‘La Maison’ Recap: ‘The Family Photograph’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Lambert Wilson and Zita Hanrot as Vincent Ledu and Paloma Castel in Episode 103 of ‘La Maison’ – ‘The Family Photograph’. (Photo Courtesy of Apple.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Three of ‘La Maison’. To revisit the Series Premiere, click here.
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In the everyday world, when someone gets fired or is in serious trouble for stupid things they’ve done in the workplace… they exit their role and the building pretty darn quickly. Sometimes it is handled in secrecy to save face and save grace over how bad things went, and other times, the offender or the incompetent walk out with their box of belongings and face the shame of their coworkers. All because accountability is accountability in the workplace, and that is how things go, or so we are led to believe. Because there are some sectors of industry, where accountability is a little harder to come by and the removal of offenders is difficult at best.

Which begs the question then, how does one enact change in such matters? Well, it just so happens that the next episode of La Maison on Apple TV+, offers up the answer. For ‘The Family Photograph’ informed us quickly that Paloma’s joyous start at Ledu was not going to be as smooth or as joyous as expected. Because despite being flexible and understanding at first, Vincent did an about face and plunged himself back into his work. Out of the belief that Paloma would work for him and take heat off of his shocking mistakes. Which immediately brought forth, a power struggle at Ledu. One that Paloma tried to quell in a peaceful manner, only to have that blow up in her face. 

That brought forth the answer to that question and it turned out, that a two-pronged approach comes into play in getting someone in a creative industry such as this one, where their lives are tied to their work, to leave the building. And it starts, with some shockingly raw honesty. Which Perle provided Vincent with on a spa trip to Sweden. Because the man simply did not believe he was the problem and she finally informed him that he was the issue, and that the time had come to step aside and understand the reality and gravity of what came out of his mouth. Which of course, only goes so far, hence the need for that two-pronged approach, which came from Paloma herself on a very important day at Ledu.

In that, to properly announce her arrival as the new chief artistic mind there, an iconic new family photograph would be taken. Something that was tradition at Ledu and would bridge the gap. But of course, Vincent’s desire to be in the photograph, combined with Robinson’s decision to inadvertently announce his own exit from the company as an independent designer, seemingly overshadowed this important PR moment. Wherein the most important lesson on how to handle those who won’t exit, came forth. In that, sometimes… you just need to show them the door and make a move that helps them to understand that they are no longer wanted and need to leave. Which Paloma did, by having Ye-Ji take and post a family photo. One without Vincent in it.

Because sometimes, men like Vincent only understand brute force and the same energy they give and cutting him out of the picture and announcing it to the world, did indeed make it clear, he was done and he stepped down and stepped out. Giving Paloma the career and closure she’s waited for, but a happy ending may not be on the horizon. After all, the photo also minimized Robinson’s thunder and prompted him to potentially give Rovel more power with shares and the like, and let’s be honest… we likely haven’t seen the last of Vincent. Because he himself said the work was all that mattered, and that might prompt him to try and branch out on his own and create. All of which spells a tough road ahead for Ledu. But while we wait to see how that plays out, we can celebrate another engaging tale, one that showcased how change comes to the creative world and set the stage for some serious conflict down the line. Until next time.

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