Stitchers delivered yet another very well craft episode that took some time to dig into the lives of some of the main characters. The primary focus of this episode was on new relationships and that is a little bit different than a usual episode. The cast of the week did have a strong part to play, but it wasn't the main focus as is usually the case. This one was all about taking the time to check in with the characters and explore what their hearts are seeking. After all, they've been through it's about time for the characters to have some good things happen to them. Granted, none of these new and blossoming romances will be easy, and some may fail, but at least for a time, they'll each get to be happy.
As noted above, this was a relationship heavy episode. It saw Kirsten and Cameron diving into their new relationship while Linus got close to Ivy, but the real focus of the relationship was between Camille and Amanda. The show has done very little to hide the fact that Camille and Amanda would be a couple this season, but few likely anticipated them to have their first kiss in their first episode together. While it could have come across as rushed, it played very well because of the way Allison Scagliotti and Anna Akana chose to portray the interactions of their characters. From the very first second that Camille laid eyes on Amanda, she was slammed full on by some pretty intense emotions. There was this instant look of attraction that flashed across Camille’s face when Amanda strode in full of confidence sporting a snarky attitude to rival her own. Amanda wasted absolutely no time in also revealing her attraction through some exceptionally obvious flirting. They are snarky and high energy and together they could be a very fun couple. It’s also worth noting, that Camille seemed to rapidly develop a much stronger emotional connection with Amanda than she did with Linus. While Camille and Linus were a fun couple, it always sort of felt like two friends who had some extra added benefits. With Camille and Amanda, there feels like a heavy amount of very genuine chemistry.
Thanks to some very well paced moments, the connection between Amanda and Camille was able to very rapidly evolve. From their first meeting on they were on the fast track to something much deeper. They came to have an understanding of how each other operates and reacts. Amanda knew that she had to sneak attack Camille to get some bonding time alone with her. It was a smart idea because Camille was clearly fighting against what her heart was trying to scream at her. Even after their night hanging out, Camille was still on the fence. She obviously felt something and it seemed to freak her out a bit based on how she tried to pull back and avoid Amanda’s second invitation for a night out. Thankfully, Linus is the best ex-boyfriend to ever live and he knew that Camille was falling hard for someone. He gave her that extra little nudge she needed to see that she could be at the start of something really great. He also gave her some advice that is practical in the real world, but apparently not so much in the eyes of the NSA. It cost her a promotion, but that loss also seemed to open her eyes to what she was avoiding with Amanda. In a moment where she seemed a bit depressed and down she sought out some light in her life and found her way to Amanda at the club.
Now, this is where the writers and actresses showed off some real prowess in how they portrayed the moments leading up to and during the first kiss. Camille walked in and was clearly in a dark head space, she couldn’t even crack a smile. Even as Amanda approached her she was still clearly struggling with something. The pain and frustration was evident on her face. This wasn’t that same excited and flirty Camille that Amanda had come to know and the other woman seemed to pick up on that. Amanda, who up until this point always had some snarky comment for Camille, remained silent. She read into the expression on Camille’s face and seemingly out of respect held back her snarky comments. It’s very telling of the strength of their newborn bond that Amanda already knew Camille well enough to know that something was wrong. Then Amanda was before Camille and for the first time in the scene, Camille managed to quirk her lips up in a bit of a smile. In that moment, that was enough for Camille, that this woman could bring a little light into her life, and she wasted no time leaning in for a kiss. The first kiss was clearly a testing of the waters, but the second one was a full on declaration that ended in a good sized smile on Camille’s face. The choice to have this scene play with no words being spoken was genius and fit the moment and Camille’s headspace perfectly. In this moment of disappointment, Camille just needed to be able to find someone who she could escape to and find some solace and Amanda gave that to her.
It would be easy to say that the evolution of this relationship from first meeting to first kiss happened rapidly. In fact, it did, but that’s because it’s what Camille needed and appears to be something Amanda has been seeking. They found a kindred spirit in each other and when there is an immediate bond that powerful right out of the gate it’s something that is worth fighting for. And they fought for it and here they are. It’ll be interesting to watch to see what happens with this new couple. Will Camille still struggle with trusting or will she fully open herself up to Amanda? Is Amanda all she seems? It’s a fair question given the complicated NSA lives they all live. Hopefully, she is and she’ll be able to be incorporated into the story as more than just Camille’s girlfriend. But, if nothing else, this relationship serves to pull back another layer to Camille and show what she is like when she’s in a relationship that her whole heart is committed to. It’ll be a fun relationship to watch develop. Though, for Amanda's sake, I hope the first time she shows up at Camille's place that she brings food with her. That seems to be the way to Camille's heart is by having food in hand. However, Amanda might be a special case that could pull off showing up empty handed. Anna Akana is only slated for a handful of episodes, but with any luck, that'll be enough time to build a good strong foundation for this budding couple.
While the big primary relationship of this episode was of Camille and Amanda, they weren’t the only budding new relationship at play. Linus has quickly developed a fondness for Ivy, but he and Kirsten are among the few that actually trust her. It’s kind of understandable given what happened last season, but she seems to be intent on proving herself now. Hopefully, that is genuine, because as much as Camille deserves an epic love, so does Linus. Ivy could definitely be that for him, plus Sarah Davenport and Ritesh Rajan have a terrific chemistry that they infuse into their characters. These two characters would be a perfectly matched intellectual duo. Working together they cracked that code in record time and they speak the same tech language. Now, as long as this whole thing isn’t another act to get closer to the program for her father, there might just be a future for Ivy with the team. But, based on what happened when Camille voted to give her a chance, it's likely going to take a fair bit of time before Maggie allows Ivy any sort of access to the lab.
The other big relationship of the episode was between Kirsten and Cameron. This one is opposite to Camille and Amanda in that it has been the very definition of a slow burn. It has taken them a full two seasons to get together as a couple and even now there is still a bit of uncertainty between them as they test these new waters. Camille was right to warn Cameron to take it slow with Kirsten, but he should have also been a bit more open to chatting with her regarding their relationship. She was full in, wanting to explore these new feelings she’s finally getting to tap into, and he was pulling back from her. It was good though, that by the end, they were starting to get on the same page regarding their relationship and what comes next for them. Kirsten even let him in on the location of her mom's chamber. It was surprising to see that reappear so early in the season, so Cameron’s surprised expression at the end basically mirrored the one the fans were likely sporting earlier in the episode when Kirsten visited her mom. That was a very quick jump in the story to go from where they ended the premiere, with Kirsten's mom possibly reaching out to her during the stitch, to this point in just a single episode. The show is clearly moving fast this season and trying to get through a lot of story, but it would be good for Kirsten and Cameron to actually have the talk he thought they were going to before she sprung this on him. That pace is working, but only because this cast is so in-tune with each other and the story that they are able to deliver the material in such a way that all of the big moments flow together perfectly.
While there is a lot of seriousness to these relationships, there is also a lot of fun to them. Cameron and Kirsten got to have their fun little adventure through icky mud and dealing with who knows what sort of icky critters in the name of the case. It was time for the characters to spend some time together and just be in the moment without people surrounding them and providing unsolicited advice. Then there was Linus and Ivy who got to spend time at the school where they spent quality time geeking out over code and cracking the case open with this brilliant minds. And, of course, there was Camille and Amanda and their aforementioned time at the club. These were all moments for the characters to connect into these new pairings. It gave not only the performers time to bond as they worked just as duo teams, but also gave the audience time to see what these couples look like outside of the confines of work. As was mentioned at the start of this review, this was a very relationship heavy episode and it didn’t disappoint.
Even with that in mind, there were some really fun team scenes. The one where they all gathered together after hours was completely awesome. This was a big Camille episode and she was definitely a prominent centerpiece in the scene where she got to showcase that slightly tipsy Camille is even more snarky than sober Camille. It should be noted too, that Camille and Kirsten still have a terrific banter which has only been amplified now that Kirsten has some emotional connection to the world. And, Camille seems to be more protective over her friend than ever before. Sadly, though, they haven't really had much time together yet this season to just hang out as friends. Even though their characters are busy with new relationships, these two need to spend some time together to catch up regarding everything that has been happening. They need a case to come along that requires their unique skills to be paired up. Interesting note, with Cameron's new promotion it would seem like he might not be able to focus all his time into piloting all the stitches and Camille, is trained as his backup. It would be fun to see her get to work with more than just tablets all season. Her place on the team needs to be defined a bit more this season. It's a fact that doesn't appear lost on Camille who seems to really want to have a more prominent role on the team but keeps getting shut down.
It was a hard blow for Camille to deal with then Cameron got the promotion over her. All episode long she was working hard and making big breakthroughs for the team only for one tiny mistake to derail her chances. Losing out on Maggie's vacated position to Cameron sucked for her because she felt like it was her opportunity to finally be able to really contribute in a bigger way to the program. The whole situation clearly didn’t sit well with her and is sure to lead to some tension. It’s also sort of apparent that maybe Cameron was hesitant about the job. It will put a strain on his fragile new relationship with Kirsten. Can they survive working together where he’s in a position to lord over her? Can he bring himself to do that? Can he actually act as her boss and boyfriend without blurring the lines? He cares for her so much, that a time may come, where he can't turn off being her boyfriend to be her boss or vice-versa and that could lead to problems. And, knowing about the chamber could now put Cameron in an awkward position as he has to figure out how to divide his new job responsibilities with his responsibility to the woman he loves. It could become quite complicated, but if any duo can overcome complications it’s these two. After everything they’ve been through and survived it’s safe to say that they’ll find some way to overcome all these new obstacles, but there will probably be some bumps along the way.
There is one character the writers seem to be uncertain about in these first episodes, and that’s Fisher. He hasn’t had a very big part so far and it seems like they only brought him in briefly to shoot his gun, take down a bad guy, and go back to eating oysters. Hopefully, in the coming episodes, they’ll dive more deeply into the personal aspect of his story. On that same note, while Maggie has had a lot to do in these first episodes, there is still a big empty void when it comes to her personal life. These are characters who clearly have lives outside of their jobs, and the show needs to finally dive into that this season. After all, surely Maggie has some stuff to deal with regarding that phone call she got last season. And Fisher mentioned his ex, who sounds as though she could be on the path to becoming a little bit more. These are things that need some screentime.
This was a terrific episode with fun interactions between the characters. It also delivered a lot of big and unexpected surprises. These characters are certainly going to be busy between trying to solve cases and juggling their personal relationships. Given what they've all been through there is little doubt that they’ll fight with every fiber of their being to make these relationships work. They all deserve a little bit of happiness and all of these relationships seem to make the characters involved quite happy. While times are almost guaranteed to get tough before they get better, at least they all have each other to lean on.
Don’t miss the next episode when it airs next
Monday, June 19th at 9/8c on Freeform.
Hit the comments with your thoughts about this episode. Did you enjoy the budding new relationships? What do you think about Amanda? Can Ivy be trusted? Can Cameron and Kirsten’s new relationship survive his promotion? Will Camille be able to overcome her disappointment at not being promoted or will it drive a wedge between her and the team? What do you hope will happen next?
