Critic’s Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
4.5
I’m not okay after that cliffhanger.
THIS is how you set up your season (hopefully not series) finale!
The Irrational Season 2 Episode 17 led us down a lighthearted path, only to pull the rug out from under us with Rose’s shocking admission. Thank goodness only one more episode remains in the season.
Alec’s Case Was Ironic, Given His Lecture Topic
Not to be Captain Obvious, but the hour forced Alec to play a role 30 seconds after giving a lecture about the various ones people fall into.
And worse, it was one for which he sucked and was totally unprepared.
The premise of the installment seemed silly at first. Alec had to go undercover as an actor in an unfamiliar play the day before opening.
It proves my point from my The Irrational Season 2 Episode 16 review that The Irrational has the most unique cases of any procedural on television.
The goofy little community theater production quickly turned into a crime scene with red herrings, dangerous moments, and false leads.
I love this show so much, and after stories like this, I’m more convinced than ever that it needs a third season.
The Sound and Lights Guy Was Such An Obvious Suspect That I Should Have Known Better
All good mysteries introduce a suspect early on who couldn’t possibly be innocent, yet who didn’t do it. That’s what the guy in charge of lighting and sound was.
That guy seemed so desperate to play Audrey II.
It became apparent when the stage manager discovered the improperly adjusted microphone. When that speaker almost fell on Alec, it seemed to seal the deal, but it was way too early in the hour for that.
I loved the guy’s bemused reaction to Alec’s accusation.
It pointed out perfectly why appearances were deceiving in this case.
Alec: A speaker almost fell on me in the sound booth.
Sound and Lighting Guy: Oh my God! Are. you okay?
Alec: I’m fine. But that’s two accidents. First Des… then a speaker almost falls on me. And you were just in that sound booth.
Sound And Lighting Guy: Wait… you think I made that speaker fall?
Alec: You did want the role of Audrey II.
Sound and Lighting Guy: Yes, but not so badly I’d kill for it!
Additionally, that false clue led to the revelation that no one had actually seen Des since before he allegedly went into the sound booth, which meant that the theory of his time of death was wrong.
As a fellow mystery writer, I tip my hat to the authors of The Irrational Season 2 Episode 17.
It’s hard to write a false lead perfectly so that it leads to the proper revelation at the right time, but The Irrational nailed it.
The One Flaw In The Irrational Season 2 Episode 17 Was Malcolm/Edgar’s Subterfuge
The guy with three names was also an effective red herring — or he would have been if his backstory had made more sense.
I understand why he kept his original identity secret, even from his romantic partner.
However, not telling him he was acting in a play didn’t make sense.
If he had only let his partner in on that secret, the man wouldn’t have hired Rose to find out what Malcolm was really up to, and Rose and Alec would never have found out about the dead body buried in the theatre.
Well, maybe they would have. Eventually, someone would have found Des and called the FBI.
The Edgar misdirection was a significant plot point.
He had a strong motive to kill Des. An organized crime family put a bounty on his head, so if Des found out who he was, he’d have to kill or be killed.
And, of course, it was another red herring, though it did reveal that the theater was in financial trouble. This could have been the primary motive for the murder, but it turned out it wasn’t.
Still, this reveal fell flat because Edgar acted suspiciously around his partner for no reason.
The Hour Was Almost Completely An Alec and Rose Story
Oddly, there were few scenes with Marisa and Kylie.
Marisa questioned the organized crime boss, but the focus wasn’t on her at all.
It was weird, but I was okay with it.
It’s clear that the season finale and season premiere will bookend each other.
On The Irrational Season 2 Episode 1, Alec had to rescue Rose when a guy from her past who blamed her for his wife’s death kidnapped her. The season will end with him and Rose having to go on an adventure related to a husband he didn’t know existed.
Hopefully, this won’t result in a heartbroken Alec, especially if The Irrational isn’t renewed. I don’t think I could take that!
Still, this was the perfect cliffhanger, especially for the penultimate episode.
Knowing The Irrational, there will likely be some twist in this reveal. Rose’s claim about a husband won’t be exactly what it seems.
The season finale will feature Alec and Rose entangled in an international espionage case involving a prisoner exchange — could Rose’s husband be one of the prisoners?
I can’t wait to find out! Too many times, penultimate episodes feel like ordinary episodes. Sometimes, even season or series finales are disappointingly normal.
Not this time. The Irrational has something brilliant in store for its second season finale, and it set it up perfectly.
Random Thoughts
- Jesse L. Martin must have had a ball with Alec’s Little Shop of Horrors performance. He looked like he was having a lot of fun with the songs.
- It was super cool that we got to experience part of the play. With the case over, I wondered if that was Alec’s only performance or if he had to commit to performing the entire weekend.
- Maya was pretty much invisible until the big reveal, but it worked. She didn’t feel like she came out of nowhere.
- I loved Alec’s lesson this week. I’m familiar with the idea that people almost always rate themselves as more capable than they are, but his experiment was a neat twist on the concept.
What Did YOU Think About The Irrational Season 2 Episode 17?
I’d love to hear your thoughts now that I’ve shared mine.
Head to the comments with your opinions, and don’t forget to vote in our poll to rate the episode!
The Irrational airs on NBC on Tuesdays at 10/9c and streams on Peacock on Wednesdays. The Season 2 finale will air on March 25, 2025.
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