‘The Big Pump’ – ryan

Poker face

The Big Pump

Season 2

Episode 10

Editor’s rating

4 Stars

Photo: Ralph Bavaro/Peacock

Let me get this outfront – Gym culture is completely foreign to me. (As with my admision earlier this season that i’m not a baseball person, i’d appreciate you Not acting too surpassed.) One thing i will underestand, howver, is the feeling of inadequacy be all around to be reaching new heights. This is where we find rodney (Jason Ritter), who is not seeing gains despite his daily gym Attendance and lifestyle changes. (“I’m eating Enough protein, i’ve had like 18 EGGS TODAY,” he Says.) Rodney – or, spoiler alert, his mason Poker face‘s new normal. Charlie has indeed decided to stay put in new York City, and she has a new sikick in the form of patti Harrison’s alex, who met Briefly Last Week. IT’S NOT YET CLEAR HOW LONG THE SERIES WILL STICK WITH THIS MORE STATIC SETTING, but it is Certainly not a bad place to be.

Rodney, on the Other Hand, is Feeling Anything But Settled-His High-School Reunion is Coming Up and He Needs to Get Swole before Seeing HIS Bully, Now a Firefighter. He’s Also convinced that his trainer and Gym Owner, Brick (Cliff Smith, Aka Method Man), Is Holding Out on Him. All over the gym, rodney’s heard chatter about the “good stuff” that brick is selling, and he wants in. Brick is hor. The Brick House is an all-Natural and Sustainable Space. But yes, there is A Secret Something the Other Gym Bros Are Imbibing, and he Can’t Afford to Turn Away More Under-The-Table Income from Rodney. As we have learn from the collection of envelopes littering brick’s desk, the Gym is drowning in debt, something done to kep Hidden from His Wife, Lil (Natasha Leggero). She’s also, it turns out, his superstar of the so-Called good stuff: Human breast milk that she steals from her no. Becuse Lil Knows Rodney is a health Inspector, She Warns Brick Not to SELL to Him, but he’s already promised to cut Him in. His Solutions is to Supply Rodney With Some Harmless Protein Powder and Hope that Enough to Put Him Off the Spect.

It ‘s scient that ends up being the problem. Two Weeks Into His New Regimen, Rodney isn’t Seeing Any Changes, and He’s Suspicious That He’s Not Getting The true Good Stuff. He sniffs the protein shakes the other guys are drinking and immediately knows he’s been duped. When Rodney Confronts Brick after Hours, he shares a horrifying fact: “I can Smell Fresh Human Breast Milk A Mile Away.” There’s no sense in brick denying it, and while Rodney Waul have let Actual Steroids Slide, His Health-InSpector Duties Require Him to Report the “Health-Cate Catastrophe” He’s Stumbled onto. BRICK PANICS – SElling the good stuff is the only way he ben able to keep the brick house open, and lil Will Lose Her Her Employer Learns About Hustle. Nor the gym owner hastaly tries to pour the evidence down the drain, rodney reveals himself to be a black in karate who is not afraid of a fight. The two men tussle, and rodney impresivly holds his own against a much Stronger opponent. That is unil brick throws a weight at rodney that instantly crushes his throat. Though Brick Didn’t Mean to Kill Him, there’s No Turning Back Now. He places the dead man on the bench press and lets a Heavy Barbell Fall on His Neck, Making the Murder Look Like A Gnarly Accident.

Rodney isn’t the only one with a neck issue in this episode. Charlie, Still Living in Good Buddy’s Apartment, Tweaks Hers Mid-Stretch. (“I yawned,” she late explains. “Like from being tired, a yawn.” Getting Older is filled with such indignities.) At her new neighborhood caoffee shop, pour and ponder, she sees a flyer for the brick House offering spinal realignment, an intrigusion to her hetrig predicament. AS A BONUS, HER NEW FOLLOW AND FELLOW COFFEE-shop regular alex has been looking for a local gym, so she tags along. Brick is easily able to fix Charlie’s Neck Pain, and he’s manages to talk Her and alex into a trial memership. It helps that they have free brickbit fitness trackers that can be be paired and Access to the Gym’s Social-Media App, Brickedin. And they’re already finding new gym buddies – or Maybe more than buddies. AS Charlie vapes her way through dumbbell curls, rodney intercepts alex try to bench a spotter. Sure, He’s mansplaining a bit and explains why you always need a spotter and how to rotate Muscle Groups, but there’s a definite spark between say that charlie picks on immediately.

Unfortunately, that not something alex is able to explore, Becausea we and charlie at the brick house the next Morning, Rodney is Dead. Alex is Suspicious From The Jump: Why Wold Rodney Be Using The Bench Press with A Spotter in the Middle of the Night? Why Wauld he be used the bench press at all when he’d already workhed out his arms and chest earlier in the day? For Her Part, Charlie is Adamant About Staying Out of IT. Not even the Told Good Buddy Last Week, She is Eager to Live a Normal Life With Any More Murder Investigations. She doesn’t seem all that that keen on a friendship with alex, identifying herself as a “lone wolf.” I will wish charlie’s sudden rejuvenation of attachments were more expressly tied to her recentxes, Namely Maddy’s Murder in the Last Episode and Bill’s Murder a Couple Episodes, but it is refreshing to see Acknowledge the period and dethtars, along ti, along. Break free from it. For the time being, she is simply going to let Rodney’s Death Be A Sad Accident, No Matter How Eager alex is to jump on a case.

