The Purge Season 1 Episode 3 Review: The Urge to Purge
Carissa Pavlica
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Oh, where to start when all of the storylines get a kick in the pants?
The Purge Season 1 Episode 3 was a lot more fun than the previous two installments even if it was just as easy to kick back and roll your eyes at the idiocy of the proceedings.
Some new players are coming and going in the background giving our gullible leads a lot more material to chew on, and it's exactly what the doctor ordered!
The introduction of a new mystery with the groovy lookin' dude in the iron mask led me to believe Miguel is not our hero. Miguel may be Penelope's hero, but the overall story could use a little jump, you know?
Maybe he's coming in the form on the man in the iron mask.
Related: The Purge Season 1 Episode 2 Review: Take What's Yours
Sure, the cynical side pops in to say the guy is just another Purge Night goon for hire, but how would he get the goods on potential assassinations or crimes in progress on Purge Night if he wasn't already on the side of good?
While Dominic Fumusa (Pete the Cop) isn't a household name, he has a familiar and heroic face from his many roles. The hair doesn't match, but I want him to be in on something like the Iron Mask gig and not just boozin' during Purge Night.
Rush job for a car? It's like you want me to hate you.
Pete
His willingness to help Miguel was a good sign, and it's probably frowned upon to do your job and stop Purgers. OK. The dude is very hot and seeing him again would be beneficial for the Urge to Purge, you know what I mean?
Miguel needs help other than the reporters Pete sent his way to help track Penelope. They were a welcome distraction, though.
Miguel: You guys are here filming the violence. Drive in there!
Brit: That's why God invented zoom lenses.
Miguel got damn close to his sister but in true dramatic fashion interacted with her Purge Night captors before being pointed to the Blue Bus to find her.
After seeing a few deaths, the kids on the bus look like the children they are and their fear has finally caught up to them.
Even the Good Leader can't figure out what to do with them, so using her best judgment, she thrusts Penelope before them to do her job. Of course, Penelope uses that as the wind in her sails to stand up like a brave soul before her leader.
Related: The Purge Season 1 Episode 1 Review: What Is America?
Cults are there to use you and abuse you, as Penelope soon discovers. She should have already known that since she saw the cult of the New Founding Fathers of America trick her parents into selling their souls for the first Purge.
Penelope is misunderstanding the easy way her mother died on the floor before her with the death the Good Leader is promising. The door covered the hard part of dying and their mom did her best to make it as unaffecting as possible for her two little ones.
But after Penelope did what the Good Leader wanted, she turned around and sent Penelope to her death. Maybe she's finally getting the hint.
The drama gods didn't allow Penelope to die right in front of the eyes of her comrades, of course. She gets to live on so Miguel can save her. Is it wrong to hope she at least gets badly wounded for so ridiculously misreading everything she's been through her entire life?
One of the OMFs must suffer. And if OMF isn't a hilarious acronym for the Original Martyr Family, I don't know what is. Their official slogan is "OMF? OMFG!!!"
Across town at the McMansion, things were going pretty well. Albert was awfully worried Nick might be taking advantage of Jenna by not including her in their little meeting, so after Jenna got done making out with his daughter, Al's goons took her to his office.
Me? I help the poor once a year. April 15th. I'm just kidding. I don't pay taxes.
Albert
He was so impressed with the two and their big plans that he even let the couple get away with a majority ownership stake in their own company for funding the $75 million they needed to keep building.
But they were not expecting his excitement to be so dirty.
For a few minutes, they forgot about Purge Night, and even if they didn't have to Purge themselves, it didn't stop them from witnessing a little bit of it.
The gullibles had a grand ol' time laughing amongst themselves on The Purge Season 1 Episode 1 that they were going to make a deal with the devil and enjoy spending his money.
How is any of this OK? We just saw a man get shot right in front of us. We just stood there. We did nothing!
Jenna
Putting that theory to the test within minutes of their handshake? Priceless.
I'm standing by my theory Jenna and Lila emerge from the house together and Nick and probably Albert do not make it out of Purge Night alive. That McMansion is going to look like the walls were painted red.
Related: The Purge Review: Lower Your Expectations and Have Fun
You know the show is taking a turn for the better when Jane and crew become moderately entertaining.
Another deal was closed on Purge Night, and Jane never even bothered to call David about it because she was too busy worrying he might be dead.
How else would we have been reminded that the video connection between them might come in handy?
I have a feeling Jane might not be the only one with an agenda, though. Why would David be all alone on Purge Night when one of the biggest deals of the year is going down at the office? It's not normal, unless he, too, wants an alibi.
How awesome will it be if both of them are chasing around their Purge assassins in front of the camera begging each other to call off the dogs? Well, maybe not awesome, but funny if there is blood being spilled.
So, do you notify HR about my promotion, or is that on me?
Alison
Now that Jane sees how easily the signs can be misread, I wonder if she regrets putting a hit on David.
If it was that easy for Alison to miss the signs that she was the one getting the promotion to the point she was willing to kill what's his name on Purge Night to secure her position, then what are the odds June is misreading cues from David?
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Good gumbo. Do any of us know how to communicate with each other in this country anymore? Open up a Purge Night now and I think we'd be looking at Armageddon with the nuclear option of mutually assured destruction in full force.
You touched my elbow! You rubbed my butt! You called me this! You ignored me when! You promoted him! You this, that, the other!
When you watch The Purge online, what do you imagine the biggest nightmare scenario to be if we were to engage in The Purge in real life?
Was "The Urge to Purge" a lot better than the previous two hours?
Hit the comments and chat!
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.
