Nine Perfect Strangers loses momentum in its second episode
Instead of pulling us in, episode two only offers more place-setting and wheel spinning
TV Reviews Nine Perfect Strangers
“Who the fuck is happy with their life?” Bobby Cannavale’s Tony demands of Nicole Kidman’s guru Masha this episode, and it’s a valid question. Behind Nine Perfect Stranger’s nefarious plot of whatever Masha has hidden up her white and flowing sleeves, lies the even more engaging bigger question: How do we make ourselves better? If we could just go off somewhere, to a Tranquillum retreat, say, and accomplish this, well, we’d probably all do it if we had the means. As Melissa McCarthy’s struggling novelist Frances lays it out for her fellow perfect strangers this episode, they’re all trying to be a little bit better today than they were the day before.
But what does “better” even mean? For Carmel (Regina Hall), it’s a lower number on the scale, even though that apparently wouldn’t mean anything to someone like Ben. For Jessica (Samara Weaving), it’s her number of Instagram followers, an effort she’s finally recognizing as futile. For the Marconis, it’s the possibility of dealing with their immense grief after the loss of their son/twin brother Zach. Masha says that part of the healing is finding a wound, positing that we need to go through the pain to get to the other side (possibly the “suffering” she was referring to last episode). She also equates “damage” with “potential,” tapping into that room for improvement that with any luck, can make us feel better about ourselves.
Unfortunately, for such an ambitious quest, episode two of Nine Perfect Strangers basically amounts to more place-setting and wheel-spinning. There are some heartfelt interactions—the most effective, surprisingly, between Frances and Jessica—but very little progress. Also, if practicing trust falls is Tranquillum’s idea of life-changing transformation, I would demand my pricey entrance fee back.
But most of these interactions, especially for a second episode, drag on long enough to seem pointless, especially Frances and Tony’s life-threatening grape-throwing incident. It’s obvious that these two are headed for a new level of closeness—couldn’t we find less childish ways for them to get there, like Frances pretending that she can’t hear when Tony speaks, like some kind of fourth-grader would do? (The guilty grape floating in the pool was pretty funny though; has a grape ever appeared to be so ominous? As was Frances equating her near-death grape experience with Masha getting shot.) As with the Marconis, the reasons for Frances’ current crisis gradually unfold: not only is her career in trouble, but she recently fell prey to an online con man who swindled her out of some money by saying that his nonexistent child was in an accident (also love that the con man is played by McCarthy’s real-life husband, Ben Falcone). Frances’ life is at a crossroads—which maybe helps explain her rudeness to nearly everyone—which helps trace the route that brought her to Tranquillum, and perhaps her recommitment to staying at the end.
A bit more dramatic is the metaphorical digging-your-own-grave exercise (again, I am too claustrophobic, and would protest, especially with the dirt-throwing), leading into Masha’s mantra of the value of rebirth. For the Marconis, this exploit cuts a bit close to home, as we learn that they’re getting over the loss of Zach, who “stopped living” three years ago. Both Masha and Heather come perilously close to the edge of the cliff this episode, gazing into the abyss that separates this life from whatever comes after it. Heather looks forward, as if the abyss could possibly answer the questions plaguing her over why her son isn’t with her anymore. Masha has the tendency to look backwards, with all those strange snippets from her childhood, as well as the returns to that fateful night in the parking garage. But these flashbacks are not really as effective as they’re meant to be, because they presuppose that, like her guests, we’re dying to know the mysteries that exist in Masha—and frankly, her Heidi-like braid and floaty white wardrobe and tendency to over-pronounce her consonants just aren’t doing it for me.
Much more intriguing are what the nine perfect strangers are actually going through: Jessica’s realization that a life lived online is basically meaningless in the real world, Heather and Napoleon’s futile attempts to reconnect because they’re grieving their son in entirely different ways, the cracks in Tony’s rough veneer that show that he’s actually a nice guy. Masha does have a point when she points out the tragedy of an unfulfilled life: “You want your life to be important, to mean something.” Is that where the true unhappiness comes from? The feeling that we’re wasting our lives?
Which brings us back to Tony’s original question: Who is actually happy with their life? Even if we have the things considered essential—family, friends, food, a home—many of us are still striving for whatever we think the the next thing is—a promotion, a bigger house, a new relationship—and therein the unhappiness lies. Napoleon tells his wife: “You have to seek out the wonderful, Heather, because it doesn’t just come knocking” (yes, kind of a clueless aphorism to offer to a grief-filled mother). But most of us, I suspect, would be secure with just contentment, if we could quit looking ahead and really appreciate what we have—and to find importance in our yes, smaller lives. Could Masha’s rebirth exercise really toss all those unnecessary thoughts that keep us from happiness away?
Apparently not, because so far we’re two-for-two in episodes ending with ominous proclamations from Masha. Here she tells Yao and Delilah to prepare the new, untested protocol, and even Masha’s devoted minions look nervous. But hey, if the new protocol speeds up the so-far pokey events at Tranquillum, I am all for it.
Stray observations
- What is up with the love triangle between Masha, Yao, and Delilah?
- “I told you, she’s like a gifted writer.”
- Where were Ben and Jessica during the trust falls?
- Any guesses on who could be behind Masha’s threatening “Congratulations. This is your last week on Earth” texts? Guessing a dissatisfied client who had issues with Tranquillum’s unconventional self-improvement methods.
- People who haven’t read the book: Are you more intrigued by the Masha character than I am? Honestly curious to hear your thoughts!
