With the second episode of the second season of Shining Vale here, we were not surprised by what we came to know, as it was expected in some measure. It looks like we are going to see Rosemary’s face turn from a foe to a friend this season, and that is already making us uncomfortable. Here is the recap of Shining Vale Episode 2 for your consideration.
Spoiler Alert
Who Is Ruth?
Something Claire said in Shining Vale Season 1 keeps coming back to us again and again. She had told Pat that the spirit in her house was not Rosemary but something worse. Much later, when Pat was admitted to the hospital, we saw Rosemary’s picture on the hospital walls, making us think that the asylum may be connected to the house in some way, or perhaps Rosemary was one of the first workers or patients of the hospital. But in Shining Vale Season 2, episode 1, we see Rosemary make a comeback. In episode 2, Pat is convinced that she is losing her mind once again. She asks to be driven to the asylum and wants the doctors to give her a shock treatment to zap out the residual ‘craziness’ in her mind. Pat is completely convinced that she was hallucinating at that time and has no belief left in the authenticity of her experience. However, the hospital is for mental health patients, and they cannot be given medicines and treatments like cosmetic procedures to fix temporary slip-ups. No one listens to Pat, and she is furious that she doesn’t seem crazy enough for the hospital, despite her feeling like she is losing her mind. They go back home, with Gaynor being angry that their family might fall apart again and Jake being mad that they did not go to the mall for ice cream.
At home, Terry decides that they all could use a trip to a therapist as a family, and unfortunately enough, the only one they could all afford was the one they used to go to, who Pat thought was sexist and dismissive of her struggles. The doctor tells the family members to find things individually that make them happy. If they are having trouble coming together as a unit, there is no need to force it upon themselves and each other yet, but they have to work on themselves.
The next day, Pat runs into the Rosemary lookalike again, and she finds that she is actually a human named Ruth, and she has recently moved in next door to her. Ruth recognizes Pat as the woman who bullied her in a prenatal class many years ago. The bullying was a stupid joke, but Ruth carries the sting of that till now. Ruth is also in town for a fresh start, and she doesn’t hold any grudges against Pat, but the latter just finds her presence to be odd and unsettling. Pat is unable to understand why the face of Rosemary would be that of someone she had made fun of so many years ago, especially when she has no memory of them as well.
Does Terry Remember What Happened To Him?
The fact about the show’s representation of mental health is that even though the therapist is being shown as someone not that good and there are actual supernatural occurrences in the background, when good advice is given, it has some effect. Terry’s art therapy seems to be working, as he constantly draws an axe and is convinced that it has something to do with his current state. He meets his old friend, who tries to remind him of their friendship and some of their memories spent together. For a second, it even looks like Terry is on the verge of a breakthrough, but if it just doesn’t come back, Later that night, when talking to Pat, he wonders whether they were on good terms. Pat assures him that they loved each other very much, even though they were having so many troubles in their marriage.
Terry wants to try getting intimate with Pat, but she refuses as she is still dealing with the feelings from the hospital. But when she hears that Terry has been drawing axes, Pat agrees to try. She probably doesn’t want him to remember so that he can continue to be the one person who still talks nicely to her in the house. Or it could be that she wanted to assure him of her love in case his memory came back. But this time, Terry refuses, as he can feel that the process is starting to look very clinical. As he continues his art therapy, he ends up drawing a painting where he is staring in horror as Pat is wielding an axe. Maybe Terry’s entire memory has come back, or it was just that incident. Perhaps there are only going to be doubts about what has happened, but Terry has had a breakthrough.
Is Lisa Dead?
The thing with Pat is that she still doesn’t have the support that she needs. Going to the asylum may have helped to some degree, but none of her family understands that trauma can never be zapped out of you, and Pat is still dealing with that. She is set for an interview on a morning show, and Pat wants to do it despite being anxious, as she wants to be able to put the past behind her. But that proves to be very difficult, as one wrong comment by Lisa, her host, sends her down an entire spiral where she believes that the woman is bringing up Rosemary and her past. Pat feels trapped and starts hallucinating, ruining the show. Her agent tries to assure her that not many people must have seen it, but sadly, the clip is going viral on social media.
Later, when Pat meets Ruth, the latter tries to advise her to drink some herbal tea and says that will help with the changes her body is experiencing. Pat isn’t really convinced, but she agrees to try later when Ruth gives her the tea in person. At home, her children are being haunted like they weren’t before. Jake is constantly seeing the girl, Daisy, in his VR game. He can just ignore her by not using the game, but we are sure she will find some other way to contact him. As for Gaynor, she could hear music playing from a Walkman with expired batteries, and she also saw how a door mysteriously opened. She also grew a strand of black hair without knowing how. Overall, Gaynor is scared that she may have inherited her mother’s mental health, though she doesn’t want to admit that she is already seeing signs of it.
At the end of Shining Vale season 2, episode 2, Pat drinks the tea, and she already feels like a new person. She tries to meet and talk to Lisa, probably for another interview, but shockingly, Lisa gets into an accident in the middle of the street as Pat watches. Even Ruth is there, and this time, we don’t think Pat mistakes her for Rosemary.
Final Thoughts
Whatever the mystery of the house, it runs a lot deeper than just Rosemary. We don’t want the entirety of season 2 to be just teasing that mystery. Some real actions and revelations need to start happening; otherwise, no matter how entertaining, two seasons of Shining Vale would have gone by without giving us anything.
