‘Central Park’ Recap: ‘Where There’s Smoke’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 215 of ‘Central Park’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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One thing that we can all agree upon, is that season two of Central Park on Apple TV+, has been nothing short of a moving and thoughtful experience. Because every single episode this season, has explored the characters in a dynamic manner. Wherein we've learned a great deal about them, and as an added bonus… the show has done a wonderful job of exploring the ups and downs of life, and the beautiful moments it sends our way. Allowing for the viewer to just get lost in an animated journey about the world and how it functions and well, we’ve become so used to the show going this route storytelling wise, that none of us saw the surprise twist coming in this week’s tale.
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For ‘Where There’s Smoke’ opened up in a manner that made it appear, we were going to be treated to a grand exploration involving the nature of death and how we face it. Since the Tillerman’s were headed to a wake for an old friend of the park, and this was Molly and Cole’s first real experience with such matters. But shortly after they arrived at the wake and Paige came to learn that the departed had some kind of dirt on the mayor and his shady dealings… this episode shifted gears and outright surprised us all. Because it turned out that this particular tale wasn’t going to be a grand examination of everyday life and the bittersweet nature of death. Oh no, this instead, was a harkening back to the central plot that’s hung over this show from day one.

Specifically, Bitsy Brandenham’s desire to buy Central Park and develop it to her liking and design, so she could be richer than she already was and leave behind a mega legacy of property development and well, that little surprise made for one incredible tale. Since it basically set the stage for another showdown between the Tillerman family and Bitsy and it might be a costly showdown for certain, as evidenced by how the hunt for dirt on the mayor went. Because not only did Paige and the kids have to search every nook and cranny of the house to find it, to the point where they found themselves briefly stuck in a hidden room that held the prize they sought. But once they had the dirt in question in hand, they had to deal with the mayor himself.

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Because he came to this wake, to get his hands on that critical information and that led to a physical showdown, one where the outcome was uncertain at times. But eventually, the Tillerman family won the day and got the dirt Paige needed to expose the corruption at city hall, but it will definitely come at one heck of a price. Since the dishonorable Mayor Whitebottom issued quite the threat to Paige. In that, if she printed that story and exposed him to the world, he’d make every effort to bring Owen down with him in the ensuing fallout. Which of course, gave Paige pause since it would change the course of her family's life. But Owen told her point blank, she had to write this story… regardless of the risk and well, that motivated her to continue her work and she will have to work fast to bring this to light.
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For while the family was battling a wheezy mayor for the truth, Bitsy was working hard to execute the purchase of the park and that involved wooing a Swiss billionaire to invest in her plans, in the most creative way imaginable. By more or less leaving Helen to sit down and talk with the man while he painted her majesty and well… by mostly allowing Helen to sell the plan (since Bitsy was hiding in a food car), she was able to lower the man’s guard and open him up to the possibility of spending a little money in Manhattan. Giving Bitsy a huge win and that is what creates a sense of urgency for Paige. Since you know Bitsy will waste little time in pulling together the cash from this gentleman and her other investors to complete her two-year quest.

If anything, that’s a heck of a way to set the stage for the season two finale. In part because none of us saw these plot twists coming in the slightest. Since there were hints that Bitsy might be rethinking her plans and of course, the show’s hard lean into commentary made it seem as though we were heading into a new storytelling phase for the show. But also, because… the stakes have never been higher. After all, Owen’s job is now hanging in the balance, and the minutes are ticking away regarding the sale and that is going to make the wait for next week’s episode as excruciating as can be. So we can see if the Tillerman family can stand up to Bitsy one more time… to keep the wonder of Central Park in the hands of the people. Until next time.   

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