Dark House
Episode 5 of Scenes from a Marriage begins this finale with Poli and Mira out for dinner together. He’s not happy that Mira is dedicated to Ava and wants her to get a babysitter so they can spend more time together. He has some pretty scathing words for her as they part ways, but it’s not enough to unsettle Mira. Meanwhile, Jonathan attends his father’s funeral. Miryam wants him to stay another night but Jonathan has the audacity to tell her she’s probably relieved that he’s dead. Wow. In exchange, Miryam calls out Jonathan’s divorce and how he should have thought about staying with Mira for Ava’s sake. Well, after parting ways Jonathan shows up to see Mira, who takes the wheel and drives her up to their old house. Apparently he’s been obsessed with it since they left and has been driving past it for a while now. As fate would have it, it just so happens to be their anniversary today and the pair head inside the house and share a drink. That drink turns into so much more as the pair reflect on their past and the passion they felt for one another. With the pair now calmer than before – and allegedly a lot wiser too, they eventually end up sleeping together in bed. After the deed, Jonathan receives a call from Jane. This appears to be his partner, whom he’s just cheated on with Mira. In fact, they even facetime each other too. Jonathan deceives her, pretending he’s in the bathroom as he greets her son, Ethan. Up in the attic, Mira and Jonathan reconvene and feed back about the call. “Guilt” She says, matter of fatly. According to Jonathan, he’s over being a good person now and keeps finding himself drawn back to Mira. After sleeping together again, the pair fall asleep up in the attic. Jonathan ends up having a bad dream about driving on the highway though, waking up in a cold sweat and breathing heavily. As the pair lie in bed together, reflecting on their life and the events that have led them to this point, the show comes to an end. The camera continues rolling though, with both Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain walking through the sets and making their way into separate rooms.
The Episode Review
In the end it’s difficult to say whether this show is a reflection on how toxic marriages can destroy and hurt many people or whether there’s some genuine feelings here that two people should stay together in a marriage no matter what. I’ve said it before but both Mira and Jonathan aren’t particularly likable and the fact that both of them have cheated and the toxicity has spilled across to affecting Ava too, makes it difficult to actually care what happens to either of them by the end. Miryam suggesting the pair should stay together “for the kids” is unfortunately a sad reflection on how many couples do feel in this situation, deeply unhappy but determined to plough through no matter what. In the end, Mira and Jonathan end up together again but for how long? How long before things fall apart and the pair end up in a huge fight? And how does Ava feel about all of this? It’s a pretty weird way to end things in truth, a downbeat path that bows out with an indifferent shrug rather than a triumphant roar. Do either of these people deserve a happy ending? Personally, it would have been nice to see the series serve as a cautionary tale about toxic relationships but alas, it hasn’t played out that way. However, the acting has been great across the whole series and there’s obviously a lot of people who have really enjoyed this one. Personally, episode 4 is the best chapter of the bunch and with only 5 episodes to chew through, this has certainly been an easy one to watch – even if the characters haven’t been as palatable as they could have been.
