Showtime's On Becoming a God in Central Florida - Episode 1.02 "The Gloomy-Zoomies"
Krystal networks her way into an opportunity in the beauty pageant industry. Cody tries to be his own workhorse. Ernie builds a time capsule.
In 2018, there were 495 scripted shows airing amongst the linear channels and streaming services. The way people are consuming content now is so different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, there is less necessity to provide ample coverage of each specific episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site is making the move to shorter episodic reviews in order to cover as many shows as possible. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the next episode of Showtime's On Becoming a God in Central Florida.
"The Gloomy-Zoomies" was written by Robert Funke and directed by Jeremy Podeswa
There is a tangible financial benefit of the FAM business. Krystal gets that relief here. That mostly ensures that she stays hooked with the organization though. That's absolutely startling considering she blamed all of this for Travis' death. She wasn't wrong to do so either. But the show always acknowledged that she now had Travis' burdens and debts to pay off. Most people aren't as nice and forgiving as the repo lady is here. She is very kind. She doesn't like having to take things out of Krystal's house after Travis dies. She still does so though. She just wants to come across as a genuine person. That's refreshing because most people look at Krystal as an opportunity to benefit themselves without caring about what she is going through. Ernie and Bets are nice as neighbors. And yet, a whole lot of their drama comes down to how Ernie is reacting to Travis' sudden death. That doesn't make much sense at the moment simply because it wasn't clear if they actually were good friends. It just presents as something hitting him hard with Bets trying to find the rational explanation for why. But Krystal is the one who has to handle the brunt of this tragedy. The scope of her debt is much larger than she knew. She knew that the family was getting behind on bills. She didn't know that Travis took out a second mortgage and has fallen behind on the payments. Her possessions are taken here with the additional threat of foreclosure. This is something she has experienced before. She never wanted to again. That's what might make an organization like FAM appealing. It could provide the sense that she can pull herself up during this treacherous and uncertain time. Now, that isn't true in the slightest. She just accepts it for the moment because the bills are mounting up. She doesn't want anything else to disrupt her life. She wants to feel happy and fulfilled once more. All of that was taken away by FAM. She'll have to pay off all of her debts and get out of this distribution system before she'll ever feel that way again. That's her main goal right now. It's not just one last job and she'll be out though. She continues to feel the pressure to be a part of the FAM family. Everyone else believes that their livelihoods depend on her. Cody is feeling the pressure from Carole. They are both spying on Krystal constantly. They are essentially trying to threaten her into submission. She has to continue with the program. But they aren't doing this out of the kindness of their hearts. They just can't afford any disruptions to their own profits within this business right now. Cody may not have to recruit in the same way that those beneath him do. But he certainly feels the pressure. He may not even be good at any of this. He just sees a system that allows him to feel smart and confident. That's enough for him at the moment. Krystal strives for that appreciation as well. She only seems to get it from Cody. He is the one who gives her three thousand dollars after all. That's the money she needs to put a sizable dent in her debt. It may not be enough. She is always pressing for more. And yet, this is a cruel and vindictive world that seems eager to make her suffer. She strives to make a revenue stream outside of FAM. It blows up in her face completely with one man being so spiteful that he's willing to call the cops on her. He wanted to help her while she was grieving the death of her husband. But that was mostly out of his own selfish interests in trying to get ahead. Most people are destructive in that way. Krystal feels empowered by taking the braces off her teeth. But she isn't given even one moment to feel happy in this world before it all comes crashing down with new hassles she'll have to contend with. She agrees to recruit for Cody. She has already set her sights on Ernie, the man who Travis wasn't able to deliver. And yet, the financial weight of the world may destroy these personal relationships in ways she can't foresee at the moment.
