Alias Grace: Season 1/ Episode 2 “Part 2” – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)
Mary’s life and death are revealed to us, alongside what maybe Grace’s alibi. The Joys & Plans of a Young Girl: Mary, Grace Oh, Mary. This joyous little rambunctious rebel. Mocking Ms. Alderman behind her back, talking about the revolution and marrying a nice farm boy. It isn’t clear if Grace had many close and…
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Mary’s life and death are revealed to us, alongside what maybe Grace’s alibi.
The Joys & Plans of a Young Girl: Mary, Grace
Oh, Mary. This joyous little rambunctious rebel. Mocking Ms. Alderman behind her back, talking about the revolution and marrying a nice farm boy. It isn’t clear if Grace had many close and kind relationships before Mary, but the girl certainly left her mark. She gave Grace a reason to live, peace in her heart and warmed her soul after all that has happened to her thus far. Yet, like all good things in Grace’s life, Mary’s time in her presence had to come to an end.
When Love Fails: Mary, Grace
But that lovely girl Grace came to know loses her jovial spirit around the holidays. All thanks to Ms. Alderman’s oldest George. A man she falls for, even secretly becomes engaged to, but then he backs out of the engagement. He backs out and leaves something in Mary. Something more than hurt, but a baby.
The First Signs of Madness: Mary, Grace, Dr. Jordan
A baby which, with it being the 1800s, Mary can’t keep. Physically she could, but her life would be misery for doing so. She’d lose her job, the only option would be a workhouse, as well as giving up her child. That is a lot for one person to bear so she plays Russian roulette and seeks out an abortion. Something she knows could kill her but, in Grace’s mind, it was either get an abortion or follow George’s advice. That is, drown herself and the baby.
So, she gets the abortion and, at first, she seems fine. Sore, of course, but fine. However, she dies overnight and this drives Grace mad. She faints and wakes thinking of herself as Mary. Then she faints once more and is her person.
Leaving Dr. Jordan puzzled and the possibility coming, when she thought she saw or knew McDermott killed Nancy and threw her down the stairs, it could have been her. It could have been her during a memory lapse and a moment of being driven to madness. Possibly triggered by what led to Mary’s death.
Highlights
A Mental Break
After the mind games presented in the first episode, it is hard to not desire where this pessimism and low-key antagonistic nature of Grace came from. Much less, us learning whether she is this master manipulator as McDermott made her seem or not. Well, we get our answer.
From what it seems, disappointment and loss are consistent in Grace’s life. Her mother’s passing was the first blow and then Mary following probably within a few months, it was too much too soon. Hence her losing her mind and becoming who she loved most. Which could very well mean, Grace fell in love with McDermott and then he pulled a George on her. He slept with Nancy, committed to her, and thought he’d just leave Grace holding the bag.
Thus leading her to snap and killing Nancy the way only a man could. If not her killing Nancy and then convincing McDermott to move, if not get rid of, the body.
On The Fence
Ready for the Nancy and McDermott Introduction
Either way, I must admit I’m ready for Nancy and McDermott to show up and for us to get to know them. Nancy especially since I want to know if she instigated the situation or was but a victim of more than murder.
Collected Quote(s)
Those who have been in trouble themselves are alert to it in others. – Grace
We didn’t lose. We just haven’t won yet. – Mary
If the world treats you well, you come to believe you are deserving of it. – Grace
The option that would have allowed Mary to keep the child, according to Mary, would be prostitution – she used old fashioned words, but that is what she meant. Grace definitely blames the one who tricked and betrayed Mary, rather than that butcher of a doctor, for Mary’s death. From what Grace tells Dr Jordan, she doesn’t know that Mary was referring to George Parkinson – do you believe her that she doesn’t know it was George that got Mary pregnant?
I think Grace likes to play up the idea she doesn’t know as much as she does. Playing innocent, naive, yet not stupid, is her thing. She seems to take full advantage of however she is perceived and manipulates it.
Thing is, I don’t think many have taken the time to really get to know her like Dr. Jordan so she is trying to figure out how to present a long term con. For while I do believe her blackout may mentally have caused her to think she was Mary, I doubt a lot of her act and whimsy isn’t calculated.