Jared Keeso and Adrian Holmes’ Ben and Nick may be the main focal point of 19-2, but the entire cast deserves major props. That fact is driven home to me every week, but especially with an episode like Monday’s “Rock Garden.”
Let’s start with Laurence Leboeuf’s Audrey, who is suffering the aftereffect of the horrible gang beating from Season 1. Clearly back at work too early, that was obvious when she freaked out on a local folk singer and his buddies two weeks ago, I couldn’t help but ache for her during that random hookup when she began crying in the middle of sex. I was confused at first—was it happiness that she was able to experience it again?—until her trip to the bathroom revealed the truth: that baseball bat damaged her genitals deeply, and perhaps forever. Will she turn to Bear for comfort rather than attempt intercourse with another man? I’m assuming that’s going to be addressed in the coming weeks.
Dan Petronijevic’s J.M., who has a history of assaulting his wife, Justine, took on the role of judge and executioner when he reported solo to a call of domestic abuse. J.M.—who has been the subject of humour the last couple of weeks—got an outside peek on what his assaults look like when he walked in on a man viciously attacking his wife. J.M. literally saw himself in the man and delivered a beating on him. The scene where Audrey arrived at the home to see J.M. cradling the weeping woman and applying ice to her face was tragically touching. Does this mean J.M. finally understands that he has a problem? We’ll see.
Maxime Roy’s Isabelle, meanwhile, was forced to make a horrible decision when it came to Theo. Her rage at discovering he had posted pictures of a passed-out girl on his Facebook page was certainly understandable, and I cheered when she handcuffed him, but I also understood the tortured look on her face as she realized Theo was headed down a dangerous path. Hopefully the scare and six months of probation will right his listing ship.
Finally, Bruce Ramsay deserves credit. He’s not on-camera as much as everyone else in his portrayal of Cdr. Marcel Gendron, but he hit it out of the park on Monday. Whether it was the less-is-more tentative step towards Isabelle before walking away, or discussing his daughter’s drug issues with Nick, Gendron is much less of a bad guy in Season 2 and becoming a character I cheer for.
Notes and quotes
- Anthony Lemke is great at playing an a-hole.
- Having sex in your childhood home is NEVER a good idea. Just ask Nick Barron.
- “I am so hot for your scar.” Me too, Bear, me too.
19-2Â airs Mondays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo.
