The Path: The Shore
May 11, 2016 6:45 PM - Season 1, Episode 8 - Subscribe
Cal copes with a crisis. Sarah has a dream. Eddie and Hawk bond. Hawk has a taste of the world outside Meyerism. The refugee crisis is temporarily resolved. Mary's father continues to be his charming self.
Cal in a drunken state manages to bury Silas and then go pick up Mel and bring him back to the compound. He then collapses in Sarah's backyard. Sarah has a dream and the "sarah parade" continues even while her sister in law is giving birth. Hawk has his first experiences with the world of the IS including not being a vegetarian. He and his father bond over love and loss while eating clam rolls. Eddie has another vision. Cal reveals Eddie's deception to Sarah.
Cal in a drunken state manages to bury Silas and then go pick up Mel and bring him back to the compound. He then collapses in Sarah's backyard. Sarah has a dream and the "sarah parade" continues even while her sister in law is giving birth. Hawk has his first experiences with the world of the IS including not being a vegetarian. He and his father bond over love and loss while eating clam rolls. Eddie has another vision. Cal reveals Eddie's deception to Sarah.
CAL YOU USELESS DICKHEAD
posted by showbiz_liz at 7:49 PM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by showbiz_liz at 7:49 PM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
Ok, had to come in here and yell that rull quick, now to read the other comments
posted by showbiz_liz at 7:50 PM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by showbiz_liz at 7:50 PM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
Hawk's naivete and exactly how closeted from the world comes through in this episode and I think to Eddie as well. As much as Sarah has helped him, he realizes all that he left behind. And watching him and Hawk bond while talking in Coney Island....just so awesome.
I definitely got the impression that Eddie was not only mourning his brother, but also realizing that he'd taken away that kind of childhood from his own son, by raising him Meyerist. Which is a real kick in the nuts.
posted by showbiz_liz at 7:53 PM on May 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
I definitely got the impression that Eddie was not only mourning his brother, but also realizing that he'd taken away that kind of childhood from his own son, by raising him Meyerist. Which is a real kick in the nuts.
posted by showbiz_liz at 7:53 PM on May 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
I can't beliiiiiiieve Sarah made out with Cal after how self-righteous she was over Eddie's supposed affair. She is superficially so nurturing and warm and "full of light" or whatever, but at her core she's terribly controlling and not just a little hypocritical. At this point I'm rooting for Eddie to leave her, and I'm not sure if that's what I'm "supposed" to be feeling at this point in the narrative, if that makes sense.
Wouldn't it be fun, though, if Sarah became the 'chosen leader' and Cal just went right along with it? It's not the trajectory that the show has been sending us on, but I could see them flipping the script a little. A movement led by Sarah, with Cal hanging over her shoulder.
I'm also guessing at this point (just for maximum PAIN) that poor Eddie will find his faith only for Hawk to lose his, and Eddie will of course leave with Hawk anyway, because what's the alternative?
posted by showbiz_liz at 8:38 PM on May 11, 2016 [3 favorites]
Wouldn't it be fun, though, if Sarah became the 'chosen leader' and Cal just went right along with it? It's not the trajectory that the show has been sending us on, but I could see them flipping the script a little. A movement led by Sarah, with Cal hanging over her shoulder.
I'm also guessing at this point (just for maximum PAIN) that poor Eddie will find his faith only for Hawk to lose his, and Eddie will of course leave with Hawk anyway, because what's the alternative?
posted by showbiz_liz at 8:38 PM on May 11, 2016 [3 favorites]
I completely agree. And yet there is some real beauty in Meyerism. That prayer they say as the baby enters the world is lovely and I felt it dovetailed nicely with Eddie saying the prayer than then overlaps into his house.
I was reminded of that period of time young Amish people have when they can go experience the world so that when they come back it's a conscious choice. I think Eddie may also realize while he didn't have a choice growing up as he knew no other way, neither did Hawk. Eddie CHOSE to renounce the world to embrace Meyerism. Hawk did not. Now Hawk is facing that choice. One man found Meyerism because of love, the other...leaving it.
