Blood and Oil Season 1 Episode 2 Review: The Ripple Effect
Christine Laskodi
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No one is immune to the charms of Hap Briggs.
Whether it be his wife, his children, his business partner, or his former lover, everyone seems to want to get into bed with Hap, figuratively and literally.
As for Hap, well, he survived the 80s, so he can survive anything.
On Blood and Oil Season 1 Episode 2, we were introduced to the many facets of the Briggs family patriarch. Hap thinks two steps ahead of everyone around him. He's ruthless, charismatic, and by his own admission, lucky.
I love you, pop. I'm really sorry for all the messed up stuff between you and I.
Wick
Hap seems to have one significant weakness; his children. For a man so smart and able to read others, he did a pretty bad job of identifying Wick's clearly guilty conscience. Wick is not a great liar by any means. Hap really doesn't want to believe that his son would ever harm him. I predict that his children will be his undoing.
Hap's marriage to Carla still remains mysterious, but we did learn that she doesn't make declarations of love to him and hasn't in some time. For a man who is loved so fiercely by others around him, it seems that Hap is starved for affection from his family, which is why he is so willing to accept his son's lies.
No son of mine would put a gun in my face. You saw how he reacted today. He told me he loved me. I don't remember the last time you said that.
Hap [to Carla]
A theme that was repeated throughout "The Ripple Effect" was the accusation of being in bed with the devil. At face value, Hap is the devil. However, it appears that everyone is in bed with a devil, all in varying degrees.
Billy and Cody, the young entrepreneurs who've abandoned their laundromats for oil, lie to each other. They both have ideas of what they want to do now that they have money. Their courtship with the devil is tame. Billy chose his marriage above all else this time. While initially Billy seemed seduced by Hap's world, he hasn't lost his ideals...yet.
Wick: Wow. I guess my dad'll work with anyone these days, huh?
Billy: Yeah, anyone except for you, I guess.
But Cody is in bed with a devil. Billy may not know it yet, but he is changing. He may not have locked into a new deal this time, but the time is coming when Billy will forsake his marriage in favor of money.
Wick is most certainly a devil. He's lying to everyone. His big plan for independence is already backfiring, and his temper tantrums seem to have turned into a frantic fear. Now that his partner has placed blood on his hands and a murder investigation is underway, there's no telling what this loose cannon is willing to do to protect himself.
Lying beside Wick is Jules, delightfully devilish in her own way. We predicted that she was using Wick to get to Hap, and it seems that her bond with the older Briggs is far from severed, despite their affair being over. After that kiss though, we have to wonder what their definition of over actually entails.
Cody: He just can't seem to get enough of Hap Briggs.
Jules: He does seem to have that effect on people, doesn't he?
Hap's wife, Carla, is hiding secrets from him, secrets about his daughter, Lacey, and his driver, AJ, and their apparent affair. Carla is trying her best to manipulate Hap into severing his relationships with his children, an interesting play for the wife of an oil baron who hasn't shown love to her husband in a long time. What IS she up to?
Which is the worse devil to be in bed with? The obvious evil or someone who you know and trust who is playing you for a fool? This is the question that plagues each of Blood and Oil's couples, whether they know it yet or not.
I loved the introduction of Lacey Briggs into this oily universe, though I wonder why she wasn't in the mix from the beginning. She is most certainly Hap's beloved little girl, and the friction existing between her and Carla is enjoyable. Everyone loves a good evil stepmother story, so theirs will be one to watch.
Blood and Oil is only getting started, and it is already the sexiest Sunday destination, full of secrets, lies, and murder. There's no telling what these folks will do to keep getting – as Hap said – lucky.
Oil Spills:
- Considering how small the Lefever's new home is, they sure have a luxurious bathtub.
- Jules threatens dismemberment on her employees. I love Jules.
- The smoldering stares between Wick and Billy need to stop. The room is far too dreamy when they both brood.
What did you think of Blood and Oil's second outing? Were you at all surprised by the affair? What is Jules really after? Are Billy and Cody making you sick with their sweetness? Sound off below!
Missed a second of the action? Have no fear! You can watch Blood and Oil online right here at TV Fanatic!
Be sure to tune in next week for Blood and Oil Season 1 Episode 3, "Hustle and Flow," and head right back here to join in on the conversation!
