Bad Monkey Recap: Disrespect Is Always Personal

As a seasoned connoisseur of power dynamics and interpersonal relationships, I must say that the scene between Eve and the Dragon Queen was nothing short of captivating. It seems to me that Eve, with her brash attitude and flippant remarks, is treading on thin ice here. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my years of observing human nature, it’s that underestimating someone who commands respect can lead to a world of trouble – especially when that person happens to be a powerful figure like the Dragon Queen.

In the latest episode of Bad Monkey, every character seems to be escaping some sort of situation. Yancy is dodging the authorities, Bonnie too, and the Dragon Queen is fleeing what she sees as a stagnant life on Andros. As they navigate through turmoil, each finds instances of release or relief in their journeys as well.

Yancy tops the episode by calling his old pal Rogelio for help. He claims that he’s in “A jam, maybe even a pickle.” It feels like Ro gets these calls pretty often from Yancy, and he’s kind of tired of fielding them, but he also loves his friend dearly. He’s also conflicted because Sonny tricked him into admitting that he helped Yancy after the Miami PD wanted him. At the end of the episode last week, Sonny threatened his job, and so Ro gives up his buddy here pretty quickly. When Yancy arrives at Rogelio’s house, the cops are there to arrest him. Womp womp. It’s a pretty stunning moment of betrayal, but honestly what did Yancy think he was going to do? Keep running forever? With a putrid finger in his pocket?

Once more, it seems as though Yancy frequently partakes in such extraordinary actions, yet he believes his actions are warranted when he bends the rules for the sake of justice. Yancy is a fervent crusader for justice and wants Nick to be held accountable for his wrongdoings. He’s unsure about Eve’s role, but he finds her suspicious as well. In this episode, the cops apprehend Yancy, keeping him out of most of the action throughout its duration. It’s entertaining to observe his verbal skirmishes with the police, but it’s also disconcerting because one can’t help but feel that Yancy and his escapades cannot be contained. Could this be the first time Yancy has been arrested? Or has he found himself in handcuffs before? Let’s ponder this question!

There’s constant back-and-forth banter between Mendez and Yancy, where Mendez is making threats and boasting, while Yancy responds sharply. Just when things seem to be at a stalemate, an unexpected turn of events occurs. Ro, sensing that Mendez might be concealing something, revisits the biased woman who had initially witnessed Yancy exiting O’Peele’s apartment. It turns out that Mendez manipulated her testimony, asking her to omit the detail about the one-armed man she saw at the crime scene. Whoops! This discovery causes Mendez to flee, allowing Yancy to regain his freedom.

The ongoing conflict between Mendez and Yancy has become quite tiresome, and I’m eagerly waiting for this situation to be resolved, hopefully leaving Mendez out of the equation, at least temporarily. I must admit, Yancy’s confession about tearing down Mendez’s mailbox was intriguing – it showcases Yancy as an honest and principled individual who isn’t afraid to take responsibility for his actions.

This episode contrasts Yancy’s blunt straightforwardness with Bonnie’s struggles. As I mentioned last week, this storyline seems somewhat disconnected from the rest of the ongoing events, but it certainly doesn’t disappoint in terms of featuring the talented Scott Glenn musing about nature and duty, a rendition of “Wildflowers” by Charlotte Lawrence, and Bonnie’s daring escape on an airboat. So, overall, it’s not time spent in vain.

Bonnie is deeply entangled in others’ perceptions of her, deriving a significant portion of her self-worth from men who view her as a whimsical, sexually attractive figure. However, she’s gradually recognizing the potential harm this mindset may cause not only to herself but also those around her. In the opening scene of the episode, Yancy finds Bonnie and Cody in his residence. Suspecting anything out of the ordinary or dangerous — a stranger leisurely reading Richard Russo in the middle of his lounge room being enough to trigger his alarm — Yancy swiftly tackles the young man to the ground. Bonnie quickly deescalates the situation and requests permission to stay at the Yancy family cabin. Yancy agrees, demonstrating his affinity for managing disorder.

Upon arrival, Bonnie and Cody find Yancy’s father already present. Scott Glenn exudes an effortless calm as he entertains the unexpected visitors on the dock. He shares valuable insights with Bonnie, and when she politely declines his well-known “pickle speech,” he gracefully comprehends her decision. This man appears to have the qualities of a highly skilled therapist.