I don't know if Eddie will leave with Hawk. I....doubt he will actually. Remember he believes in Sarah MORE than Meyerism. Still I really do hope he finally kicks her in her sanctimonious duplicitous heart. Because she REALLY deserves it. I was kinda on the sister in law's side. She's giving birth to a damn baby and they are sitting there talking about a DREAM. Seriously. That's incredibly obnoxious and narcissistic.
Also, Sarah, isn't it possible Cal could have sent Eddie away and then planted the damn phone? Her inability to question Cal is incredibly problematic and I think Felicia and her mother already see that. If she wants to lead, she's going to need to shrug off Cal for a variety of reasons.
posted by miss-lapin at 8:43 PM on May 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
I was reminded of that period of time young Amish people have when they can go experience the world so that when they come back it's a conscious choice. I think Eddie may also realize while he didn't have a choice growing up as he knew no other way, neither did Hawk. Eddie CHOSE to renounce the world to embrace Meyerism. Hawk did not. Now Hawk is facing that choice. One man found Meyerism because of love, the other...leaving it.
I don't know if Eddie will leave with Hawk. I....doubt he will actually. Remember he believes in Sarah MORE than Meyerism. Still I really do hope he finally kicks her in her sanctimonious duplicitous heart. Because she REALLY deserves it. I was kinda on the sister in law's side. She's giving birth to a damn baby and they are sitting there talking about a DREAM. Seriously. That's incredibly obnoxious and narcissistic.
Also, Sarah, isn't it possible Cal could have sent Eddie away and then planted the damn phone? Her inability to question Cal is incredibly problematic and I think Felicia and her mother already see that. If she wants to lead, she's going to need to shrug off Cal for a variety of reasons.
posted by miss-lapin at 8:43 PM on May 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
Oh christ, I just realized that if Hawk DOES leave Sarah is gonna blame Eddie for this. To some degree, she is right. It's Eddie's urging that gets Hawk to make the call and from the "I miss you too" I think we know which way Hawk is headed. On the other hand, if Hawk stayed it would be because his "eyes are closed." Eddie genuinely wants the best for his son, even if it means personally losing Hawk to the world of the IS. Sarah wants what she wants and doesn't consider that maybe Hawk will return but if he does it will be his CHOICE not because he was prevented from leaving through subterfuge and half truths.
Arguably in this case...Sarah didn't have the exposure to the outside world that Eddie does. This makes it far easier for her to give it up. The rift between Sarah and Eddie is far deeper now than initially. Eddie has walked in both worlds. I'm still on team eddie as miraculous new leader of meyerism. I'm not sure if I should be, but I am.
posted by miss-lapin at 8:48 PM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
Arguably in this case...Sarah didn't have the exposure to the outside world that Eddie does. This makes it far easier for her to give it up. The rift between Sarah and Eddie is far deeper now than initially. Eddie has walked in both worlds. I'm still on team eddie as miraculous new leader of meyerism. I'm not sure if I should be, but I am.
posted by miss-lapin at 8:48 PM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
I'm still on team eddie as miraculous new leader of meyerism. I'm not sure if I should be, but I am.
I think that makes sense, but if it happens it seems like an 'endgame' thing, or at least a season-or-two-from-now thing. He's so marginalized right now, and Sarah is so on top, that it's hard to see how he'd get any support from anyone else, even if he turns out to be destined or chosen somehow.
posted by showbiz_liz at 8:53 PM on May 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
I think that makes sense, but if it happens it seems like an 'endgame' thing, or at least a season-or-two-from-now thing. He's so marginalized right now, and Sarah is so on top, that it's hard to see how he'd get any support from anyone else, even if he turns out to be destined or chosen somehow.
posted by showbiz_liz at 8:53 PM on May 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
Oh, in other news - holy god that birth scene was hard to watch, my roommates and I were all losing our shit. It was very effective, because when the CPR worked it really did feel like a miracle. (Why are some parts of this show so effective and others so off-kilter for me?)
posted by showbiz_liz at 8:54 PM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by showbiz_liz at 8:54 PM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
Actually....I was a little turned off by the birth scene. It felt like a lot of emotional manipulation. You could still have Cal so shaken by the birth that he can't pray. Not like he's in the best place emotionally.
