Props to Elizabeth Meriwether. The creator of The New Girl again Dying for Sex linked me to his latest sequel, Angry.
Set in New York City, a charming but haunted block of brownstones is filled with tricksters or costumed robbers. On another stone step sits a red-headed woman, wearing a plastic cat mask. It would be a cozy scene, except that the open shot shows what is behind the door he is sitting in front of. There, a white man poops in a bathroom full of blood and bile. Using one arm, he pulls himself into a hallway with a hardwood floor decorated with crown molding. All around him there are insignificant signs of wealth, but he is covered in a dirty liquid of sweat, vomit, and blood.
The woman will go inside and find him falling down the stairs trying to escape from him. He will kill her quickly, close and taunt her as the whisper of death leaves her waterless lips.
“I really don’t like listening to you,” he said softly, curling up, like a lover in a soft bed. “I don’t like the sounds you make. But I like your smile.”
And just like that, I was hooked.
While Hulu subscribers will be able to watch the first three episodes of Angry when it premiered on July 27, critics were treated to the entire first season, which is eight episodes long. And I watched them all in one day.
Note: This show is a binge watch. But also deeply satisfying.
What Angry about?
Emmy Rossum and Quincy Tyler Bernstine in “Furious.”
Credit: Disney / Sarah Shatz
Angry centers on former Brooklyn detective turned FBI agent Alice Black (Emmy Rossum). He’s just joined the New York office, but his eye is on the sex division, run by tough-talking veteran Nora (Quincy Tyler Bernstine). He and Nora meet when Alice notices a strange connection between the aforementioned crime scene and the presumed drug-related death of a suspected child trafficker.
It turns out that the boy is originally the son of a billionaire philanthropist. So both the FBI and the Brooklyn PD are on the case. This brings Alice back to her old team, where she has made enemies over allegations of domestic violence against another detective. Still loyal to him is detective Danny Kelly (Scoot McNairy), who is eager to track him down in what he believes to be a serial murder case. And for a female suspect, it’s a really unusual case.
Meanwhile, the unnamed killer (Lola Petticrew) shifts from one identity to another. In the first three episodes, she changes her hair, speech, affect, and name to go from a brownstone to a domestic violence shelter to a restaurant that brings her closer to her goal.
Meriwether found inspiration for the series in 1987’s neo-noir Black Widowwhich focused on the cat-and-mouse exchange of a female detective and a female serial killer. The chaotic chemistry of that setup blossoms Angry. But instead of a black widow-turned-black widow narrative, Meriwether’s murder is soon revealed to be a sex worker, seeking revenge on those who abused her as a child.
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Angry it deals with shocking truths with intelligent sensitivity.
Credit: Disney / Sarah Shatz
Although the series deals with child abuse and sexual abuse, Meriwether and his team of sharp directors will not make a rape spectacle. Instead of recalling what happened in the killer’s past, Meriwether uses other storytelling tools to discover the horrors that happened without showing them.
Some things are subtle, like when Alice and Nora talk to a 15-year-old fast-food worker, urging him to testify against other traffickers. The girl’s playful attitude reflects her youth, and when she is later found beaten to death, her silence in the hospital bed shows the possible consequences of trying to escape a sex-trafficking ring. Likewise, in episode 2, the killer, whose name is eventually revealed to be Catherine, unexpectedly meets Mira (Riley Vinson), the daughter of his current victim.
Instead of attacking him, they joined in with the food, boy talk, and hairdos. And in these girlish moments, Catherine tells Mira about her past. Specifically, Catherine reveals that she was this child’s age when men slept with her and hurt her, over and over again. We don’t need to see Catherine’s biography to understand that. We just need to see his anger and shock on Mira’s face.
As the title suggests, rage motivates more than just Catherine. Alice and Nora are also motivated by anger. Meriwether draws inspiration from Greek mythology, where Nora delivers powerful speeches about the Furies – gods of vengeance – and Medusa, and the cultural belief that all forms of anger can lead to madness.
