I realized when I watched "Soldier Boy" that I never got around to weighing in on last week's episode. The major takeaway from last week was that George became completely unbearable. I kind of figured this was where things were going, but the party scene still infuriated me. On the one hand, I liked that Lee and Marina and Marguerite got a bit more screen time, but Bill I was really happy to see him committed and gotten out of the way. And that final bit of business, that he was partially to blame for Jake's beating, just added that extra kick in the teeth.
At the same time, Oswald is growing on me. Something about him has become compelling, and I don't know what it is; he's still a cypher, but at least he doesn't stop the story dead in its tracks anymore. The scene where he's trying to win Marina back shows just how much he wants her to praise him for getting the job at the book depository. She hits some great moments in that scene too, standing up for herself and not being a pushover. You almost wish those two crazy kids would work it out.
The scene with Miz Mimi was sweet and touching, but once again, I feel as though an extra Jodie-centric episode in which she and Deke and the Of Mice and Men production took center stage would have made her cancer revelation and Jake's emotional response a little more poignant. Jake and Sadie are still cute as they can be; the hospital scene worked for me because of how much I like Sadie. However, I didn't like the scene where Jake threatens George; it seemed a little violent and aggressive for the hero, even though his intentions were good.
I was waiting for the scene where Jake got beaten, and there it was, right on schedule. It didn't look nearly as brutal as it was in the book; I wondered if the end result would be the same, with Jake being hospitalized, but it turns out I needn't have worried. On to next week!