Crazy
Episode 4 of Angela Black begins with a distraught Angela pleading with the police to speak to her children. Unfortunately that’s not going to happen. Instead, she’s taken inside this psychiatric ward for 28 days. Now, last episode we learned that Angela presumably used a book as inspiration to make up Ed. This episode, Angela confronts that possibility and sits with a psychologist. Angela mentions the book not being folded on the bottom of the page – something she does religiously whenever she reads. Angela does nothing to help her case though, going on to mention how Olivier is trying to take the kids away and showing how paranoid she is. Now, it turns out Olivier has been controlling and manipulative for a long time before this season started. In flashbacks we see Angela’s mum dying and seeking absolution, only for Ed to prevent Angela from seeing her. He points out how she abandoned her as a child and doesn’t deserve any attention. According to Ed, Angela has more important responsibilities now. Angela eventually agrees with Ed’s assessment, refusing to pick up calls from her mum. Unfortunately, she then receives the horrific call from hospital that she’s passed away. Now, the minute her mother passes away, Angela’s child stops crying completely. Angela sees this as a sign and begins to grow paranoid, believing that something has changed in their child. Back in the present within the ward, Angela struggles to open up and talk about Olivier’s controlling behaviour. Instead, she remains dead-set on getting out and agrees to take whatever medication is given her way. Off the back of this, Angela is finally freed but on the basis of meeting once a week for a check-up. The big meeting between Olivier and Angela goes ahead (off-screen, mind you) where we learn that Angela has been reduced to seeing her kids for 4 hours a week as she’s been branded a danger to them. Irate and upset, a crushed Angela heads back to Judy’s place, where her sketch of Ed shows up in a package. Now, part of this sketch includes the initials S.W.W. Sensing some inspiration, Angela gets hunting online and tries to figure out where these initials are linked to. Well, she figures out that they’re initials for a local football team so she shows up to investigate. And who should be there? Yep, Ed Harrison.
The Episode Review
Called it! Who else had “Ed Harrison actually being real and not a fictional character” on their Angela Black bingo card? Yes, so Angela didn’t really imagine Ed after all but it remains to be seen just what the real play is here. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m convinced that Ed is obsessed with Angela and wants to be with her, sabotaging her awful relationship with Olivier by fabricating that he’s trying to take the kids away. Given Angela’s history of paranoia and depression, that may have been easy for him to manipulate her. Then again, this episode also shows the extent of Olivier’s awful, controlling behaviour which subsequently pushes Angela to a mental breakdown. It’s a pretty grim reveal and these flashes work well to reinforce that Angela is not in the right headspace at all. However, despite all of that the show continues to drag its heels. This story could so easily have been wrapped up in 4 episodes but there’s just not enough substance to sustain this one. I mean, how many faded shots and sharp editing, overlapping different camera shots, did we need in this episode? It’s also disappointing not to see Angela and Olivier’s meeting properly, which took place off-screen. That feels like a missed opportunity to be honest, especially seeing Angela’s hope fade from her face. Either way, Angela Black continues to keep things watchable – but barely. Let’s hope things pick up in the next chapter.