- At the top of the Nine Perfect Strangers list this episode: Tony, who was able to get his meds and is making some headway with Frances.
16 Comments
Samara Weaving is killing it as Jessica, in my opinion. She’s got that great combo of seeming very vapid and very naïve at the same time. Maybe it’s because I was so disappointed (as well as weirded out) by the book so I have super low expectations, but I’m enjoying this. The casting is pretty perfect, the scenery is idyllic (apparently this was . . . filmed in Australia? But none of the cast are Australian – saving one semi-extra – even though they all are in the book), and Nicole Kidman seems to enjoy being weird and extra, so that’s okay with me.
I’m with you. And yeah—I know they filmed it in Australia largely because (at the time—not so much now) Australia was one of the safest places to film, but the irony of having to reset this show in the US (I thought American “prestige” dramas were starting to realize that, hey, Americans actually kinda like seeing people with accents) and yet not film it there is kinda hilarious to me.
I never got past about 50 pages of the book (not entirely due to its quality, but also life got in the way and I never picked it backup). I’m not sure if that’s causing me to enjoy the show more than those who have?
Ah, see, I’m enjoying it much more than the book. The book is NUTS.
Yes, I did understand that from your post lol 😛 It’s in the reviews themselves here where I feel like Gwen’s knowledge of the book and trying not to spoil it means she just doesn’t discuss some of the more interesting scenes. But I could be wrong.
Um, Nicole Kidman grew up in Australia. Reference the 1983 masterpiece “BMX Bandits” for proof.
You’re kidding. Nicole Kidman is Australian?! Wow, how did I never hear that over her decades-long, storied career!My point is that Liane Moriarty is an Australian writer who sets her books in Australia. Setting BLL in Monterey made sense as a setting change; it just amuses me that they ended up filming in Australia anyway and stacking it with a primarily American cast.
Oh it amuses me as well (and I’m sure everyone who might post here knows she’s Australian though she’s not playing a character who in the book is Australian and here is American, so that poster’s point confuses me 😛 )
Agreed, I wish they hadn’t adapted this one to the States. It’s filmed in Australia and like half the actors are Australians pretending not to be. Why not just have the retreat be in Australia, but happen to have a handful of Americans there so they can still have their big-name American actor draws?
Or 2008’s Australia, for which Baz Luhrmann wanted an entirely Australian cast.She actually did a ton of work in Australia at the beginning of her career, including the excellent Dead Calm. Then she moved to Hollywood and shared an apartment with her Aussie pal Naomi Watts.
Besides Nicole Kidman, there are two other main cast members who are Australian: Samara Weaving (Jessica) and Asher Keddie (Heather).
none of the cast are Australian – saving one semi-extraLet me get this straight. You bothered to check the nationality of a “semi-extra” (I’m guessing that refers to the non-binary Masha’s employee played by Zoe Terakes), and yet you failed to realize Samara Weaving and Asher Keddie are Australians?(I’m willing to ignore the apparent oversight of Nicole Kidman, because I take that was some form of a joke about her not feeling Australian anymore?)
I realized when I reread my comment that I mistyped. What I had meant to say was that none of the *characters* are australian (except for the semi-extra). It just seems silly to make them all American (and Luke Evans).
Pretty sure it would be sillier if they were all Australians, since the setting has been moved to Northern California.
But, again, why change the location? Why not have it set in Australia? Tranquilum is supposed to be a hush-hush but very hoity-toity resort – there’s no reason that a successful (well, previously) author and a retired football player couldn’t fly over. Michael Shannon maybe can’t nail an Australian accent (though I doubt it; there’s nothing he can’t do) but the actress playing Heather is Australian. They could have easily been a middle-class Australian family like they are in the book.I mean, is it the worst thing in the world? Nah. It just seems funny to me that they’re adapting a book from a very successful Australian author who specifically only sets her books in AU and the producer is Australian and they’re filming it in Australia and several of the actors are Australian but they’re going to set it in . . . California.It made sense* in BLL, because the concept of posh moms is familiar in America, but I don’t see any reason why they couldn’t have kept this one in Australia.*It actually kind of didn’t, because the school is a public school. There are certain fancy-ass public schools in America, but I would think the moms in BLL would have chosen private school for their precious babies. A posh public school in Australia makes a little more sense.
But, again, why change the location? Because it’s the default mode for US television when it comes to adaptations from preexisting sources. When adapting from other TV shows as well. The Bridge was originally about the Sweden-Denmark border; they moved it to the USA-Mexico border. Jane the Virgin was set in Venezuela; they moved it to Miami. Being Human was set in Bristol, not Boston. Homeland was set in Israel. And so on and so forth.What can I tell you, Americans want to see Americans on their screens. Often they’ll be Americans played by British or Australian actors.Although, to be fair, there’s an argument to be made about a setting that plays as foreign to the target audience becoming a distraction in itself. An Australian audience/readership wouldn’t find nothing “exotic” in a story set in Australia. They would feel so if the story was set, say, in Arizona. And vice versa. The setting can be a powerful element in a visual medium, it can take over the focus.
Samara Weaving is killing it as Jessica, in my opinion. She’s got that great combo of seeming very vapid and very naïve at the same time.She’s one of my top favorites of her generation. She was great in The Babysitter, Mayhem, Ready or Not, the Picnic at Hanging Rock miniseries, and even in her small role in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.And she’s usually cast in confident, assertive roles. Here, she wears the character’s insecurities on her sleeve. Which is also an unexpected approach to the depiction of a social media influencer, although it makes you wonder how good at that Jessica actually is.