"Seeing her unconscious son in a hospital bed is Laura's worst nightmare, and also, perversely, her wildest dream. Daniel needs her now, and he's too incapacitated to make his own judgments about Cherry. He has, essentially, returned to his child self, the version of him over which Laura can exert absolute control."
"After Daniel lands in the hospital, the show switches between Laura and Cherry's perspectives without feeling the need to announce it in big red letters. Besides, the escalating tension between Laura and Cherry shifts into a much more compelling register. Daniel finally gets the full scope of their antagonism, which means their burden is now to convince him of their righteousness. They have to think ahead in order to get ahead."
Laura seizes control when Daniel becomes unconscious in the hospital, using his incapacitation to impose her authority and influence his decisions. Daniel's inability to judge Cherry returns him to a childlike dependency, enabling Laura's dominance. The rivalry between Laura and Cherry escalates from reactive skirmishes to proactive psychological warfare, with Cherry forced to anticipate accusations and invent defenses. Perspective shifts between Laura and Cherry increase narrative momentum and tension, and both compete to persuade Daniel of their righteousness. Daniel's adulthood is undermined by maternal influence, and personal choices become contested territory for power and manipulation.
Read at Vulture
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