’s burning everything down with Grace, and he’s placing more scrutiny on himself, tying himself closer to the victim.

It’s likely a move to pass the blame and suspicion over onto Fernando as a spurned husband, but if anything, with the way Jonathan takes his time to get there, it comes off as calculated, the way he closes his eyes and searches for the right way to say it.

But with Fernando being a wild card where we don’t know what he’s capable of, maybe Jonathan sees it as his only move. Fernando stalks Grace almost every scene she’s out walking, and his words to Jonathan about following her are almost a threat, “after what you did.”

Still, Fernando is a tough person to get a read on. On face value, he’s a father in an impossible situation trying to do what’s right for Miguel and for Jonathan’s child, and he is rightly furious about what’s happened. But he’s also crossing a massive line by constantly following Grace, which places a lot of suspicion on him.

At least the way the show flirts with time lapses on Grace’s part isn’t where the show is heading. It’s a place I mention the show may go on the previous review, as the pilot cuts from the party to Grace in bed, giving us a gap of time. But it’s simply her returning home from the party, and a false alarm.

We’re still not exactly closer to finding out what really happened. There’s certainly still time and a lot of blame to still pass around, but it’s curious how the show hasn’t sent us down a specific path yet. All of the focus is on Jonathan now proving his innocence, and a lot of the show rests on him proving it.

There is a quick note, though, when it comes to Jonathan. During visitation with Fitzgerald, Jonathan is very apprehensive to talk about his family, pushing them as far away as possible. Is there something there, beyond estrangement? Maybe more will come from there, especially during the trial.

Franklin, as it turns out, is a man who gets things done. His threat to the school definitely belongs in the pantheon of TV threats, and Donald Sutherland takes his time to enjoy the scene and let every word sit.

But Franklin also lets something slip: he says (paraphrased, of course) that he will do anything when a loved one needs help. We’re still without a suspect, if we’re to believe Jonathan and Fernando are ruled out, so it stands to reason a man with means may go the extra mile.

Picking up from my last review, Elena is seen crying before Grace meets up with her in the bathroom on The Undoing Season 1 Episode 1, “The Undoing,” so maybe Franklin has offered one of his special threats to keep her away from Grace.

This leads into Grace, who the show is still thankfully focused on despite the larger net now being cast with Jonathan back in public. Everyone around her has a different opinion on her, with Jonathan and Franklin looking at her as overwhelmed or weak, whereas her friend Sylvia describes her as “stoic.”

Grace even proclaims that she’s not as weak when her father thinks she is, and she’s right. Given the circumstances, she’s put up a wall; but there are cracks, mostly when the police come to visit in an attempt to disarm her. The oil painting is that disarming moment, where it makes her question everything.

Elena has found a way into nearly every facet of her life, from the school committee to her husband to even Grace’s gym, and this painting is another sign of a closeness Grace could not see. Elena is every bit as part of her life as Jonathan is, and Grace can’t see this until she’s already gone.

Still, Grace is trying to take control of her own destiny while everyone around her tries to take control. When you’re under a microscope, individuality proves a difficult path, but so far, Grace is handling it the best she can, even when things look tough.

Maybe she is keeping that wall up, and she isn’t as strong as she’s saying. But so far, Grace looks to be the strongest of the bunch apart from maybe Henry, who uses those five C’s to perfection.

 

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The Undoing airs Sundays at 9/8c on HBO.

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