DISCLAIMER: This recap of the Undone episode “The Painting” has spoilers. Proceed at your peril.
Welcome, time travelers! Undone‘s second episode of the season delves into family trauma and how it trickles down to younger generations. We also get more screen time with Becca, exploring the sisterly dynamics between Becca and Alma.
Jacob’s incessant warnings to Alma in “The Painting” foreshadow trouble on the horizon regarding his place in the timeline. He cheated death, and time travel is pretty strict about making drastic changes. I suppose time will tell. It all feels like a ticking time bomb. (How many times can I use the word “time”?)
Ready to dig deep into “The Painting”? Let’s get to it.
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We open with Alma (Rosa Salazar) falling through the fog. She encounters a lone door, seemingly floating in midair. The entrance takes her to Becca (Angelique Cabral) and Reed’s (Kevin Bigley) home. Alma observes while Becca shows Reed the negative results of her pregnancy test.
Next, Alma chats with Becca about exploring her abilities, but the latter isn’t keen on pushing those limits. Suddenly, the sisters fall through the fog, arriving at the mysterious door. Becca urges Alma not to open it, so they return home.
Then Alma heads over to her parents’ house to work on her dissertation with Jacob. She spots Jacob (Bob Odenkirk) confronting Camila (Constance Marie) about her withdrawing $5,000 for someone in Mexico. Jacob wants specifics, but Camila replies that it’s none of his business.
So, while Jacob goes over revisions with her in his office, Alma addresses the marital quarrel to which she bore witness. Alma surmises whether her mother’s hefty withdrawal and the argument with that mystery man, Alejandro, are connected. Jacob discourages Alma from digging deeper into it. Oh, and she can’t tell anyone what they did to get to this timeline. It might unravel all of their hard work and spell danger for Jacob.
Meanwhile, Camila surprises Becca at work with lemon bars, so the latter attempts to elicit info from her mother. However, Camila’s a closed book.
Alma goes snooping in the attic for her father’s research from the early aughts. While she searches his belongings, she finds the handheld blackjack game from Season 1 and a painting of her mother.
Later, Alma meets with Becca at the local bar to show her sister her findings. They note that the painting is by none other than Alejandro, the man Camila argued with while sitting in his vehicle. He also penned a romantic note on the back in Spanish.
Alma muses whether Camila is cheating on Jacob with Alejandro. Perhaps Alejandro’s asking for money to keep him quiet regarding the affair.
Becca arrives home to find an irritated Reed. He reveals that he found Becca’s birth control pills while hunting for antacids. Is that why she’s not pregnant yet? Becca claims they’re old pills from before their marriage, but Reed will hear none of it.
Meanwhile, Alma stands under an awning, smoking a cigarette while it rains. Sam (Siddharth Dhananjay) lugs trash indoors. Alma stops him, reintroducing herself since he doesn’t know her in this timeline. It’s a heartbreaking scene, deftly showcasing the effects of meddling with time and a significant sacrifice made on Alma’s part.
Becca ventures over to Alma’s with a wine bottle for some much-needed decompressing. While Alma and Becca sing a song about rainbows that the latter created when they were children, they’re instantly transported a couple of decades into the past.
We see the sisters as kids, sitting at the piano and singing the rainbow song while Jacob and Camila join the fun. Alma and Becca watch from afar, and they also peer into another argument between Jacob and Camila. After watching themselves bonding as children, Alma and Becca return to the present.
Next, Becca and Alma confront their mother while fueled by liquid (wine) courage. They want to know the truth. Is she having an affair? Camila, bewildered and offended, orders them to leave.
Then, Jacob chastises them for speaking out of line to their mother. Alma informs him about Becca’s time-travel abilities and that she did something with Jacob that saved lives. Jacob warns Alma about the consequences of revealing too much.
Suddenly, Camila drives away, prompting Jacob to ask Alma what she did.
RELATED: Catch up on more time-traveling action with our Russian Doll Season 2 recaps!
Overall, “The Painting” feels like a step down compared to the premiere, but I believe Undone is merely planting the seeds for what’s sure to be a thought-provoking, profound sci-fi story. Plus, more Alma and Becca sister time is never a bad thing.
Do you think Camila left because she’s having an affair? Will Alma’s abilities return to where they once were in Season 1? Join me while I recap Undone, only on Geek Girl Authority.
Undone Season 2 is now streaming on Prime Video.
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