Summary
Loot provides a welcome focus on its supporting characters, with Nicholas’s subplot in particular being very good.
Season 2 of Loot got off to a good start in its two-part premiere, catching us up on Molly’s exploits and teasing some of her future problems. But Episode 3, “Vengeance Falls”, welcomely shifts focus to other members of the Wells Foundation, namely Sofia and Nicholas, to funny and, in the case of the latter, surprisingly touching effect.
One of the key mysteries underpinning the episode is whether or not Sofia is a Swiftie. This doesn’t sound especially interesting, but it’s pretty funny and reveals something illuminating about her character (eventually).
Why Sofia Hides Being A Swiftie
Loot Season 2 Episode 3 (via Apple TV+)
If you’re wondering where Isaac is, so are we. He’s one of a couple of subplots from the premiere, along with Howard’s planned wrestling league and John’s space venture, that aren’t brought up at all here.
But the Swiftie thing is fine for now. During a morning meeting, Howard notices Sofia looking down at her phone when he and Ainsley get a notification about Taylor Swift concert tickets being on sale. Assuming she got the same notification, Howard begins to investigate and discovers that the only days off Sofia has ever taken have coincided with Taylor Swift concerts.
Howard confronts Sofia about this in presentation form. She denies it, vehemently, claiming she booked the time off to attend to a dying great-aunt.
When Howard visits Sofia at home to apologize, he finds a vinyl copy of Evermore hidden in the sleeve of a Marvin Gaye record. The secret is out. Sofia is a Swiftie, but she keeps it a secret to continue to be taken seriously as a hard-working Afro-Latina. I’m not sure how well that justification holds up — Howard isn’t exactly white, after all, and his music interests seem to be the least of his problems — but it’s nice to get a more vulnerable insight into Sofia’s character.
Nicholas Has A Tricky Relationship With His Conservative Parents
Loot Season 2 Episode 3 (via Apple TV+)
The other half of Loot Season 2 Episode 3 focuses on Nicholas’s relationship with his parents — and, in a roundabout way, his relationship with Molly.
Nicholas has landed a role in a very sexually explicit play — “Vengeance Falls” opens with him hilariously rehearsing his part with Molly — and when he admits that he hasn’t invited his parents to the opening night, Molly takes it upon herself to do so.
Nicholas is visibly uncomfortable seeing his parents, but not for any of the usual reasons — it’s because they’re conservative. I don’t think he means politically conservative, per se, but more socially conservative; they wince at the idea of adult language or anything similarly uncouth. Mostly, they just seem boring.
The episode’s title “Vengeance Falls” is the name of the play, if you were wondering.
With his parents in the crowd, Nicholas butchers his role in Vengeance Falls by rewriting all the dialogue on the fly so it’s less offensive to their sensibilities. This is funny, but also quietly tragic. And it doesn’t go unnoticed by Molly.
Molly Tries (And Fails) To Get By On Her Own
Loot Season 2 Episode 3 (via Apple TV+)
This leads to an argument between Molly and Nicholas, in which he accuses her of being unable to get by without considerable help. This is a fair point, and Molly spends the rest of the episode proving it correct.
Molly is ultimately foiled by a smoke detector that keeps going off. She eventually ends up locked in her panic room, leaving Nicholas to come to the rescue. Obviously, this is a good opportunity for them to repair their relationship.
Also worthy of note: Everything Maya Rudolph does in this sequence is hilarious.
At the end of “Vengeance Falls”, Nicholas offers to take his parents out to dinner. In the next episode, we’ll probably pick up where we left off after the first two episodes, but this was a nice and necessary diversion.
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