Talk About The Weather
Episode 3 of The Mosquito Coast starts with us back on the river, with Allie and the group continuing on their way to salvation. Naturally, they come to a fork in the proverbial road, and with their gas dangerously low, they anchor for the night at a sanctuary. Allie has ties to this place but the language is a definite barrier. Margot knows a little of the dialect and manages to get them in, where generators barely keep the lights on, before it eventually putters out completely and bathes them in firelight. The villagers are not exactly happy to see them, but Isela soon changes that when she shows up. She decides to show them to their house, where Isela points out that this is a working community and they need to pay their way if they want to fit in. They’re given a few days to take everything in for now, but after that they need to knuckle down and work. Allie tells the rest of the family that he’s sorry for bringing them here but they won’t be strangers for long, and they should see things from their perspective. Dina casts a worried glance Charlie’s way. Two weeks later and the family are settling in just fine. Margot catches fish along with the other women, bringing it in to the village, but of course the language barrier is a constant hindrance. Speaking to one of the women, Margot learns that Charlie appears to be sick, while Dina ends up on milking duties. Cahrlie’s not ill, as it turns out, but finds himself captivated by a whole flock of butterflies that happen to be breeding. He’s not sleeping well and he’s the only one who’s not really pulling his weight by the looks of it. He’s been spending the nights in the jungle away from the family, but when Isela learns of this, she tells him to avoid detection and stay away from other people. He can’t be spotted. So you just know that he’s going to be the one to mess everything up, right? In Isela’s tent, she ends up messaging someone, who reveals William Lee is still looking for the family. He’s dangerous and motivated to find Allie and the others, which unfortunately puts the whole community at risk. However, it’s a risk that Isela is willing to take – for now. The others in this community have pretty troubled pasts too, which could explain Isela’s motives here. A lot of them have lost family members, and this refuge is full of people who need to keep caution and secrecy a priority, given some are at risk of losing their lives if they go back. It’s enough for Charlie to at least make an effort, playing football with the other kids. However, there’s still the incident back in Mexico which could well be a sticking point for Charlie, especially if he’s found out by Isela and the others. He could well be kicked out, and with assassins out to get him, hired by Lucrecia of course, it doesn’t look good. Meanwhile, Dina brings up big news that throws them in deep trouble. Isela is going to sell their trawler to Ridley, giving them absolutely no way out. Dina, having earlier bagged herself a bottle of pills from the kid from the boat she helped get oil from, suggests drugging their father so he stays asleep and they can sneak out. Charlie needs help and they can’t stay there any longer, despite the home they’re making for themselves. Allie doesn’t suspect a thing as the family join for an overly cheerful toast that night, but he doesn’t drink and instead takes them down to the water. There, he shows their trawler sinking. He figured out that Isela was going to sell it so he decided to sink it instead, keeping them all there. So much for the big escape plan.
The Episode Review
Mosquito Coast almost slips into familiar waters here, with a recurring hook of going to a community, messing things up and leaving. There’s far less action this time around in season 2 and it appears the creators have learned from their mistakes and have decided to try a slow burn approach instead. Still, the first season will have carved the fanbase in half no doubt, and it’ll be interesting to see how many people are actually sticking with this one every week. For now, not a lot happens this week beyond the family entering the community and finding themselves stuck. Hopefully the rest of the chapters can develop on both the plot and character front.
