‘The Power’ (2023) Episode 5 Review (Scarlet Minnow) - Heavy Themes Undone

The latest episode of "The Power" takes the intensity level to a whole new dimension. Carpathia's tightening grip on The Power has left us all reeling as women are being executed left and right. This time, the brutal reality of this supernatural world hits harder than ever before.

We watch in horror as the first six girls to exhibit The Power are mercilessly slaughtered in front of our eyes. As if that wasn't enough, Tatiana, the leading lady of our story, is on a downward spiral. With each passing moment, she's losing her grip on the last remaining female servant she has left.

The sex trafficking ring is thrown into disarray by The Power’s revelation. The news spreads like wildfire, and among the women trapped in a cell by her traffickers, Tatiana's sister, Zoia Donici, comes up with a plan to use The Power to escape. It's a desperate move, but one that might just work.

Meanwhile, the episode also delves into Tatiana's past, taking us on a journey back to her Olympic training and a time when she was pursued by the man who would eventually become her husband. Through Tatiana's struggles to resist her future husband's advances, the episode offers a powerful commentary on the often-oppressive expectations placed on women.

President Moskalev invites a group of scientists to his home to examine a skein from one of the killed girls. Tatiana sits in on the investigation and learns that the removal of the new organ from girls' bodies has resulted in three deaths. Meanwhile, Margot finds herself thrust into the spotlight as the new face of the movement. However, her controversial stance on Governor Danden's policies leads to her interview is cut short by Helen.

As the threats against Margot continue to mount, Rob discovers their own son watching Urban Dox's incendiary videos. Rob then becomes privy to a sensitive project that involves the development of a medical suppressant for women and girls who do not want Power. However, the research has been obtained unethically, and Rob finds himself at odds with Margot over how best to use this knowledge.

The tension between Margot and Rob reaches a boiling point when he leaks the research to a friend at a party, leading Margot to realize that The Scarlet Minnow is none other than Rob himself. The fallout from this revelation threatens to destroy their relationship, and it forces Margot to confront the impact her public stance on EOD is having on her family.

As I watched this episode, I couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment creeping in. The show had picked up its rhythm and pace by the end of the third episode, and it was maintained in the fourth episode as well. But alas, all of that was destroyed in episode five.

The episode had such an ambitious premise, diving into heavy themes like love, loss, and power. But as the episode progressed, I couldn't help but feel like these themes weren't given justice. It was like watching a beautiful painting being defaced with ugly scribbles.

To make matters worse, the action sequences felt repetitive, lacking the creativity and excitement that we've come to expect from this show. I found myself checking the time frequently, wondering when the episode would end. It was disappointing to see a show with so much potential fall short in such a big way.

I had high hopes for this one, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. I hope that the next episode will make up for this misstep and get the show back on track.

Final Score - [5/10]