This episode was directed by series regular Damon Thomas who had, however, not yet directed an episode this season. It really shows, as it feels like an excerpt from a different show/season rather than the one it belongs to. I've normally enjoyed Thomas's directing but this time a lot of the scenes and dialogue felt disjointed - it felt like he didn't really understand what the characters had been through and (this may also be on the writing tbf) didn't give enough tools for the actors to make a convincing performance.
The final 10 minutes of this episode were very solid but even there there were a couple parts which broke my immersion. However, this is all setting up for an interesting finale and I have a lot of faith in the show delivering a good one at that - Damon Thomas has delivered great Eve-Villanelle scenes in the past, so if he's the one directing, i'm sure we'll be getting another one of those.
Considering the praise this episode is receiving I might have to rewatch this one, but on first watch the directing/writing just didn't sit right with me. The lack of music compared to earlier episodes was also offputting (although i'd actually prefer that in a vacuum), and the episode lacked a cohesive rhythm. I still love the characters and acting though, and there was nothing wrong with the story per-se.. so i'm still giving this a 7/10
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