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“Transparent” recap (2.2): Flicky-Flicky Thump-Thump

Transparent just released its entire Season 2 on Amazon Prime and you’re here because you’ve resisted the temptation to binge (so far), or because your girlfriend is still at work and you were only allowed a free pass to watch “just one more.” (ICYMI, we recapped episode one of Season 2 when it was released last week.)

Transparent is beyond a watching experience. It’s something to linger in. It’s a series that invites you to talk about the scenes-and to talk about how the scenes made you feel. By the end of Episode 2, the new season pivots into the most impressive kick-ball-change. Watching Maura dance with herself against the mirrored nightclub wall to Sia‘s “Chandelier” is a vivid, energetic moment for the Transparent books. Imagine watching this scene decades from now. Chills.

Show creator Jill Soloway mentioned in a Variety interview this past summer the satisfaction in standing behind everything a scene brings to the table-her creative vision forming the direction of the series. “This is it. I love everything about this scene, I love the song…I stand for all of it,” she said. It’s easy to see how we can follow that cue leading into Season 2.

In the land of the Pfeffermans, post-wedding consequences are realer than real. Sarah’s losing the kids to Len, who asserts the kids probably have PTSD after the not-so-little lesbian wedding that couldn’t. Sarah’s clearly in some kind of state, but what she really needs is some Jedi Kush.

And someone who seems to be on a perma-high is mom Shelly. She’s a bowl of cherries with Maura’s storage pod taking up residency outside of her condo, even though the condo board is apparently pissed about it. Maura doesn’t want to create any fusses right now. She was apparently kicked out (along with the rest of the queers) from her apartment complex, so, for now, she’s Shelly’s latest roommate. Shelly tries to soothe Maura’s worries over the ladies on the condo board with a smooch on the lips (AGAIN). Shelly: Coming in hot.

Ali decides to pay a visit to Syd. It’s about time. Syd immediately lays into Ali about her hairstyle-calling it “Punk House on the Prairie.” Ali’s like, “Are you done making fun of me?” Syd shoots back: “Never.” Basically, she’s also saying she’s never been done with Ali, who sort of catches their old-time banter is still playful and full of chemistry as per usual. They sip at their kombucha, peeking at one another to see if all of this is OK. (It so is.) Syd invites her over later to play Mafia and hang out. WILL SHE GO?

Well, first there’s a super hip pool party to be at-and it’s all going down at the former Pfefferman house. Now it’s just a remodeled graveyard laid to rest at the hands of a certain Tammy Cashman. And Tammy’s decorating style is MTV Real World.

“You’ve got boobies!” Shelly and Maura are hanging out in Shelly’s bathroom. Shelly’s in the tub admiring Maura standing by the sink, telling her she loves her hair up, reminiscing about their good times. Maura and Shelly have comfort, trust and well, the past-and a lot of it. But soon Shelly is bringing up sexy little tricks Maura used to be so good at. “No one can do that like you,” Shelly coos.

Maura remains emotionally distant while Shelly flounces for Maura’s affections. Maura goes for it, and in no time, we understand exactly what a flicky-flicky thump-thump is. (Try at home at your own risk.) But when Shelly offers a “Your turn!” to Maura, Shelly’s fun is over. Maura puts on her robe and tells her to close her eyes as she leaves the bathroom.

By now it’s more than clear that Shelly wants Maura. Is it because she’s lonely and bored, and Maura’s familiar, or is it because Shelly loves Maura for Maura, and there’s so much depth behind her silliness with her-like when she gets to the pool party and tries to reel Maura over to her lounge chair-the depth being that Shelly’s love and openness have even developed over time, changing too. Shelly has assumed a position of confidence here while Maura looks for an opportunity to slip out of Shelly’s sight.