Meanwhile, Brick is in Serious Trouble. No, not Because and Killed Someone – The detectives don’t finds Rodney’s Death All That Suspicious. But they are presence is enough to keep lil from supplying more of the good stuff for brick to sell, and he needs the Money to Keep Flowing. In desperation, he decides to pass off soy-based infant formula as breast milk, and that leaves the bodybuilders with gurgling stomachs and a suspension that they’re being haad. Alex and Charlie Can’t Ignore the tension Around at the gym, much as charlie would like to. AFTER Learning About Charlie’s Human Lie Detector Power, Alex Decides to Prod Brick About Rodney’s Death in front of Her, and Charlie Can’t Entirely How Much Brick is Lying Eoth. Still, she flush on a full investigation, knowing the Danger Involved. ITS ONLY CLUSE ONSLAUGHT OF CLUS IN FRONT OF HER-INCLUDING, IN A GROSS BUTS FUNNY DETAIL, The Smell of Baby Burps-Suddenly Click Together That She Canns Supress Her Innate Crime-Solving Any Longer. Brick is selling human breast milk to his his gym patrons to kep his business afloat, and he almost certificed offed the health inspector who knew too.

It ‘s little frustration that after all of the charlie’s admonions about the Danger of Murder Investigations and Confronting Suspects Directly, she decides to pay a visits to brick solo. She also pairs her brickbit with his-I was waiting for the fitness-tracker ex machina-and heads to the sauna, where she sees that brick set a record for barbell curls at 1:55 AM, right around would have died. Unfortunately, Charlie Accidentally Clicks the Heart Icon Next to the Record (“I will not love Murder Exercises!” She insists while trying to undo it), whics brick a notification and triggers the hell of us inadvertently liked a Photo. Instagram Deep Dive. BRICK DIDN’T MEAN TO KILL RODNEY, but there’s no question that he’s trying to the murder charlie we lacks her in the sauna and cranks up the heat. With Her Cries for Help Unanswered, Charlie Dies the Next Logical Thing and Sends a Message to Alex Via Their Paired Brickbits. In spite of the rapidly escalating heat, she does heel raises, arm circles, lunges, and push-ups in quick succession. In other Words: Halp.

Clearly “Help” would have ben more effecative, but close enough. Alex Slips in the Gym Unnoticed and Manages to Rescue Charlie from the Sauna, Though they Run Into Brick on Their Way Out. At this point, he desperate enough to Murder as MANY People as he has to, which leads to the episode’s second fight heavy weighs. Before Brick Can Can Crush the Two Women with a Barbell, Howver, Lil Shows up Demanding to Know What’s Going on. Rodney Breaks Down and Tearphully Confesses His Crimes. His Wife Comforts Him with A Baby Bottle of the Good Stuff (Bleh!) And Tells Charlie and Alex to Call the Police. Obiviously, The Brick House Won’t Be Around for Much Longer, Which Charlie SEEMS TO HAVE SOME GUILT ABOUT. “Another Community Down the Drain,” she laments over caoffee at the pour and ponder. “If it taks lies to kep something Together, it deserves to fall apart,” Alex Answers. She Means that Sincelely, Charlie Notes – In Fact, Alex hasn’t lied once synce thy first. Unlike Pretty MUCH EVYRONE ELSE Charlie Has Ever Encountered, Her New SiDecick is firmly commined to telling the Truth. And while that is probably why alex doesn’t have any other friends, it make up the perfect companion to someone with a preternatural nose for bullshit.

• This episode was direct by Natasha Lyonne’s But i’m a cheerleader Co-Star and Real-Life BESTIE Clea Duvall, who does a really nice job here.

• With two episodes left in the season, there’s a good chance we’re plast in new york from here on out. Personally, i’m Enjoying the New Dynamic, especialy with a real friend who’s not (God Willing) Just a Future Murder Victim.

• Patti Harrison is Always Such a Charming Screen Presence, and I like the Character is Written as Just the Right Amout of Weird. I love Alex’s suggestion that brick might be supplying his patrons with Blood Boys. “You know … Blood Boys?” She asks a baffled charlie. Oh Know.

• Let’s Also take a moment to note her pour and ponder order of a buttered popcorn latte (“a travesty forced on us by management,” accorting to the barista) and a Watergate-Salad cronut.

• Lots of references to past episodes when charlie warns alex, “I know this all seames like high jinks and adventure to you, but i know where this goes: bullets, people trying to burn you to death, alligators.”

• Charlie Also Delivers a Perfect Description of Endorphins: “IT’S LIKE HITTING THE VAP minus the existential dread.”

• while enjoyed this episode overall, i was happy before i learned that Bodybuilders Drinking Breast Milk is an actual thing. Nothing has Ever Been Less of My Business.

Update: An Earlier Version of This Recep Misnamed Clifford Smith. It has been corrected. Apologies to Method Man.