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| Lito is startled at his transformation into his new role... |
Running Time: Approx. 52 minutes. Written by: Lana Wachowski, J. Michael Straczynski. Directed by: Tom Tykwer.
THE PLOT:
Lito arrives in Hollywood for the audition Dani secured - and almost blows his chance by relying on too many acting tricks. Fortunately, director Kit Wrangler (Andy Dick) gives him another chance, which Lito is able to capitalize on with some assistance from Sun. But even after landing the part, Lito worries that he is a fraud and that the world will soon discover that he isn't really a good actor. He admits his fear to Hernando, who observes that "there is nothing more frightening than having a dream come true."
In Kenya, the election draws near. Capheus attends a rally for his supporters, and is stunned when he sees the sheer size of the crowd. He attempts to deliver a speech about unity and tolerance - Only for it to be interrupted by violent protesters paid by the opposition, complete with an attempt on Capheus' life.
Meanwhile, Whispers finds Will at his most vulnerable, and lives up to his name by giving quiet voice to all of Will's guilt and doubt. And in Seoul, Sun's infiltration of her brother's gala has been successful - leaving her to prepare to face her brother, and decide what she will do when they meet...
CHARACTERS:
I love that Lito doubts his own abilities as an actor. He earned fame in Mexican cinema through over-the-top action movies, not generally a repository of great acting. Though Hernando and Dani recognize how much he has brought to those roles, it likely weights on his mind that he has yet to try to carry the kind of material Burt Lancaster did in his beloved From Here to Eternity. Also, though he lands the part, he does so thanks to Sun's intervention - His first reading, which is all him, is a disaster. Almost certainly because of his anxiety and self-doubt, but it likely fuels his doubts that he was only able to secure a serious dramatic role through the help of one of his Cluster.
Capheus is also experiencing a seismic shift in his life, which is brought home at three key points in this episode. When he leaves for the rally, he starts to instruct the driver on the best route, only for one of the political operatives to cut him off. "You're not a bus driver anymore," the man tells him. At the rally, he is struck momentarily speechless by the size of the crowd, until Jela whispers his support in his ear: "Just drive the bus." After the rally is disrupted, Capheus experiences a moment of despair, certain that the violence will overshadow his intended message. His family and supporters assure him that the people at the rally heard him and understood his message, reassurance that seems to lend him strength and determination for the final leg of this journey.
THOUGHTS:
If All the World's a Stage, Identity Is Nothing But a Costume is a much quieter episode than I had expected. The BPO plot is barely touched on, and Sun's confrontation with her brother is clearly being held for the season ender. Instead, the episode focuses on Lito and Capheus, and the changes happening in their lives. Capheus' rally ends in one of those chaotic set pieces that this series, with its film-like production values, pulls off so well - But until that point, the episode is almost entirely character-centric.
I think it's also my favorite episode of the season.
Narrowing the focus to two strands results in a stronger connection with Lito and Capheus. There are minimal cutaways to the other characters, leaving our attention squarely on these two. As different as the stories are, they still complement each other in surprising ways. Both characters are told that their old lives are now behind them: Lito, when Kit dismisses his previous action films; Capheus, when the political operative tells him that he is no longer a bus driver. Both rely more on the support structures from their old lives than on the Cluster, as Hernando eases Lito's doubts and Jela and his mother ease Capheus'. As different as the settings and tones may be, the two strands thus feel very much of a piece with each other.
The other characters are not forgotten, however, even if they are largely confined to scenes that bookend the main part of the episode. Whispers' Iago-like approach to Will is particularly interesting. Not just because the villain pushes the most traditionally upright of the heroes into an ill-timed heroin indulgence (something foreshadowed a few episodes earlier, when Kala only narrowly diverted Will from the drugs) - But also because of Whispers' final words before he reaches for the heroin, as he tells Will that they are getting ever closer to each other. One of my biggest regrets about this series' premature cancellation is that I am certain Whispers has an interesting story all his own, one that I doubt the feature-length finale - burdened as it will be with resolving as many active plot threads as possible - will have time for.
Overall, while this series has almost always managed to envelop me in its world, this episode drew me in even more strongly than usual. Though it is often a challenge to individually score episodes of a series that is so heavily serialized, I still find myself awarding this particular installment full marks.
(Although I really could have passed on hearing about Kit's way of celebrating his Oscar win. Definitely didn't need that mental image. And from their expressions, Lito and Hernando would probably agree with me.)
Overall Rating: 10/10.
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