During her stay, Bonnie plunges into the tranquil waters at the rear of the cabin. It seems this location has been in the Yancy family for years, as it’s the kind of place developers would love to build on and sell at a massive profit. In fact, the novel Bad Monkey subtly conveys this theme through characters like Evan Shook and the Striplings, who try to exploit nature for monetary gain. Scott Glenn, or Yancy’s father as he’s often referred to, appreciates the breathtaking cove in his backyard as a testament to 33 million years of natural evolution. This passage serves as a peaceful reflection on preserving nature and allowing it to develop at its own pace. However, Bonnie corrects him by stating it’s more about geology. Yet, when she swims, she encounters a gentle manatee. A manatee, after all, is nothing if not the embodiment of magic.

In this scenario, Bonnie interprets the manatee as encouraging her to act on her feelings towards Cody, so she does, but later discovers that his work-in-progress novel is narrated from a young boy’s perspective. This makes Bonnie question if she has harmed an innocent child, leading her to consider her future actions. However, her pondering is abruptly interrupted when the detective working on her case locates her at the cabin, prompting Bonnie to flee with Glenn’s airboat. The destination of her escape and her means of sustenance remain unclear, but it seems likely that we’ll encounter her again in the near future.

In the land of Andros, there’s no one evading the law. Neville intends to visit the Dragon Queen, yet finds her engaged in affectionate moments with Egg. This unexpected encounter doesn’t seem to benefit Neville, who was merely checking on his investment, as the queen appears to have overlooked the curse she owes him. It’s unclear whether she’s strategizing for a long-term plan or simply neglecting him. Spotting Neville from a window, Egg fires at him, hitting him squarely in the arm. Wounded, Neville manages to flee, but seriously injured. To Egg’s annoyance, it seems as though Neville vanishes without a trace. Returning to the queen, however, she demands more from Egg than just intimacy.

In this episode’s sequence, the situation appears to take an unexpected turn for the Dragon Queen as she fabricates documents claiming that John, the man she aided in passing away during a previous episode, bequeathed her a highly valuable plot of land which Eve and Nick are currently trying to purchase. John’s wife remains unfazed upon viewing the document, but his daughter causes quite a stir. Ya-Ya sternly reprimands her for her disrespectful behavior, yet it seems that Ya-Ya is also suspicious about this sudden appearance of such a generous gift.

Since the queen is certain that Eve and Nick won’t challenge the fake document, she instructs Egg to arrange a gathering with them. The encounter between these starkly contrasting pairs serves as a vivid reminder of both the financial and racial gaps existing among them. Eve and Nick perceive themselves as being in control, treating the queen and Egg as if they are mere servants at their beck and call. However, the Dragon Queen isn’t about to submit. Her power is subtle yet potent, and even Egg can sense it. He formally introduces her to his superiors as the “Dragon Queen,” speaking with deep respect. Nick, however, fails to grasp this, instead casually asking, “What the hell is a Dragon Queen?” I must admit that if not for his disrespectful behavior towards everyone on Andros, I might have some understanding for Nick.

In simpler terms, it’s clear that Nick isn’t valued or necessary in this conversation. Egg is also excluded. Instead, Eve and the queen are assessing each other during their land deal talks. The queen remains unbothered by Eve’s friendly yet intimidating demeanor, as she was known for being a bully, not a popular queen type. She held a dangerous power in school, capable of causing harm if provoked.

Besides the events depicted in the episode, there are additional reasons for Eve to feel fearful as well. In the final moments of the episode, Claspers comes back from Andros accompanied by some unsavory drug traffickers. Rosa, suspiciously lurking around, later stumbles upon a startling revelation inside the plane. To everyone’s astonishment, Neville, who had been missing, is discovered there, drenched in blood. This unexpected sighting raises the question of whether or not the Dragon Queen might have remembered young Neville after all.

Monkeying Around

It turns out that Eve had been investigating the plot of land the queen is offering for sale, as she believes it would make an ideal location for her own boutique. We can now understand why she spent $5000 at Asia’s boutique previously – she was gathering information for her own venture.

“The funniest moment during the episode was when Rosa and Rogelio conversed in Spanish openly at Key West PD, as if it were a hidden language since none of their colleagues have taken the time to learn it. Rosa playfully insulted Sonny in Spanish with a wide smile on her face, to which he responded, “Thank you, miss!

Despite Rosa not appearing frequently in this episode, she manages to create some enjoyable scenes. At one instance, she quips to Yancy, “You make me crave coffee.” This remark is both a compliment and an insult, yet cleverly so, and I find myself adopting it into my everyday conversations from now on.

• During Bonnie’s encounter with the manatee, Charlotte Lawrence’s rendition of “Wildflowers,” originally by Tom Petty, is heard in the background. In the series, Lawrence portrays Caitlin, who is both the creation of showrunner Bill Lawrence and a budding musician herself. Her interpretation of this iconic song by Petty is gentle and fitting.

2024-09-11 17:55

Bad Monkey Recap: Disrespect Is Always Personal

Monkeying Around

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