Remember Eddie is marginalized in terms of Cal and Sarah, not nec. the Movement. Meyerism right now is in total flux. Silas is gone, Meyer is in a coma, Cal is extremely unreliable to the point that Felicia and company don't trust him and he has to foment an uprising AN UPRISING HE THEN ABANDONS, Sarah wields the most power, but defers to Cal.
However, if lots of things come to light (DEAD SILAS! and Cal's lying about the Ladder) about Cal he could EASILY take Sarah down with him. Considering Cal's volatility, it's pretty easy to see where he could take a misstep and lose everything for himself and Sarah.It's not like he's the altruistic type. Let's not forget, he murdered someone last episode. There's been an escalation in his downward spiral starting with his mother and hitting the epic low this ep. I'm pretty sure that this isn't as bad as it gets as we're still nearing the season finale.
posted by miss-lapin at 9:03 PM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
Remember Eddie is marginalized in terms of Cal and Sarah, not nec. the Movement. Meyerism right now is in total flux. Silas is gone, Meyer is in a coma, Cal is extremely unreliable to the point that Felicia and company don't trust him and he has to foment an uprising AN UPRISING HE THEN ABANDONS, Sarah wields the most power, but defers to Cal.
However, if lots of things come to light (DEAD SILAS! and Cal's lying about the Ladder) about Cal he could EASILY take Sarah down with him. Considering Cal's volatility, it's pretty easy to see where he could take a misstep and lose everything for himself and Sarah.It's not like he's the altruistic type. Let's not forget, he murdered someone last episode. There's been an escalation in his downward spiral starting with his mother and hitting the epic low this ep. I'm pretty sure that this isn't as bad as it gets as we're still nearing the season finale.
posted by miss-lapin at 9:03 PM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
Oh and don't forget Mary's Dad saw Cal when he left the compound. I wonder if that might be an important moment later on.
posted by miss-lapin at 9:47 PM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by miss-lapin at 9:47 PM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
More thoughts I just had (copied over from elsewhere). This was fun because I really only thought of the second paragraph after I had written the first one:
After the way she treated Eddie when he (as far as she knew) cheated on her, I’m pretty pissed at her for making out with Cal. I mean, sure, they were high on The Miracle of Life or whatever, but geez. She literally said to him “I don’t make mistakes” when Eddie was trying to make it right with her, and now she’s making out with Cal? Cal, the guy who vanished without warning before a hugely important meeting he called, leaving Sarah to pick up the pieces, and then turned up drunk and pathetic and spent the past day barfing up liquor in front of her kid? WHERE IS YOUR JUDGEMENT SARAH
…hmm. Actually, I just realized something, maybe: Sarah said in one of the first episodes that she picked Eddie because he was a window to the outside world, and while I’m sure that’s true, I bet she was also drawn to him because of how broken he was. She is definitely a ‘fixer’. Now that Eddie seems a bit more self-actualized and is willing and able to defy her sometimes, maybe his exciting worldliness isn’t so exciting anymore… and along comes a NEW little broken project for her to fix up again. Could be that Cal’s breakdown is exactly what’s attracting her right now. Which carries some uncomfortable shades of Cal/Mary, actually.
posted by showbiz_liz at 9:59 PM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
After the way she treated Eddie when he (as far as she knew) cheated on her, I’m pretty pissed at her for making out with Cal. I mean, sure, they were high on The Miracle of Life or whatever, but geez. She literally said to him “I don’t make mistakes” when Eddie was trying to make it right with her, and now she’s making out with Cal? Cal, the guy who vanished without warning before a hugely important meeting he called, leaving Sarah to pick up the pieces, and then turned up drunk and pathetic and spent the past day barfing up liquor in front of her kid? WHERE IS YOUR JUDGEMENT SARAH
…hmm. Actually, I just realized something, maybe: Sarah said in one of the first episodes that she picked Eddie because he was a window to the outside world, and while I’m sure that’s true, I bet she was also drawn to him because of how broken he was. She is definitely a ‘fixer’. Now that Eddie seems a bit more self-actualized and is willing and able to defy her sometimes, maybe his exciting worldliness isn’t so exciting anymore… and along comes a NEW little broken project for her to fix up again. Could be that Cal’s breakdown is exactly what’s attracting her right now. Which carries some uncomfortable shades of Cal/Mary, actually.
posted by showbiz_liz at 9:59 PM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
Oh and don't forget Mary's Dad saw Cal when he left the compound. I wonder if that might be an important moment later on.
