‘The Bay’ Chapter 13 Part 3 and 4 – Gods and Monsters

The Bay Chapter 13, Parts 3 and 4 debuted last week adding more mystery, suspense, and romance to the already scandalous lives of Bay City’s residents. If you aren’t watching the Emmy nominated series, you should be!

You Can’t Do that on Television

The Bay may have just done something that network soaps used to do but would probably shy away from doing nowadays. They just killed off a core character for story reasons, setting off a major guessing game of who done it.

I doubt this is the result of any contract negotiation gone sour or focus group comments. It’s probably the exact opposite. I think this choice was actively made knowing that the audience would care about this character’s death, knowing that this murder would set off a chain of events that have a major impact on the canvas and that would not soon be forgotten.

As much as I enjoyed this particular character, the mystery surrounding her death as well as the death of Press Secretary Kenneth Allen is going to be a blast to watch unravel. It’s too early for there to be any solid suspects yet but tiny pieces of the mystery have been dropped.

The first piece of the puzzle is the surprise arrival of Avery and Daniel. The audience hasn’t been given the full reason why they have suddenly come to Bay City. All that is known is that they came because of Marley and that Sara seems clueless. What aren’t they telling Sara?

There is also a bit of a ghost story to add to the mystery. Grandfather Garrett died under some mysterious circumstances and, as Peter explains to Janice, his death left the family cursed. The idea that the Garretts are in fact cursed doesn’t actually seem that far-fetched given the craziness of they’re lives. In fact, it would explain so much! But is there really a supernatural presence or is it all just repercussions from a past misdeed?

We also saw Mickey’s breakdown as she grieves the loss of her son Kenny. Patrika Darbo’s performance was heartbreaking. Mickey is inconsolable. Her other son Chase’s presence doesn’t help. “I should have aborted you!” she screams at him. Chase is a pretty bad dude so it was a little strange seeing him trying (and failing) to comfort his mother. Could he know something or maybe have had something to do with the murders?

Shoulder Angel/Devil

Damian’s parents John and Katherine Blackwell were introduced last chapter and their extreme case of opposites attract instantly intrigued me. Not just in appearance (she’s very demure while he wears a black leather jacket) but it the way they react to to their son’s tragedy.

In a way they are like an angel and a devil on the shoulders of the audience. Katherine choses faith and prayer. She stays near her son at the hospital and converses with the doctors about his state. Her sweet nature at times makes her appear fragile but she is not without strength.

In contrast, John choses anger rather than hope. While Katherine focuses on Damian, John searches for justice and revenge. He focuses his rage on a faulty justice system and Steve Jensen, a man who avoids punishment for what happened to his son. Instead of making tearful pleads to God, he physically attacks Steve.

Despite their differences, the pairing oddly makes sense. They are what the classic good girl/bad boy romance looks like after years of marriage. There is a sense that they love each other and are faithful. They also love their son very much despite his bi-sexuality, drug use, and reckless behavior. Now that they know Damian needs a transplant and has a rare blood type, it will be interesting to see how each tries to resolve the situation.
Some other notable moments:

• Lianna tells Steve that Lex has a thing for Sara.
• Will now knows about Peter and Janice. Will he tell Lianna?
• John doesn’t seem to care for Damian’s boyfriend and girlfriend.
• Daniel dancing around shirtless and declaring “I’m rich bitch!” is everything!
• Zoey has a stalker but is reluctant to get the cops involved.
• Steve is going to blackmail his father-in-law.

Which Bay City resident do you think could be the murderer? Please watch the episodes below and hit the comments to share your thoughts!

Chapter 13 Part 3

Chapter 13 Part 4