Liar: Season 1/ Episode 5 – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

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Once again, Laura taking things into her own hands messes up any sort of closure she could possibly have.

The Affair Is Revealed: Liam, Tom, Katy, Laura

Tom slips. As it seems him and Laura are continuing to heal and transition back to being friends, Laura finds Katy’s umbrella in Tom’s car. With this, she begins asking questions. Showing that, after years of marriage, she picked up a thing or two. So with Tom’s testimony, she cross-checks with Katy and there is a whole different reason given for why Katy’s umbrella was in Tom’s car. Leading to Laura putting one and one together and figuring out what has been going on.

Of which Katy neither denies nor confirms, she just is struck dumb by her guilt. Something that Laura storms out about and poor Liam is there just in the nick of time to also figure out what his wife did. Thus leading him to leave her, at least for now, and making Katy to the first one to pay for her sins.

He Raped Me: Vanessa Harmon, Rory

Due to vaginal bleeding, first-time mom Vanessa, naturally, wants to make sure everything is okay. Of which, thankfully it is. The baby’s heart is still beating so Andrew did nothing to it. However, with abrasions around her genitals and the doctor talking about her having intercourse, Vanessa is very confused about what the hell is this woman talking about?

Thus leading her to believe Andrew broke into her home and raped her. Something she avoids talking about until asking this kid to testify and then she realizes she too needs to be brave and speak the truth. Leading to her consulting with Rory on how to actually nail Andrew rather than simply smear his name and end up with a possible defamation suit.

So Close: Vanessa, Laura, Andrew

Damn Laura and that GHB. As usual, her taking things into her own hands leads to everything going awry. For now, the woman has drugged Andrew, tied him up, and pretty much exerted the type of control over him that it would be hard to believe he won’t kill her. Especially since she is one of the first women to fight back and she knows how Andrew pushed his wife to kill herself through taunting and then sleeping with her best friend to give her one final push.

Yet, if it wasn’t for the GHB, she might have had him. For with Laura really trying to set Andrew up by having them meet at a bar, her being drunk, her having rope marks and him having scratches or what not, she thought she had him. But after he gets free and chases her through a boatyard, and then Vanessa shows up since Andrew’s car is in the middle of nowhere, and being tracked, she can’t-do a thing. The GHB, which lasts 12 hours we are told, keeps Vanessa from having that smoking gun.

Making you wonder why she didn’t just shoot him, but this isn’t America so she probably couldn’t get away with it.

Question(s) Left Unanswered

1. Does anyone else find it weird Laura’s nephew don’t really react to her?
2. Does Andrew even have sex with the women or does he just do something weird to their genitals?

Highlights

The Tom & Katy Situation Exposed

Thank the lord Tom and Katy’s relationship was exposed and quickly swept under the rug. For really, I can’t be the only one who found that whole scenario to be a time filler right? I mean, what does that relationship do for the main story? Perhaps push Laura into further feelings of isolation maybe? Make her do more erratic things because she feels she can’t trust anyone and no one has her back? That everyone is hiding some dark secret and those two are supposed to be the straw which breaks the camel’s back? Surely there could be better ways.

Criticism

Why Would Andrew Meet Up with Laura?

One of the things I may never understand with this show is why would you seek out your rapist/ actively engage with someone who publicly called you a rapist? On one hand, it isn’t like I don’t understand Laura wants justice by any means necessary, which means having to pursue conning a con artist. However, considering the man drugged her once and is a surgeon, clearly out of his mind, why would you push him? Why would you bring up his dead wife, why would you say the reason he is the way he is might be because of his mother [note]Whose home is where Andrew seemingly stores his rape kits.[/note] and just keep making it where you have no reason to feel safe? He knows where you live, he knows where you work, he knows where your sister and husband lives, and also where you go to relax.

Plus, to add insult to injury, he is suing you for defamation! It’s the kind of lose/lose situation which makes it hard to understand why Laura is so uninhibited about her interactions with Andrew. Though, at the same time, you have to wonder why Andrew entertains her? Clearly, she is not like the women in the past who he did whatever with [note]I’m still rather unsure if he even has sex with them[/note] and then they remained silent and went away. She can ruin him. Hell, she damn near did when she went public! Now he is marked for life.

So, with that in mind, you have to wonder if this man’s need for control over all aspects of his life, alongside getting what he wants, is so strong he’d foolishly keep trying to press Laura? To maybe think she was lying, misinterpreting, or what have you?

On The Fence

Laura Goes to Therapy and Hates It

I really don’t wish to be that person who clamors about negative representation, but I do feel with showing Laura having what was an absolutely terrible therapist, it could dissuade folks who were raped from getting help. Now, granted, Laura is at a point where talking about it only fuels the fire, and she should be applauded for checking out a therapist. However, I wish they got one that didn’t have a sort of Thirteen Reasons Why approach of making it seem she is being told to move on. But, I must say, therapy isn’t for everyone and while I’m very iffy about how it was depicted on a show which so well executes the feelings of a person, post-rape, I’m sure others have found the experience just as frustrating as Laura did.

Andrew’s Cockiness

Let’s add a few things up, the idiot stores bags full of GHB at his mother’s home. A place where, surely, people may check because he frequents there. Then, on top of that, he dared rape or assaulted the cop who was handling his case? Never mind asking her out like that was appropriate. Also, as seen in the featured image, HE HAS VIDEO EVIDENCE OF IT ALL! But it doesn’t end there for now he is openly speaking about pushing his wife to kill herself? Even with Laura, minutes before, showing she has her phone? Even with her pointing it at him like he was on camera? Fortune may favor the bold but the stupid are leaving this viewer quite weary.

Especially since he adds fuel to the fire, for Vanessa, to confirm he did something to her. I mean, I’ll admit I’m excited about the finale but mostly because I want to see how this mess is cleaned up more than anything. For with the show revealing to us way too early Andrew is a rapist, it makes you wonder what the finale may have? Andrew getting arrested, killed, maybe getting away with everything, or will there be another option.

The finale is next week so stick around!