The Illiterates
Mira returns to the house after talking on the phone with her sister, Ava. The family is moving and there are boxes full of belongings everywhere. Mira has been having headaches lately and decides to take a pill to relieve them. ..
Mira and Jonathan are about to sign their divorce papers. Mira decides she wants a green couch, despite saying originally she didn’t want any of the living room furniture. Jonathan backs down, unwilling to get involved in an argument, and allows her to have it. ..
The couple get talking about what divorce means and wind up sleeping together. It’s definitely break-up sex for Jonathan as he implores her to sign the divorce papers after. For Mira though, her feelings go a lot deeper. She’s hesitant about signing the papers and suggests they leave it for a bit. Jonathan though, has had enough. With raised voices, the two begin to bicker again as Jonathan implores her to sign given she’s been deliberating doing this for long enough.
This back and forth continues, eventually moving over to the topic of Ava and her lessons at school. Given Mira’s decision to put Ava in ballet and jazz classes, she’s taken aback when Jonathan tells her they owe $2500 because of it. Mira wants Jonathan to tell Ava she needs to choose one of those classes to drop, but he refuses to do so. After all, if Mira was the one who chose this then she should be the one to tell Ava.
Jonathan’s frustrations come from this weird limbo between breaking up and being together. He believes it’s far more traumatic for all involved, which explains his passion and frustration toward her deliberation. However, Mira has been laid off from work. It’s clear she blames Jonathan for this, pointing out how she couldn’t go to London.
Jonathan and Mira are having an argument about Jonathan’s toxicity. Mira points out how Jonathan is terrible at his job and has asexual tendencies. She also berates him for using the shower after having sex. ..
Mira and Poli had a pretty vicious fight prior to this, with Poli pressuring her into having children or threatening to break up. Wow, this Poli seems like a real piece of work. Anyway, after trying for a while things just fell apart between them.
Mira decides that she wants to get back together with Jonathan. He’s absolutely incredulous to this though, pointing out that he doesn’t have feelings for her anymore and hasn’t for a while. There was a time where he’d pray to God for her to return but those moments are over. Mira realizes that she needs to be honest with him and tell him the truth about what happened between them and why she wants to be together again.
Mira’s walls crumble, she pleads with him to take her back and eventually breaks down into tears on the green sofa. Seeing her like this, so vulnerable, is enough for Jonathan to suggest they get rid of the settlement papers. The only reason he was so adamant on her signing was because he wants to have another child. But not with her.
As the moving truck arrives, Mira and Jonathan begin to argue about what should be done with the house. Mira insists that they take it, but Jonathan argues that he should get his share of the assets. As they argue, a group of men come out of the truck and start to fight with Jonathan.
The Episode Review
That was an intense episode and the acting was really good. It’s interesting to see how the characters are developing now that they’re going through with their divorce. The dialogue in this episode helps to piece together a timeline of what’s been happening. ..
In this episode, Mira and Jonathan are in a very different place. While Mira left to try and better her career for a “younger model” boyfriend, her entire life has fallen apart while Jonathan’s has started to brighten up. Mira is really going through a myriad of different emotions in this episode, and seeing that translate across to the screen is beautiful to watch.
This show has been a bit of a letdown the past few weeks. I’m not sure why, but these characters are just really unlikable to me. However, there is some good in this episode, with a consistent dialogue and an ending that is devastating. I hope next week’s finale follows suit.
