Charlie and his family are really good at what they do.
If you’ve taken nothing else from the first two installments, it should be this. Because with their backs against the wall and a ruthless Daphne breathing down their necks, they executed a con that had no business working out, yet they still managed to pull it off and make a dent, albeit a small one, into their massive debt.
But while everything (eventually) came out roses for the Nicolettis on The Company You Keep Season 1 Episode 2, the budding romance between Charlie and Emma hit a snag.
Crossing Maguire has wound up costing Charlie and company more than they could have imagined. They took a significant risk, it backfired, and now they are forced to jump into new jobs in hopes of quickly paying Daphne off and getting their lives back.
But it’s not easy to come across millions of dollars, plus we need this mystery to last all season, so we’re in for a series of cons along the way.
The auction con, as I’ve nicknamed this one, comes about very quickly and dovetails from Charlie and Fran infiltrating an auction to Leo stepping into an old disguise. And it works much better than you think.
Milos is the perfect character to introduce here when you’re dealing with the likes of high society people whose reputation means more to them than anything.
All he has to do is drop a little bait, and Mrs. Ellsworth is more than willing to open her house up to strangers who promise to give her more exposure and bragging rights.
The climax of the con, which involves whether or not they’ll get away with stealing the necklace, is pretty nerve-wracking, if only because I still don’t understand how Charlie got that dog to cooperate enough to stay out of the way AND then meet him outside.
I’m always willing to suspend disbelief, if necessary, regarding television because it’s not always made to portray everything in a realistic light. We’re here to be entertained more than anything else, and it was a lot of fun watching those tense few minutes to see if Charlie could pull it off.
While the way they obtained the necklace was wild, what they had to do to get paid was even wilder.
Someone of Mr. Ellsworth’s profile is always looking to be in a position where others envy him. And you gain that envy by always holding onto your reputation. Charlie used his status against him, and he made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.
Can you imagine what it would look like if he kept the necklace? Sure, he’s out of some money now, but what does a man with finite wealth fear more than anything? The knowledge that one wrong miscue could cost him everything.
Birdie: So, we will do your bidding. But I would be grateful if you would leave my daughter out of it. Whatever ASL night school classes you’ve signed up for, maybe it’s time to drop them.
Daphne: You know, my mother used to say, ‘The only thing more dangerous than a man with nothing to lose is a single mom with everything to prove.’
Daphne is slinking around the outside of this hour, and she’s the kind of villain you can appreciate because she’s not cartoonish or overly aggressive. She’s menacing in an underrated way. A blank slate that the Nicolettis will need to fill in if they want a chance at getting out from under her one day.
It was never obvious what the relationship was between her and Maguire, but one photo slots everything into place.
This was once again a moment you must take with a grain of salt because what are the chances Leo would recognize and have been to the landmark in the picture of Daphne’s mother? It’s a little too convenient, but whatever, it helps Charlie to start working on that slate.
If Daphne is looking to prove herself to a man who doesn’t treat her like an equal and certainly not a son, then that’s something that Charlie can use against her. She’s an intelligent woman and hellbent on proving that she would be the one in charge, not Maguire’s son.
In a male-dominated world, it’s not easy to ascend to the heights she wishes.
And add in the fact she’s a person of color. Well, we can take some educated guesses as to why she has to work twice as hard to prove to her father that she’s ready to lead, while brother Connor apparently gets nary a wrist slap for being a part of why Daddy Maguire is currently locked up in the first place.
There’s a lot of interesting meat on the bone here, and I like that the series highlights Daphne and makes her more than just the woman who will show up at the bar, sending a thinly veiled threat toward a Nicoletti and then disappear as quickly as she came.
Give us the mind games and the drama, but raise the stakes as well and allow us to see all sides of this complicated tale.
Speaking of complicated, things between Charlie and Emma start to get very complex, and to this point, they still don’t realize who the other one is.
While Emma frets about falling into a rebound, I still maintain that it’s more than that. A rebound is jumping right into a new relationship after a breakup, usually with some residual feelings for the ex lingering around.
A rebound can be unhealthy when you’re just jumping into something new without completely dealing with the effects of what just happened in your prior relationship.
I get that you think you know me or whatever. But the truth is you don’t. Don’t pretend like you do.
Emma [to Charlie]
Both Emma and Charlie were coming out of toxicity, not fully functioning, committed relationships. And yet neither one was particularly heartbroken with those ended because they both knew it wasn’t what they thought it to be.
How long should you mourn something you know was wrong and not what you deserve? Is a week sufficient enough? Or do you need to wait a whole year to ensure you’re over your thieving, cheating ex?
Now, what’s obviously intriguing here is that we know from the outside looking in that this relationship is headed toward an implosion. One way or the other, these two will learn the other’s secrets, and they’ll have to navigate that when the time comes.
But right now, these two people have more than an intense attraction. They’re nervous and awkward because they’re dealing with new feelings they’ve never experienced. Emma is scared to death by Charlie because she looks into his eyes and sees herself reflected.
They’re both in unchartered territory, and they must be willing to take a chance on the other and figure out what a relationship between them looks like.
While it may have looked like they would come face-to-face in Daphne’s suite for a few seconds, and everything would be blown to hell, the show would be wise to nurture this relationship and show the complexities of two people falling for one another and letting their guards down.
But keeping one piece of themselves hidden for as long as possible.
It’s not a formula that breaks the mold or anything, but when done right, it can be absolutely captivating.
If The Company You Keep Season 1 Episode 1 was the coronation of the Nicolettis, then this hour belonged to the Hills, who get extended screen time, which is much appreciated.
So much of Emma and Charlie’s identities are wrapped up in their family. And for Emma, she does everything she can to distance herself from the political machine. And for the most part, her family seems to respect that.
It’s refreshing to see Emma push back against their wishes while offering support and guidance. She loves her family, and they love her, but she’s content to make her own path and follow her destiny.
The relationship between Emma and David is lovely, and much like Charlie and Birdie, you can tell these two have a tremendous amount of love for one another.
Confiding in David about her job was a huge step for Emma, and it came about because of how much she could see her brother believed in her and trusted her. Whether or not she decides to help David’s campaign, he will still love, respect, and value anything she’s willing to contribute.
On paper, the Nicolettis and the Hills could not be more different, but at the heart of their families is something so similar.
The Notes I Kept
- Daphne learning ASL to taunt Birdie was crossing the line, but I loved that Birdie confronted her because you want to come at her; that’s one thing, but Ollie hasn’t done any wrong. And Birdie will be damned if she gets caught up in a mess she’s not a part of.
- They weaved the running joke that Ollie was stealing things into the hour in a jokey way, but I would be shocked if, at some point, they don’t wind up including her in a con. And I’m not sure how to feel about that.
- Fran and Leo are couples goals. I can see why Charlie has such a big heart and opens himself to love because he has this great representation of what love can be like around him.
- Everyone in this cast is so pretty. It’s like a 2000s GAP ad coming to life.
- Charlie’s best undercover look this week? Hands down, the beanie. You couldn’t tell him he wasn’t a photographer extraordinaire!
- I saw some criticisms of the pilot ranging from confusion to an overabundance of Charlie and Emma, but I think it’s the kind of show where so much hinges on that connection between the leads. So you have to buy in, or everything falls flat. Spending time with them is a critical piece of the narrative.
Alright, guys, the floor is now yours! Let me know in the comments what you thought about this second hour and where you hope to see the story go next!
And as always, remember you can watch The Company You Keep online via TV Fanatic to get your fix of the addicting drama!
Whitney Evans is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.