Please don’t send any Harveys my way.
On SurrealEstate Season 1 Episode 2, we learned that imaginary friends could often have devious natures.
So much for nurturing your child’s imagination. In the case of a Harvey, you might be leading your entire family to the grave.
SurrealEstate maintained its whimsy and humor the second episode out.
It also continues to resemble beloved shows that have come before, but I’d like to see a little more involvement from the secondary characters.
I’d mentioned Warehouse 13 and Haven, which were known to focus on the leads quite heavily. But Haven, especially, had a great supporting lineup of characters whose skills were imperative to helping the leads determine which direction to go to solve cases.
A reader brought up Eureka, and if things continue along this path, we won’t see that same kind of unity on SurrealEstate.
Maybe I just don’t understand what each agent or office employee of the Roman Agency does. It seems that the former priest would have been involved with casting away a demon or at least getting a better understanding of it on site.
And while August is in charge of the groovy gadgets, his actual fieldwork is a little hollow, although he does have some good comebacks when the moment calls for it.
Susan: August! I saw her. A, a little girl.
August: If one works at Yellowstone National Park, one should not be surprised to encounter a bear every once in a while.
Right now, it’s all about Luke and Susan, and unless Luke’s dad is really out of touch, just like Mutt and Twyla before them, that they might, at some point, be something more.
As it stands, it seems that Luke’s interest in Susan is purely professional. She’s an eager beaver who wants to prove herself; rules be damned.
But even though she thinks she can get ahead on her own, Luke has been patiently trying to show her that her rogue ways aren’t good for her, the rest of the team, or their clients.
Manderley Road is a mess. Eight months ago, an entire family at 8 Manderley Road was dispatched when a demonic force wreaked havoc on their house. At that time, which really isn’t long ago, the Roman Agency failed to realize the power of the force they were dealing with.
Luke feels responsible for their deaths, and he vows not to let it happen again on his watch. So when Susan was jumping the gun and trying to prove she’s capable, she was really putting the family in danger.
It’s funny that she was pushing so hard to go it alone.
We already learned during SurrealEstate Season 1 Episode 1 that she has a history with the supernatural. It shouldn’t be so hard for her to suspect that much of what they’re encountering is real. Hell, she even saw the little girl come and go with her own eyes.
I can only surmise that she believed if she inserted herself into the situation, i.e., getting the little girl’s doll from the attic, that she’d help the kid move on, and the house would be ready for sale.
Luke: What were you doing in the attic.
Susan: The little girl said she left her doll up there.
Zooey: Wait. And you believed her?
Susan: She’s dead, right? Why would she lie?
It’s just not that easy.
From what she witnessed with the kids on the premiere, she knew that things don’t always happen as you initially expect. With them, they leaned into demonic or ghostly inhabitants, and this time, she just rolled over entirely, choosing to believe the girl was just looking for the light, as it were.
That kid (Molly Lewis) was good at playing a little demon. She had the cadence that set me on edge right out of the gate. It seemed impossible that anyone would think she was anything other than evil.
It slays me that a young girl can affect an evil character so beautifully. That’s talent.
And we need to discuss the fear of God she put into Jamie when she manipulated him to think that his parents, outside using bladed instruments, were in mortal danger while she crept over to Josh’s cage.
Just like Jamie, I was wincing at the thought of dad rolling over mom’s toes with that darn manual mower. Instead, we missed the obvious, and little Josh was crushed.
All things considered, Jamie wasn’t too crushed at the crushed critter, which kind of bothered me. I would have launched myself across the room at that little monster. Surely, I would have taken her by surprise and stomped out her little demon heart. Nobody hurts an animal in my presence and gets away with it!
In hindsight, I would have preferred mom’s toes had gone missing. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
Sorry, not sorry.
Susan ultimately got herself together with a little pep talk from mom, who sounded a little too much like my mom with her “what did you do” attitude. She essentially blamed Susan’s faults for creating a chasm between her and her new coworkers.
It turned out that she was right, but that was the kind of thing that always made me feel less-than as a daughter. Mom could have used a little more couth with how she presented that her daughter was creating her own pain.
My way is not always perfect, but it’s so much better than everybody else’s! I said that out loud, didn’t I?
Susan
How Susan picked herself up and made a difference at the office was impressive, and it’s unlikely there will be a battle of wills any longer. It was especially sweet when Luke appealed to the office feeling of being on the same team, and he was just happy to be a part of it.
Actually, this role is far closer to the Tim Rozon that I’ve had the pleasure of meeting than he was in, say, Wynonna Earp. He’s a very kind man, and Luke’s scenes with Jamie and Susan reflected a lot of what I saw in the actor.
That’s not to say that he couldn’t bring it when necessary, and Luke giving Cindy a tongue lashing during their unfriendly game of chess was a gas.
Cindy: I don’t like this game.
Luke: No, you’d rather play kids’ games, games you can win. That’s really pathetic. You’re too stupid and you’re not capable of playing with adults.
Cindy: You’d be surprised what I’m capable of.
Luke: Go ahead. It’s your move. [she moves] WRONG, STUPID! The rook can only move this way and this way. Geez. You’re like an insult to nine-year-old girls everywhere. You know, you almost had me for a while. First, I thought you were this little, lost girl with zero fashion sense who’s searching for light. And then I thought you were this badass demon who was out to kick ass and eat lives. I hardly would have worked up a sweat if I’d known I was up against Casper’s not very bright niece, whose only superpower is emotional instability and Candyland.
But, again, the sweet stuff was really good, like that scene between Luke and his father.
As disconcerting as it must be to enter a house like the one Luke’s mother is stuck in, seeing all of the ghostly souls hanging around, it would be incredible to have the pleasure of a round of mini-golf with my dad.
Funland was a thing for Luke and his father (which reminds me of Star Wars), but now we know that his dad hangs around Funland. Did I miss something?
They noted that they used to spend a lot of time there, but the way that Luke was the only one on the course and closed it down after his father vanished leads me to believe that perhaps they did or Luke does own the place.
How did you like “The Harvey”? Not the demonic child thing, but the episode itself? Well, AND the demonic child thing?
Did you think she was freaky enough to unsettle you?
What are your thoughts on Funland? Who would you give anything to have around for one more round of mini-golf?
Thanks for hanging out with us for another episode of SurrealEstate!
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She’s a member of the Critic’s Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on Twitter and email her here at TV Fanatic.