Dusty and Cass host a dinner as she wrestles with what her Morpho card might mean. Deerfield's citizens start making drastic life changes.
Cass submitted her information to the Morpho machine before Dusty even knew it existed. She was still shopping for birthday presents when she was encouraged to try it. She thought the results were a joke. It wasn't illuminating to the life she's living. Royalty is such a vague term. It could indicate some kind of royal bloodline she never knew about. Her mother certainly takes it to mean her daughter has an entitled attitude. That's not how Cass would define her relationship with her mother. Izzy wields a lot of power in Deerfield. She is the longtime mayor of this city. She received complete clarity with her results. They affirmed the career she had before she became a mother. She was a dancer who had to give all of that up. She forged a new path for herself. Her career makes her happy. But she always delivers these constant digs at Cass. It's done with the hint of her daughter never being good enough. Dusty is certainly content with the life he built with Cass. He has never questioned it before. And yet, this story may have nothing to do with happiness ultimately. It's simply a question of if that is good enough. A new path is potentially revealed. It's then up to the person what meaning they seek from it. The results only matter if the people give it that power. Cass wants royalty to mean something. It takes days for her to truly accept the word. It's significant when she struts down the street with it stylized on her new shirt. It gives her confidence to go into her mother's store and demand respect for her worth. Of course, she doesn't quite do so with enough conviction and specificity to really make a lasting impact. It's all about introducing a new mindset into life. Cass has never questioned her happiness either. She's not suggesting she's miserable. She simply ponders if she could be happier. Should this be all she expects out of life? Or is it possible for her to push herself even further? Dusty has long been contained to this town. Cass escaped for a semester. She traveled to Italy for a study abroad program. She delights in saying she has seen the world. It's not that impressive to Dusty. It happened two decades ago. He's been to Europe as well. However, it's an argument about semantics. He came from Ireland. He has never returned. He has never had a reason to. He had all that his life ever needed. The machine affirms that reality. He found his purpose. That should be good enough. Of course, he doesn't feel that way. As such, everyone around him essentially needs to know that too. They have to examine what their personal results mean while also managing how Dusty is reacting. It's a lot of emotional support they must give. He needs to make sense of these mysteries. Not everything has an easy answer even though the Morpho machine suggests a life can be summed up in one word. Dusty was lucky in a way because he received a slash. That encompassed more than one aspect of his life. It's still not that impressive to him. It's certainly not enough for him to change everything like his parents do despite their relative happiness together.
The season apparently structures its episodes around the individual story of how one character reacts to their results. The episodes are titled after who that character is. As such, the premiere was "Dusty" and the second episode is "Cass." However, Cass doesn't have exclusive control over this episode. She shares the spotlight with all the concerns from Dusty that were introduced previously. The focus ultimately has to be shared. Time is even spent with Jacob as he's the next individual to have his life potential shared. He declares that these words aren't destiny. It's not going to happen regardless of how a person reacts. It's simply what could occur. It's not set in stone. That should uplift spirits. However, his peers largely turn on him. He clearly carries baggage from a trauma that occurred before the series started. That provides Dusty with a reasonable excuse to give him some leeway in his actions. Hopefully, that is fleshed out further in Jacob's spotlight episode. He will have to reckon with becoming the hero the results said he would be. In this instance, the principal needs saving after driving off the road in her new bike. The biggest laughs so far have been her reactions to seeing people on the street as she rides her new vehicle. It has brought her so much joy. It didn't come at the expense of anything. It simply enhanced who she was meant to be. She could expand her world with this new item. Of course, she needs to know how to ride it responsibly. She knows to act cautiously after injuring herself. She voices her support of Jacob as her hero. That puts the machine's results in new context for him. He's still tentative about embracing them. However, he's willing to share them with the world. Lives are being charged. The store owner wants to celebrate the most unique readings from the machine. These potentials are being revealed for all to embrace. Dusty rightfully believes it must be a scam. And yet, the store isn't technologically-equipped to handle this massive data-mining machine for nefarious purposes. It's not looking for repeat customers. The results are the same every single time. It's not promoting some company looking to make huge profits off this information. It's meant to reveal the individuality of every single person. That's an uplifting note. Dusty doesn't buy it. And yes, everyone should be skeptical given the information the machine requires. A social security number and fingerprints should be carefully guarded. That's powerful information. Lives can be ruined if those details are exploited. No one is all that concerned about that possibility. Instead, it's all about the inward journey. That's what matters so long as people believe that it does. They are aspirational that way even though they should be realistic about what's given up to receive this tease of life potential. It's complicated and the story doesn't always seem like it knows what to do with these big ideas. Instead, it moves to be more grounded in characters and the ways in which their lives are actually funny - like Dusty and his father showcasing the skills they never knew each other had.
