The Four Hustlateers
Episode 4 of Blindspotting begins with Ashley waiting to visit Miles. Only, visitation is cancelled leading her to curse her luck and head back home empty-handed. Meanwhile, Earl is visited by his probation officer, James. He tells Earl he needs to get a job to fulfill the terms of his probation. However, Earl wants to just bum around for a year and smoke. This is especially ironic given smoking is what put him in prison to begin with. Anyway, Earl relies on Janelle to help him with his resume and finding a job. However, the pair give up midway through and decide to go for a smoke. With Sean staying over his friend’s house, Ashley and Rainey also decide to smoke some weed. The adjacent houses decide to use their old pulley system to smoke weed. This, as we soon find out, is how they used to ferry drugs between the two houses in the past. Rainey and Ashley talk about rebelling and their upbringing of smoking weed. As they continue, Rainey questions Miles’ decision not to take the deal. After all, in doing so it would have meant Miles could have returned to his family quicker. At the same time, Janelle and Earl discuss food and cooking. In order to prove who’s the better chef they decide to have a cook-off. While they do, Janelle convinces Earl to head out and get himself a job and build his career – just like she has. Well, the cook-off ends and Earl’s dish is the winner. Rainey and Ashley are the judges back home. Midway through their conversation, Sean is brought back home after his night watching Reservoir Dogs. Ashley thought it was a nature documentary and eventually sends him up to bed. When she does, Ashley looks affectionately at a picture on the wall of Miles. Dancing then breaks out across the house as Ashley reflects on the past.
The Episode Review
Parenting is the hardest gig in the world. However, smoking drugs (after your partner has just been arrested for it no less) and lying about what’s happening with Miles doesn’t help her case. The biggest problem here though is a lack of likability for the main characters. With the exception of Janelle, there’s not really anyone here to root for. That, coupled with the random dance numbers that completely jar and feel ill-fitting with the show, make Blindspotting a pretty alienating series. It’s ironic that with a show featuring so much dancing the plots lacks that same sense of rhythm to keep things exciting. Unless you fancy watching a bunch of people getting stoned and talking about their dreams, this week’s episode has nothing going for it. Hopefully next week’s chapter is an improvement.
