Summary
Episode 3 sees tensions escalate as the rottenness that navigates around the community is growing. The themes centre around oppression and racism in 60s America while a growing evil lurks under the Emory household.
This recap of Amazon’s Them season 1, episode 3, “DAY 4”, contains spoilers.
Episode 3 opens with Lucky feeling tormented by the woman who sang “Black Joe” to her in episode one, but then she wakes up. It’s now “DAY 4”. When she enters the garden, a young boy is urinating on her laundry hanging in the garden; she chases him down the street. The neighbours all look at her like she’s the crazy one again. Lucky rings her friend Hazel and tells her how she wants to “slap a bitch”.
Lucky is slowly losing her mind in this place, and she’s alone with these thoughts as her husband refuses to accept that where they’ve moved to us rotten.
Buying a TV
Henry and his daughters head out to buy a television. The TV shop owner comments how he assumes they have 100 cousins who will want to watch their television. Henry suddenly looks at a television screen to see a comedian doing “Blackface”. Henry makes a purchase anyway.
When Henry gets home, he tries to install a TV signal on the roof, but a few neighbourhood men soon surround him. They want him to come down and tell his side of the story regarding his wife chasing one of their kids. Henry tells them to join him on the roof, but they get scared.
Visiting family
Lucky decides to visit her friends, acquaintances and family to have a break from her new neighbourhood. She tells them that she feels welcome around family and requests they visit her in Compton as it’s close. One of the members brings up a black family who had a terrible time in that area of Compton. One of them wishes her luck and the social gathering becomes overwhelming for her. It’s dawning on her that black people are scared of the area she lives in, and she’s right in the epicentre of the rottenness.
Audiences can feel the escalation with each chapter.
Betty leads the community meeting
Betty and the neighbourhood have a community meeting about the black family. She’s irked because her husband hasn’t shown up on time. One of the men stands up and says they need to get the black family out using a “slow and steady” approach. Betty stands up and explains that their ancestors built their world and that the men seem to be fine doing it “slow and steady”, but compares the black family to mould. George smiles at her as she gives her speech.
It’s incredible how Betty delivers this speech — she expects the men of the community to do whatever it takes to get rid of the black family — she doesn’t even care at what cost. She’s well and truly focused on the presence of the Emory family.
Bus terror
Lucky gets a bus back to Compton, but suddenly, the transportation is empty. The lights flicker, and there is a heavily scarred man in front of her with a top hat. As she tries to get off the bus, she’s grabbed by multiple hands, and the man with the top hat looks down at her. Eventually, she wakes up, and the bus driver tells her to get off. A police officer drives her back home. The cop tells her that the bus was empty and that she keeps showing strange behaviour. He says her if it continues, he’ll have to pick a side.
The ending
Lucky tells Henry that there is something wrong with the place they’ve moved into, something rotten. She wants Henry to believe her. Henry does not indicate that he believes her, so she walks off upset.
Outside, Clarke and the men pour fuel outside the Emory family home and set it on fire. Betty watches with a smile on her face — the fire reads “N****r Heaven”.
Them season 1, episode 3 sees tensions escalate as the rottenness that navigates around the community is growing. The themes centre around oppression and racism in 60s America while a growing evil lurks under the Emory household.
Additional points
- Betty tells George that they cannot have their usual time. George makes a joke to cheer her up.
