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    NOS4A2 S02E07 Review: Cripple Creek – The real origin story of Charlie Manx

    By Salome G
    | August 2, 2020
    TV Blogs

    In case you missed my comment on the last episode, I had surgery on Thursday. I think I’m sound as a pound now, but I guess we’re about to find out. Anyway, back to the show. And in case you were wondering how Bing escaped the mess at the lake house, well, he just walked away. That’s handy.

    NOS4A2 S02e07 Scrap Yard

    And after he gasses Charlie, he chains him up. Charlie’s back to his aged state, thanks to Bing disconnecting the Wraith’s ignition coil. Bing is doing all this so he can interrogate Charlie about his mission, like whether or not he’s really going to Christmasland. It doesn’t seem likely, especially since Charlie admits that all of his previous assistants are dead.

    I wrote in my notes, “You kind of want to scream at Bing.” I’m not sure exactly what I meant by that, but probably it’s frustration born out of the way Charlie’s always able to manipulate him. It’s important to remember, though, that while Bing can come off as sympathetic, he’s also an abuser.

    NOS4A2 S02e07 Jason David Dalton Harrod Wayne Mcqueen Craig Harrison

    Meanwhile, Ghost Craig has appeared in the Wraith. Looking great, Craig. He’s trying to get Wayne to remember things about his mom. Craig still won’t explain who he is, beyond saying that Vic was his best friend, but helping Wayne remember stops the degenerative effects of the car.

    Back in Christmasland, Millie returns to the house she found before. Her mom explains that it’s where Charlie hides his fears. Millie plays with another version of herself, the version she could have been if her father hadn’t corrupted her. Her mom tells her that she should try to leave Christmasland.

    NOS4A2 S02e07 Celeste Arias Mattea Conforti Cassie Millie Manx

    One of the fears that Charlie’s keeping hidden, by the way, is a man he knew when he was a boy. This was back in Cripple Creek, Colorado, hence the name of the episode. We’re going back in Charlie’s past again.

    When he’s spoken about his childhood, he’s been very negative on the subject of his mother. But while she won’t be winning any World’s Greatest Mom contests any time soon, she’s not what I imagined. She is a sex worker, but Charlie seems to be living as normal a life as he could, considering the circumstances.

    The trouble, however, comes when he wants something–specifically a fancy new sled. He takes a job with a local man, whom everyone seems to know is a predator. This here is his mother’s biggest failing in my eyes–the half-hearted warning she gives her son about the man. Well, the warning seems pretty sincere, but she doesn’t spend enough time with her son to make sure it sticks. So while Charlie doesn’t realize that he’s delivering prey to a monster, he also can’t see that he himself is being groomed.

    And when the monster strikes, when the man abuses Charlie, here in the aftermath is where the Charlie Manx we know is born. He suppresses the trauma in the way a neglected child probably would. He kills his abuser, but he holds his mother the most responsible. I think maybe that even though he isn’t to blame–he’s a child and a victim–he feels like he did something wrong. He can’t handle that, because he isn’t supposed to, so he lashes out at the person who was, as he says, supposed to protect him.

    He’s spent more than a lifetime since then fine-tuning his ability to manipulate people. And he almost succeeds once more in doing it to Bing. There’s a little life left in Bing yet, though, so when he sees Wayne’s distress, it changes him. He bundles the decrepit Manx into the Wraith and sets the controls at the junkyard for the compactor.

    NOS4A2 S02e07 Jason David Wayne Mcqueen

    Wayne thinks it’s all a big game, but this isn’t what Bing wants for him. Bing wants him to escape, to tell his Mom that Bing’s sorry. “She doesn’t have to worry about Charlie Manx anymore.” If only it were that simple.

    Because somehow Charlie is able to get Wayne to save him. I’m not sure how. My theory, though, is that sadly, Wayne had enough humanity returned to him to feel empathy for Charlie. So he frees the monster, and in doing so, is trapped again.

    And Charlie loses another assistant. Bing isn’t dead, not yet, but it’s not looking good.

    8/10 – The last-minute save from Wayne is probably the most frustrating aspect of the episode. It feels like there’s not enough reasoning for it beyond my least favorite motivation: because that’s what the plot requires. If it had developed more organically, then I would have scored this higher, because that was a pretty telling look we got at the real origin story of Charlie Manx.

