Reverie Season 1 Episode 2 Review: Bond, Jane Bond
Dale McGarrigle
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Of course, while saving others, Mara was intent on wrestling with her own ghosts, in the most dangerous way possible.
One woman's search for her family certainly resonated with Mara on Reverie Season 1 Episode 2.
Already, we're getting to see the versatility of the Reverie program.
At first, it looked like Rachel was just embracing a James Bond-type fantasy. There was nothing wrong with a video game brought to life.
Then it became something deeper, and Mara had to discover why Rachel was willing to risk her life for what appeared to be pure escapism.
Related: Reverie Season 1 Episode 1 Review: Going Down the Rabbit Hole
The running joke about the target of Rachel's mission was amusing: "Vater? You mean like Darth Vader?" But, until Mara cracked the mystery that "vater" is German for "father," Rachel's goal remained elusive.
Empathy is turning out to be Mara's greatest weapon.
On Reverie Episode 1 Season 1, she could relate to Tony's loss of a loved one.
This time out, she had been where Rachel is, isolating herself and pushing her friends away, not letting anyone get too close. Rachel just seemed more extreme in her feelings, however.
Rachel had the added burden of having a heart arrhythmia, which wasn't standing up well to the stress she was creating while in her secret-agent persona.
It was obvious that Rachel was a shooter-game novice, the way she ran off when the bullets started flying. She rallied nicely, however. After her initial yips, Rachel embraced her role. Her determination to find Vater definitely helped fortify her, I'm sure.
The Reverie program certainly provided all the secret-agent staples: the casino, the contact, the car chase, the yacht, the target inside an opulent mansion.
Related: Watch Reverie Online: Season 1 Episode 1
The whole mission had that Bond feel to it, for sure, with Rachel having to get through an endless supply of thugs to reach Vater.
It was a good thing she and Mara reached a consensus about Mara's role in Rachel's Reverie. That way, Mara's inner Shaw could come out long enough for her to take out four thugs, before tossing the gun in the ocean because she "hates guns."
The bittersweet look on Rachel's face was agonizing when she realized that Reverie only knew what she knew about her father, which was an image in a photo.
All that effort for so little results. Still, in the end, it was heartwarming to see Rachel meet her father and the family she never knew she had.
Mara was settling in nicely at Onira-Tech. She's even got her own office now. She could have used a step-stool to get up onto the couch in her quiet place, however.
She was also smart enough to utilize the skill sets of those around her.
Charlie used to be police, and a damn good one, so she put him to work finding Rachel's father, something that Rachel needed desperately.
Charlie, in turn, seemed to appreciate the opportunity to do something more important than hand-holding fidgety Onira-Tech investors.
Then there was the always-helpful Paul, Mara's guide to the Reverie universe. Only Paul could find the positive in Mara's being attacked by the Reverie characters. At least she learned it's perfectly acceptable to fight back against digital aggression.
Related: Reverie's Sendhil Ramamurthy Q & A
I would have thought Onira-Tech would have had more oversight built into Reverie, rather than letting the clients secretly construct their own fantasy worlds. Monitoring just their vitals is asking for trouble.
Finally, there was Alexis, a self-important genius on the outside who was still hurting on the inside. This episode confirmed that Dylan the A.I. was based on her twin brother, who died young. So, perhaps, patterning Dylan after her brother is part of Alexis's Reverie program.
Mara broke through Alexis's shell by convincing her to hack Rachel's laptop, where the design of her Reverie lay hidden. She also got to see the innocent side of Alexis as she played backgammon with Dylan.
However, Mara did not bond with Monica. Mara can read people, and she doesn't trust Monica's ulterior motives. You do have to wonder what the Department of Defense has planned for a perfected Reverie program.
Mara seems headed for trouble. According to Charlie, this must be a pattern with her.
Paul told her what she needed to do to deal with the effects of derealization, a bug he and Alexis hadn't eliminated from the Reverie 2.0 program. And she paid attention at first, putting away photos and taking the anti-anxiety meds he gave her.
I said "at first" because she couldn't resist having her niece Brynn back, even as a ghost image.
So, now she's going to become the poster child for the effects of continued derealization as a result. Watch and see.
To observe Mara's progress, watch Reverie online.
How did you enjoy the patient of the week? Is Mara asking for trouble? What's Monica up to? Comment below.
Dale McGarrigle is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.
