The Mosquito Coast Season 2 Episode 7 is titled “The Burning of Judas,” and it has some more absurd events, including Margot’s scheme to use Richard to secure an immunity agreement for her family and the show’s pretense that we should be interested in Casa Roja’s internal politics.
The fact that Dina Fox eventually told her father about himself and called out all of his self-centered, foolish decisions before telling him to “f—- himself” made this hour one of the most emotionally fulfilling in the entire series. I’m trying to say, y’all, Dina is our queen.
Given that Dina’s initial interaction with Margot seemed to suggest she was more upset with her mother for letting Allie take the responsibility for their years off the grid than she was about anything else, I don’t believe any of us were prepared for her outburst. Being incorrect can be incredibly good sometimes since Dina’s account of her father is epic.
She says, “I just realized,” to her father. I have no regard for you. And I no longer regard her. So no, when I say I’m sorry, that’s not what I mean. I don’t have any regrets. any of the above. I feel bad for you.
The problem is that everything she says is accurate. Absolutely, Allie is a bully who uses his children to justify the things he wants to do and then acts as though he’s doing them a huge favor.
It’s clear from the way he disparages Dina’s plans to return to America and pursue a college education, ranting against the idea of his daughter leading a simple, ordinary life as though it were a personal blow against him. It irritates me. At this point, all I want from this program is for her to be able to leave her dysfunctional family since he is so annoying. Kid, feel free!
Richard is a character we’ve only encountered once who didn’t try to save an innocent woman’s life when he had the chance. I’m wondering why The Mosquito Coast believes any of us care about him, but here we are! He acknowledges that what transpired as a result of their acts was “awful,” so I think it should be alright, but since he doesn’t seem really remorseful about it, who can even say? Do I have to feel bad for him? Almost concur with him? shrugging emoji.
The ongoing portrayal of Margot by the show is equally absurd. Just last week, she was ranting about how she was prepared to hand Richard over to the Feds in exchange for the Fox family’s freedom, but now that she has seen one cleared-out section of rainforest and a few bulldozers, she seems ready to jump back on the eco-terrorism bandwagon.
Is she really ready to work with Richard again? Might be! Does she still intend to turn on him? Probably! She decided to exchange what appears to be her wedding ring for an unidentified gas station attendant’s cell phone, and I believe that is the message she wanted us to take away from it. I hope the poor youngster has access to an international calling plan.
The title Burning of Judas festival at Casa Roja, which seems to be a type of Easter-adjacent activity tied to the spiritual purification of sin and the physical destruction of a paper mache effigy of Satan, is the event that is purportedly the focus of the hour.
However, because this program has a strong moral arc, the event has absolutely no significance. Granted, it provides us with some fantastic visuals—the scene when a cross is being hauled through the middle of town is stunning and the actual burning of the devil figure is impressive. It can’t even decide if we’re supposed to support the main character’s success or failure.
The Mosquito Coast obviously wants me to view this scene as serious and dramatic, complete with extended views of various Fox family members gazing into the flames as if to symbolize how all the wrong they have done is being consumed by the flames. I wish I could tell you that Charlie’s tears softened my hard heart and helped me view his character as more than just a generic waste of screen time, but he is especially impacted by all of this.
Read More: Chapter Six: A Christmas to Remember: A Review of Episode Six of Season One of “The Santa Clauses”
Instead, because Season 2 has been so inconsistent with his arc and how we’re supposed to feel about him, it just made me irritated all over again. Charlie starts having nightmares one week about killing a man in cold blood. He is excitedly forming relationships with the other campers and getting involved in their society. He is flagrantly flouting Caja Rosa regulations. Because he…blames Richard for Margot’s actions? He’s squeezing the trigger on a gun he didn’t know wasn’t loaded? Then, I’m expected to be moved by his abrupt and illogical conversion to the religion. The show, is this your king? Really?
Random Ideas and Observations
- This show desperately wants to be a Serious Exploration of Important Topics like corporate greed, environmental destruction, and the ways that indigenous people can be dispossessed of their land in poor countries but it refuses to do anything more than drop lip service platitudes about any of them and as a result, all of its characters are virtually impossible to root for.
- The Mosquito Coast also really really wants me to believe that Allie’s Sandpiper algorithm is so amazing and world-changing that governments, cartels, and everyone in between are desperate to acquire it even though the show has provided zero evidence that it even works. I mean, it’s been almost two seasons now and I am not entirely sure I can even accurately describe what it’s meant to do or how it functions. But, sure, I guess it would be super helpful for cocaine dealing! Sounds legit!
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