The Sinner – Part III

By starrymag | August 22, 2017

By: Nicole Dintelman

 

 

 

This week on “The Sinner” little Laine (Grayson Eddey) is wandering around looking for his mommy. He opens the door and toddles outside and a horn honks and we see Cora (Jessica Biel) startle awake. Thank goodness that was just a dream. Detective Ambrose (Bill Pullman) and his wife are taking a hike. Clearly, she’s in much better shape than he is because he looks like he’s about to kill over. Cora is undergoing her 730 exams to see if she’s fit to stand trial for her crime. The psychologist asks her what she would say to her 13 or 14-year-old self, to which Cora replies: “Run.”

 

Harry is online looking up schizophrenia psychosis. Just a little light reading to get his day started we’re sure. Detective Leroy (Dohn Norwood) is trying to tell him about pork chops, but he’s not paying a bit of attention. Harry goes to see the psychologist (Mia Katigbak) about Cora passing the 730 exams. She tells him that she passed because technically she should pass. Harry asked her what she would say if he told her he thinks there is a song that drives her to do what she’s doing. The psychologist tells him that it sounds like PTSD psychosis. Cora calls Mason (Christopher Abbott) and asks him to bring Laine to see her. She tells him that she really needs to see him. Mason agrees.

 

Detective Ambrose goes to see Cora’s parents. Cora’s mother (Enid Graham) has sores all over her body. Not sure what’s going on there, but hopefully we’ll eventually find out. Cora’s father (C.J. Wilson) tells Harry that they haven’t had contact with Cora for several years. Harry asks why that is and tells them that when they interviewed Cora she told them that they were both dead. Cora’s mother tells Harry that Cora chose the path that she did. She tells him that from the very beginning there was something wrong with her and there was nothing they could do.

 

Harry asks them when the last time they had contact. Cora’s father tells him that Cora ran away five years ago. Right around the 4th of July. Harry says Cora was 23 years old and that’s a bit old to run away. Cora’s mother says that Cora was selfish. Her sister Phoebe was on death’s door and Cora just left. She was only thinking about herself. Cora’s father tells Harry that Phoebe was sick since birth and she died about a month after Cora left. Phoebe had lymphoma. Finally, we know what was wrong with Phoebe. Harry asks them if they ever filed a missing person’s report. Cora’s mother tells him that Cora died when she left their house.

 

Cora has another nightmare. A blonde, who looks a lot like Leah Belmont (Teri Wyble), whispers into someone’s ear: “Give her another hit, it will loosen her up.” Then, she sees someone step on someone’s chest. Cora wakes up screaming to the point that the guards have to sedate her. She asks them not to put it in her arms. When they lift her sleeve they see the track marks. Could Cora be a recovering drug addict? Detective Ambrose visits Cora the next day and tells her that he was off base and he’s sorry. He asks her to show him her arms. Harry asks her if it was heroin and she tells him yes.

 

Harry asks Cora when the drugs started. Cora tells him it was 5 years ago before she met Mason. Harry asks Cora if it was after she ran away. When Cora looks at him funny, he tells her that her parents told him. Cora asks him if he saw them. Cora tells him that he shouldn’t believe anything they say. Harry asks Cora where she went after she left her parents. Cora tells him she barely remembers where she went or who she was with because she was high the whole time. Harry tells her that no one gets into this stuff alone. Cora says that she would sleep with guys for fixes.

 

Cora asks Harry not to tell her family. She tells him that Mason thinks the marks on her arm are from a hospital infection that she got when she was young. Harry tells her that he can’t promise her that. Cora begs him not to tell Mason and she tells him that she’s told him everything else. Harry tells Cora that it’s his job. Cora tells Harry that this is the only thing. When he shakes his head no, Cora tells him that she hates him. Walt over at the jail calls Harry to let him know that Cora had a new visitor that day. Her aunt.

