in

Mr. Mercedes S3E8 “Mommy Deadest”

Marjorie Saubers passed out on the kitchen floor, Morris sits on the floor screaming in frustration

The most surprising thing about this week’s episode is that Pete’s mommy did not, in fact, end up dead. The way Morris has botched up everything else this season, it seemed almost a certainty. Luckily for her, this was only one of those titles that came from the dialogue, not things that actually happened.

Once again, no Bruce Dern. No mid-episode musical montage. In fact, not a lot of music period in this episode (with one notable exception I’ll mention below). One other strange formatting change this week was that they rolled straight into the opening credits after the “previously on” clips. That had me hyped up that this was going to be a high action episode, finally getting past all of the setup. But alas, not yet. Next episode, I’m sure.

Lou outside the jail fence, looking stunned at Holly
Lou is stunned by Holly’s offer.

“I’m not actually, Brady is. Was.”

Lou finally goes free. Although not totally free, as Finkelstein continually reminds her. She stays looped in with the Finders Keepers crew when she becomes roomies with Holly. Strange that Holly wants consistency and routine in her life as an excuse to reject Morris, yet she invites chaos incarnate into her home in the form of Lou. Lou who still thinks she can differentiate between when Brady is helping and hurting her.

Lou also starts what might be a new career for her, under Finkelstein’s guidance: interviews, book deals, maybe even a movie. Sounds lucrative. Lou takes her moment in the spotlight to wax on about all of the injustices in the world. Maybe Brady even likes this idea. It certainly gives him a platform to express his views. He might just make Lou the poster child of the 99% movement.

Or viciously murder her and everyone she cares about. We’ll see.

Alma stands in her shed in front of a tied up Marjorie, waggling her finger at her
Alma advises Marjorie to do a better job picking friends next time.

“I know, sorry. You need to pick your friends better.”

Speaking of vicious murderers, Alma and Morris actually had a pretty good plan for once. Wait until she’s at home alone. Make sure to grab her phone. Keep the husband from calling the cops. And even though poor Morris got all banged up again, they actually did manage to kidnap Marjorie.

The real question is, when will Alma and Morris turn on each other, and which one will be left standing? Now that they’re keeping Pete’s mom in Alma’s shed, my bet would be that Morris finds some sort of artifact of Danielle having been there, and an argument ensues. Hopefully not another finger, please.

Finklestein and Peter sit in an old church with large stained glass windows
Finkelstein advises Pete on just how bad his situation is from a legal standpoint.

“You’re not going to like this.”

What I loved most in this episode though was how tightly woven all the characters have become in the various plots. Pete goes to his favorite teacher Mrs. Silver for help. She in turn hooks him up with your friendly neighborhood lawyer, Mr. Finkelstein. He asks Bill to put in a good word with his friend DA Montez. I was initially skeptical about what seemed like the forced way they were trying to make Ira relevant to the story for this third season. Yet in the end now, it seems completely natural and inevitable. The talk show host even manages to connect Halliday’s murder to Lou’s de facto acquittal.

That said, with only two more episodes to go, I’m beginning to wonder if the Brady subplot is going to be resolved. I’ve pretty much resigned myself to the idea that this is most likely going to be the final season. Brendan Gleeson already has a very high profile gig coming up playing, of all people, Donald Trump (it’s true). So honestly, I’m expecting an ending here, not a cliffhanger. Is Lou right that Brady could never talk her into hurting her “family?” With Lou’s trial having ended well and the Rothstein case about to blow wide open, does Brady really have a chance anymore of getting in Bill’s head?

I’d say “no” to all of those questions. It feels like there’s not enough time, even though two hours is the equivalent of a summer blockbuster movie duration, so there’s really all the time in the world.

Roland and Lou sit on a morning talk show set
Lou and Finkelstein on a morning talk show.

Quick Takes

A couple of quick takes on the rest of the episode:

  • Sanctuary laws? Peter is so cute.
  • Also, the thing with him waving the gun at the phone. Like that’s going to help.
  • Boogers is officially the worst guard dog on television.
  • I don’t know why, but “Mack the Knife” playing in the background during Morris’ B&E just cracked me up.
  • Bill and Jerome sitting at the counter pretending not to overhear Holly breaking up with Roland was also amusing. Their discomfort was palatable.
  • What the hell was that “pick your nose” stuff all about? So Alma kept that finger as a souvenir from killing Andrew? That really seemed unnecessary, even more so than the constant Morris and Alma boning scenes.

The best lines of this episode:

  • “God sends manna from Heaven, but cash tends to drop from more ordinary sources.”
  • “You’re the closest thing I have to family.” “Which is what you said to Brady before shooting him in the eye socket.”
  • “Not really. The government is free to go after the church, it just chooses not to.”
  • “If you want to take the pulse of America, just look who the President is.”
  • “We’re living large, Morris. Nothing more you could ask out of life.”
  • “She fought like a fucking wolverine!”
  • “It’s not perfect, believe me. Look at this shit job I’m doing!”
A diner cook lies dead over the counter, a large knife in his back
Stephen King’s cameo from Season 1.

Mr. Mercedes in the News

You’d think Halloween week would be a busy time for Stephen King related news, but somehow it’s turned out to be fairly quiet. I found only one new interview. The A.V. Club interviewed Justine Lupe (Holly Gibney) about the growth of her character over three seasons of Mr. Mercedes, among other things (October 29).

Since we have a light week, I’ll direct you to a fun little fluff piece titled “The 8 Best Stephen King Cameos In TV Shows And Movies Adapted From His Books” on CinemaBlend. Pretty self-explanatory, though probably worth mentioning that the list is apparently in no particular order. King’s cameo in Episode 6 of Season 1 of Mr. Mercedes, as a diner cook that Brady fantasizes about murdering, made the list. This scene is actually part of the opening credits montage for Season 3, right after his credit as executive producer. I have to admit, I’ve missed noticing that all season. Nice touch.

Season 3 of Mr. Mercedes airs Tuesdays at 10pm ET/PT on AT&T AUDIENCE Network. AT&T AU//DIENCE Network is available on all AT&T video platforms including DIRECTV CH. 239, AT&T TV NOW, and U-verse.

Written by Brien Allen

Brien Allen is the last of the original crazy people who responded to this nutjob on Facebook wanting to start an online blog prior to Twin Peaks S3. Some of his other favorite shows have been Vr.5, Buffy, Lost, Stargate: Universe, The OA, and Counterpart. He's an OG BBSer, Trekkie, Blue Blaze Irregular, and former semi-professional improviser. He is also a staunch defender of putting two spaces after a period, but has been told to shut up and color.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *