Blood and Oil - The Ripple Effect - Review: “Briggs Family Dinner”

Blood and Oil picked up right where we left off last week with that exciting and fiery cliffhanger! I have to say, I was really looking forward to seeing what happens next but it wasn’t everything that I expected it to be. I thought the editing and the effects were kind of weird and it made the whole scene look a bit off. But that’s okay because this show isn’t about fancy effects, it’s about drama, and Blood and Oil sure delivers on that! I’m actually kind of upset that this show has such bad ratings because I actually like it! It really improved from last week. There was a lot more going on and everything moved a little bit faster. I also loved how we got to see some new characters and the relationships that we saw last week were fleshed out more. I have to say, I wasn't really surprised by anything that happened, so this show is rather predictable, but it’s still pretty fun to watch as a guilty pleasure.

The main storyline of this episode was the relationship between Hap and his son Wick. After witnessing the obviously troubled foundation of their relationship and all the drama of last week, it was interesting to see this relationship develop and see all of it’s different intricacies. Throughout this episode Hap is obviously pushing to find out who the culprit of the oil rig explosion is because not only was this an attack on his life but there was also a large financial loss. Wick is on edge because he’s not sure if his father knows that it was him behind the mask. Surprisingly, this event brings them closer together because Hap doesn't know that Wick is responsible and I think that Wick feels genuinely sorry about what he did. The Briggs family comes together to support Hap as he recovers from his injuries and it’s the perfect opportunity for Wick to make amends with his father. I loved the scene, where Wick visits his father for the first time and tells him that he loves him and he’s sorry for everything that has happened between them. I thought it was really cute but it also kept me interested because I had a hard time figuring out Wick’s motives. I’m not really sure if he’s just acting or if he really means it but I think that he genuinely feels regret for what he did. I don’t even think that Wick is a bad person I just thinks he’s fallen in with the wrong crowd and will do anything for some love and attention. Once Hap becomes suspicious of Wick, Wick’s accomplice gets desperate and he murders the one person who could turn them in. I think it’s going to be hard for Wick to get out of this because he’s not really being very careful. Over the next few weeks it seems like the drama is only going to escalate as the police start looking for the killer.

Billy and Cody also played a big role in this episode. After the pilot, I thought that their chemistry really carried the show, and while I still think that’s true, everyone else has stepped up to the plate much more. During the pilot, I loved Billy and Cody’s relationship and how they were such a team, and I was disappointed to see that they sort of lost that during this episode. I understand they have to add some drama to their relationship but I liked it better when they were a partnership. Now, Billy is blowing Cody off for Hap and they aren’t communicating. They both made big financial decisions without consulting each other and it was looking like neither of them were going to budge on their investment. However, by the end of the episode it seems like they are back on track. Billy totally redeemed himself and he did it all on his own! These two are relationship goals. They're both willing to sacrifice for each other which is really cute and makes up for everything else that happened earlier in the episode.

This episode also introduced a couple of new characters. Hap’s daughter, Lacey, came into town to make sure Hap was okay and this opened up a few new fun storylines. Hap sent A.J. to pick her up and watch out for her and at the end of the episode we see them hooking up. Again, it’s predictable but I think they could be a fun couple to watch. We also got to see even more Briggs family drama as we saw that Hap’s wife Carla and Lacey do not get along at all. They shared some snarky banter and I’m looking forward to seeing more of this catty relationship. I just love my soapy dramas and this relationship is a classic. A couple of other aspects of this episode that were a bit predictable, but enjoyable, were Wick and Billy’s rivalry and Hap’s affair with Wick’s girlfriend. It should be fun to see how all of this plays out and I’m actually looking forward to the next episode. Overall, I think Blood and Oil improved a lot this week and hopefully it will continue to do so. What did you think of this episode? Let me know in the comments and thanks for reading!

About the Author - Kate Sidwell

Kate is a 24 year old, USA based, Psychology/Public Health Researcher - but that’s just her day job! In her spare time she is an avid TV watcher (some may even say addict!!). Some of her favorite shows are Jane the Virgin, Bates Motel, The Flash, Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Rookie Blue, Silicon Valley, Beauty and the Beast, Sleepy Hollow, The 100, The Mindy Project, Pretty Little Liars, Once Upon a Time, The Royals, Orphan Black…so pretty much too many to count and a huge variety! She’ll give pretty much any show a chance! She also devotes a lot of time to her tumblr (eat-sleep-breathe-tv.tumblr.com) where you can find her reviewing and commenting on most of these shows and just generally fangirling! She’s excited to be writing for SpoilerTV on Complications, Baby Daddy, Proof, Switched at Birth, Secrets and Lies, and Minority Report!

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