Maniac: Episode 5, "Exactly Like You"

 Maniac: Episode 5, "Exactly Like You"

September 21, 2018

“Exactly Like You” is a more complicated, darker episode of Maniac. While the last episode was a breezy caper, this episode is a brooding episode with an exceptional séance scene that takes place in the 1940’s. There is also the complication of betrayal. This episode is told from the POV of Annie, but Fukunaga makes it known that both Annie and Owen have the potential to betray each other. As this series move forward, so does the plot. The fate of Annie’s younger sister was left ambiguous, but now confirmation exists that she did indeed perish. Sally Field as GRTA was fully introduced for the first time. When the ominous music came on at her arrival, I was a bit surprised she will be used as the villain from here on out. But she is such a gifted actress and I already like what she is doing. The performances remain excellent. Emma Stone absolutely nails it yet again. Justin Theroux provides some necessary comedy and I do like his lines with Sonoya Mizuno. Speaking of Mizuno, she gets some great lines and line delivery moments. Her line, “I think our computer is…horribly depressed,” is something that fails to leave my mind.

As the shenanigans from the “B pill” continues, our protagonists are taken to the 1940’s. The two characters continue to intertwine with one another as shown with the brain waves on the monitoring system. Annie and Owen are now Arlie and Ollie. They work as grifters and are on their own mission at this mysterious mansion where a séance is to take place. In this vision, they used to be a couple but not no longer. Olivia, the girl at the center of Owen’s psychotic episode way back in Episode 1, makes a return. Greta (Sally Field) joins the fray as she gets involved with this particular dream. After this dream, Dr. Mantleray diagnoses Annie with a borderline personality disorder.

Overall, a really solid episode. I liked the feel and the tone of this episode. Sally Field certainly spiced things up with her appearance. I feel like the episode is more complicated than it needs to be, but the story is still fun. As always, the show does an amazing job with the tiniest details within the production design. The episode was a blast from the past with some important information tidbits thrown it. What will happen next?

My Grade: A-


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