Grace takes a bold step to get close to a suspect, Elias the intern makes a crucial discovery, and Marie slips into increasingly reckless behavior.
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 Netflix's Unbelievable.
"Episode 6" was written by Becky Mode and directed by Michael Dinner
It's powerful to watch Grace and Karen simply sitting in a car discussing the complexities of their lives and careers. That is such a crucial scene that builds character and expands on the relationship they have with one another. It comes after Grace exploded at Karen for her attempt to offer some glimmer of hope through a religious expression. It was only after that that Elias came in with a new lead that proved to be quite fruitful. It's so depressing to watch as time slowly but surely slips away from the detectives. They are passionate and incentivized to catch this serial rapist before he strikes again. And yet, they only have a lot of information. It may not even be enough to get a judge to sign off on a warrant. That is the lingering concern for everyone. Even when a suspect is identified, it feels like the operation could break down at any moment. Grace and Karen forever have to be aware of the perception of their actions. It's something that causes them anxiety. When Karen was a rookie officer, she didn't know how to respond in the field. She didn't know what should be expected of her as a woman on the force. Any action could forever linger on people's mind and inform what they believe about her. It doesn't even have to be truthful. So often, people are looking for ways in which to dismiss women as not being good enough to be a part of this community. That may have helped Grace when she was an undercover officer. She managed to slip in and go unnoticed because people didn't suspect her of being a cop. She was and continues to celebrate the highs from those cases. That was a clear cut victory. It was transformational for both of these detectives. They weren't a part of their lives for a decade. But now, they are working in tandem to find justice for so many victims across the state. That's what they are fighting to achieve every single day. It's all that they think about. Of course, they are forever haunted by the depravity they see on this job. They can't forget about the first rape cases they invested. It doesn't matter whether or not they got justice and made an arrest. The brutal details are enough to linger because they understand just how forever traumatized the women would be. They see that clearly. They feel that pain. They can share it with each other. That may be a moment of relief. It's something they can't quite share with their husbands because they don't understand their perspectives on the world. That may be depressing but it's also a sad state of affairs. It's something they had to navigate all on their own. In fact, so much of life can be about reckoning with isolation and being left alone with one's thoughts. For Marie, that's absolutely terrifying. As such, she is lashing out in ways that only continue to destroy her life. She won't let anyone in to help her. She was once so worried about getting kicked out of her apartment. And now, that occurs simply because she broke down and needed a chance to feel social again. She is right back to Judith's home even though her foster mom really doesn't understand what she is going through. That support is necessary. It just may come at a complicated and difficult time because there's no guarantee that things are going to get any better. Grace and Karen may have identified a suspect to monitor. And yet, they are still just gathering the facts. They look at him with suspicion because it feels as if he could line up with the many pieces of information they have assembled so far. But they just don't know. They run into problems. The police work is never as simple as it may seem. They have to be absolutely sure before they move in with the arrest. It's all a part of a process. It's something they have to respect as well. Grace's husband got the IA file for an officer. But that wasn't the guy. Instead, that may have just created a new enemy for her. One that alters her perception within the department because he is an aggressive man who feels he deserves to be on the force no matter how awful and abusive he is to so many people. Grace flames out pursuing that avenue. She is startled in the end by the idea that two brothers are living in the new suspect's house. That could create more suspicion and wild ideas. But there is just no telling where this investigation will go. The passion is abundant but they need to put in all the work to ensure that a solid case is built. The right criminal has to be found and punished for his heinous actions.
