Eric – Episode 2 Recap & Review

Episode 2

In Eric Episode 2, Vincent catches a glimpse of Eric at the end of the press conference. He later gets upset seeing Sebastian, Cassie’s former student, comforting her. Then, when Cassie tries to get Vincent to help her search for Edgar, he refuses, saying he has to get to work. He thinks he needs to get Edgar’s puppet on the show.

Meanwhile, Michael asks Edgar’s teacher about him. In one of the missing child’s drawings, he’s running away from home with an unidentified man.

He later learns from Cripp that Kennedy died in a hit-and-run last night. This gets Michael thinking about The Lux again and how Kennedy was talking about “8,” but Cripp wants him to stop entertaining that train of thought.

When Vincent gets to work, he sees them working with a new puppet, and he takes out his frustration on the crew. His colleague Ronnie fights back, insulting him for letting his kid walk to school alone. When everyone clears out, Vincent shows Lennie the design for Eric, but Lennie doesn’t see his vision. Still, Vincent begs him. Because if Edgar sees Eric on the show, maybe he’ll come home. So, Lennie decides to try and convince their higher-ups.

Later, Vincent pitches Eric to one of the executive producers. He’s skeptical but promises to gather the team to hear his pitch on Friday. Drunk, Vincent then asks Lennie if he took his son, as he always liked him. Not taking him seriously, Lennie goes on with his work.

At the NYPD, Michael notices that George Lovett has a criminal record, so he heads out to investigate the super. He notices jars of candy and a kids’ magazine in George’s home. He and other officers then check the boiler room, where they find chalk drawings, a tricycle, and a juice box.

Meanwhile, Cassie hands out flyers with Edgar’s picture on them, and Alexander Gator surprises her by taking one. While handing out more flyers at the subway, Cassie sees a woman in her son’s red jacket and chases after her, thinking it’s Edgar. Freaked out, the woman runs away from her. Meanwhile, Cassie sees George being arrested on television.

George’s lawyer Miss Clark shows up at the NYPD to berate George for framing another Black man for something he didn’t do. While George is on record for the rape of a minor, she says that charge was overturned nine years ago. Still, Michael says he’s doing his best with the evidence he has.

In questioning, George says Edgar liked going into his apartment when his parents fought. It made him feel safe. He confirms his blood type as O, the same as on the shirt. Edgar’s blood, however, is A-positive.

While talking to Michael, Vincent gets distracted by loud noises from Eric. He doesn’t want to believe George could be guilty, while Cassie is open to any explanation.

When they get home, Cassie switches on the TV to an interview with Richard Costello, who’s reportedly been combatting homelessness in the city. They then get into a fight about Vincent letting Edgar go to George’s apartment and about Cassie taking money from Vincent’s parents. He doesn’t want to be beholden to people who have never been interested in Edgar.

When Vincent talks about getting Eric on the show, Cassie thinks he’s going crazy. She then asks about the cut he got on his forehead the day of Edgar’s disappearance and asks what blood type he is. He only responds by saying he’s going to give his mother her check back. Cassie then vomits for the second time that day.

On the subway, Eric tells Vincent he has to get him on the show so Edgar comes home. He then arrives at his parents’ home to return their check. His mother notices him talking to himself like he did when he was a boy. She says he needs to go back on his medication. On his way out, he gets a glimpse of his dad, who’s on the phone about one of his properties.

Michael goes to see George in his holding cell. He shows him the picture Edgar drew of him running away from home with a Black man. George scoffs, as the man looks nothing like him. He says it’s disgusting that Michael would think he’s a pedophile.

Elsewhere, the woman wearing what looks to be Edgar’s jacket walks along an area of unhoused people. She meets a man named Yuusuf, who looks more like the man in Edgar’s picture. 

Yusuuf takes out a missing person poster of Edgar and a rope from the plastic bag the woman gives him. He tells the woman the rope will be strong enough, and she asks him if he’s going to cut her in on this.

When he gets home, Michael finds a weak William struggling alone in the shower. He carries him to the couch, then finds that he’s marked items in the house with different-colored stickers. Yellow means they are for Michael, and green means they are for Caroline. Not wanting to talk about William’s dying, Michael walks away.

The detective returns to The Lux to ask Gator about the recording he took last time he was there, but Gator insists he keeps things legal now. He goes to the back to show Michael the child of one of their workers, who sometimes stays there. He also shows him the literal bourbon TJ mentioned. While he’s trying to prove his innocence to Michael, an unnoticed Sebastian walks by, carrying a tray of food.

After this outing, Michael gets one of many calls he’s been receiving from Marlon Rochelle’s mother. Her son, who is Black, has been missing for almost a year, and she’s calling to berate Michael and the NYPD for forgetting about him.

While Vincent prepares for his important pitch, Michael watches the recording of Edgar walking to school on the morning he went missing. He sees George go back into his apartment as Edgar leaves. But he also sees Vincent going to chase after him.

At the same time, Cassie goes through Edgar’s birth records to find out what Vincent’s blood type is. It’s O-positive, the same that was found on Edgar’s shirt. With this information in hand, she calls Michael.

Elsewhere, Yuusuf carries his rope and plastic bag, walking somewhere with purpose.

The Episode Review

And the plot thickens as Michael’s Lux theory at least appears to be discredited, more players in the case are found in Yusuuf and perhaps even Vincent, and corruption sinks its claws deeper into a system that should be designed to help people (I’m looking at you especially, Captain Cripp).

Corruption and prejudice show their face in more ways than one. There’s Marlon Rochelle’s ignored disappearance, of course. Then there’s the fact that the cops collect donations for Kennedy’s widow, while Michael has to hide his partner, who is sick with what looks to be AIDs. But there are also subtler occurrences, like how Deputy Mayor Richard Costello is acknowledged on TV for his efforts to combat homelessness, even while so many people in New York live in squalor.

One thing I’m unsure about considering the serious nature of this story is where Eric fits in. For a show that’s already trying to do so much, it’s jarring to add a fantasy element as well. However, we are getting some background info on Vincent, and supposedly this isn’t the first time he’s seen something others can’t. So perhaps Eric’s odd existence will be better integrated into future revelations.

Now, what is up with Vincent? He certainly doesn’t act guilty of anything other than being a bad father, but there is something he’s not saying. And why is he so convinced that getting Eric on the show could bring back his son?

At the moment, the limited series seems to have a slippery grasp on every aspect it’s trying to juggle, but it’s certainly making an admirable attempt–and ending its episodes with hooks to bring us back for more.