 

Aunt Margaret (Rebecca Wisocky) offers Harry a drink but he’s ready to get down to business. He tells her that he understands she visited Cora. Margaret asks him if she wasn’t supposed to. Harry tells her that it’s fine that she did. Harry tells Margaret that he’s trying to help Cora and he’s not out to get anybody. Margaret tells Harry that the whole thing is very upsetting. Harry asks if she was close with Cora. Margaret says that she tried to be but Elizabeth, Cora’s mother, didn’t approve. She tells Harry it was easier once Cora came to live with her when she got out of detox.

 

Margaret tells Harry that when Elizabeth saw the scars on Cora’s arm she refused to take Cora in. Harry tells Margaret that she doesn’t feel like she was much better. There were signs that Cora had been hurt and she didn’t do anything. Cora had a scar on her head that she wouldn’t say how she got and she didn’t press her on how she got it. When Cora was a teenager her father moved Phoebe into her room. He was tired of sharing a room with his teenage daughter. He felt like it was unnatural. Can you blame him?

 

Mason comes to visit Cora at the jail, but doesn’t bring Laine like he promised. He tells her that Detective Ambrose came to see him and asked about her drug habit. Mason asks Cora if she lied to him from the very beginning. Cora tells him that he would never have wanted her if he knew what a piece of shit she was. Mason says that she doesn’t know that. Mason asks Cora if J.D. is the one that got her hooked on the drugs. Cora tells Mason to stop with J.D and he tells her he’ll stop with J.D. when she starts talking.

 

Mason tells Cora that he’s done. He’s not going to feel angry anymore. Cora asks Mason to please bring Laine to her. Mason asks her why. Why should he put their son through that? Mason asks Cora if she’s thought about what Laine is going to think about her when he’s older. She’s pled guilty and not even tried to be Laine’s mother. Cora tells Mason that she’s sorry.

 

In a flashback we see Phoebe (Rileigh McDonald) ask Cora (Augie Murphy) if she thinks their dad is screwing their mom now that they’re sharing a bed. Phoebe goes on to tell Cora that she saw their dad naked once, but she never saw his thing. She asks Cora if she’s seen it since they shared a room. Cora tells Phoebe that it’s a sin to talk that way. Phoebe tells Cora that God doesn’t mind if you’re sick. Phoebe pulls out a magazine from under her mattress that is forbidden in their house and Cora asks her where she got it. Phoebe tells her that the nurses at the hospital have them and she stole it. She tells Cora that there is an article inside about anal foreplay. Phoebe starts to laugh which makes her begin to cough. Cora takes Phoebe some water and Phoebe asks her to read to her.

 

Cora asks her attorney (Susan Pourfar) what would happen if she changed her plea to not guilty. Her attorney tells her that the chances of winning a temporary insanity plea are not good. The trial would be long and her family would be dragged through the mud even more. Cora asks her if there is a chance they would win. Harry visits the detox center Cora stayed at to get clean. The gentleman in charge tells him that Cora was there about two weeks. Harry asks if Cora’s head wound was stitched up there. The guy tells him no it was already stitched up by the time she arrived. Harry asks if there was anything else remarkable about Cora that he can remember.

 

The guy tells Harry that Cora didn’t seem like any other junkie. Most of the people that come through there are homeless. Cora arrived in new sweats. Her hair had been washed and she had been taken care of. He tells Harry that her intake form was signed by a Caleb Walker. Mason tracks down J.D. in a bar. Leroy asks Harry how many Caleb Walkers he found in the area. Harry tells him five and they’re narrowing it down. Harry spots his waitress friend and tells Leroy that he’ll catch up to him. She dumps a container of oranges on the ground and leaves him to pick them up.

