HBO’s updated version of Ingmar Bergman’s classic Swedish miniseries is many things, an actor’s showcase among them, but it’s not exactly the kind of show teeming with “plot” as we typically understand it. That makes predicting the next episode a difficult proposition since you’re really trying to figure out what the show is trying to say, thematically. There are major indicators, of course — anyone could tell this is a story about a couple who aren’t as close and stable as they like to pretend — but it isn’t always obvious precisely what form that will take. More will doubtlessly be revealed in Scenes From a Marriage episode 2, but we’ll get to that momentarily. For now, let’s briefly summarize what happened in the premiere so we know where we stand:
- Jonathan and Mira are “happily” married and have been for ten years, even though when a psychology grad student interviews them about their thoughts on marriage, gender norms, and monogamy, neither seems to have a concrete idea of what their marriage actually means, either to themselves or their partner.
- Mira apparently has a pattern of borderline abusive relationships.
- Jon and Mira have friends, Peter and Kate, whose marriage is less stable. During a boozy dinner, the latter kisses Mira, but it’s written off as just drunk people being drunk.
- There’s a hint that there were difficulties following the birth of Jon and Mira’s daughter, Ava, perhaps post-natal depression, which is a problem since Mira discovers she is pregnant again. After a discussion, both agree that they want the baby, but then in the next scene, Mira gets an abortion.
Scenes From a Marriage episode 2 release date
“Poli” will premiere on September 19, 2021, at 9 pm ET on HBO. It is the second of five hour-long episodes.
Where to watch online
As mentioned above, the latest episode will be available on HBO, either through cable subscription, or services such as DirecTV, Xfinity, Spectrum, and YouTube TV. HBO Max will also stream the episode.
Predictions and potential spoilers
If every episode takes the form of snapshots of this marriage, it’s hard to predict the specifics. This is the official episode synopsis: When Mira returns from a business trip with a crushing revelation, she and Jonathan struggle to process the complicated aftershock. Based on that and what we saw in the first episode we can make some logical assumptions:
- Jon and Mira’s relationship is inevitably going to degrade, probably quickly, and one assumes that whatever revelation Mira has will be the catalyst for their separation.
- What’s the revelation, though? Has she had an affair? That seems the likeliest, if most cliched, option. But it could be something else that threatens the balance they work so hard to cultivate. Remember, she’s the breadwinner. Has she been given a new opportunity elsewhere? And where would that leave Jonathan?
- We don’t know how long “Poli” will be set after the premiere, so it’s hard to say how much Mira’s abortion will continue to have ripple effects on the marriage, but one must assume it’ll still be felt.
- A cursory Google search suggests that the word “poli” is Latin, translating roughly to “polish” or “smooth”. Outside of maintaining a facade, it’s hard to guess how that might pertain to the events of the episode.
