Reverie – Pas De Deux

By starrymag | July 17, 2018

By: Jessica Wolff

 

 

Vivian Maxwell (Wynn Everett) suggests that Holly Maxwell (Sally Pressman) go to the farmer’s market with her, but Holly refuses due to the looks she gets in the wheelchair. Vivian is unable to convince her, and Holly opens her Reverie as soon as she’s gone. Holly walks into her Reverie with her ballet shoes and performs a routine for an empty theater. Vivian returns home to find Holly passed out with the Reverie tablet in her hand.

 

Paul Hammond (Sendhil Ramamurthy) tells Mara Kint (Sarah Shahi) that there’s a psychiatrist waiting in her office. Mara recognizes the hospital name and goes in to talk to Chris Condera (Sam Jaeger). They embrace, and Chris comments that he’s surprised she’s working there. Mara tells him that Charlie Ventana (Dennis Haysbert) is the reason why she’s working there, and comments that Charlie would probably love to hear from him.

 

Mara apologizes for not returning his calls months ago, telling him she was in a really bad place. Chris makes a comment about the cactus on her desk being a metaphor for her and then apologizes for not being professional. They sit down and Chris tells her about his client, Holly. He explains that she was a ballet dancer who suffered an accident that left her paralyzed and turned to Reverie to help with her depression. Chris tells her that Holly loses track of time in Reverie and has been inside the program for sixteen hours.

 

Paul asks Alexis Barrett (Jessica Lu) what she knows about Chris, but she replies that she tries not to know anyone. Charlie explains that Chris used to consult with the police department, and Paul asks if Chris and Mara were a couple. Charlie refuses to give him an answer, but Paul takes the non-answer as confirmation. Chris asks if he can watch Mara work in Reverie, but Mara tells him he’ll only be able to observe her lying on the couch.

 

Mara goes into the Reverie and finds herself watching Holly’s performance in the auditorium. She claps when Holly finishes, and Holly is startled by her presence. Mara introduces herself, but Holly insists her Reverie is supposed to be private. Mara explains that Chris asked her to talk to her, explaining that she’s been in the Reverie for too long. Holly believes she’s only been inside for an hour, but Mara tells her the truth.

 

Mara compliments Holly’s performance, but reminds her that the Reverie isn’t real. Holly agrees to go, but wants to check something first. However, Holly runs into a stage backdoor and locks herself inside. Outside the Reverie, Mara tells Chris what happened and Paul tells them that Holly is being brought to Onira Tech.

 

Mara introduces Paul and Chris, and questions why Holly is dancing in an empty theater. Paul suggests that the audience doesn’t matter, but Chris suggests that the theater holds significance to her. Mara suggests that Holly is trying to protect whatever is behind the door, and Paul suggests asking Vivian.

 

As Holly is wheeled away, Vivian questions why she isn’t being taken to a hospital. Mara promises they’ll take good care of her, and asks if Vivian dances as well. As Vivian explains that she runs a dance studio, Mara spots a music box on Holly’s nightstand. She opens the box recognizes the music as what Holly was dancing to in the Reverie.

 

Mara asks Vivian about the significance of the box, and Vivian suggests that Holly’s ex-boyfriend, Zeke Caridis (Kane Lieu) gave it to her, telling her that Zeke dumped Holly after the accident. Vivian asks for confirmation that Mara will get Holly out of Reverie, and Mara promises to do everything she can.

 

Mara watches an old video of Holly performing, and tells Chris that she will be able to help Holly if he tells her everything he can about her. Chris reminds her that he can’t reveal any information from their sessions, but suggests that they talk more about it over dinner. They agree that they shouldn’t be afraid to talk to each other, and Mara agrees to dinner.

 

Chris runs into Charlie, and tells him that he’s surprised he’s working there due to his lack of technological interest. Chris mentions his dinner plans with Mara, and Charlie tells him that Mara’s been better since joining Onira Tech but not fully recovered. Charlie advises him to be clear if he is there to help Holly or to rekindle things with Mara.

 

As they eat, Chris presents his theory that Holly is dancing in the empty theater since her subconscious knows that the audience wouldn’t be real. Mara suggests that Holly is protecting something behind the door, and comments that Holly has been through a lot. She suggests that Holly needs a space where she can be alone and not be angry, but Chris suggests that Mara is talking more about herself.

 

Mara reminds him how hard losing Jamie and Brynn was for her, but tells him she didn’t mean to hurt him. Chris comments on his conversation with Charlie, and they laugh about his protective nature. Mara gives Chris his book back, and Chris asks if she enjoyed it. Mara’s comments are vague, and she apologizes for not having the time to read it.

 

Mara thanks him for the evening, and admits she’s missed talking to him. They pull away from a kiss at the last moment, and Chris suggests he should be going. He advises her to be herself when talking to Holly again, and she laughs at the advice. Once he leaves, Mara calls Paul and tells her to meet at the office to discuss a potential idea.

 

Mara returns to the Reverie, and Holly tells her she’s not leaving. Mara asks for dancing lessons, telling her that she’d rather learn from her due to her ability to elicit emotion. She convinces Holly to teach her and they go through some basic steps. Mara struggles to learn, and Holly comments that she knows what Mara is really doing. Mara asks why she’s letting her, and Holly admits that she gets lonely sometimes.