Ali’s arrived at the party, and we know this because she’s got one foot in the door and she’s already using the term “foggy fuck goggle.” The moment she spots Maura and Shelly, she says flat out, “So I hear you two are lesbians now.” Maura says she’s only living with mom at the moment until she finds a place of her own. Shelly remains reeeeeally quiet. Ali’s eagerness to identify her parents’ sexuality is laced with all kinds of Ali projection. What’s really bugging her? Later, Maura asks her why she’s always putting herself down. Ali dives into the pool and we see flashes of Nazi imagery coupled with those soft golden and red colors we saw in last episode’s flashback. The flashes bring up reminders of sexuality oppression, sexual abuse and deprivation of freedom.

This party is mostly happening so that Josh can facilitate a record label deal for his girls, Margaux (Clementine Creevy of the band Cherry Glazerr), Agnyss (Petra Collins), and Bianca, Tammy’s ex-step daughter (Kiersey Clemons). Just as they begin their set, Maura spots Tammy from the second-floor balcony. Oh, shit.

Tammy emerges onto the stage and grabs the mic. She’s day drunk (not like that’s a big deal because everyone at this party probably is, too) but she’s also in basketball shorts and a tank top and should be Netflix and chilling hard. Instead, she’s here now, and she’s shouting to everyone that they’re monsters. The partygoers all have their phones out, recording the Tammy Tantrum of 2015. Josh’s son Colton is still learning, and the cool thing is he’s asking questions. Though he might still believe all trans people wear capes because of that one YouTube video he watched, it’s now possible he thinks all lesbians act bat shit crazy at pool parties. We probably shouldn’t show him The L Word.

If Tammy’s blowup was awkward, one has to wonder what Sarah wrote in her alleged email to the extended Pfefferman family to explain why this relationship and that expensive wedding are all dust in the wind now. “I am in pain. I am your pain!” Tammy shouts in Shelly’s face. Why Shelly? Why is she shouting into Sarah’s mom’s face? Anyway, by now, she’s at the catered buffet table where she spots her wedding cake. If only Shelly had brought vats of mustard for the occasion, we could’ve kept the damn cake hidden. Tammy lifts it over her head like its John Cusack’s boom box from Say Anything. And you know what, maybe Tammy wants Sarah to say anything right now-to agree that she’s a beautiful soul, a warrior-yeah, whatever you want to be, Tams.

Tammy chucks the cake goes into the pool-which is better than pool party vomit, but still. Finally, Josh gets her to go, after she flexes at him ready to punch him out (because, Warrior Tammy.) Sarah stands by watching as Ali and Shelly hold her from behind. She flinches off of them because sometimes human touch makes us break down when we really can’t break down anymore-and Sarah can’t anymore. This event is literally the icing on her lost lesbian wedding cake. It’s over now. It’s also Ali’s cue to get the fuck out. She heads to Syd’s because she says she needed a party and she definitely needs a drink. They do more cute peeking up from their drinks to see what the other one is looking at-and duh, they’re looking at each other. But Ali isn’t looking at the past right now; she’s looking at the present and what’s right in front of her.

Maura goes out with Davina (Alexandra Billings) and Shea (Tracy Lysette) to a hopping nightclub. A guy walks up to their table and asks Davina and Shea to come dancing with him, his hand within eyeshot of Maura’s face-she feels the abruptness, we see the separation of the moment. Being the awesome friends they are, the girls try to encourage Maura to get out there and dance with them anyway. Yeah-Maura will placate them; she’ll get up and dance. But to estimate whether she’s bothered or cares that she’s been seemingly overlooked is futile. She stands there amidst their circle for a moment, and then she turns to face herself, framing her face with her hands and motioning to the music while watching herself dance in the mirrored wall. We’re drawn into Maura’s space-someone who continues to ride this ride day in and day out, holding on each time. Sure, Shelly wants her, in some way-but Maura must wonder if to “go there” is to go back.

Watch all of Transparent Season 2 streaming on Amazon Prime now! Stop in next week, same time for an all-new recap. And if that’s not enough, follow me on Twitter @the_hoff to discuss all things Pfefferman.

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