It’s difficult to tell a good story with a slow pace. It’s even harder when life itself feels like an overly busy slow-paced story where the major events are few and far between, and the only upside is that there’s plenty of delicious bread. But sometimes those moments that seem anticlimactic are the catalysts for something greater, and the everyday events are just a disguise for a story being revealed. All this is to say ACCA continues to surprise me.
Episode 6
Two of the most enigmatic characters meet, and although Grossular doesn’t say much, Jean makes up for it by explaining, in few words, his history and a lot of what motivates him. His confrontation with Nino gave him the initiative to speak to Grossular himself, not with manipulation but with honesty, just as Nino was truthful with him. Like Nino, Grossular is in the wrong here—as the person who sent someone to watch Jean and who believes Jean to be a rebel, Jean has every right to be angry with him. But he isn’t.
Instead he harkens back to the time when he first heard of Grossular, and how much he admired him. Instead of being angry, he hints that he believes Grossular is better than what the others think of him. He defends himself from the accusations against him but also gives Grossular the benefit of the doubt that Grossular denied him.
Once again, Jean doesn’t complicate things or choose to deceive. Despite his constantly neutral expression, his actions show who he really is. He meets people honestly, even when they least deserve it, reflecting the heart of God and the love of Jesus for us. God doesn’t turn us away when we misunderstand him. Instead, he came down to meet us so that we could know who he really is.
Episode 7
There’s always a limit to how long a story can hide its secrets, and I suppose we reached them in this episode. Jean Otus, the person who doesn’t want to get involved in things, the inspector who wants to get a new job but won’t quit, finds out the truth about himself at last.
With this revelation, Mauve and Jean can start fresh without misunderstandings. There is no more guessing about what their real intentions are because they were never hidden in the first place. Even though they may be uncertain about the answers, they can trust each other.
After this conversation, Jean goes to Nino. It’s been interesting watching their friendship continue since their confrontation. Although there were a couple times when things were strained, for the most part it was not just unchanged, and they actually seem closer than before. Nino has been opening up to Jean in scattered fragments, and now Nino is the first person Jean trusts to tell him the most important truth.
This sort of friendship could never last without grace and forgiveness on both sides. Every human relationship has its flaws, and even people who like being around each other could grow apart if they chose to take offence at every opportunity. It’s the grace we show one another when we keep on trying that holds those relationships together, and it’s the kindness of God that keeps us coming back to him. No matter what lies we tell ourselves, he is always willing to be honest with us.
I am extremely pleased with how the story is going. The character development is subtle, but definitely there, and there’s a really good balance of how much we know and don’t know. Although there may not have been enough foreshadowing for the twist, I think it was still well done and fit the overall tone of the story. My only concern now is that so far, I’ve found most of the shows I’ve reviewed reach their high point mid way and then decline. I only hope ACCA won’t follow that pattern.
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