Summary
Laura’s past comes back to haunt her, and Andy discovers exactly what secrets her mother has been hiding.
This recap of Netflix’s Pieces Of Her season 1, episode 2 contains spoilers.
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Previously on Pieces Of Her, the hero of the day Laura Oliver was tied up and tortured by an unknown intruder. This time the roles were reversed and it was Andy who rescued her mother, springing into action without hesitation. She knocked the criminal to the floor, his weapon was discharged and the man was left for dead. A shrewd Laura gave daughter Andrea a set of swift instructions and the birthday girl was off. It was an electrifying opener that undoubtedly convinced audiences to return for a second helping of this top-notch drama. Episode two is a more subtle outing but still packs a punch.
Pieces Of Her season 1, episode 2 recap
The recurring flashback of Andy in a snowy cabin flickers by and she quickly wakes at the wheel of the stolen car. On the run from the police, with her mother’s orders still ringing in her ears, Andy drives erratically, swerving all over the place. The girl’s a nervous wreck, with bloodied, shaking hands she buys herself a map of Georgia and exits the petrol station. At a local library, she searches for the storage center Laura mentioned but is side-tracked by news stories of yesterday’s shooting. She anxiously hunts for any reference to the man she murdered the night before. There are further flashes of the event. The filmmakers make great use of this editing technique, effectively placing us in either Andy or Laura’s mind at a second’s notice.
Her mother is busy herself, deflecting questions from the detectives and doing a stellar job of covering up the break-in and accidental murder. Laura is a great liar, which begs the question, is this something she’s used to doing? Why does it come so naturally to her? Every decision and directive is carefully considered. She works like a trained operative. The speech therapist calls her ex (Gordon Oliver) and he speeds over to her defense. Their conversation is beset with indicators of a dark past. Little snippets of information are continually eked out. Laura tells him that ‘this was part of the deal’, then reveals that the intruder is actually still alive and now their hostage.
The ending
Meanwhile, poor Andy is hunted by hooded figures and chased through a foreign town. She makes it to the storage facility and finds Laura’s stowed backup car. Investigating within, Andy finds a gun, a suitcase full of money, and many fake ids of Laura’s multiple disguises. Her mum is clearly involved in something rather suspicious, it all points towards a history of espionage, Laura’s double life.
Feeling close to breaking point, an unhinged Andy books into a motel and walks to the adjacent bar. Inside she chats up a man who calls himself Jack and the stranger teaches her how to fire a gun. A little tipsy she goes in for a kiss but recognizes a rabbit’s foot in his car’s mirror that triggers a memory. She realizes she can’t trust anyone anymore and races back to her motel room. Andy reloads her weapon, barricading herself inside, ready to fight for her life.
Part two is a slower affair, one that drip feeds information whilst building on the main cast of characters. Andy is close to breaking point and doesn’t know who to trust. Her own mother has a secret identity and a criminal past. In addition, her latest fling may well be out to kill her. It’s a dangerous life, but we’ve come to expect the unexpected in this thriller. This may be a less action-packed episode, yet there is still lots to enjoy and many more secrets to explore.
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