Just finished episode 6, and OH MY GOD!
First off, the visual effects and prop/set construction are astounding. I fully believe Lindy (and Richard) are 6" tall. This is an immersive world that has been beautifully rendered. And the care they've taken to get not just the visuals but what the world would sound like is incredible. Episode 3's cellphone shaking the whole metal drawer and startling Lindy was awesome.
I have no problem with Richard shrinking himself. In fact, for the purposes of the narrative, it's essential that he does. After Lindy discovers in episode 3 that Les isn't "so close" to a restoration procedure, his appearance at the end of that episode provides her hope. The removal of that hope in episode 4 when Richard says he sacrificed his height for love with no plan to restore them sets in motion this necessary chain of events:
- He has the door open so it snows upon their date in the Christmas village.
- A rogue fly enters the house, which starts tormenting them.
- Lindy slays the fly, being one of the first moments where Lindy takes control of her environment.
- He stops Lindy from suicide via garbage disposal. (Whether intentional or not, interesting Incredible Shrinking Woman callback.)
- He reveals to her about the 30-day limit, another secret Les kept from her.
- Because Richard is now in touch with Janet at the lab, he can get information to Lindy.
All of these items are essential in the development of Lindy getting her tiny warrior goddess revenge on Les.
Now, as for the show itself, I think the main plot is amazing. Everything between Lindy and Les that pulls from the original short story is incredible. After the reveal that Les miniaturized her on purpose, the story turns darker, but still with absurdist humor to break tension. Les finding the dead bird in the bed was a hysterical and brilliant
Godfather moment. Les putting Richard in the birdcage and the scene inside it were horrifying, and I'm glad Richard survived--which he had to for the reasons above. I actually like Richard's earnestness.
Another thing I love about the series is how it's handling generational trauma by including their parents. As a child, I did really well in school--was class valedictorian--and had a father who'd scrutinize every non-A grade I received, but thankfully with a mother who saw me the best way she could. Therapy has helped me, in my 50s, realize some of this and how it's affected my adult life and relationships, so some parts of this are really striking a chord with me. As we learn more about their parents, coupled with the flashbacks of their competitive relationship, it's becoming clearer how Lindy and Les became the tinder box they are. Oh, and when Les's mom saw little Lindy and fainted, I had major flashbacks to my own novel
Desperate Measures where every character fainted upon seeing foot-tall Veronica. So I appreciate them referencing my work!
Speaking of generational trauma, I understand Lulu and the rollercoaster she's riding. After reading Lindy's book, I think she was starting to understand. But then she found Jackie's short story and that understanding was shattered--even though Lindy had nothing to do with its submission (though Lindy is on the hook for appearing on
The Today Show. Couple that with the heartbreaking flashback Lulu stumbling upon Lindy's free-write about motherhood, but being too young to understand that journaling can be a healthy and cathartic way to relieve stress, her motivations are clear. And on New Year's Eve, we see that she seeks external validation just like her mom. This show is actually frigging insightful.
At the end of episode 4, I wasn't fully convinced the plagiarism subplot was necessary, but after episode 6, I get it. This series is a snowball rolling down a hill into an avalanche. It's necessary for Lindy to appear (wrongfully) on the TV interview because she desires some control while stuck at 6" tall. But then Lulu has to see the interview--from Lindy's office (in the dollhouse, but Lulu doesn't know that)--to both fuel her suspicion about where Lindy might really be and to stumble upon Jackie's story and seek her own validation. This leads to Lindy getting let go by Terry, which is necessary to put her on the edge of the sink to be found there by Richard and then, well, see the above list.
Though I like Sian Clifford's portrayal of Terry, and I understand the functionality of the character, I'm not invested in her encounter with cowboy-hat guy. It's plot contrivance so when the phone rings on New Year's Eve, her assistant can encourage her to answer it, not knowing in advance that it's Lindy on the phone instead. Yeah, kinda contrived.
The standout side character for me is Zoe Lister-Jones as Vivienne. Damn, she's amazing! And though I'm not surprised that it looks like Hilton (Ronny Chieng's character is kind of annoying, but I believe his antics as a man-child billionaire with no reins) is considering selling the tech to the military. As long as that's a minor subplot, I'll hold my nose and accept it, because we all know that third-act shrink-the-world reveal changes everything about
Incredible Shrinking Woman, and not for the better. I mean, come on, if Dr. Nortz had treated Pat Kramer before hand, why did he have to kidnap her to get her blood when he could have just scheduled an appointment and drew some blood then? Talk about lazy script writing!
I digress. Back to Vivienne. The reveal in episode 6 that she shrunk Nils is interesting, as there are two possible motivations. Is she studying proof of concept that humans can survive the process to benefit Hilton, or is she protecting Les who gives her all the feels being treated as an equal instead of an asset, his "boots on the ground." Although Les did that to appeal to her to reduce protocols, he's now getting his ego stroked by her. Their dynamic is fun because Zoe Lister-Jones is amazing and so deserving of third-billing after Banks and Macfadyen.
I've seen some people here complain that there are more SM than SW. Numerically speaking, yeah, that's true. If folks on the other side of the size spectrum want to claim it as their own, that's fine, let them. After all, Vivienne cradling tiny Mr. Magoo in her palm and kissing it can be seen as erotic, and now it's Vivienne who shrunk Nils. But the truth of the matter is that this series wasn't specifically created for us or them. It may not have everything we want it to have because you can't please everyone. But you know what else? Our community is the one more benefiting from it more because in terms of screen time, this is all about the shrunken woman.
And it's all about Elizabeth Banks. She has thrown herself into Lindy physically and emotionally. Considering how much she had to do alone and in front of a green screen, she is
CRUSHING IT! She better get an Emmy nomination for this, and she certainly better win a Saturn Award. Though I still have 4 more episodes to go, at this moment, I put her at the pinnacle of screen SWs. And who knows if we'll ever get something like this again.
This is fucking amazing.
