Wild Cards Season 2 Episode 8 Review: Death by Design

Wild Cards Season 2 Episode 8, “Death by Design,” takes obsession to deadly lengths as Max tries to determine who her friends and family really are. 

This episode, written by Andrea Zarowny and directed by James Genn, channels the short-lived ABC Family show Jane by Design in its title and the fantastic The Devil Wears Prada in its reflection of the fashion world.

It’s exciting to watch Ellis — with his red pocket square giving him a pop of color — and Max adjust to the personalities in the haute couture environment. 

Even when the case of the week ebbs more often than it flows, Wild Cards finds its major appeal in Ellis and Max moving through the murder investigation. It’s a real challenge for this show to misstep entirely with Giacomo and Gianniotti and Vanessa Morgan’s dynamic duo of Ellis and Max at its heart. 

Also, “Death by Design” throws plenty of interesting side characters into the mix. 

The episode explores the different ranks of characters throughout VDH, the fast-fashion retail company, and places a special emphasis on the assistants. That directive alone mines a natural tension within working dynamics.

The VDH employees scrambling to be or look busy before Anastasia Van De Haan, in the same vein as the staff at Runway magazine do for Miranda Priestly, is good.

From there, the mystery of “Death by Design” unravels like a stitch.

Wild Cards has to know that seeing Max put together an undercover persona in seconds will never get old. It is incredible to watch how quick this character is.

It’s fun to see how that sharpness has grown into Ellis and Max’s banter. Their quick exchange about Logan suffering from possession (Max) or sleepwalking (Ellis — and the truth) is inconsequential to the episode. It speaks to Ellis and Max’s familiarity that has grown over the last two seasons.

“Death by Design” proves they work well together — they get two more weeks off of George’s sentence because of it. The episode also showcases how well Ellis and Max get along. Even if they want to move past it as friends, Ellis and Max’s kiss during Wild Cards Season 2 Episode 6, “Séance and Sensibility,” says as much, too.

So, unsurprisingly, “Death by Design” finds its most resounding strength in Max feeling like she’s still on the outside with everyone else at the police station.

The episode does a great job of setting that tempo through a phone call with George. Wild Cards could easily lean into Max’s feelings about the workplace dynamics without this scene, so it’s a treat that “Death by Design” keeps it. 

On the one hand, it’s beneficial and understandable to see George’s continued reaction to Max being in the police station with a bomb on Wild Cards Season 2 Episode 7, “The Big Bang Theory.” It’s refreshing that this episode doesn’t pretend that the event never happened and moves along to its new procedural element.

Structurally, that conversation is also an organic way to move from “The Big Bang Theory” to “Death by Design.” George ties it all together with a reminder that Max’s family is him and Ricky, not Ellis and the rest of the cops.

That message is also a subtle reminder that Max is supposed to remember her con artist ways. It pairs nicely with the Jonathan Ashford book on her hip.

Of course, George’s argument that Ricky is Max’s family would land a lot better if Wild Cards spent more time with Max and Ricky. He only appears in the episode’s very affectionately silly tag that calls back to Wild Cards Season 2 Episode 4, “Dial A for Alibi.” Otherwise, Ricky’s life and his friendship with Max remain mysterious. 

Given that “The Big Bang Theory” illuminates a chapter in Chief Li’s life, there is hope that the show will do the same for Ricky at some point.

Otherwise, “Death by Design” does a good job of the little details that accumulate to support Max’s feelings about being pushed aside in the group. The trivia night one is the most obvious, but knowledge of Yates being a magician with puzzles is a favorite. It’s such a fun way to involve Yates in the case and further Max’s story.

The former comes with a hope that Wild Cards follows up with Puzzle Master T-shirts at some point. More simply, it’s great to see Yates and Li in the field together.

The latter emphasizes the totality of Max’s wish to be a part of this group. It’s one thing to feel excluded from an event, but it’s another thing not to know a part of someone that is supposedly so commonly known. 

They pair together nicely by the end, so that there’s a real triumphant feeling in the air when Yates works up to inviting Max to a bar for Puzzle Night. It’s endearing to see Li rally around the invitation. It’s a perfect beat in Ellis and Max’s relationship that he changes his mind about getting to the boat for Marc to be with Max.

Whether George likes it or not, Max is expanding her family with Ellis, Yates, Simmons, and Chief Li, and it is an absolute treat to watch.

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Wild Cards airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on The CW.

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