Giving Julia a free subscription to OBSESSED because she deserves better.
Spoilers for the 4th episode of Night Country. (TW: suicide, self-harm)
Night Country’s handling of its first significant character death is an apt representation of why I’m beginning to hate this show. Because I want absolutely nothing to get lost in translation, I transcribed every moment for you.
OBSESSED is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
In the middle of the fourth episode, Evangeline Navarro’s younger sister dies by suicide. In the *two or three minutes* we spent with Julia over the season, we learned she’d been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and schizophrenia, and recently moved to Alaska to be closer to Navarro. We don’t know much else. The scene involving Julia’s death is meant to break your heart, but when I watched it, I felt surprisingly angry. Angry at the show for expecting me to accept this death as plausible, earned and even half as emotionally impactful as it was supposed to be. If Julia’s death was a linguine, I would’ve sent it back to the kitchen like *that*, and I don’t do stuff like that at restaurants!
Julia’s death was botched on several levels. Logistically, it’s literally impossible for the death and its surrounding events to have taken place in the span of time depicted. The death scene, and all the somber fanfare that accompanies it, feels completely unearned and hollow. Aside from the fact she struggles with mental illnesses, we literally know nothing about Julia. It’s sloppy enough to depict mental illness this one-dimensionally, but having that character die by suicide, to say nothing of killing off that character in the first place, approaches hack status.
So, below, you get to experience every on-screen moment between Navarro and Julia. If those two are on screen together, it’s there. Ultimately, it’s Night Country’s consistently shallow writing that made this death ring hollow, and I want you to experience their relationship and Julia’s character development up to her death. So, feast yer eyes on the clichéd dialogue that reveals the bare minimum about these characters. Enjoy some useless conversations that hard pivot into contrived philosophical proclamations. Slurp up this clunky exposition. Bon appétit!
EPISODE 1: “NIGHT COUNTRY: PART 1”
Is that OBSESSED on her shelf?
INT. JULIA’s APARTMENT (indeterminate time)
NAVARRO’s just arrived at JULIA’s apartment , having learned that Julia had some sort of breakdown earlier.
NAVARRO: Hey Jules.
JULIA: Hey Ange.
NAVARRO: What’s going on?
JULIA: Nothing. I shouldn’t have called. I’m sorry. It was just a little freak-out. I’m okay. I’m just tired.
NAVARRO: Alright, so why don’t you come over to my place. We can eat some junk food, watch The Bachelor? Come on.
JULIA: I never should’ve moved here. I’m so sorry.
Julia turns away from Navarro.
NAVARRO: Hey. Jules, Jules. Come here. Hey, look at me. Hey.
Julia looks at Navarro.
NAVARRO: I wanted you here. I’m glad you’re here. OK?
JULIA: Listen, I’m not like Mom.
NAVARRO: You are nothing like Mom. You are not her, OK? You hear me?
They hug.
NAVARRO: If you’re worried, we can start talking some options.
JULIA: No hospitals. You promised me no hospitals.
NAVARRO: OK. So make sure you’re good, Jules.
JULIA: I’m OK. I promise. I got this.
OK, so Julia just moved to Alaska, she struggles with some sort of mental illness or condition, Navarro cares about her and they have a close relationship. Got it. Thank you, premiere! Onto the next episode.
EPISODE 2: “NIGHT COUNTRY: PART 2”
Julia! He asked for extra OBSESSED!
INT. QAVVIK’S BURGER JOINT (indeterminate time)
Navarro enters the bar. Julia’s at work, bussing a table.
Navarro pushes a grocery cart while Julia picks items off the shelves. Julia puts a bag of cookies in the cart.
NAVARRO: Really?
JULIA: I mean... Since you’re paying, I’m getting my nutrients.
NAVARRO: Nutrients. Twenty for some damn cookies?
JULIA: Arctic prices, babe. Remind me again why we’re here?
NAVARRO: Good job benefits.
JULIA: Good job benefits…
NAVARRO: Hey, so, I’ve been thinking. That place, The Lighthouse? Maybe we should go by and talk to someone.
JULIA: I’m not going back into a hospital. Those pills. You don’t get it.
NAVARRO: Hey, hey, hey. Listen. Listen. Hey, look at me. It’s not a hospital. It’s a community center for addictions and other issues. OK? I think we should go check it out. I mean, there’s other meds, and-
JULIA: No. Listen. I’m not Mom. Please, Angie.
