The Big Door Prize stares down the barrel at the end of its first season with the first lovey-dovey installment of a two-part finale.
The Apple TV+ sci-fi comedy about a machine that predicts the futures of the busybodies in a small town — and changes a few too many lives in the process — puts on a big display of emotional fireworks in “Deerfest: Part One.” It’s one of the finest episodes of the season.
The Big Door Prize recap: ‘Deerfest: Part One’
Season 1, episode 9: Store owner Mr. Johnson (played by Patrick Kerr) is feeling a little down. He put on a magic show after the mysterious Morpho machine told him he was meant to be a magician. His show had a few hitches to begin with. But then Mayor Izzy (Crystal Fox) took the stage to announce her resignation — and sew doubt in everyone’s mind about the Morpho. In so doing, she alienated her daughter, Cass (Gabrielle Dennis), and her granddaughter, Trina (Djouliet Amara). She also pissed off Cass’ husband, Dusty (Chris O’Dowd).
So, basically, it was a disaster. Afterward, Mr. Johnson is nursing his wounded pride when local drug dealer Xander (Seoum Tylor Aun) stops by looking to cheer him up. The other day, Dusty threw out the theremin that Cass gave him for his 40th birthday. He was upset that Cass and local restaurateur/failed hockey player Giorgio (Josh Segarra) were getting too close.
Xander found the theremin and fixed it up, then looked inside. Turns out it was made by the same people who made the Morpho machine, if the butterfly label and blue light inside are any indications. Mr. Johnson doesn’t know what to make of that.
It’s confession time
Meanwhile, Dusty tries talking to Cass about her mom and his own revelation. (Dusty’s card said “Teacher/Whistler,” and he recently remembered he once spent a few months in a place called Whistler.) As a result, they get back on the same page for the first time in a while. When Trina overhears them talking, she comes in and confesses that she cheated on her now-deceased boyfriend with his twin brother, Jacob (Sammy Fourlas).
She says she’s fine, but then bursts into tears. Her parents embrace her. Finally, they’re all opening up about everything. It’s a truly lovely moment.
The next day, Giorgio apologizes to Dusty and his whole family for trying to steal Cass. Giorgio then brings around Dusty’s dad, Cary (Jim Meskimen), who’s been hanging around since his wife left for Europe on the Morpho’s advice. Cary imparts a little wisdom to Trina that she takes right to heart: Face your fears. The following day, she hijacks the morning announcements at school and tells everyone she was cheating on Colton with Jacob. They’ve been dating in secret, and she doesn’t want it to be a secret anymore.
Hurt feelings and a big realization
Dusty is in the classroom with Jacob when this happens. And when Trina comes in with Principal Pat (Cocoa Brown), Jacob pitches a little tantrum about it. Trina did, after all, just tell the whole school that he was betraying his beloved brother just before he died. And she did it without consulting him.
Then Jacob lets it slip that he and Dusty got high the other night, which Principal Pat isn’t too pleased to hear. Savannah (Elizabeth Hunter), Trina’s old friend, feels betrayed, too. She had a crush on Jacob and neither of them told her they were seeing each other.
Then it occurs to Dusty that the Morpho cards don’t indicate the direction you’re meant to head in. They provide a way to check in with yourself, to decide who you can be if you want to be. They offer a way to discard what you think you know about yourself.
Father, son and a family trip to Deerfest
Jacob goes home to talk to his dad, Beau (Aaron Roman Weiner), about the day’s big events at school. Beau has to admit that Trina ultimately is a braver person than he first understood her to be. (This is a lovely moment, too. Beau has been a pretty difficult character to like on The Big Door Prize, and he does a good job finally showing up for his son.)
They head over to Cass, Dusty and Trina’s house so Jacob can apologize for his standoffish behavior and ask Trina out properly on their first real date. It’s appallingly cute. Very good stuff. A lovely scene. When this show is on it really cooks, and never more so than when Trina and Jacob are the center of an episode.
Jacob asks Trina to go with him to Deerfest, an annual town event, but she only agrees if her parents can come along, too. She wants to do something normal, and Deerfest used to be a family tradition. So they all head out together. Cass is a hair nervous to go. She’s still on the outs with Izzy after their big blowup at the magic show. Plus, there’s a storm brewing.
Love is in the air — everywhere
Photo: Apple TV+
It seems the only person not going to Deerfest is Father Rueben (Damon Gupton). The chaplain has a question for Hana (Ally Maki) the bartender. He wants to know why she came to Deerfield. She never tells him, but he confesses something pretty important. He doesn’t want to be a priest anymore — he wants to be with her. They kiss. It’s quite something.
Once more, The Big Door Prize finds its footing in the shape of two people expressing their romantic love for each other. This always works the best of all the show’s social dynamics. This week’s episode is full of earnest declarations of affection, and they push it into the upper tier of the best of the season.
Perhaps my favorite little note comes when Trina gives Cass a chalice she made for her on her pottery wheel. “It’s about 99% sure to fall apart at any second,” she warns. Cass points to herself, tears welling in her eyes, “Me too!” Very fine work.
★★★★☆
Watch The Big Door Prize on Apple TV+
New episodes of The Big Door Prize arrive every Wednesday on Apple TV+.
Rated: TV-MA
Watch on: Apple TV+
Scout Tafoya is a film and TV critic, director and creator of the long-running video essay series The Unloved for RogerEbert.com. He has written for The Village Voice, Film Comment, The Los Angeles Review of Books and Nylon Magazine. He is the author of Cinemaphagy: On the Psychedelic Classical Form of Tobe Hooper and But God Made Him A Poet: Watching John Ford in the 21st Century, the director of 30 feature films, and the director and editor of more than 300 video essays, which can be found at Patreon.com/honorszombie.