 

Holly compliments Mara once she gets the move, and tells her to move with emotion. She points to the locked door, suggesting that her lover is behind it. Mara comments on the locked door, and Holly tells her that she didn’t need to lock it before she showed up.

 

Holly walks her through another step, and Mara asks if she was practicing the routine with Zeke. Holly asks why she’s bringing him up, telling her that the relationship was complicated. Before Mara can ask more questions, Holly runs to answer a knock at the door, pushes Mara away, and orders her to leave.

 

Mara visits Zeke and introduces herself before asking about the break-up. Zeke tells her that Holly is the one who broke up with him, explaining that he was in it for the long haul. He explains that Holly told him that she wanted a clean break from the past, but he didn’t understand why. Mara comments that it doesn’t make any sense, and asks if he gave her the music box. Zeke tells her he didn’t, and Mara rants to Paul that nothing makes sense.

 

Paul asks if there was anything outside the theater in the Reverie, explaining that all doors in Reverie have to lead somewhere. Charlie comes in to inform them that Holly has a pulmonary embloism and that Mara has to get her out quickly. Mara goes back into the Reverie and opens the unlocked door to find it leads to the top of the theater. She opens another door and finds a different Reverie with a small cottage inside.

 

Mara goes into the house and finds a little girl, Sadie (Ireland Richards) coloring at a table. Sadie asks who she is and Mara introduces herself. She asks if Mara wants to see her mom, but Mara tells her she’s been looking for her. Mara tells her she had a hunch that a special girl lived there and that she wanted to meet her. Sadie invites her to color with her, and Sadie refers to Holly as “mom” when she walks in the room.

 

Holly tells Sadie to get a snack, and Mara comments that she’s beautiful. Holly asks if she knew, but Mara tells her that she figured it out. Mara deduces that Holly didn’t tell Zeke about the pregnancy, and Holly insists that Zeke didn’t want kids. Holly tells her that the accident took away both her ability to dance and to have children. She explains that she bought the music box as a present for the baby, and confirms that only Chris knew about the baby.

 

Mara tells Holly that she needs to come out of Reverie, but Holly questions what there is for her in the real world. Mara tells her she’s dying, but Holly tells her that everything that makes her wake up each day is in here. Despite Mara’s insistence that she’ll die inside the Reverie as well, Holly is resigned to her fate. Sadie calls for Holly, and Holly tells Mara it’s time for her to go.

 

Mara tells Paul and Alexis that Holly refuses to leave. Paul questions what they can do for her, but Alexis doesn’t want her to die in Reverie. Alexis suggests they try to pull her out manually, but Paul reminds her they’ve never done it before. Paul suggests that Holly could be brain damaged, but Alexis doesn’t want to set a precedent of people using her program to commit suicide. Mara breaks up the argument, requesting another chance to go back in.

 

Mara visits Chris’ office, and tells him what Holly said.  She criticizes him for not telling her about the baby, but Chris reminds her he couldn’t breach the confidentiality agreement. Mara explains that she’s in a lose-lose situation with Holly, and Chris tells her he can’t give her advice. She calls him out for walking on eggshells around her, and he reminds her that she gave up on them. He tells her that it’s never okay to give up, and that there were people willing to stick around for her.

 

Mara visits Vivian at the ballet studio, and asks to talk about Holly. Vivian nearly collapses, and Mara helps her to her office. She tells Mara that she’s been diagnosed with a form of multiple sclerosis, and Mara urges her to tell Holly the truth. Vivian insists that Holly isn’t the caretaker type, but Mara insists it could save her.

 

Mara returns to the Reverie, and tells Holly about Vivian’s condition. Holly insists that Vivian would have told her, but Mara reminds her that she was too focused on her problems to notice. Mara reminds her that she dances to express herself, but Vivian is unsure how to express herself. She tells her that Vivian and other people in the real world need her. Holly admits she doesn’t want to leave, as she can’t come back.

 

After breaking down, Holly asks Mara for one last request. Holly and Sadie perform a mother-daughter routine on stage as Mara sits in the audience. Holly embraces Sadie and sparkly confetti falls around them. She tells Sadie that she’s glad she got the chance to dance with her and hugs her one last time before saying goodbye.

 

Holly wakes up, and later insists to Vivian that she wants to help at the studio. She promises that she’s there now and Vivian lets Holly instruct the kid’s ballet class for the day. Paul tells Mara that Chris seems solid, but she tells him he doesn’t have to say that.

 

Mara visits Chris and tells him that she’s been thinking about their conversation. She admits that she misses him, but she still has unfinished business to deal with. Mara admits he was right about her giving up on him, and that she’s not giving up on her life anymore. He tells her to call him when she’s ready, and she promises.

 

Mara goes into the hospital and into a room with a comatose Ray McConley (Christopher Redman). She flashes back to Ray killing Jamie and Brynn, and identifies herself as Ray’s sister-in-law when a Nurse (Tisha French) tells her she can’t be in there.