Beck heads out of town to rendezvous with the man she's been texting with "The Captain." Joe, of course, follows. And he's shocked by what he finds. Faced with her own duplicity, Beck realizes she and Joe are going to have to bring a scary level of truth and authenticity if their connection is to have any chance of growing.
In 2018, it has become very difficult to keep up with every television show out there. It's even more difficult to provide adequate coverage on this site about the episodes that air every week. Not every show can get full coverage because of my busy and hectic viewing schedule. As such, some reviews will now be condensed to give only some summary thoughts. But it also affords a space for me to jot down my thoughts on the various episodes. And so, here are my thoughts on this week's episode of Lifetime's You.
"The Captain" was written by Michael Foley and directed by Victoria Mahoney
"The Captain" breaks from the structure of the show so far to have Beck be the narrator of her own story for a little bit. Through the first three episodes, the story has always been told through Joe's delusional perspective. He's the one always questioning the actions of the other characters and trying to justify his actions as a way to help them be better. He wants to fix Beck. He only sees a broken and damaged woman who makes terrible choices. He sees her potential even though he isn't really present in a genuine way to see her write or confront her friends and family about their problems. It's important to get Beck's perspective. To her, this relationship is much more romantic. She sees Joe as a completely genuine and authentic guy. She is drawn to him because he seems so confident with his own identity. He doesn't seek validation from others through social media. He's perfectly content with the life he has. Him not having any aspirations beyond being the owner of this book store doesn't bother Beck. It's a concern to someone like Peach who wants her best friend to aspire to date someone who comes from the upper class who can help give her a life that can support her writing. She sees book stores as a diminishing business that won't be around forever even though many of these characters can appreciate finding a rare edition of a certain book. But to Beck, it's much more concerning when Joe is only able to last a couple of seconds during sex. That was the awkward way that things ended last week. They are living in that uncertain aftermath at the top of this hour. They are both wondering what the other is thinking. They are both so incredibly insecure. Beck has every right to be because she has to wonder if the guy she likes is worth it if the sex isn't that great. For her entire life, she has been conditioned into believing she needs this component in order to have a healthy relationship. She thinks it's still worth it. And in the end, she is rewarded with that patience because their second time is much more passionate and arousing. It's the moment she was hoping to have. She also sees it as Joe revealing more about his life. And yet, she's still completely oblivious to all of the noticeable warning signs around her. Joe has all of the evidence that he has been stalking Beck around her apartment. She is just too distracted because she wants to show her appreciation for him talking to her honestly about what she needs to do with her father. That's the big reveal of this episode. At first, it seems like Beck has yet another secret lover who is bound to make Joe jealous. She is even willing to profess her love for him. And yet, that's why it is so crucial to hear Beck's side of the story. When she is narrating the events, she is able to explain that this is her father and his new family. She doesn't get along with any of them. She doesn't want to come for this festival. But she feels an obligation to do so because he sent the money to buy a new outfit. It's only through context that Joe is able to understand that this is a very personal secret in Beck's life. She sees it as proof that she's messy and a fraud. She wants to be more like Joe. That's what draws her further into this bond. It's also what establishes that it's going to be so incredibly painful and tragic once she learns the truth. She finally gets the validation from her writing that she has always desired. Blythe has phenomenal comments to say about her latest piece. That came out of Beck being raw and vulnerable. It proves that she is capable of being a good writer. She just has to deal with all of the uncertainty swirling around her life. She needs to be more decisive. But right now, she is associating that with this new relationship that is only going to hurt her in the end. And yet, could that also be beneficial for her writing? Only time will tell.
"The Captain" was written by Michael Foley and directed by Victoria Mahoney"The Captain" breaks from the structure of the show so far to have Beck be the narrator of her own story for a little bit. Through the first three episodes, the story has always been told through Joe's delusional perspective. He's the one always questioning the actions of the other characters and trying to justify his actions as a way to help them be better. He wants to fix Beck. He only sees a broken and damaged woman who makes terrible choices. He sees her potential even though he isn't really present in a genuine way to see her write or confront her friends and family about their problems. It's important to get Beck's perspective. To her, this relationship is much more romantic. She sees Joe as a completely genuine and authentic guy. She is drawn to him because he seems so confident with his own identity. He doesn't seek validation from others through social media. He's perfectly content with the life he has. Him not having any aspirations beyond being the owner of this book store doesn't bother Beck. It's a concern to someone like Peach who wants her best friend to aspire to date someone who comes from the upper class who can help give her a life that can support her writing. She sees book stores as a diminishing business that won't be around forever even though many of these characters can appreciate finding a rare edition of a certain book. But to Beck, it's much more concerning when Joe is only able to last a couple of seconds during sex. That was the awkward way that things ended last week. They are living in that uncertain aftermath at the top of this hour. They are both wondering what the other is thinking. They are both so incredibly insecure. Beck has every right to be because she has to wonder if the guy she likes is worth it if the sex isn't that great. For her entire life, she has been conditioned into believing she needs this component in order to have a healthy relationship. She thinks it's still worth it. And in the end, she is rewarded with that patience because their second time is much more passionate and arousing. It's the moment she was hoping to have. She also sees it as Joe revealing more about his life. And yet, she's still completely oblivious to all of the noticeable warning signs around her. Joe has all of the evidence that he has been stalking Beck around her apartment. She is just too distracted because she wants to show her appreciation for him talking to her honestly about what she needs to do with her father. That's the big reveal of this episode. At first, it seems like Beck has yet another secret lover who is bound to make Joe jealous. She is even willing to profess her love for him. And yet, that's why it is so crucial to hear Beck's side of the story. When she is narrating the events, she is able to explain that this is her father and his new family. She doesn't get along with any of them. She doesn't want to come for this festival. But she feels an obligation to do so because he sent the money to buy a new outfit. It's only through context that Joe is able to understand that this is a very personal secret in Beck's life. She sees it as proof that she's messy and a fraud. She wants to be more like Joe. That's what draws her further into this bond. It's also what establishes that it's going to be so incredibly painful and tragic once she learns the truth. She finally gets the validation from her writing that she has always desired. Blythe has phenomenal comments to say about her latest piece. That came out of Beck being raw and vulnerable. It proves that she is capable of being a good writer. She just has to deal with all of the uncertainty swirling around her life. She needs to be more decisive. But right now, she is associating that with this new relationship that is only going to hurt her in the end. And yet, could that also be beneficial for her writing? Only time will tell.
