TBS' Angie Tribeca - Episode 4.04 "Just the Fat, Ma'am"
Tribeca is sent undercover to investigate a string of dead models from "Popular Magazine." The only catch, the fingerprints on all of the bodies belong to dead Peruvian men. The remainder of the team heads to Peru to investigate.
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. Premieres and finales may feature longer reviews. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the next episode of TBS' Angie Tribeca.
"Just the Fat, Ma'am" was written by Greg Bratman and directed by Brennan Shroff
Sometimes all it takes is the right guest star to make any given story truly pop on this show. Sure, there is never any question about Anjelica Huston's magazine editor, Anna Summour, being the killer at the center of the mystery. However, it's absolutely delightful to see her in this Devil Wears Prada parody in which she is the demanding boss who expects everyone to conform to a certain way even though she's absolutely mesmerized by the cop attire that Angie eventually puts together on the mannequin. This episode also welcomes back Deon Cole as Detective Tanner. He was one of the major cast members who just mysteriously vanished with the new premise this season. Sure, he is still listed alongside the rest of the series regulars here. However, it seems likely that he will only continue to make sporadic appearances moving forward. He's incredibly busy with regular stints on Black-ish and Grown-ish as well. Plus, Tanner's presence here ensures that there is no doubt about Anna's guilt. In the regular version of this story, the competitive fashion assistant who is eager to be picked to join Anna for Fashion Week in Baghdad would be an equally viable suspect in Angie's investigation. Putting Tanner in that specific role where he is also undercover investigating some nefarious aspect of this company ensures that the focus remains squarely on Anna. It also proves to be a transformational experience for Angie as well. She goes into this job not caring about her appearance whatsoever. To her, clothes aren't something to be obsessed about. They serve a specific function. But it's also very amusing how the show accentuates Angie's bad style in the beginning by throwing her into a garbage bag only to see her wear a more posh outfit the longer that she works for Anna. And then, it's immediately back to the clothes that she traditionally wears because that's the idea that suddenly takes Anna aback with love and inspiration. It's such a crazy journey. It's one that takes her away from the Special Division Force as well. She is committed to the team. But she also finds herself easily distracted by this new world of being an assistant to a high-profile celebrity. She is balancing so much. She can't keep up with all of the updates the rest of the team has. Her ignorance almost gets her killed as well. There is just one innocuous comment about fat sucked out of Peruvian men being in the moisturizer that fuels Anna's need to eliminate the person who could expose her crimes. Angie doesn't understand that Atkins and AJ actually went down to Peru to examine the deaths and even had a body shipped back to the states for Scholls to examine. It still all comes back to the same conclusion. Angie is the one who ultimately takes down Anna during Fashion Week. Well, it's technically Tanner who is wise enough to know that Angie's food has been poisoned. Atkins and AJ are stuck on the tarmac because they can't fly the plane. That's so ridiculous and silly. But it still's very sweet as well because it shows that there truly is an appreciation for one another amongst these characters. Plus, it's just abundantly clear that Anjelica Huston was having so much fun with this role.