    Yay, I did it! 🙆‍♀️

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    Gavin the Binge-WatcherD
    Gavin the Binge-Watcher
    1 year ago

    I took things differently. I think young Charlie knew he was leading the other youngsters to a predator. He just didn’t expect to be victimized himself.

    1
    Reply
    Salome G
    Author
    Salome G
    1 year ago
    Reply to  Gavin the Binge-Watcher

    That’s an interesting thought. Charlie Manx does have a hypocritical streak a mile long.

    0
    Reply
    Fade-to-BlackD
    Fade-to-Black
    1 year ago

    I wish they’d give us the origin story of the Wraith because that’s what is most fascinating to me. I understand how Manx got it, but why is it magical?

    1
    Reply
    KeeperofUnicornsD
    KeeperofUnicorns
    1 year ago

    My goodness, he was so dramatic! Dude, it’s cool that you discovered how to mitigate the cost of using your knife, but how about stubbing a toe instead of burning the flesh.

    1
    Reply
    KkelieD
    Kkelie
    1 year ago

    Well now we know a bit more about Charlie and why he is the way he is. It’s a sad story really.
    Do you really think Bing is dead? I mean he’s come back from worse.

    1
    Reply
    RickiV25D
    RickiV25
    1 year ago
    Reply to  Kkelie

    I do think he is dead this time. I mean, come on.
    It still makes me mad that Wayne saved Charlie! I guess it wouldn’t have been a show if he didn’t.

    1
    Reply
    TreatMD
    TreatM
    1 year ago
    Reply to  Kkelie

    Nope, but I watched the next episode. Of course Bing isn’t dead. It’s hard to kill someone off here.
    It’s also really sad about Charlie’s childhood. It explains a lot for sure.

    1
    Reply
    Rick
    Rick
    1 year ago

    I’m really not sure what to make of Wayne in this episode. Sometimes he’s decent, and sometimes he’s evil. None of it seems really authentic or organic. And his decision to get BACK into the Wraith made absolutely no sense, after he’s spent the last 2 episodes trying to escape and realizing that staying in that car is certain Doom.
    I mean, WTH?
    As far as the last-minute save of Charlie, the real reason is that if Charlie dies for good, then the show’s over….

    1
    Reply
    SilverD
    Silver
    1 year ago

    I wish the past two episodes had been done in four parts. They cover so much, so quickly that I feel like a lot gets skipped over when it really needed to be shown or further explained. Craig is creepy, but his sincerity and earnestness made him less creepy as the show went. Why not reveal he’s the father, though? This episode was tough to watch. Your recap was perfectly coherent, Salome. I hope you’re feeling well now.

    1
    Reply
    Salome G
    Author
    Salome G
    1 year ago
    Reply to  Silver

    Thank you so much; I am feeling great.

    And I think maybe Craig doesn’t want to scare Wayne or overwhelm him.

    0
    Reply
    Rick
    Rick
    1 year ago
    Reply to  Silver

    You really think Craig is creepy? I mean, he WAS burned alive in the fire last season, so he’s got some pretty awesome Prosthetics going on, but he’s being extremely sweet and tender with his son.

    1
    Reply
    PersephoneD
    Persephone
    1 year ago
    Reply to  Silver

    Well, when Craig asked Wayne about his dad, Wayne told him about Lou. So knowing that his son had a father figure that loved him, I think Craig made the conscious decision to leave it alone. I think he’s grateful that Wayne and Lou have such a strong bond and didn’t want to overshadow it.

    Last edited 1 year ago by Persephone
    0
    Reply
    KkelieD
    Kkelie
    1 year ago
    Reply to  Persephone

    I can definitely see that too. Craig is trying to save him and doesn’t want to scare him. I’m wondering when Lou is going to come save him.

    0
    Reply
    RickiV25D
    RickiV25
    1 year ago
    Reply to  Kkelie

    Craig isn’t creepy, looks he is but he is trying to make Wayne remember his mom. It’s his only hope of not turning into a kid in Christmas land! I too wonder if Lou is going to come to the rescue.

    0
    Reply
    KkelieD
    Kkelie
    1 year ago
    Reply to  Silver

    I would agree on this one. There was a lot in both of these episodes. They could have broken it out into 4 episodes.
    I didn’t think Craig was creepy. His looks, yes for sure.

    0
    Reply

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