Rita: Season 1/ Episode 2 “The Teacher” – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

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While it was one thing for Rosa, in episode 1, to make Rita question herself, with Helle and others doing so as well? It is starting to mess with her. Especially since her mom comes to visit.

Taking Yourself More Seriously: Ricco, Bitten

Ricco, alongside Molly, sort of present the question of: Why is someone dating them? Focusing on Ricco first, we know he has a good body but what else does he offer? What reason is Bitten, who he makes seem more put together and smart than him, with him?

From what it seems, she wants him to be more than helping people move and he, well perhaps he is aimless. Yet, when he is told his former girlfriend Nanna (Lise Koefoed) of 4 years is giving up her nail salon, he gets an idea. One in which he is considering leasing it to open his own place. However, when it comes to what he will sell and how he will manage the place? Well, that seemingly will be when Bitten comes in. Though, with him thinking about something, it is better than nothing with her. Even if his big breasted ex is involved.

Commentary

Rita as a teacher is something questioned quite often, but her as a parent also is becoming something to analyze. For with both Ricco and Molly, there is this sense they are kind of aimless or on autopilot. Like they both are who their partners want them to be. Which is this cute thing to have on their arm. Yet, unlike Molly, it seems, Ricco’s partner Bitten is the type who didn’t mind having a project. Someone she invests in and builds up. Which perhaps shows, even halfway across the world, there are some things which never change.

That is, the idea a woman will invest in a long-term project in a relationship but a man expects someone put together with no assembly required. But, with that said, so comes the question of what is Ricco going to do with this shop? Much less, should Nanna, at all, be considered someone who can threaten his relationship with Bitten or is she just here for one episode?

Sugar Ban/ Why Are You A Teacher?: Helle (Ellen Hillingsø), Rita, Rasmus

As has been shown, Helle is on Rita’s ass like Rasmus when the two of them are alone. Which, of course, bugs her. Perhaps not because she has a problem with authority, but who the hell is Helle? She isn’t her boss, isn’t some official watchdog, so why has she decided to hone in on Rita? It is hard to say but it seems she is dedicated to making that woman’s life hell.

Something Rasmus can’t fight much because his hands are tied. Side with Rita too much and then their relationship gets scrutinized. Yet, don’t back her enough and likely he may lose personal privileges. It is a rather odd place for him.

Hence why, when one student, Viktor (Jonas Leth Hansen), has the unfortunate burden of his parents causing a sugar ban, Rita swoops in. After all, one of the main reasons she became a teacher was to protect kids from their parents. So, despite Helle being tasked with watching her to make sure the ban is in place, she goes against it. Reason being? Well, between Tofu chocolate cake and the ban, Viktor has become isolated.

So, with that in mind, Rita bakes sugary treats and circumvents the ban since she is bringing in the sweets, not the students. Making all the worries Helle has, leading her to support the ban, being bypassed. For with no kid buying friendship with the treats, what can they say? So with Rita bringing them in and having Viktor say they are his, his reputation recovers and he seemingly has friends now.

Commentary

 

 

Rita makes me nostalgic for the teachers I had when Viktor’s age. The kind who seemed to be more about the book but was like a second mom to you. Someone who seemingly cared when you sat alone, looked miserable, and tried to see if they could make things better. Which makes you wonder why Rita doesn’t do that with her own kids? Leading to the topic of Molly.

Trying to Make Amends: Rita, Molly

Lillebeth (Lisbet Lundquist), Rita’s mom, has come to visit. Per her conversation with Molly, she lied about her health as an excuse, but to Rita, she is having back issues. Reasons aside, the visit is tumultuous at best. Mostly because Lillebeth stirs the pot.

For one, Lillebeth has seemingly implanted abandonment issues in Rita. Since, during Rita’s upbringing, Lillebeth often wasn’t accessible. To the point that while Rita has her mom in her house, it is with rules. Of which include not criticizing, questioning, or messing with her family. A rule instantly broken as Lillebeth digs into whether the children have a relationship with their father and Lillebeth talking to Molly about Kim.

With this, we see the conversation Rita has perhaps been avoiding. One in which we see and hear Molly talking about all she has to offer is her looks. Her speaking as if that is all she has to offer and that being the reason she was dumped and quickly replaced. Thus pushing Lillebeth to note there is a bit of a curse in the family. Not a mystical witch placed on them type of curse, but a pattern. One in which women in that family associate their worth with them keeping a man. And with saying that, and trying to build this child, Molly gets a bit shaken and runs off. Something Rita sees and gets in her mom’s face about. Thus leading to the visit ending prematurely.

Commentary

Making this personal, one of my parents are a teacher and with how they talk about their students, I sometimes realize these kids got more out of them than I did. So with seeing Rita so invested in Viktor having a good school year, how she talked to Rosa, and comparing those interactions with her kids, you can see a problem.

Rita, in an effort to be the likable parent, the sort of laissez-faire one, has sort of failed her kids. Not in terms of raising them to be good people, but it is like she left them to their own devices to the point they don’t know what they can offer someone. They can offer their bodies, but is that enough? What else do they have? And with us seeing both Ricco and Molly, Rita’s oldest, in very similar insecure positions, it makes it something clear to me.

That something being, Rita probably feared hurting her children so much she strayed from real criticism. Much less, being that her mother was so inaccessible, there is probably this inability to really pursue something with her kids. Be it Ricco getting married too young or making sure Molly is truly ok. She takes things at face value and leaves it alone.

Arguably, this can even be seen with Jeppe. She accepts him as gay and that’s it. She, effectively, seems to only desire to step in when she has to. Otherwise, she figured, unlike her mom, she is there and if they have something to say they can come to her. Which, so it seems, hasn’t been what her kids needed. Maybe even wanted.