 

We flashback again and see the girls’ mother finding Phoebe’s magazine in their room. Phoebe tells her that they found it on the sidewalk. Elizabeth isn’t buying it and asks Cora what it is. Cora tells her it’s a magazine for women with sex things in it and she read to Phoebe out loud about orgasms in the vagina. Elizabeth places salt on the ground in front of Jesus on the cross and makes Cora pray and join her. Growing up in this house had to have been absolutely crazy. No wonder she ran for the hills screaming as soon as she could.

 

Detective Ambrose goes to see the judge and tells her that he feels that there is something that has made Cora do what she did and he’s still looking for evidence. She asks him if there is anything admissible. Harry tells her no, not yet. The district attorney (Joseph Melendez) tells Harry that Cora is a junkie. Faye (Kathryn Erbe) and Harry are having dinner with a couple of Faye’s friends. They ask Harry about Cora’s case. Faye says it turns out that Cora is a drug addict. The guy says that people push prescription drugs and they have no idea. Harry interrupts him and tells him that he has no idea. He has no idea what Cora has been through or how she feels.

 

Faye tells Harry that she’s sorry she said something about the case at dinner. She says she didn’t realize how strongly he felt about Cora. Faye comes to bed and tells Harry that if he’s too tired they don’t have to and he tells her no, that she looks nice. We have to just interject that these two have absolutely zero chemistry.

In the past, Phoebe is picking the salt out of Cora’s knee and asks her why she didn’t lie about the magazine. Cora says that God would only punish them. Phoebe says that God doesn’t listen. Phoebe says that she prayed for her to get sick once just so she’d know what it’s like. Phoebe asks Cora if she thinks their parents are asleep yet. The girls go downstairs and get wine, crackers and the crucified Jesus. They have communion in their room.

 

At Cora’s allocution, she tells the judge she’s not sure what she should do. The judge tells her the time is over for deliberation. Cora turns around to look at Mason but sees her parents sitting behind him and pleads guilty. Detective Ambrose is not happy with this plea and ends up at his waitress friends house. Apparently, she inflicts the pain and suffering he desires.

 

Harry found Caleb Walker (Arthur French). Caleb tells him that he was taking out his trash and he saw Cora laying over by the dumpster. Harry takes a walk down the alley and sees another man laying with open sores. It gives him an idea. Mason goes back to the bar where he knows J.D. hangs out. He decides to make his move. He asks J.D. how he knows Cora Lacey. J.D. tells Mason that he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Mason tells J.D. that Cora is his wife. J.D. asks Mason if he means the lady that stabbed the guy at the beach.

 

Mason tells J.D. that Cora told him about him. He knows that he’s the one that got her hooked on drugs. J.D. thinks the whole situation is pretty funny. Mason asks J.D. what he did to Cora. Mason tells J.D. not to fuck with him. J.D. asks Mason if Cora still likes three guys on her at once. Mason throws J.D. on the ground and ends up getting arrested. The sad thing is, now both of Laine’s parents are in jail. Detective Ambrose takes a lighter, a spoon, a needle and a tie to Cora. He tells her that he wants her to show him how she shoots up. Cora tells him no. He says show me the first thing you do.

 

Harry tells her she was the addict for two months and she’d screw anyone for a fix so she should show him and he’ll leave. Cora doesn’t know the first thing about shooting up. She has absolutely no clue what to do. Harry tells her that addicts start by injecting in their feet and hands, way before their arms look like that. Harry says that five years ago she went out then two months later showed up on the streets of Poughkeepsie with those scars. Harry asks her how much of those two months she actually remembers. Cora tells him fragments, that she’s not sure. Harry tells her that she believes what her mother told her. She sold herself for drugs but none of it is true.

 

Cora asks Harry if it’s not true then what happened to her. Harry tells her he doesn’t know, but someone somewhere did this to her. Cora remembers a wallpaper, someone in scrubs and a pig like mask. She flashes back to seeing the person in the mask asks her how she’s feeling today. Was Cora used for some kind of testing? What exactly happened to her while she was held wherever she was held? What the hell happened to Cora Tannetti?