Alison's endemic summer with Noah is interrupted by an unwelcome guest. Meanwhile, Cole's self-destructive lifestyle has everyone concerned.
This second episode of the season is a continuation of the story from the season premiere. Last week's episode focused on the Noah and Helen perspectives of this story while this one tells things from Alison and Cole's point-of-view. It's the same events told over the same amount of time. It's just showing what's going on with both of them during this point in their lives. Both Alison and Cole are searching for identity and purpose right now. Their separation is very different than Noah and Helen's. It almost had to be because two ugly divorces wouldn't be all that interesting dramatically. These two characters view the state of their relationship in drastically different ways. But it's also something very different from what Noah and Helen are going through. Structurally, these two opening episodes of the season are similar. They follow the same rhythms because they are doing things in the same way. And yet, it's still compelling for another hour because of the fresh perspective on things.Alison is very happy in her life with Noah. Their new living arrangement is a welcome change of scenery from the life that she left behind. She has no attachments to her former world. She doesn't have to go back to that life to deal with her ex because she doesn't face the same logistical problems as Noah does with his marriage. She is stuck in this house without anything to immediately do. She's there to support Noah. But when he leaves to go back to the city for the day, she has to figure something out. She wonders what the community around her views her as. It was relieving to her when she first met Noah because he didn't know about her dead child. He never made that shape his relationship with her. He met her after that happened and didn't let it inform their dynamic. No one in this new environment can judge her based on the tragedy of her past. And yet, she's also wondering how Noah views their relationship. They are serious. But is she still just his mistress who he has now started living with? When he refers to her to his friends, what does he call her? He jokes that she should just play his sister. And yet, that's not the kind of answer that she wants to a question like this. She is hoping for clarity and purpose. She finds it elsewhere in her life. But she is still slightly adrift in determining what makes this relationship a good thing for her.
Alison's journey into town offers her a direction to go in. She quickly makes friends with the owners of the house she and Noah are staying in. They are very nice people to her who need some help in order to get their lives back to normal. Alison is a very friendly person. That's one of the best things about her. She is happy to be their personal assistant. She sees it as helping them in a time when they need it. Noah may think that will reflect poorly on the state of their dynamic. He doesn't want to be seen as desperate even though he is facing his entire life going down the toilet. He really is a jerk to Alison in this episode. He jokes around not taking her concerns seriously. He takes out his frustrations on her following his bad day in the city. And then, he's always horny and wants to just fuck her. That connection is still very strong between the two of them. But sex doesn't establish the intimacy and importance of this relationship. They can still connect in that way but it's difficult to emotionally connect with one another. That should make their dynamic intriguing as the season develops.
However, the episode's big and important set piece comes from Alison and Cole meeting once again. Alison never expected to see Cole standing in the middle of her new house waiting for her to return. This is the one moment in time they share in this episode. The dynamic in both is startlingly complex and fascinating to explore. It's much stronger than the distinctions in the Noah and Helen perspectives last week. To Alison, she is still afraid of Cole and what he might do. The last time she saw him he has holding Noah's family at gun point and she had to talk him down. She's terrified of him. He is no longer the man she happily married. She wants to know how he found her and what he plans on doing while he's here. She is on edge the longer he stays. She hopes no one else will see him and wonder who he is. Unfortunately, her new boss does and wants to know his story. He is nothing but a calm and collected man to her. And yet, he still makes her nervous.
That is drastically different from the way that Cole experiences that same moment. He sees himself as the mess in the situation while Alison is much more civilized about seeing him again. They are able to sit down and talk. They had their problems and they both made horrible choices. But they are still able to talk to each other. They recognize that each other was important to them at one point in time. Cole isn't really yearning for anything or trying to create tension. He sees returning her things as something he should realistically do. There's no anger or resentment attached to it either. The two address what has happened but tempers don't flare. There's remorse. But Cole is happy to see her so happy. He doesn't fight for her. He wants to know how she's doing. But he doesn't have any ulterior motives. He just wants to do right by the woman he loved for so many years.
Despite all of that though, Cole is on one very tragic downward spiral. It seems him pulling a gun on Noah's family happened in everyone's perspective except Noah's. That continues to be strange. But it's only one part of how dire Cole has become in the aftermath of Alison leaving him and the bank taking the family ranch. His family is in disarray on multiple fronts. And yet, he doesn't even know just how bad things are with everyone else. He has isolated himself. He doesn't want to talk to anyone else. He's gotten a new job driving a taxi. That leads to a very interesting and informative conversation with Bruce Butler of all people. The audience learns that he too is leaving his wife for a different woman. It's a note that hits Cole hard as he tries to keep himself composed. This isn't the life he expected to have. And yet, it's the one he's currently living - but just barely. He's becoming more self-destructive by driving shifts for more than 24 hours, falling asleep at the wheel and snorting drugs. He's at his most composed when he's with Alison. Afterwards, he's a total mess again. That creates a compelling character story for the future. He's not going to die anytime soon because of these poor decisions but they remain just as destructive in the present.
Some more thoughts:
- "202" was written by Sarah Treem and directed by Jeffrey Reiner.
- Noah doesn't want Alison to read his book until it's finished. Maybe that's because it's very similar to their relationship and he's going back-and-forth on whether to kill the female lead in the end. That would only be slightly creepy to read.
- Alison started walking to town because she had nothing else to do. And yet, she didn't have the proper footwear nor real purpose once she got there. At least she got home safely though.
- Bruce notes that some people are just destined to fail. It's a comment he makes about Noah's poor life following the divorce. But it hits Cole hard too even though neither men know who the other is.
- Cole is forced to relive the pain of losing a child again when he almost runs one over in front of Bruce's new house. He's very sorry. But he also meets the boy's sexy nanny.
- Alison isn't happy that Helen is making all the legal decisions in the future. She is Noah's wife and feels out of the loop. She doesn't like what the lawyer is doing to her despite him helping Noah. And later, Cole shows up to hear the charges being named. He meets Alison's daughter for the first time. But he also stares at her and the life she has while sitting in court.
