What. Was. That?!?

Look, I'm not a prude by any sense of the definition, but sitting alone in my office watching The Sinner Season 1 Episode 6 made me blanch.

Maybe it was because I knew my mom was going to be watching (Hi Mom!) or because Jessica Biel went out of her way to make the sex scenes as believable as possible or the incestual nature of some of them that they hit me so hard. But...ugh! Was I alone??

Before I get into that business, I'll express my disappointment over the addition of Captain Farmer once again.

While she did have a good point about Ambrose saying blah, blah, blah, blah without addressing why Cora killed Frankie, overall her addition has been worthless. It was a ridiculous plot device to slow down the good work Ambrose was doing.

Story wise, Ambrose could have been a little less efficient at his job, and it would have been far more interesting. He could have hit a dead end or two instead of finding all the answers he was seeking so damn fast.

After all, the guy is in the middle of a middle age crisis of some kind. His marriage is a mess, and his mind? We have no idea what is swirling around his head. 

We know it's something, and considering he was being strangled to death to get off (far more wicked than the ol' high heel on the back of the hand trick), we can assume whatever is eating him up inside is worth the penance he's given himself.

Instead of bringing on a lame character like Farmer, why didn't the author (or the script writer after her) tune into Bill Pullman and give him something more to do? 

It's disappointing he hasn't had an opportunity to open up and stretch his wings. The series is only eight episodes long. With two more to go, I think we're going to be left wanting when it comes to Harry Ambrose. 

Hell, I think we're going to be left wanting when it comes to Cora Tannetti.

I'm still unclear what everyone hopes to achieve by finding why she killed Frankie. It will help them process what happened. Cora might get a lower sentence, but not low enough to have a life. It's not like she's going to get probation.

Her memories were pouring out, and not all of the memories about JD were bad. 

It was pretty obvious the guy wanted to use her for something and he had no intention of telling her what that might be. For a first-time sexual experience fellow, he got on the right side of Cora by ensuring she had an orgasm all the time.

I guess that's one way to earn the trust of a young girl. One way you'd think wouldn't work would be to have her on the edge of happiness then invite in another girl for a bedside chat. 

If that wasn't all kinds of uncomfortable, I don't know what was. Red flags were being tossed all over that room, but Cora's life was one big red flag; it was easy for her to miss them when they were piled so high.

Cora: She depends on me.
JD: Cora, if Phoebe really cared about you, she'd let you go. She'd tell you to go live your life. Has she ever said anything like that? You know why? She wants your life for herself. She's a vampire and as long as you stay with her, you'll be a shell.

• Permalink: Cora, if Phoebe really cared about you, she'd let you go. She'd tell you to go live your...

It was ironic that JD could see enough of Cora's life to lead her so far down his path of evil. The poor girl was torn in so many hideous directions by the people in her life, I'm frankly surprised she didn't at least try to commit suicide by the time we met her.

Maybe she did. Maybe we aren't there yet. Maybe there is a magnificent surprise ending we don't even see coming.

Going from her mother's control to JD's to Phoebes and back around the circle again must have been exhausting.

Phoebe's need to live through Cora freaked me out. Did the two not know how to use their words? Why on earth couldn't Cora just TELL her sister about what she and JD did while alone instead of going in for a French kiss and that explicit fondling?

It was too much, and Cora would have to carry that with the rest of her life. How do you reconcile that stuff in your head? Oh, my sister was dying. Like, every day of her life. Geez.

I appreciated the fact Cora didn't want to give up on the Beverwyck Club and determinedly found her way to her memories. She remembers now.

I'm ready to see what that might be. What kind of depravity was Cora subjected to for a series of months that ended in the death of Maddie and Cora's discovery in the alley?

We're coming to the end of this closed-end limited series. What do you think awaits as we count down to the final two installments? 

Were you shocked by the sexual nature of this one? If they went that far here, what do you expect when we see the torturous moments from Cora's capture? What the hell is consuming Ambrose that he's putting his life on the line? 

After you watch The Sinner online, be sure to drop your thoughts in a comment below. I need to know what you're thinking!

Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.