Memory of a Killer Season 1 Episode 6 Review: Uncle Jacob
If one looks at Memory of a Killer, we can say the episodes are good. However, there still seems to be something missing from them. Memory of a Killer Season 1 Episode 6, “Uncle Jacob,” isn’t the exception.
The episode has some exciting moments, such as Angelo finally seeking help, Nicky seeing his doctor, Angelo and Joe working on a hit together, and Jeff’s uncle finding something the police couldn’t. But even with those moments of excitement, the show seems to be moving slowly. It’s as if it’s trying to introduce all the pieces of the puzzle without really showing us the shape of it.
Inevitably, the show will end with Angelo’s diagnosis worsening, but shouldn’t we be getting more action on our journey there?
The Nicky of It All
The insider look we get on Memory of a Killer (or the narrator we have) comes from Angelo. What we learn about everything that is happening comes from what he knows and what he sees. However, because of Angelo’s symptoms of early-onset Alzheimer’s, we cannot trust his memory. As viewers, we can’t trust anything that comes directly from Angelo.
And that’s where Nicky comes in. After watching Angelo struggle to remember if he did, in fact, hear Nicky’s voice on the other side of the call, the viewer cannot be certain that she isn’t a character we can trust.
We see Nicky seemingly worried about Angelo’s behavior. Because she doesn’t really know him and he hasn’t spent his entire life lying to her, it is easier for her to see through his lies and mind tricks. She can see to the core of Angelo’s persona, and that’s why it seems like she sees there is something wrong with him.
But by the time Angelo’s trick is set in motion, and we see Natalie visiting his doctor, we are once again thrown for a loop. Does this mean we cannot trust Nicky? Does this mean we have absolutely no idea who she is, and she is actually working for the Ferryman? Or is this just another way to confuse us?
While we’re constantly waiting for the action to start, for the show to actually hit the ground running, Memory of a Killer does a great job of always making us second-guess who we can and cannot trust.
Maria, Dave, the FBI, and Jeff’s Uncle
If we’re completely honest, everything related to Maria’s storyline has felt pointless. Neither her relationship with Jeff nor her relationship with Dave had added anything to the show’s main plot. It just seemed like an excuse to show that Angelo has a family he is hiding.
However, things do get a bit more interesting now that Jeff’s uncle is involved in the investigation (or the parallel investigation he is running because he doesn’t trust the police). Jeff’s uncle has found the one piece of evidence that might actually lead them back to Angelo. The one piece of evidence that Dave has been demanding from his team.
Truthfully, though, without Grant introducing the idea of Angelo as a suspect to Dave, the button might not be as terrifying as it now is. Grant seems to be the only one correctly piecing the puzzle together. It seems unbelievable that Dave hadn’t considered someone close to Maria as the suspect.
While we’re simultaneously rooting for Angelo because he is our main character, the idea of Grant coming after him is the most thrilling thought this show has had since the beginning. The chase would be exciting and give us more of the action we’re missing.
If Memory of a Killer focused more on Grant’s investigation and Nicky’s character than on the random hits Dutch assigns to Angelo, it would be more exciting and entertaining. Those two characters and their storylines could create the kind of show one expected when we heard what this would be about.
Angelo confronting his symptoms and doing something about them is also thrilling. We are somewhat rooting for this character, so we want him to get the care he needs.
But we also want him to feel the chase and the FBI breathing down his neck. I suppose, as viewers, we want it all.
What did you think of this episode of Memory of a Killer? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to leave your own rating!
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Memory of a Killer airs Mondays at 9/8c on FOX.
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Lara Rosales
By day, Lara Rosales (she/her) is a solo mom by choice and a bilingual writer with a BA in Latin-American Literature known as a Media Relations Expert. By night, she is a TV enjoyer who used to host a podcast (Cats, Milfs & Lesbian Things). You can find her work published on Eulalie Magazine, Geek Girl Authority, W Spotlight, Collider, USA Wire, Mentors Collective, Instelite, Noodle, Dear Movies, Nicki Swift, and Flip Screened.