Folk science is prioritized over Western pills in the second episode of The Regime. Elena blissfully takes in potato steam, and there is a change in Oskar's medication (he is Agnes' son). This new rule is, of course, brought in by Herbert. He and Elena have become very close to each other. They talk about their "superb horseplay" while Nicky looks at them with jealousy, with irritation. How strong is the relationship between Herbert and Elena? Will it last forever? There are characters who dismiss Herbert as a "passing infatuation."
Herbert, though, is not just infatuated with Elena. He gets wet dreams about her. In surveillance footage, we see him strangling himself with a telephone wire while talking about the chancellor. The people close to Elena are unsurprisingly afraid of the closeness between these two characters. So what do they do? They plan to undermine Herbert's status by first elevating and then destroying it. The fall is greater when it occurs from a higher position. Hence, Elena is informed that Herbert is the genetic descendant of the Foundling.
Kate Winslet gives her voice an amusing, deadpan inflection. I chuckled when Elena said, "I will fuck you now," to her husband. The way these words are dispensed, they feel more like a public announcement than a private communication. Elena also proudly holds a sugar beet at a festival as if displaying something truly remarkable. But this second episode, like the first one, is low on laughs and high on emptiness.
Consider the scene where Judith and Elena have an important discussion. The cuts here are so sharp they could have bruised your senses. Yet, you merely admire the craft from a distance. When Herbert stands near Judith, he looks like a monster who is about to swallow this woman. But this image, as well as those minutes Judith spends inside a closed room with Herbert, are devoid of tension or humor. Everything looks bland as well as insignificant.
There comes, however, a stunning image when Elena and Herbert are seen through a window. I recommend savoring this moment. Herbert's body appears to have grown from behind Elena. Their skins seem glued to each other. He looks like a parasite, gradually extending his influence over the chancellor. Still, once again, Andrea Riseborough generates maximum joy from within us. Her character merely looks at a portrait and says, "Yeah, fine," and you crack up. If Elena rules over other characters, Agnes rules over the entire show.
Final Score - [5/10]