Oh, what a complicated web of deceit!
On We Are Who We Are Season 1 Episode 5, battle lines were drawn between characters, while relationships imploded, and it was a banner hour of this HBO drama series.
We’ll start with Maggie and Jenny because their sexual encounter came out of left field.
They were forming a bond on We Are Who We Are Season 1 Episode 3, but it seemed destined to be a platonic friendship.
Maggie’s body language as they were showing the new recruits their digs certainly hinted that they were a lot more comfortable with each other than they were letting people believe.
What struck me the most was the way they were all over each other in the supermarket. It suggests the connection is so strong that they don’t care who sees them together.
Jenny, in particular, was reserved around Sarah and Maggie when they first arrived on the base, but we’re starting to peel back the layers on her.
Caitlin: Here’s her number. Should I call her?
Fraser: Don’t you dare call that number.
We Are Who We Are is not an exposition-heavy series, with viewers being left to put the pieces of the puzzle together, but it was nice to hear Jenny speak about her past.
I know she and Maggie have a connection, but the way they speak suggests they are not planning on bailing on their families.
It seems like a fling more than anything, and they are both helping each other.
Danny’s been a bit of a wildcard because he’s been struggling to cope, but now that we know Richard is not his father, it’s becoming clearer why he can’t find his place in the world.
The jealousy towards Caitlin is because Richard favors her over him, and it’s painfully obvious.
Danny is always an afterthought, and if Richard promised to treat him like one of his own, then he’s doing a terrible job of it.
Danny wants to know his biological father, which explains why he’s on a fact-finding mission that should help him discover who he wants to be in this world.
Jenny lashing out at Richard over the treatment of Danny was a long time coming. The moment we learned he was not Danny’s biological father, it was evident why the family is so divided.
For Richard, there is simply too much going on. He’s starting to recognize that his daughter wants to identify as male, and I dare say he will warm to the idea before long.
Fraser helping to cut Caitlin’s hair was a big move, and one that could out her to everyone else. Maybe this was Caitlin’s way of getting the word out there without making a big deal out of it.
Dressing in baggy clothing with short hair and the mustache helped her to feel comfortable for the first time. It was inevitable something would happen to ruin her happiness.
Giulia knowing the truth was a surprise, but I’m not sure whether Giulia likes the idea of Harper as male or female, which could cause a potential relationship to implode before long.
Fraser’s apprehension about Harper’s actions were right. He was worried his friend was going into things too fast and not thinking about the consequences of her actions.
Fraser is also jealous of how his mother is going out of her way to support Harper, but I don’t think he has any ill will toward his friend.
Instead, Fraser wants all of the attention on himself, as evidenced by the frequency of him lashing out at his mother.
He was frustrated when she danced with Jonathan, despite having little to no friendship with him. Fraser’s behavior is a cause for concern.
It’s evident he has a thing for Jonathan, and the trip to the cinema seemingly accelerated that further. Jonathan has been hard to read, regularly looking down on Fraser.
But sometimes, away from everyone else, Jonathan actually has conversations with him. They talk about books, authors, movies, and the future.
Jonathan opening up to Fraser about his past was something you would expect someone to tell someone they trusted.
The trip to the movies helped to bond them, but I hope Fraser doesn’t take it badly if it turns out Jonathan is letting him into his life was as a friend.
All of the characters on We Are Who We Are are going through big things, and for the most part, the journey has been exciting.
The series does not rely on twists for shock value, and for what is essentially a teen drama, it is working very well.
With three episodes in the miniseries left, it will be exciting to see how the story continues to develop for everyone, and whether there will be any happy endings.
That’s all I got!
What did you think of Maggie and Jenny cheating on their partners? Are you surprised Giulia knew the truth about Caitlin?
Is there a way for Danny to become close to Richard? Are you tired of Fraser treating his mother like crap? How do you want the series to end?
Hit the comments below.
We Are Who We Are airs Mondays at 10/9c on HBO.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.