Showtime's On Becoming a God in Central Florida - Episode 1.03 "A Positive Spin!"
Krystal and Cody throw a rally. Ernie tries to connect with his son. Stan finds a new supplier for the water park.
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.
"A Positive Spin!" was written by Matt Lutsky and directed by Rose Troche
Even though he escapes the supply closet that Krystal has trapped him, Cody isn't the star of the FAM rally he has organized. He sees this event as the thing that can propel him to even more success in this business. He sees it as vital for his own community as well as his own sanity. He sees it as the opportunity to follow in Obie's footsteps. Cody views Obie as the father figure he doesn't have right now. His own father doesn't want to see him in prison. Cody is only able to center himself once more because of Obie's tapes. Those provide so much comfort and clarity to him. He is inspired by the idea that he could do the exact same thing to his downline. Everything about this rally needs to be perfect. It isn't though. The press is attending because they got ahold of a story where a man claims his family has been taken from him. He was close with Obie for years. He even published his own book about success in this business. And now, he is living on a boat with his pet parrot until someone from FAM tries to kill him by burning it down. That's all very precarious and proves that this organization is much more nefarious than the numerous ways it is taking advantage of its independent contractors. Cody sees nothing but the glorious nature of FAM. It's what gives him purpose in a world that doesn't make any sense to him. That's the quality that allows so many people to be lured into the organization. It's a sense of community that can be so powerful and uplifting. That's what Ernie feels by the conclusion of this hour as well. He is only able to find joy and happiness in his life again while connecting with his son at the pool with the other members of the FAM community. That's what convinces him to sign up. It's not anything that Krystal says or does. She has her eyes wide open about this organization. Sure, it's already starting to get a little reputation how the show continually reveals new debts that burden her family. She learns that Travis was storing much more product than he let on simply by using the good nature of his high school teacher. Moreover, she has to pay a fine while facing foreclosure for killing the alligators. That had significant consequences for her. She and her baby are living in a supply closet at the pool. But she has her moment in the spotlight. It's not with the message she wanted to say on that stage though. It is empowering and victorious for her nevertheless. Cody desperately wanted this big moment. He doesn't get it. Krystal outshines him. She may be the reason why the audio of this rally is released to the public. She is the one they are actively listening to. Cody felt that pressure to prove results. Instead, he was the one taken advantage of by Krystal. He was lured into a trap by her. Everyone may ultimately be doing that. She is slowly collecting information about this world. She is more than fine pulling as many people in on her scheme in the hopes that it can lead to a financial payoff for her at some point. At the rally, she uses her story in order to get people to her water aerobics class. That's where she is making genuine money right now. Nothing from FAM is turning a profit. But she is able to sell off some of her supply simply by blackmailing Stan after learning he has a peephole in his office. This world is full of horrible men taking advantage of the world. Krystal wishes to embrace those same qualities. She is still comforting to Ernie in his time of need. But she also still pushes him to join her downline. So, that relationship is bound to explode at some point because Krystal sees FAM as a scam while Ernie sees it as the salvation he has long needed. Those different perspectives are validated even though it's clear there are much larger machinations happening in this world.
