AMC's The Terror: Infamy - Episode 2.02 "All the Demons Are Still in Hell"
In the wake of Pearl Harbor, the Terminal Islanders are evicted from their homes by the US Army and must find shelter elsewhere. While Henry, separated from his family, faces injustice at the hands of the government, Chester engages in a paranoid search for answers surrounding the mysterious events of the past weeks.
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 AMC's The Terror: Infamy.
"All the Demons Are Still in Hell" was written by Tony Tost and directed by Josef Kubota Wladyka
There is certainly a sinister energy throughout the proceedings so far. And yet, that mostly comes from the audience's understanding of just how timely this story continues to be. It's heartbreaking when soldiers arrive at the orphanage to take these innocent children away from the one place where they felt safe. The government doesn't care that they don't have parents. It doesn't care that they are children. Anyone with Japanese blood could be seen as a spy. As such, they have to be rounded up and removed from society. It's so tragic. It means this hour focuses on the trauma that comes from having to leave the communities where they found a home in America. Terminal Island was a place where so many people of Japanese descent could find peace and prosperity. And now, they are forced out of that community and into horse stables and quickly built internment camps. It's absolutely sickening. It's fascinating to see how people still want to maintain as much dignity as possible. Some of the younger children may not know why their new confinements smell so much. It's because this is a place for animals and not humans. But Asako tries to make the best of this depressing situation. She has no idea what has happened to her husband. He has been taken away to South Dakota along with the other local leaders from their community. They are subjected to loyalty tests to see if they truly love this country or could be operating as spies. Henry is repeating the same phrase over and over again. He is a simple fisherman who loves this country. He would never do anything to jeopardize it. He isn't a spy. But that doesn't change the minds of those determined to look at him as less than. In fact, they may only see him, Furuya and Nobuhiro as good for bringing fish back to this prison. That may be a skill that will keep them useful. But they are perpetually living in fear that what happened to their friends from the community could happen to them as well. Their numbers are dwindling. They have to rely on each other for support. That means they are all unified when it comes to targeting the man who is actually undercover for the Department of Justice. He names people as spies simply because the government has to reach some quota to make it seem like all of this is worth it. Innocent lives are lost simply because the government needs to believe that the Japanese community is inherently sinister and distrustful. That's not true at all. Instead, they are a loving people who believe that the spirits of the world must be angry with them somehow. That's the only way that they can make sense of what's happened to them. They have been stripped of their dignity. Their lives have been completely destroyed for no good reason. In fact, it seems as if Chester is being haunted by the spirit of Yuko. Nobuhiro is certain that a bakemono is haunting the people from Terminal Island. The spirit may actually be with the rest of the Nakayama family. That may be where the true concern lies. Chester aspires to do the right thing. He is stepping up as the man he should be in this cruel and terrifying world. He is comforting to the family and friends who need him now more than ever. And yet, he also feels the pull to protect Luz after she is targeted simply for continuing her pregnancy. There may be some solace from these families staying together as well as they can during this trying time. Chester and Luz reunite with his family. But his father is still away in another state while they are transported to Oregon. Meanwhile, Amy loses her father because he goes crazy the moment he sees Yuko. That doesn't really make a whole lot of sense at the moment. With Yuko, she is just an unnerving presence instead of a threat that is easy to understand. It's hard to exactly correlate that to the larger issues and oppression happening at the hands of the American government.
