SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers for The Rainmaker Episode 2.

The Rainmaker‘s second episode builds momentum for the USA series, but does so by moving away from the elements that made the first episode so interesting. Episode 2 feels more like a typical thriller, with its biggest moments coming from sex, drugs and a truck crashing through a motel window.

In fairness to The Rainmaker, this is a new series still trying to grab the attention of TV audiences, and it has pretty big expectations on its shoulders (as evidenced by the series premiere being simulcast across multiple NBCUniversal networks). Episode 2 pulls out all the dramatic stops. The first act involves the aforementioned car wreck, after Melvin Pritcher discovers that Rudy Baylor and Deck Shifflet are snooping in his motel room. There’s a sex scene involving Jocelyn Stone, as Lana Parrilla continues to steal the show. And the mysterious figures in the sedan finally get names, just before Melvin murders one of them.

However, all these big buzzworthy moments come at the expense of character development. The overall pacing of the episode is much choppier than Episode 1, as the story moves quickly from one plot twist to the next. The best example of this comes when Donny Ray Black’s body is exhumed, in an attempt to prove that he wasn’t using drugs at the time of his death. Rudy and Deck are seen coming to the cemetery while Donny Ray’s gravesite is being excavated. There’s a brief line about what if they’re wrong—but the conversation goes no further. This is a golden opportunity to explore either the present dilemma or give more insight into Rudy’s character, but instead it’s a fairly short scene with little impact.

There’s also the awkward transition for Rudy’s girlfriend turned adversary Sarah Plankmore. At first, it seems like the two have agreed to disagree, which is a huge plus for the show as far as keeping viewers invested in their relationship. Yet in the second half of Episode 2, Sarah is almost too quick to impress Leo Drummond. The beat in which Sarah reveals that Rudy had a brother—something huge and very personal—doesn’t land hard enough, as the viewer doesn’t sense enough internal conflict on Sarah’s part. A brief scene between Sarah and Rudy at the bar doesn’t provide that either, when the audience is just begging to understand more about why Sarah did that, or what she’s feeling because of it. More action isn’t a bad thing, but when it also means less time to hit the emotional notes that truly drive the story, the overall product isn’t as good.

Episode 2 isn’t without its strengths, however. Parrilla continues to sink her teeth into every single scene and prove that she was the perfect choice to play Jocelyn “Bruiser” Stone. The character works because of her moxie and confidence. The relationship between Rudy and Donny Ray’s mother Dot Black (a wonderful Karen Bryson) is also developing into something special. The closing minutes include a heart-to-heart between Rudy and Dot that brings The Rainmaker back around to what it does best. Rudy being the “whatever it takes” underdog is great, but he needs someone to ground him, and it’s not hard to see how Dot can be almost like a second mom to Rudy as he moves forward.

The episode also properly introduces Robyn Cara as Kelly Riker, and wastes little time in explaining how Rudy’s neighbor is relevant to his story. The audience and Rudy learn together that Kelly’s husband is abusing her, and since fans know that Rudy hates bullies (a fact that is repeated by Sarah a few scenes earlier), it’s easy to connect the dots. The Rainmaker Episode 2 is at its best in those more quiet moments, when characters are just one-to-one, even if there’s windows between them.

Obviously there has to be a certain amount of drama and suspense in this battle of Big Corporate Goliath versus David in the Taco Hut, but the series doesn’t need to campaign for viewers’ attention. It already has it through the show’s charismatic cast and the general idea of wanting to do the right thing. Episode 2 provides shocking developments and some important big-picture details, yet it doesn’t have as much heart as Episode 1. And that heart is what will make this series last, no matter how many times Rudy almost gets run over.

The Rainmaker airs Fridays at 10:00 p.m. on USA. Photo Credits: Courtesy of USA.

Article content is (c)2020-2025 Brittany Frederick and may not be excerpted or reproduced without express written permission by the author. Follow me on Twitter at @BFTVTwtr and on Instagram at @BFTVGram. For story pitches, contact me at tvbrittanyf@yahoo.com.