‘Troppo’ Recap: ‘Strange Affairs’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Four of ‘Troppo’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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One particular concept that crime dramas love to explore, is how crime at any level… instantly changes the lives of those who suffer through it, and it makes sense as to why. Because a great deal of us, are lucky and will never be a victim of crime, so seeing how a robbery rattles others in fiction, and how families are devastated by acts of murder in print or on screen… gives us perspective on the lesson in question and perhaps a sense of relief as well. But what is fascinating about this examination, is that we rarely see crime immediately impact the lives of our heroes and that too, makes sense.

For they are supposed to be the rock of the story, the constant and should only suffer through minor troubles on their way to making others whole. Which is why we need to continue to celebrate the Amazon Freevee series, Troppo. For this particular crime drama is eager to remind us that heroes are human as well and they too can have fate and the violence impact their lives and ‘Strange Affairs’ provided us with that lesson… by outright surprising us. Because at first, this is a story that appeared to be moving the case forward in the right direction at last. Since Amanda and Ted realized that Jong Min’s death was clouded in suspicion now that an affair possibly came into play, and they were right to think that.

Because they were able to confirm that Jong Min was sleeping with Olivia on the side, a revelation that immediately engenders concern, and to make matters worse, it was obvious that Olivia was hiding something. Since she was using non-corporate means to go after data on her former lover’s hard drives. Leaving our heroes to wonder if corporate espionage was at play and if by chance, murder was part of the game. And while they toyed with the possibilities, Ted was at last… taking a stand against the acts perpetrated against him in the last episode. A move that empowered him and motivated him to potentially think about returning home. Making this episode seem more and more akin to a growth story, not one grounded in heartbreaking moments that alter the course of a life.

But a powerhouse revelation regarding the case and Ted’s family… allowed for that to happen. Because Ted was at a crossroads at the end of this story. Because murder was indeed on the table with the discovery of more of Jong Min’s remains… and his wife made it clear she was ready to leave the house behind and start over, and that left Ted unsure of what to pursue and resolve in that moment. And at the end of his panic, where he decided to to try and at least talk some sense into his wife… he was brutally assaulted outside his home by someone that was fired up over Ted taking a stand and mildly intimidating those who vandalized his house, a group that included the daughter of his arch nemesis, immediately changing the course of this case and his and Amanda’s lives.

Because now… a single moment has brought their carefully crafted world crashing down upon them. For there’s no way Ted will be the same when he heals and now the case has been set back horribly by the actions of one angry individual and this was… both a harrowing and brilliant storytelling choice to bring to the table. Because not only does it raise the stakes in a unique manner through and through, but it more or less forces character growth. Since now Amanda will have to soldier on without Ted’s cool and collected perspective and Ted… will have to figure out how to recover from this emotionally and well, this show deserves a round of applause for putting this together and for tossing some incredible realism into the mix, and once again, this compels us to continue the journey post haste, to see what the immediate fallout of this stunning episode is going to be. Until next time.

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