Hmm, yeah. I wonder - if the investigation of Meyerism is being called off or drawn down, Mary's dad really has no one left to go to at all with his complaints. I almost wonder if Cal might really kill him like he said, but I hope not. It would be way cheesy for him to just start killing dudes left and right.
posted by showbiz_liz at 10:01 PM on May 11, 2016
Hmm, yeah. I wonder - if the investigation of Meyerism is being called off or drawn down, Mary's dad really has no one left to go to at all with his complaints. I almost wonder if Cal might really kill him like he said, but I hope not. It would be way cheesy for him to just start killing dudes left and right.
posted by showbiz_liz at 10:01 PM on May 11, 2016
I doubt Cal will kill him. I think more likely Cop will find out about Cal leaving the compound. While Cop has only so far dealt with Eddie, if he "lives the ladder" as he suggested he might last episode, he may connect with Cal or find something out as these people aren't exactly that sophisticated when it comes to out right crime. I mean he seems pretty hot for Meyerism right now despite his connection to Eddie and I can see him totally immersing himself in the compound in order to find out more information.
I think you're point about Sarah (Eddie's a window, but also broken) is valid. I don't think it's so much "a fixer" but she likes having control. When something challenges that control, she tends to get unhinged hence her bizarro behavior with Cal. Cal's relationships with Mary and Sarah are very uncomfortable. He goes from a...strange thing with Mary and when he decides to bring back Mel, THEN he goes after a married woman. He has this desperate savior complex, which leaves destruction in its wake. With Mary, his behavior is really abuse. She's fragile and impressionable and he uses her. When she begins to have her own life together, he shatters it so he can get her back. It's only AFTER she radically rejects him that he chooses to bring Mel back. There's no longer any reason for him to be in Delaware, but...the damage is done.
With Sarah, Sarah has known Cal most of her life. She has no reason to be so frickin' naive or deferential and nothing in Meyerism suggests that their religion is sexist.
Incidentally a note on Pachamama. The woman in the dream ends up looking like Silas's pachamama doll. The dolls aren't just a clue to Silas's presence, but also Pachamama is essentially an Incan Earth goddess. She is a fertility goddess specifically so it makes sense Silas would bring such a doll if a birth was expected. However, she is also the goddess of earthquakes and as we can see the ground is very unstable at the compound at the moment.
posted by miss-lapin at 2:36 AM on May 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
I think you're point about Sarah (Eddie's a window, but also broken) is valid. I don't think it's so much "a fixer" but she likes having control. When something challenges that control, she tends to get unhinged hence her bizarro behavior with Cal. Cal's relationships with Mary and Sarah are very uncomfortable. He goes from a...strange thing with Mary and when he decides to bring back Mel, THEN he goes after a married woman. He has this desperate savior complex, which leaves destruction in its wake. With Mary, his behavior is really abuse. She's fragile and impressionable and he uses her. When she begins to have her own life together, he shatters it so he can get her back. It's only AFTER she radically rejects him that he chooses to bring Mel back. There's no longer any reason for him to be in Delaware, but...the damage is done.
With Sarah, Sarah has known Cal most of her life. She has no reason to be so frickin' naive or deferential and nothing in Meyerism suggests that their religion is sexist.
Incidentally a note on Pachamama. The woman in the dream ends up looking like Silas's pachamama doll. The dolls aren't just a clue to Silas's presence, but also Pachamama is essentially an Incan Earth goddess. She is a fertility goddess specifically so it makes sense Silas would bring such a doll if a birth was expected. However, she is also the goddess of earthquakes and as we can see the ground is very unstable at the compound at the moment.
posted by miss-lapin at 2:36 AM on May 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
When you say Mel, do you mean Sean?
posted by fancyoats at 4:03 AM on May 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by fancyoats at 4:03 AM on May 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
Ah crap. Yes I do. sorry about that. This is what happens when I'm sleep deprived I just DECIDE a character is named something else.
