'The Cry' Episode 2: Fewer flashbacks, more shocks, everyone's still baffled

After last week’s flashback-packed opener, which many viewers seemed to find quite annoying, The Cry doubled down from the get-go this week by starting with a flashback.

It was, though, one of very few flashbacks in the episode. Although there were still one or two flash-forwards to that trial we don’t quite understand yet.

It was a cruel flashback though, with Joanna asking little Noah “Are you going to behave on this flight?”

No. Joanna. No he absolutely won’t.

Once the story resumes in earnest we are back to the aftermath of the abduction. And a significant look passes between Joanna and Alistair’s ex-wife Alex. Not for the first time in this series we find ourselves asking “what the heck is going on?”

For example: we learn that Alistair gave Joanna some sleeping pills. Where did he get them? He’s only been in the country a day. Did he take some on the flight? If he did, that’s a low move.

If he didn’t – is this a clue? Is everything a clue?

Bib-gate

We see all sorts of things that leave us with more questions than answers. Joanna snatching up Noah’s impractical-looking, fluffy bib for a start.

If you’re going to be sentimental about something as a parent it’s probably best not to be sentimental about something that’s a full-on food trap that’s probably riddled with bacteria.

The unkindest cut of all, for someone who likes holidays

Then we see Alex cutting up Alistair’s passport. Is that his current passport? It’s a pretty recent photo. To balance that weirdness, she then kindly asks Alistair how Joanna is. He could give her a nice polite answer. Or he could give her some pass-ag lecture about losing a child that’s clearly a metaphor for their ongoing custody battle.

It’s Alistair. Which way did you think he’d go?

Random thought: has anyone questioned Chloë yet?

Another, much more disturbing random thought: We keep seeing that spade in the back of Alex’s car. That means something, doesn’t it? And it’s probably something horrible.

If this episode of The Cry does nothing else, it definitely marks the moment at which the well-worn Australian colloquialism ‘sticky-beak’ enters day-to-day English usage.

Bib-gate 2: Spillage boogaloo

In case we missed it earlier, we get a clearer look at the bib that Joanna stashed earlier. But no sooner is one mystery resolved than another one pops up. While she’s doing some late night shopping she crams a pay-as-you-go phone SIM into her back.

Did she pay for it? Does anyone actually work in that creepily quiet shop?

We’re glad she got it though, because then, after she sets up her ‘Luke Holt’ alter-ego, we get a fun visual representation of social media. Say what you like about director Glendyn Ivin’s over-fondness for time jumps, that Twitter scene was creative and clever.

And, just to keep us on our toes, he then pops in a flash-sideways to Joanna dreaming about being in that bush fire we saw in Episode 1.

Everyone’s got a secret

Meanwhile, Alistair’s secretly briefing a journalist. Hmmm…

And remember we were wondering about Chloë? There’s something unnatural about a teenager who responds to the news that she’s having her phone taken away for a couple of days with “OK.”

Speaking of things that are not right: would the police really let Joanna and Alistair come through the undergrowth looking – presumably – for their baby’s body?

Not content with introducing all to a ‘sticky-beak’ earlier, The Cry also tells us all about the Karpman drama triangle. We’re going to spend the rest of the series labelling characters as victims, persecutors and rescuers aren’t we?

Public press-conferences, secret Twitter accounts

That Alistair though, once a spin-doctor, always a spin-doctor, Not content with talking to that reporter he was determined to maximise the impact of Joanna’s emotions during the press conference.

And even though we, the viewers, know it’s all a story it would take a heart of stone not to feel something when we see Jenna Coleman’s face crumple with grief at the end of that scene.

Now, we know that Joanna has a phoney social media profile. Turns out she’s not the only one. Alex has got a secret identity too. Is this The Cry or The Circle?

Daniel Falcon seems a bit more sinister in intent than ‘Luke Holt’ though.

It’s always the quiet ones

But when that copper who looks uncannily like Will Arnett charges Alex for involvement in Noah’s abduction, surely the whole nation would be yelling at their TVs ‘The bootee was found in Chloë’s room! CHLOË’S!” Has no-one asked her what she was up to when Noah was snatched?

But then no sooner are we all asking that, than we have to stop asking that because we need to ask “what the heck is going on?” again.

Why are they both being weird about the bib? What terrible weird stuff have they been up to?

Just when you think you’ve got a handle on this show, it throws you another curve-ball. We’re going to have to watch it next week now, aren’t we?