This poem develops complexity in Angrywhere the hero and the villain are traumatized by the violence done to them, and the power of violence in response. Who wants payment, and who wants justice? As corruption permeates the plot, playing by the book feels almost certain to fail in terms of capturing the worst elements of the show. So, Alice begins to take risks and break the rules, creating an intense sequence.
Rossum and Petticrew lead the cast.
Lola Petticrew in “Furious.”
Credit: Disney / Sarah Shatz
On the other hand, Rossum, who is also a producer, is managing the series. Like Alice, she carries a tough exterior like a shield. But he trades it for a smile when he appeals to young victims. Then, with Nora, his eyes open, eager to drink her wisdom and any mother’s guidance. With Danny, she’s playful, but in an older sister way, always with an edge of “Don’t mess with me” menace. Confronted by her abuser (Jake Lacy), she changes again – to say how she can be a savior. So, who will he be when he finally meets Catherine? All I have to say is that episode is absolutely electrifying.
Like Rossum, Petticrew plays a multi-faceted role. Catherine is a shapeshifter, a survival technique that allows her to step into the unknown or stand out in a way that suits her needs. Just a second, he’s a sarcastic killer. Next, she’s a flirtatious waitress with a shipping kink. Then, you are a sultry cam girl or a dedicated nurse help. In each scene, Petticrew keeps us guessing, trying to understand who the real Catherine is.
On the way to this discovery, Angry presents an array of characters, such as the protagonists, whose behavior is complex and engaging. McNairy is heartbreaking as the earnest Danny, who would die for Alice – and be strong. With a doggy face and twinkling eyes, its longing is so palpable that you can hold on to it and feel the heartbeat inside.
As Nora, Bernstine is a consistent scene-breaker. He delivers difficult monologues about the shortcomings of the justice system with deep world weariness. But when he appears to be winning, he has a childlike glee and a mature sense of righteousness. He sings – mysteriously – throughout the series, and it’s always entertaining. And even in the darkest moments, he’s wickedly funny. Nora is perhaps the clearest distillation of the curious concoction Meriwether concocted Angry. He is not easily defined as good or bad, optimistic or critical, kind or cruel. And this is true of many of the show’s “good guys,” and even some of its “bad guys.”
Alongside him, Rob Yang is hilarious as the ambitious but easily overwhelmed agent, whose brown nose turns into a practical joke. Rob Delaney, who also came from Meriwether Dying for Sexhe is likewise a crack-up, but also deceptive as an expensive lawyer with a terrible hypocrisy at his heart. Then, the big surprise in the supporting case is Steve Way.
Ramy fans will recognize Way, but he was new to me. In the third episode, he is introduced as Alden, whom Catherine takes care of as a nurse’s aide. As the season progresses, their relationship becomes important to Catherine’s understanding. Together, they laugh, flirt, and talk in a way that shows honesty and acceptance. When someone challenges you about your potential for violence, you refer to the old closing line from Some Like It Hot, saying, “No one is perfect.” But Way’s delivery is fine. He’s incredibly funny, bringing a sense of ease and defiance to himself AngryBad content.
All in all, this clash of talent, richness, and personality in front of and behind the camera does Angry an absolute stunner. Meriwether has created a slow-burn thriller, where a cop and a killer share a complicated and violent relationship. Scenes of male executions are brutal, but this provides a strange balance in social media where the rape of women is treated as a naughty spectacle. Exploring trauma and the breakdown of healing is thought-provoking and thought-provoking. The humor is dark but humane. And the ending will leave you happy, gasping, and wanting more.
Without spoilers, I will promise this: Angry answers the big questions raised by its first season. Then, it gives a glimpse of where to go next. And – to quote another sophisticated and funny TV heroine – I want to go there.
The first three episodes of Angry debuts on Hulu July 27, with new episodes every Monday through Aug. 31.
