The scenes that have worked are the developing relationship between Kreizler and Karen. It’s great to watch the normally so reserved Kreizler excitedly, by his standards, mention that he’s dating someone to Sara. Even better is the fetish conversation with Karen, where she flirts with and schools him in equal measure. However, as fun as this all is, it still feels too far adjacent to what has really become a show about Sara.
“Memnto Mori” picks up immediately where “Belly of the Beast” somewhat awkwardly ended, with Sara coming back down to earth and thinking about how complicated her situation with John has become. John apologizes for the act of passion and suggests if she were to say the word, John would leave his fiancée for Sara. Obviously, sex certainly changes things for the pair, and I wish the episode would have found more time so we could sit in the awkwardness of their relationship drama instead of rushing off to check back in on Libby’s whereabouts. When it does seem like we’re going to get into their messy love triangle, Sara shifts gears to talk about the case, leaving John a little hurt and confused.
I did enjoy the fact that the episode gave Violet a little more dimension. Instead of just being portrayed as a spoiled, ditzy rich girl, they give the character some depth here by having her explain how terrible it feels to be the not-so-secret illegitimate daughter of Hearst. Obviously, it’s only included to make us feel bad about what John did, but it’s pretty effective.
As for the actual crime portion of the show, Sara’s Super Detective moment of the week is her deciding to investigate the building next door to where to where the Linares baby was retrieved and where the police are currently investigating. The bar for thinking outside of the box must be low for the NYPD. Sara discovers where Libby kept the baby and locates personal items stolen from the past victims. Among the personal items stolen are valuables with a family crest, which John discovers to be that of the Vanderbilts. They surmise that one of the Vanderbilt’s could be the next victim, but before they’re able to locate the right person, Libby snatches a Vanderbilt baby in broad daylight.
Hearst’s grand plan to smear Sara using his newspaper backfires because the story puts Sara on Cornelius Vanderbilt’s radar and he invites her over to essentially interview for the job of leading the kidnapping investigation. Sara’s confidence and competency with Vanderbilt lands her the gig, at the chagrin of Hearst and Byrnes, who’s now technically working for Sara (though we know some sabotage is coming). I love the single-minded determination of Sara, and Fanning gives it the right pitch so that it never comes off as being too hot or cold.
