Great Expectations Season 1 Episode 2 Review: Episode Two
Great Expectations Season 1 Episode 2, “Episode Two,” veers away from the source faithfulness of the first episode and delves into dark and sometimes weird territory with drugs, sex, and psychological mind games.
The darker territory is markedly different from Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations, but it isn’t necessarily bad. The original book was first published in 1861 when authors had less liberty to delve into such topics than creators do today.
Hence, tackling topics once too taboo to write about is a nice touch of modernization. However, “Episode Two” fails to build up to and execute this modernization effectively.
The first episode is a faithful adaptation of the first chapters of Dickens’s work, making it particularly jarring that Great Expectations Season 1 Episode 2, “Episode Two” does a complete one-eighty and opens with Sara whipping Mr. Pumblechook in an apparent act of sadomasochism.
After the odd opening, the episode returns to the pace of the first, with Pip working hard to learn to be a gentleman with the guidance of Miss Havisham and her daughter Estella.
There’s oddness and coldness to Miss Havisham’s and Estella’s attitudes toward Pip. Still, these early scenes have humor and lightness as Pip doggedly works at learning all the stringent rules of being a gentleman, even teaching himself French in mere days to impress them.
However, the show, again, does a complete one-eighty midway through as, in a matter of moments, it goes from the young Pip balancing books on his head and fist-fighting to prove his gentlemanliness to an 18-year-old Pip suddenly being offered a prostitute as his birthday present from Miss Havisham.
Once the adult Pip is introduced, the psychological games that Miss Havisham and Estella are playing on Pip become far more transparent and twisted. In the book, she merely raises Estella to be cold and takes satisfaction in her jilting Pip as she was once jilted.
However, her behavior on this episode is far darker and more disturbing than the book ever was. In many instances, such as the 18th birthday incident and her kissing him on the lips, she almost seems to be grooming him.
This sudden dive into dark territory comes far too fast. While there is violence and mature topics of abuse and class in the first episode, it isn’t anywhere close to what “Episode 2” introduces.
Despite the sudden shift in content, the episode does offer solid performances from Ashley Thomas and Colman. Thomas shines as Jaggers, an extremely knowledgeable and cunning lawyer hiding sinister motives and desires.
Jaggers is deeply intriguing with his shifty mannerisms and candid statements, making viewers want to see what he’s really up to and how he is so deeply entwined with two seemingly unrelatable individuals—Miss Havisham and Magwitch.
Additionally, while this Miss Havisham may be darker than most audiences expected, Colman embodies the role well. She takes her eccentricity to a new level that may be necessary to make the modern viewer squeamish and uncomfortable.
The episode offers an interesting take on gender roles during that period. The reality of what women at the time experienced is painfully shown in a candid statement from the young Pip to his schoolgirl friend Biddy.
Pip: Everybody knows you’re the cleverest person in school, but you’re a girl, so your cleverness is seen as… like horns on a horse. Odd, alarming, and of no practical use.
With just that single statement, Sara’s terseness, Estella’s coldness, and Miss Havisham’s eccentricity almost all make sense momentarily. If a woman being clever is “alarming,” how else is a woman to live without devolving into coldness and mistrust?
Ultimately, Great Expectations Season 1 Episode 2 “Episode Two” has strong performances, interesting perspectives, and unique modernization. Still, it must pull in the reins a bit with its delve into the darker modern territory and refrain from dumping it all on viewers too soon.
What did you think of this episode of Great Expectations? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Great Expectations airs Sundays on Hulu.
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Rachel Ulatowski
Rachel Ulatowski is a freelance writer from Oshkosh with a penchant for TV, film, and celebrity news. Her work can also be found on Screen Rant, The Mary Sue, and Monsters and Critics. When she's not writing professionally, she enjoys blogging, running, watching film and television, and conducting research for her future novel.