Bad Monkey Recap: A Farewell to Arm

As a long-time fan of the show, I must say that the latest episode was nothing short of a rollercoaster ride of emotions. The way Zach Braff portrayed Izzy’s character was simply brilliant, balancing the tragicomic aspects flawlessly while making us laugh out loud at times. I truly hope to see more of him in future projects, and perhaps even more dramatic roles that will showcase his versatility as an actor.


Avoiding punishment for murder or insurance fraud isn’t simple; it requires self-control, strategy, perseverance, and cleverness – traits that Eve and Nick seem to lack entirely. For the most part, they’re thoughtless brutes who believe the world should cater to their whims without any regard for others’ wellbeing or safety. Eve fancies herself unique and entitled to special treatment, even if it means causing harm to others, while Nick assumes the world owes him because he happened to marry an attractive woman.

The fourth installment of “Bad Monkey” unfolds the transformation of Eve and Nick’s bond, starting from an instant attraction, leading to insurance scams involving two policies, and a series of lethal acts. Over the course of sixty minutes, this pair evolves from a shallow and slightly unpleasant duo into characters who could easily be targets for the fictional serial killer, Dexter. With Nick’s arm added to their tally, they now have three confirmed victims – if we include his arm, that makes it three and a quarter. Eve appears to believe that they can ascend to power through murder.

In intriguing stories like this one where a duo unknowingly navigates a maze of deceit, theft, or manipulation, the plot often plunges into grim and treacherous terrain. However, when it comes to Eve and Nick, they stand out as unique characters. While Nick struggles with the repercussions of his actions and yearns to be a good father to his daughter, deep down, he’s just a jerk who believes he deserves a free pass from life. Despite our initial sympathy for him, given his portrayal by the talented and amusing Rob Delaney, it becomes evident that Nick is far from admirable. He may hesitate to carry out Eve’s plan to kill their daughter Caitlin once she discovers he’s alive, but his careless treatment of the people in Andros reveals his true nature: abominable.

Eve, on the contrary, could be a pure sociopath in disguise. The episode’s opening suggests that she was an aspiring actress with limited abilities who might have succeeded if not for her fiery temper and laziness. Despite the director’s obvious disdain for her, she landed the lead role in the Ghost play. However, when he criticized her for failing to cry during the critical “Ditto” scene, she overreacted drastically… it appears, falsely accused him of pedophilia. This seems like an excessive response!

Meredith Hagner delivers captivating performances as Eve, oscillating between subtly menacing and gleefully joyful demeanor. She employs charm and casual conversation to win over strangers, similar to Yancy’s approach. However, beneath her innocent exterior lies a cunning predator, poised to strike at the slightest sign of vulnerability. The scene where Eve cold-bloodedly murders Heather is spine-tingling as Eve manages to keep Heather frozen with fear while subtly transforming a friendly chat about acting into a fangirl’s adoration for her favorite TV personality. Unbeknownst to Heather, this seemingly harmless fan would later pull out a gun from her bag and shoot her dead. After committing the act, Eve remains emotionless, merely informing Nick that they are now even. Then, she erupts into a stream of maniacal laughter when her little dog playfully wanders in Heather’s blood. Her responses during such critical moments are strikingly inappropriate, yet watching her create havoc is an absolute delight to observe.

From the beginning, it was evident that Eve would exert control over Nick’s life, given her manipulative nature in their unconventional relationship. Nick, a single father to Caitlin with a past perhaps marred by heartache, seeks solace in companionship as his daughter grows up. Meeting Eve at a party, he finds his match, pledging her a life of beauty. Infatuated, Eve, who yearns for someone to care for her, is smitten. With her age and wealth disparity not seeming unusual for Florida, she gradually escalates her demands for a good provider. During their vacation in Andros, the idea of building an entire resort unexpectedly crosses her mind. It seems that Eve, who has never shown interest in owning or managing a resort before, is testing Nick’s ability to fulfill even her most impulsive and extravagant desires.

In simpler terms, Nick thinks he can deceive Midwestern Mobile Medical to gain more money by tampering with prescriptions. However, when their scam is exposed by the Federal authorities, Nick considers fleeing with little cash, which displeases his wife Eve who enjoys a lavish lifestyle. Nick then devises a plan to pretend he’s dead. Initially, he suggests amputating two of his fingers to make it appear genuine. But after receiving a disapproving glance from his wife, he decides to go further and lose an arm instead. His friend Izzy is the one who will carry out this act.