posted by miss-lapin at 4:21 AM on May 12, 2016
posted by miss-lapin at 4:21 AM on May 12, 2016
Possibly my favorite episode so far. (Minus the FBI scenes; that office scene was like can we do three types of cop-banter trope in three minutes you bet we can)
There was a lot of healing in this episode, I felt, which was nice. Eddie encouraging his son regarding his girlfriend; his son encouraging him to appreciate his old self; childbirth, and then Sarah's literal healing of the baby; Cal bringing Sean/Mel back and Sean's reunion with Mary; Cal's confessions of weakness to Sarah. I'm probably forgetting others. And one has to overlook questions of sincerity regarding Cal in my interpretation, I guess. I want Cal to be a mess but trying to be a good person, as opposed to someone I just think of as evil. After the murder and other stuff, I admit this is tenuous. And the show convinces us that these people are doing a number of good things for the world.
But the pain came back by the end of the episode. The pain of Eddie confessing to Hawk his deep love for Sarah, who is his real Light, while Cal is fatally undermining Eddie with lies to her. (Yeah, did I say I wanted to view Cal as basically good? Ouch.) Even the Meyerists, despite their tenets, suffer the tragedy of incomplete communication with each other, which must be one of the main themes of the show.
posted by sylvanshine at 3:25 PM on May 15, 2016 [4 favorites]
There was a lot of healing in this episode, I felt, which was nice. Eddie encouraging his son regarding his girlfriend; his son encouraging him to appreciate his old self; childbirth, and then Sarah's literal healing of the baby; Cal bringing Sean/Mel back and Sean's reunion with Mary; Cal's confessions of weakness to Sarah. I'm probably forgetting others. And one has to overlook questions of sincerity regarding Cal in my interpretation, I guess. I want Cal to be a mess but trying to be a good person, as opposed to someone I just think of as evil. After the murder and other stuff, I admit this is tenuous. And the show convinces us that these people are doing a number of good things for the world.
But the pain came back by the end of the episode. The pain of Eddie confessing to Hawk his deep love for Sarah, who is his real Light, while Cal is fatally undermining Eddie with lies to her. (Yeah, did I say I wanted to view Cal as basically good? Ouch.) Even the Meyerists, despite their tenets, suffer the tragedy of incomplete communication with each other, which must be one of the main themes of the show.
posted by sylvanshine at 3:25 PM on May 15, 2016 [4 favorites]
I agree with showbiz liz that show feels off-kilter or like all the pieces aren't really fitting into a smooth thing yet, but one thing I like a lot is the totally unpredictable story arc thus far. A lesser show would start with Cal concealing Steve's illness/death and then feature him more or less smoothly rising to power and/or building and growing the movement. But here, he's already mostly falling the hell apart, and everyone else is sort of similarly messed up in their own ways. And "the movement" really does seem like a rinky-dinky bunch of little half-assed enclaves sprinkled here or there. I don't imagine the others are any bigger or more organized than the NY one, and it's equivalent to a small-ish summer camp.
Cal and Sarah kind of deserve each other or at least shouldn't be inflicted on anyone else.
posted by FelliniBlank at 5:57 PM on May 16, 2016 [3 favorites]
Cal and Sarah kind of deserve each other or at least shouldn't be inflicted on anyone else.
posted by FelliniBlank at 5:57 PM on May 16, 2016 [3 favorites]
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Hawk's naivete and exactly how closeted from the world comes through in this episode and I think to Eddie as well. As much as Sarah has helped him, he realizes all that he left behind. And watching him and Hawk bond while talking in Coney Island....just so awesome.
Oh......Mary. It seems Cal's "act of contrition" towards Mary is too late. Crap.
And Cal. Cal continues to be a manipulative dick, but I have a bit more respect for him than the naivete of Sarah. He disposed of Silas in a grave and I gotta say the balls on that guy. To drive through a police barricade WHILE DRUNK with a dead body in the back! Damn. Perhaps to "offset" the murder or to assuage his own guilt or merely to keep Mary in check, Cal then gets Mel and brings him back before collapsing in an alcohol drenched heap for Sarah to clean up and mother.
posted by miss-lapin at 6:54 PM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]