NAVARRO: OK. OK.
JULIA: You’ve gotta let me live like a normal person.
NAVARRO: Of course, babygirl.
I don’t remember anything after “good job benefits” because I immediately took a muscle relaxer.
EPISODE 3: “NIGHT COUNTRY: PART 3”
I wonder if she’s reading OBSESSED?
EXT. SOME SORT OF OLD OVERTURNED SHIP THAT’S ON LAND, OR MAYBE THEY’RE ON A FROZEN LAKE? (indeterminate time)
(Before this, Julia’s boss called Navarro and told her that Julia behaved erratically at work, then ran away. Navarro said she knew exactly where she’d be.)
Navarro parks at the ship thingy and walks over to Julia, who’s sitting on it.
NAVARRO: Aren’t you cold, babygirl?
JULIA: How’d you know where to find me?
NAVARRO: You weren’t home. And I know you.
JULIA: You see that? That’s the water. The sea. I think stuff… Bad stuff.
NAVARRO: I know, I know, I know. I know, baby.
I feel like I know everything about them. Like, that Julia struggles with mental illness. Or that Navarro cares about Julia!
EPISODE 4: “NIGHT COUNTRY: PART 4”
Thank you, Julia, for telling Danvers about OBSESSED!
INT. POLICE STATION — HOLDING AREA (indeterminate time)
(Before this, DANVERS found Julia running through town, shedding layers, having some sort of crisis. Danvers picked her up, drove her to the station and called Navarro, who’s since arrived and is sitting next to Julia on a bench. They’re in the middle of a conversation; Danvers listens from around the corner.)
NAVARRO: … OK?
JULIA, nodding: Yeah.
NAVARRO: You ready? Come on.
They stand up and round the corner, running into Danvers.
JULIA: Oh, hi. I… I’m- I’m sorry.
DANVERS: Ah, it’s nothing.
NAVARRO (to JULIA): Can you wait for me downstairs? It’ll just be a minute, OK?
JULIA nods and exits.
Dialogue used to maximum effect.
INT. NAVARRO’S CAR (indeterminate time)
Navarro’s in the driver’s seat and Julia’s in the passenger seat. They look at one another, grab one another’s hand, and Navarro starts the car.
Aw.
INT. THE LIGHTHOUSE — LOBBY (indeterminate time)
Navarro and Julia are sitting in the waiting area, filling out intake paperwork.
NAVARRO: This isn’t going to be like the other places. I promise. OK? I’m right here in town. I’ll come visit you every day. And you can keep your cell phone, so you can call me.
JULIA: I’m good.
NAVARRO: I’ll be here tomorrow for Christmas. I’ll bring presents, and virgin eggnog, and your 20 dollar cookies.
JULIA, nodding: I can do this.
NAVARRO: … You knew that you were going to stay here, didn’t you?
Julia starts crying and pulls Navarro in for a hug.
JULIA: I’m so sorry.
NAVARRO: You’re perfect, OK?
JULIA: I’m so sorry.
NAVARRO: No. You’re perfect, OK? I love you so much, babygirl.
JULIA: I love you, too.
That’s their last scene together face-to-face.
At the point this next scene is starting, it’s been anywhere between two and four hours since Julia checked into The Lighthouse.
INT. NAVARRO’S CAR (indeterminate time)
Navarro is driving. She calls Julia.
NAVARRO: Hey, just checking in. How’s the room?
Julia is, somehow, back at the shipwreck thingy.
JULIA: It’s OK. Quiet.
NAVARRO: Good. Good. Get some rest, OK? I’ll see you tomorrow morning.
JULIA: Yeah. I love you, Angie.
NAVARRO: I love you, too, babygirl.
Julia hangs up, smiling. Her eyes fill with tears. With a look of peaceful resignation, Julia stands up, removes her clothing and looks off toward the horizon. She closes her eyes, takes a few deep breaths and walks toward the sea. Needle drop: Billie Eilish’s “Everybody Dies.”
After Navarro hangs up the phone, she goes home. There, Pete (another cop) picks her up for some important cop stuff, which takes anywhere between 1-2 hours.
In this next scene, Pete’s dropping off Navarro back at her home.
INT. PETE’S CAR
Pete pulls into Navarro’s driveway. Her phone rings, she answers.
NAVARRO: Hello?
