‘Central Park’ Recap: ‘Down to the Underwire’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 205 of ‘Central Park’.
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Thus far, our journey through season two of the AppleTV+ series, Central Park, has been an interesting one. Simply because this already unconventional series, found a way to become even more unconventional in its sophomore year. A feat that this show has accomplished by offering up a collection of stories that have been outright devoid of a greater reaching arc. For there is no showdown brewing behind the scenes or a grand problem for the Tillermans to overcome. Instead, these episodes have focused heavily on relatable moments and themes and commentary that leaves the viewer thinking and while that has indeed been about as refreshing as it gets, it does leave one to wonder if this series is going to focus on anything greater as season two continues along.
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Well as it turns out… it would seem that there might be some kind of greater conflict present within the framework of this series as year two chugs along… as evidenced by the next episode in this saga. For ‘Down to the Underwire’ saw quite the surprise take place at Paige’s newspaper. For while she was working on her day off to help the paper prepare for a big anniversary, the owner of the paper swung by with a guest and that got everyone’s attention in the bullpen. Because Roberta rarely dropped by the office, and the fact that she was accompanied by Bitsy Brandenham put up all kinds of red flags in Paige’s mind. After all, she and Bitsy have a past now, thanks to Paige’s quality exposé writing and it left her wondering if Bitsy was preparing to buy the paper so she could shut it down.

Which was a correct suspicion for certain. Because Bitsy did indeed make a juicy offer for the paper behind closed doors in the hopes of putting an end to the paper that put an end to her business dreams. But alas, buying the paper was no easy task. For Roberta had long standing beef with Bitsy, the kind that stemmed from a painful childhood memory involving a race that Bitsy forced her to lose and well… that gave Roberta quite the idea. In that, she and Bitsy could race once again, fairly of course, and if Roberta won… she would get the 8th place ribbon that Bitsy robbed her of and she’d keep the paper and thankfully, she defeated Bitsy and reclaimed her prized ribbon. An act that once again forced Bitsy to enjoy a slice of humble pie.

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But the fact that Bitsy tried to buy the paper, cannot be ignored. For that speaks volumes to a villain that is at a crossroads this season. For at times, Bitsy has seemed a touch more human than she was last year and introspective, yet at the same time… she is clearly eager for dominance and revenge and affixing her visage as the rightful heir to all things Manhattan. Which means the grand conflict this season, might be which path Bitsy decides to choose, and that could make for more interesting storytelling. Because a conflicted villain is always an intriguing watch and it will be quite fascinating to see if Bitsy decides that her forthcoming legacy should be one forged in fury for those who did her wrong, or if she finally sees a better way forward with her wealth. 
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Yet while Bitsy’s unique journey was enough to carry this episode, it also took the time to offer up some of that real-world commentary that’s been permeating the fabric of this season. A feat this story accomplished by having Cole accompany Molly on a rite of passage adventure, wherein he helped her pick out a bra and well, what makes this so significant is that this is something we just don’t see on television all that often. In fact, normally a father handling any duties relating to his daughter growing up on television, are used for comic relief as the dad struggles to figure out how to shop for said daughter. But here, the laughs were generated by way of musical numbers and the ridiculous nature of the options available for undergarments, and that allowed for the rest of this segment to make it clear that there’s nothing awkward or embarrassing about this process, it’s a part of life and it is okay for dads to take part in it and that should be celebrated.

If anything, this really was quite the unique episode when all is said and done, since it offered up an equal mix of relatable moments alongside hints of the future and what matters most, is that it managed do so in a supremely engrossing fashion. Since Bitsy’s journey really does seem to be building to something far bigger and these relatable vignettes continue to impress and well, perhaps the most exciting part about the ending of this episode… is that the audience hasn’t a clue where we are headed next and that’s really special. Because in an era where juicy arcs and big hooks rule the day, it is kind of nice to expect the unexpected for a change and that will make next week’s toe-tapping entry in this series… a welcome and pleasant surprise. Until next time.   

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