IR TV Review: AMERICAN HOSTAGE - EPISODE 5 (“WIBC Mystery Science Theater”) [MGM+]

The push for an immunity deal and an apology is apparently key for the character of Tony (Giovanni Ribisi) in what ge wants from the standoff. His gripe is that he was a person with a dream that wasn't given his fair shake. What the narrative in Episode 5 of "American Hostage" does is reinforce that the big wigs are playing with the idea of him and end up selling Tony short. The first scene is an interesting one since it plays with the subterfuge of Tony's lawyers in a way (which doesn't make as much sense -- that tends to break their ethics). The FBI agent that continues to push Fred as a forensic profiler almost seems to be outside his lane, seeing the hostage crisis as a game.

What is interesting in this series is how every character’s ego tends to almost fully blind them. Mireille Enos as Fred’s wife shows her stripes too but how the women can fight here is limited by the time frame they exist in. There is a metaphorical and literal turning up of heat as Tony stages a mock trial for Dick Hall in his apartnent. Dick starts hallucinating but it is not clear if it is from the heat or his own psychosis of being held out to dry by his father. The context of a lot of this points to mental health of course. Ribisi ups the energy again repeating evidence off of cue cards about the fact that Dick’s dad hated his sports jacket (of course, this is irrelevant). The crux point is coming to a close since other possibilities are being taken into account. Fred, to his defense, wants to protect and only report the news but with others coming in, he has to make a choice on whether or not to stay relevant. 82%/B-

By Tim Wassberg