Claire Danes, Tom Hiddleston, and the entire ensemble try to hold our attention, but the script falls completely flat. The Vicar's daughter, Jo, got incredibly traumatized after the event at the school and refused to speak for an entire weekend. Cora thought she'd bring in Dr. Luke to help. Dr. Luke again wanted to use a form of experimental medicine: Hypnosis. Hypnosis is still something that many people consider "experimental medicine," but it was something seldom heard of in the 19th Century. As Dr. Luke got Jo to speak again through hypnosis, the Vicar burst through the door and witnessed the act (which doesn't look entirely innocent in fairness to the Vicar). He attacked Dr. Luke, claiming that he was hurting his daughter. Jo protested (out loud, so it worked), and he calmed down as Cora, and Dr. Luke abruptly left the Vicar's house. Even without speaking throughout most of the episode, she conveyed the fear and emotion we would expect so brilliantly. Egerickz isn't the only young performer impressing us; Lily-Rose Aslandogdu also shines.
She's been outcasted from her class and by the town and seems to be one of the few who believe in the myth.
Her haunting gazes and strange behavior have not gone unnoticed, and we appreciate her presence when she's on-screen. The last saving grace for the show comes from the cinematography. The Essex countryside proves to be a major standout and feels like a character in and of itself. While Cora cannot stop talking about the mystery of the serpent itself, she doesn't seem to be making much headway. Little to nothing got revealed during the segment, and we are getting tired of her going erratic. Things become too theoretical with nothing happening to back up all Cora's theories.
We often don't like to dip into cliches, but The Essex Serpent needs to follow the "Show, don't tell" motto.
We get told a lot about people's feelings and fears, but none of it comes to fruition (outside of a LOT of yelling, specifically at Cora). The last few minutes of the third entry also prepare us for a significant plot development: the romance between Cora and Will, The Vicar. This romance is not something that we WANT, as the Vicar has a wife and is, well, a Vicar.
