Well, what did we learn from the second episode of 'Sharp Objects'? Not a whole lot really, this slow-burn of a drama is taking its time to get going so it's good that at least we have some fascinating characters to intrigue us for the interim.
Amy Adams' Camille Preaker is one of our most interesting female TV leads in a long time, if ever. Fans of the Gillian Flynn novel which this series is adapted from will know what exactly Camille is contending with, but viewers are given somewhat sporadic insights into her back story through flashbacks from her childhood and her strained relationship with her mother, Adora.
The self-harm marks and the constant downing of any alcohol she can get her hands on is further evidence that Camille is barely coping, and her boss seems convinced that this trip back to her old town could be just the tonic.
Episode two kicks off with the funeral of Natalie Keene, as we learn more about the latest victim of Wind Gap's serial killer, while later on Camille's investigation leads to a little boy who claims Natalie was taken by 'a woman in white'. The fact that this piece of evidence is not even being taken seriously by the police seems an indicator that, as with the "Green-Eared Spaghetti Monster" in 'True Detective', we should be paying attention. As unlikely as it might seem that we could have a female serial killer on our hands, given that this story is from the same author that brought us 'Gone Girl', we're keeping an open mind.
The overarching feeling of the episode, heavily sign-posted of course with the funeral at the start, is grief. Grief for Natalie's death, and subsequently for Camille's younger sister, whose death yet has to fully explained. It consumes Camille and her mother in different ways and as she readily admits to Jackie, her demons are not remotely tackled, just mildly concussed.
So far, while we are not hooked, we are intrigued by 'Sharp Objects'. It's certainly not desperate to keep our attention with cliffhangers and assumes we will have the patience to find out where this story goes while director Jean-Marc Vallée keeps us on our toes with scenes that flit from one to the next and flashbacks that bleed into the present.
One thing is for sure, 'Sharp Objects' is unlike anything else on television at the moment, and that alone is reason to stick around.