It’s not clear what benefit Izzy is gaining from this part of the scheme, as even if Nick is declared dead, wouldn’t Izzy still be accountable for the multitude of fraudulent scooter prescriptions he had signed? Perhaps he’s acting out of friendship. The scene with the arm is gruesomely staged, and it becomes more disturbing when Izzy moves the limb to the shower in an attempt to make it appear as if it were a boating accident rather than a voluntary amputation carried out in a secluded part of Eve and Nick’s mansion that resembles a crime scene from Dexter. (The atmosphere is strikingly reminiscent of Dexter, my friends. I can hardly contain my excitement for a potential crossover where Dexter takes care of these crooks. Maybe I’ll write a fanfiction about it.)

In a quick summary, Izzy passes an arm to Phinney who gives him the middle finger gesture, followed by a naive child asking for more money. It’s clear that Nick kills him, a fact later revealed. Izzy’s guilt over Phinney’s death leads him to desire a conversation with Yancy, which Nick and Eve aim to prevent. This results in Nick brutally murdering his friend. If Braff’s character is indeed leaving the show, I hope he appears more frequently in other projects and takes on more dramatic roles as he skillfully combined comedy and tragedy in this episode, providing some of its most memorable laughs.

Currently, it’s revealed that Izzy is being falsely accused of Phinney’s death by a corrupt cop named Jonny Mendez, the very same individual responsible for Yancy’s departure from Miami PD. We delve into their past: Mendez managed the Crime Busters tip line, misusing it to share details about resolved cases with his associates so they could claim rewards and share the proceeds with him. This is a despicable act, yet the city chooses to tolerate Mendez’s continued employment. On the other hand, they dismiss Yancy for his overall demeanor and perspective on life. In essence, Miami seems unable to maintain its integrity! As for Mendez, he eventually rises through the ranks to become a detective, where he mishandles cases, such as overlooking the impossibility of a suicide when someone is shot in the back of the head.

Rosa and Yancy express their shared grief over Izzy’s passing, coming to the conclusion that his death wasn’t a suicide. However, they become engrossed in solving the mystery, leading Rosa to make an unexpected move on Yancy, which, given the circumstances, is quite surprising. I won’t judge Rosa’s actions here. Yancy departs, but not before Rosa reveals her past with a man who deceived her about attending a symphony concert, causing her to lose three years of her life. This tale, combined with a unique three-legged Key deer, helps Yancy piece together the possibility that Christopher and Nick could be one and the same. As he leaves a message on Rosa’s voicemail, Nick suddenly appears and attacks Yancy with a crowbar. I can only hope that Yancy regains consciousness for a moment to engage in some witty banter with Nick, as Vaughn and Delaney are known for their exceptional repartee.

Monkeying Around

In one of the most humorous interactions during the episode, Eve likens Phinney’s plea for extra funds to the popular children’s book “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.” Nick, being a father, acknowledges his familiarity with the book. However, he then shakes his head and asks Eve why she would have read it, which adds an extra layer of humor to the scene. In reality, the disparity in age between Nick and Eve is significant: Nick is presumably older than Eve given that she was a child when the book was published in 1985, making it likely that she did indeed read it as a youngster rather than an adult. It seems that Eve may have internalized some unconventional lessons from the story.

One of the most intriguing scenes from the episode features Ya-Ya casually inquiring about Nick’s injured arm, to which Nick responds disrespectfully. In response, Ya-Ya silently gestures by pointing a finger and tracing a circle around Nick’s face, reminiscent of a curse. Nick’s reaction, followed by the Dragon Queen’s comment when her grandmother continues this gesture near others, “That’s enough circling for today, Ya-Ya,” adds depth, humor, and ultimately makes Bad Monkey such an enjoyable watch.

1. Tom Nowicki is still knocking it out of the park with his voiceover narration. The show seems to have borrowed a few ideas from the “Arrested Development” script, managing to serve up dry and surprising one-liners that seem to come from an all-knowing source, adding humor along the way.

• This week’s unique cover is “You’re Gonna Get It” performed by Jason Isbell and his band, The 400 Unit.

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2024-08-28 17:54