There’s A Tangled Web of Twists and Truths In Grotesquerie Episode 7
Episode seven of Grotesquerie, titled Unplugged, dramatically shifts the series into new territory with bold twists and revelations about the show’s key players. While the show takes daring narrative risks, it also stumbles with rushed revelations that don’t quite live up to the intense build-up from earlier episodes. Still, its twists — some expected — keep the momentum going as the season heads toward its final episodes.
The episode opens with Lois (Niecy Nash-Betts) sharing a tense dinner with her daughter Merritt (Raven Goodwin) and Eddie Laclan (Travis Kelce), only for the evening to spiral into chaos. What begins as a normal family dinner quickly unravels when Lois accuses Eddie of having an affair with her, an accusation that Eddie denies. He brushes it off by pointing out that Lois has had too much to drink and telling her they’re taking her to rehab. Lois is not having it. Nash-Betts delivers this moment with biting intensity, mocking Eddie’s protests and even digging into Merritt’s insecurities.
While the scene is filled with tension, the emotional weight is slightly undercut by a less-than-convincing performance from Kelce. As Eddie, Kelce lacks the dramatic chops necessary for such a heavy confrontation, making his character feel more like an accessory to the scene rather than an equal participant. While Kelce does well with the physicality, the emotional range feels shallow. Given that this is his acting debut, it’s understandable, but the contrast with Nash-Bett’s powerhouse performance is stark. The moment that could have had more resonance instead feels slightly flat, particularly as it sets the stage for the unraveling of more critical plot points.
As the episode progresses, the real revelations begin to unfold. After Lois meets with a doctor about taking Marshall (Courtney B. Vance) off life support, Nurse Redd (Lesley Manville) reappears, leading to a brief but intense exchange. Redd’s obsession with Marshall has been bubbling under the surface for several episodes and her devastation at being part of the team that will pull the plug on him is palpable. Manville plays the scene with a restrained intensity that heightens the sense of dread. After Lois reads Dickinson’s Because I Could Not Stop for Death to Marshall during the process of “unplugging” him, the lights flicker out behind her as she leaves. This visual, layered with the poem’s themes of mortality is a major giveaway, foreshadowing her own possible fate as it suggests that death itself is looming closer to Lois.
However, the much-anticipated reveal of Father Charlie (Nicholas Alexander Chavez) as Grotesquerie, which comes through a quick shot of a newspaper headline, falls short of expectations. After six episodes of build-up, the reveal feels rushed and incomplete. It’s jarring that a revelation of this magnitude — despite its predictability — is dropped in such an understated, underwhelming way. While the strangeness of the reveal becomes somewhat more understandable as the story begins to unfold, viewers are still left wanting a more climactic unmasking.
Gradually, the episode drops more clues, like the dreamlike lighting, surreal atmosphere, and the very obvious hints revealed through props. The episode takes a disorienting turn after the reveal that Lois has been in a coma, merging the dreamlike state of Lois’s subconscious with her physical reality. This turn of events may explain many of the surreal moments, but it also feels a little telegraphed, especially given how the cinematography seemed to foreshadow Lois’s condition.
The audience is plunged into this surreal duality as we see glimpses of Merritt’s troubled marriage to Eddie, her growing resentment, and her drive to live up to her mother’s expectations. Marshall sits at a restaurant with his daughter and son-in-law, a scene mirroring that of Lois, Eddie, and Merritt’s conversation. Merritt is a cancer researcher on the brink of divorce from Eddie who had an affair with Lois. This twisted turn of events adds layers of betrayal, revealing Lois’s supposed fantasies were not entirely fiction but a distorted version of reality seeping into her coma state. We also learn that Father Charlie is actually Dr. Charlie who is overseeing Lois’s care, although he maintains that familiar eerie presence.
Marshall’s decision to end Lois’s life support, in another near replication of Lois’s actions in her subconscious, is a pivotal moment underscored by a complex mix of resentment and unresolved feelings. He is enraged not just over Lois’s infidelity with Eddie, but also the emotional wreckage that is their relationship. His scenes with Nurse Redd — who isn’t really a nurse but appears to be sex worker “Cherry Redd” — further complicate his character, depicting a hypocritical man ridden with guilt and denial.
One of the episode’s standout performances comes from Micaela Diamond as Sister Megan. Megan’s involvement in the killings is uncovered during a violent confrontation with Lois, but, even in this dark turn, Diamond maintains Megan’s humor and charisma. Her scream of “Blasphemy!” before the intense struggle adds a touch of grim levity to the scene, allowing the character’s amusing edge to shine through despite her barbaric actions.
The dual-reality concept, in which Lois’s coma-induced dream state overlaps with her fight for survival, provides some of the episode's most visually arresting moments. The alternation between Lois hovering above her hospital bed and her inner struggle as she hears Merritt’s voice offering forgiveness is crafted with a haunting grace. The fight scene between Lois and Megan is choreographed with precision, blending action with psychological stakes. This skillfully executed confrontation offers some redemption after earlier narrative missteps, providing a compelling shift that contrasts with the more flawed moments.
Unplugged delivers a mix of memorable moments and scenes that could have used some tweaking. With continuously captivating performances from Nash-Betts and Diamond, the story pushes forward, albeit with a few bumps along the way. As the season heads toward its final episodes, viewers are left to wonder how many lingering questions will be answered, especially now that Lois has seemingly awakened from her coma in the final scene of episode seven. What will be the fallout of the revelations about Lois and Eddie’s affair? How, if at all, will she mend her relationship with Merritt? Something about this reality doesn’t feel any more believable than what was happening in Lois’s subconscious. With the lines between reality and illusion still blurred, viewers can only guess what truths will emerge in the final episodes.
Watch Grotesquerie Wednesdays on FX, streaming the next day on Hulu.