COAST GUARD (V.O.): Evangeline Navarro? This is Lieutenant James Ingram from the Alaska Coast Guard. I’m afraid I have some bad news…
A big piano ballad drops in. The voiceover fades out, and we hang on Navarro’s face, which remains … uh, pretty even-keeled?
“Ma’am? In the four-ish hours since you dropped off your sister at The Lighthouse, your sister left The Lighthouse (without The Lighthouse notifying any family), walked or hitched to her ship thingy, contemplated things, walked into the ocean, made it there, drowned or froze, died, was immediately discovered by the Coast Guard and …. yeah, pretty crazy to say the least. Anyway, have you heard of OBSESSED?”
Pete looks over, concerned. Navarro hangs up wordlessly. The phone call lasts 19 seconds.
Pete: Is everything OK?
Navarro: Yeah. Go be with your family.
Navarro exits the truck, and Pete drives off. She stares off, shedding no tears, eyebrows slightly raised, like she just realized she might’ve left the oven on.
The next time we see Navarro, she’s speeding down the highway, headed to (understandably) berate the receptionist at the treatment facility.
I don’t have the spiritual energy to summarize this interaction, but I’ll leave it to Erik Kain at Forbes to explain why this entire sequence is so ridiculous (bolding my own):
“First of all, while Julia was voluntarily checked into the mental facility, that does not mean she can simply walk out any time she chooses. Voluntary admission to a mental health facility doesn’t mean patients can simply come and go freely. This is not how it works anywhere in the United States, at least. … There would be a time period between checking in and discharge longer than a couple of hours. There would be tests and evaluations and communication with family. There is no fathomable circumstance in which a patient as mentally ill as Julia would be allowed to leave on her own without any kind of supervision or contact with her sister.”
Taking another muscle relaxer.
The last scene I want to show you is Navarro’s first encounter with Danvers since Julia’s death. (At this point, it’s been a couple hours since Navarro heard Julie died.)
Danvers has no idea Julia’s dead. Navarro and Danvers are gruff, but also care about one another, so I’d expect Navarro to mention the hours-old death of her sister in the first … five seconds? Ten? Thirty? The first minute, at least?
Remember those useless conversations I mentioned? The seemingly random philosophical proclamations? The hard pivots into personal divulgences?
Brace yourself.
Navarro and Danvers, discussing their favorite OBSESSED dispatches.
INT. DANVERS’S HOUSE
Danvers opens the door for Navarro.
DANVERS: Ah, your face. What happened?
NAVARRO: What happened to you?
DANVERS: Well, was it Taqaq?
NAVARRO doesn’t say anything. She walks in past Danvers.
DANVERS: Hey, is Prior OK?
NAVARRO: He’s good.
DANVERS: Hey, what the fuck with the boots in the house?
NAVARRO: Oliver Taqaq is gone. He was gone when we got there.
DANVERS: Think he knew we were coming?
NAVARRO: He left this.
She reaches into her pocket, then sighs.
NAVARRO: Fuck.
DANVERS: What?
NAVARRO: It was a stone with the spiral on it.
DANVERS: You lost it?
NAVARRO: Yes, I did. All right? And I also had a rough night, OK?
DANVERS: Oh, all right. Here. Sit down.
Danvers clears space on the couch.
NAVARRO: Do you sleep down here?
DANVERS: Maybe.
NAVARRO: Where’s Leah?
The box that Danvers was holding breaks, and objects spill onto the floor. Navarro bends down and picks up something that fell out — a stuffed polar bear toy with a missing eye. Danvers catches Navarro staring at the toy.
DANVERS: What?
NAVARRO: Is this his? Holden’s?
Danvers grabs the toy.
DANVERS: I don’t know what weird-ass shit you’re thinking, but just stop it. Dead people are dead.
NAVARRO: Danvers-
DANVERS: No. There’s no heaven, there’s no hell, there’s no ghosts just fucking beyond. There’s nobody out there just waiting for us, watching us.
NAVARRO: Then why do you keep that around?
Danvers opens the front door and chucks the toy outside.
DANVERS: There! Happy? OK? There’s nothing except us! We’re here, Navarro. OK? Alone. The dead are gone. Fucking gone.
NAVARRO: My sister killed herself last night.
Taking one final muscle relaxer and walking toward the sea.
OBSESSED is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
i have officially stopped watching the show but am OBSESSED with these dispatches. way more entertaining than the show!!!! thank you for this!!!!!!!