The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey Review: Nina (Season 1 Episode 5)
Ptolemy makes plans as the first signs of cognitive regression start to show on The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey Season 1 Episode 5, “Nina.”
“Nina” is another good episode, if not quite up to the same level as the first four episodes. The episode serves primarily as a setup for the finale with Ptolemy making plans and setting things in motion that will drive the conclusion of the story.
Overall, it is a solid episode with some standout moments. If the bar hadn’t been set so high by the previous episodes I’d probably be singing the praises of this one a lot louder.
Still, while there are particular scenes that are as compelling as any other from the series thus far, as a whole it isn’t as enthralling as the previous episodes.
The main drag on this episode is that a lot of it doesn’t really move the plot or the emotional story forward. We do get new information but most of it only emphasizes or confirms what we already know. Some of the scenes even mirror scenes from earlier episodes.
Sometimes mirroring or calling back to earlier scenes in a series can be an effective way of emphasizing importance or making a thematic connection. Here they just feel repetitive.
For example, the scene with the lawyer on “Nina” is basically the same setup as the scene with the antique dealer on The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey Season 1 Episode 4, “Coydog.” It’s not a bad scene by any means, it just doesn’t add much to our understanding of the characters or their journey.
It does introduce the information that Ptolemy wants Robyn to be the executor of his will, which is a callback to the opening scene of The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey Season 1 Episode 1, “Reggie.” It’s important information, and it does give us another look at Robyn’s self-doubt but feels flatter the second time around.
The scene in the lawyer’s office is also an example of another issue that has shown up periodically throughout the series. The series tends to lean into tropes with some of the smaller or supporting characters. Tropes like the Jewish lawyer, and especially the unfaithful bisexual.
It’s mostly something that pops up along the edges of the story and nothing too egregious, but it’s been there niggling at me despite how much I love the series otherwise.
Even if “Nina,” falls short of the quality of the other episodes there are still some great scenes worth pointing out. The scene of Robyn telling Ptolemy she doesn’t want his money is another deeply moving moment between the two, as well as a wonderful piece of acting from Fishback.
Similarly, Jackson absolutely shines in his scenes with Nina, and most notably during his eulogy for Reggie. The eulogy is the best scene of the episode. The entire monologue is wonderful, but those last seconds where Ptolemy starts to lose his train of thought and isn’t able to find his words are agonizing.
“Nina” is a good but not quite great penultimate episode. On its own, it’s a bit of a letdown, but it does its job and puts everything into place for what will hopefully be a pretty packed conclusion.
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New episodes of The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey stream Fridays on Apple TV+.
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Sarah Fields
Sarah is an obsessive geek who likes to get into the weeds and over think things. She is passionate about Sci-Fi and comics and is a giant classic film nerd. Sarah cares deeply about media representation and the power of telling diverse stories. When she's not writing or watching her favorite shows she spends her days working in the non-profit world trying to make life a little better for those that need some extra help.