Blindspotting Review: The Ordeal (Season 1 Episode 1)
Blindspotting Season 1 Episode 1, “The Ordeal,” shines a spotlight on Ashley Jones as her world is turned upside down after the arrest of her beau, Miles. After his incarceration, Ashley and her young son Sean are forced to move in with Miles’ mother, Rainey, and his sister, Trish.
MILES: I’m not going to summer camp, baby. I’m going to jail.
Blindspotting does the unusual here with its opening scene. Whereas most shows would frame the arrest of a significant other in a dramatic light, but this series injects some levity into it. For example, when Ashley asks Miles if he needs toiletries like a toothbrush.
Even as Miles is being shoved into a police car, the pair decide that the scenario is romantic. It’s a delightful moment that paints a picture of what to expect from Blindspotting moving forward.
Jasmine Cephas Jones leads the charge with an electrifyingly vulnerable performance. She injects Ashley with equal parts humor and heart. Ashley is relatable, as is her plight. She goes from being a supportive partner of 12 years to living on her own, trying to navigate the murky waters of an existential crisis that includes uprooting her son.
The highlight of the episode is, undoubtedly, Ashley finding the engagement ring that Miles had stashed away. Cephas Jones makes the seamless switch from curiously rummaging through her boyfriend’s shoebox to weeping at the sight of said engagement ring. It’s as if someone snaps their fingers, and Cephas Jones opens the floodgates.
It’s beautifully raw and touching. Not to mention, the fourth-wall poetic interludes are smoothly interwoven throughout the episode. Ashley’s verses that are hot on the heels of her engagement ring discovery are poignant and visceral. We’re privy to the overflowing wellspring that is Ashley’s soul.
ASHLEY: But he is a box today, in a box today, and I am still unpacking some of the why.
Those poetic verses really resonate with the writer in me. There’s nothing I love more than eloquent, flowery language that gorgeously conveys the depths of the human spirit. Additionally, Blindspotting artfully executes wildly entertaining dance sequences that are naturally sewn into the story’s fabric.
It all feels organic — like a vibrant stage production.
Helen Hunt is your typical Bay area hippie mom as Rainey and, as per her usual, she delivers the goods. She grounds Rainey in an easy truthfulness, and is a calming epicenter of sorts in the raging storm. Jaylen Barron is the storm as the uncompromising Trish.
She’s the night to Ashley’s day, and their climactic scene in the first episode lays bare their respective roadblocks. It paves the way for their individual arcs. Ashley must learn to adjust in a space that exists outside of her comfort zone, while Trish must learn how to take responsibility for her actions.
Overall, Blindspotting‘s first outing is boisterous, bold, and clever. Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal craft a solid continuation of the 2018 film that packs a punch. It appeals to theater, music, and TV lovers everywhere with Cephas Jones as a fearless driving force.
What did you think of this episode of Blindspotting? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Blindspotting airs Sundays at 9/8c on Starz.
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Melody McCune
Melody loves TV. Maybe too much. Besides being a Senior Writer for Tell-Tale TV, she's the Managing Editor for Geek Girl Authority, an Independent Contractor for Sideshow Collectibles, and a Senior Writer for Eulalie Magazine. Additionally, she has bylines in Culturess, Widget, and inkMend on Medium. To top it all off, she's a critic for Rotten Tomatoes and CherryPicks.