Annika Season 2 Episode 2 Review
Never push someone into an improv standup comedy act without their prior knowledge. Michael learns this the hard way on Annika Season 2 Episode 2.
The explanation takes only the final scene, but it’s by far the most influential aspect of the hour. Forced on stage, Annika winds up telling Michael that he’s Morgan’s father in a way that can only be described as strange, bewildering most of her audience.
Would Michael storm out as he does if she were making this announcement any other way, or at least in private? It’s hard to say. Regardless, we’ve pulled the bandage off this long-hidden wound sooner than expected and are left to handle the aftermath.
The episode makes a point to foreshadow various complications, bringing in another literary parallel and showing Michael with his new family. I still think the shock is going to be at the forefront of whatever painful conversation comes next.
Our title character has helped us understand why she’s withheld for so long, but now she’s left with a mess of her own creation. The most obvious concern is the impact on her and Morgan, but these tensions are likely to spill out into the squad as well.
The case does have its own share of twists and turns. A woman is found downed in a cage (it’s as horrific as it sounds) only for our pity toward her to be stymied by the revelation she once killed a man driving drunk and only served six years for the crime.
After a couple of red herrings, that sympathy returns. First, we learn our victim was regularly abused by her father, who plays the part of a torn parent to a T before turning into a borderline psychopath. Then it’s revealed she wasn’t the driver at all.
At this point it’s a foregone conclusion that the real driver is also her killer, but the scene is still given effective weight when the woman pulls a shotgun on everyone in the room and appears desperate enough that we only relax when Michael pulls it away.
“Everyone in the room” includes both nearly the entire cast and a consultant they pull in. It’s notably the first time we’ve seen them do so, and it’s nice to see the usual character dynamics expand a bit. Who else might ever interrupt Annika’s narration to us again?
Blair’s pregnancy isn’t mentioned once in the episode, and with everyone being so recently overprotective, it’s odd to see that vanish when a gun is pulled on her. Still, we may soon have two shocked and angry dads roaming around.
Finally, we also get to see Morgan on her wilderness adventure. It doesn’t add much to the plot but is overall a miserable enough experience for anyone who’s gone on a bad camping trip to relate to—hopefully without someone almost dying.
The speed with which she jumps in to save a friend from drowning shows she’s following in her mother’s footsteps. Maybe that will help soften the blow when she comes home to the news her mother has revealed, but I won’t hold my breath.
What did you think of this episode of Annika? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Annika airs Sundays at 10/9c on PBS.
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Caitlin Wyneken
Caitlin is an elder millennial with an only slightly unhealthy dedication to a random selection of TV shows, from PBS Masterpiece dramas to some of the less popular series on popular networks. Outside of screen time, she's dedicated to the public sector and worthy nonprofits, working to make a difference in the world outside of media.