Ten Days In the Valley Season 1 Episode 4 Review: Day 4: Below the Line
Jasmine Blu
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That hour went by way too fast!
Ten Days In the Valley Season 1 Episode 4 left us with that shocking ending, and now it's going to be a royal pain having to wait another week for the next installment.
It's only right that I say, R.I.P Casey.
Ten Days has such complex characters that any given moment it's difficult to decide if you love them or loathe them. Casey was one of those characters.
Her initial quirkiness did not appeal to me when she was first introduced, and I lost respect for her when it was revealed that she was sleeping with Pete.
Initially, it came across that she was naive and being manipulated, then she came across as cunning and a mastermind. The only constant is that she wasn't likable.
What I love is that she somehow managed to be both cunning and naive. Yes, she had a significant role in orchestrating Lake's kidnapping, and she successfully pulled the wool over the eyes of both Jane and Pete.
That being said, her plan was all due to a simple, childish, pie-in-the-sky mindset that she, Pete, and Lake would have some happily ever after as a family. Ha! Sure, Casey.
Someone must have been watching too many Lifetime Movies, or not enough of them because how did she expect this to play out? Wouldn't it have been simpler if she anonymously called CPS on Jane?
Why drag in your cuckoo sister when you know she's cuckoo? I love that we had another set of sisters and their relationship was more complicated than Jane and Ali.
Lynn: You can't let her see you.
Casey: I can't help it. She's beautiful.
Lynn: Just like you said. You sure Jane's not getting her back, right?
Casey: The cops know what type of person she is now. Everyone does. Pete will get custody, and we'll take care of Lake.
It's cool seeing Gage Golightly in something again. She was a personal fave on Teen Wolf as Erica Reyes, but she is terrifying here.
She may be the one behind Casey and Russell's deaths. Russell was not convinced that she wouldn't kill Lake if she didn't get her way.Don't mess with the crazy, pregnant lady, especially when it comes to money.
I have to wonder how Casey could come to entrust her deranged, pregnant sister with Lake and not expect this woman to take full advantage of the situation. She has the daughter of a famous television producer and her own kid on the way, so of course, she would want some serious money.
The mad dash to get the funds was an interesting turn of events because Jane was none the wiser that she had to beat Casey to her own funds.
I have been hard on Pete. There are valid reasons to be at times, and he very well could change my mind by the next installment at the rate this show goes, but I felt for the guy this time around.
Any guy who has 11 varieties of tea is worth extending the benefit of the doubt in my book, tea amateur that he is and all that.
It was a rare moment of amiability between Pete and Jane when they were reminiscing on Halloween spent with Lake. It was tender and sweet, aside from the fact that Jane was fishing to see if Pete was involved.
Pete: We are going to find her, Jane. You believe that?
Jane: I want to.
They also, begrudgingly, were a united front when Sheldon came to exploit the situation and collect Pete's debt after their War of the Roses shtick, oy! They're full-blown human disasters, through and through, but I kind of ship them. Don't judge me.
They could become a healthy family if both of them get their lives on track. There's something still there between them. It's an obsession, and Ali sees it too.
Jane was livid when she found out about Casey and boy did she have every right to be, but was some of that jealousy too? Maybe. Pete can't stay out of Jane's personal life making snap judgments about her sex life, and a great deal of it does sound like it's coming from a man who can't let go.
What if Pete's real drug of choice is Jane? He could kick his drug habit cold turkey, but he can't seem to kick his Jane habit.
They're quite the pair, and they have a heavy past to overcome. The reveal that Pete was under the influence and caused a car crash that led to Lake being in the hospital for weeks was shocking.
It also put bits of their relationship into perspective. Who wouldn't be wary of Pete having custody after something like that? How can you view Jane as anything other than fiercely protective?
She didn't appear to believe that Pete had made changes and turned his life around until Sheldon confirmed it. Given that, could anyone blame her for keeping Pete at arm's length?
Bird: You were in a car crash about a year ago.
Jane: Yeah.
Bird: We pulled Lake's medical files. She's blood type B. You and Pete are A. He's not the father, is he?
Jane: We're not talking about this.
And then there was yet another jaw-dropping revelation that Pete is not Lake's father. It certainly puts Pete's behavior towards Jane into perspective, too.
His daughter isn't biologically his daughter, and he didn't find out until the accident. Yikes!
Jane probably would have helped Pete out of his bind even if she didn't think Sheldon had Lake. The situation was very serious, but Sheldon being the perfect opportunist by leading them to believe he had Lake just to get his $70 grand was amusing.
He didn't care how he got his money and at what expense as long as he got it. That's just good business.
Of course, his fortune was Casey's misfortune because she couldn't steal the $30 grand from Jane to give to Lynn and Russell because only $800 was left by the time Jane was through.
Jane piecing together that Casey was behind it was one of the best scenes of the hour. It was special in part because Pete helped her get there.
I just hate that Pete called Casey immediately afterward to tell her that Jane suspected her. Dammit, Pete, I was thoroughly enjoying you until that dumb move.
Jane: I told her that I would have pages out that night. She knew I would call PJ, so I'm the monster, you get Lake, and she gets my life!
Pete: What are you saying, Jane?
Jane [on phone]: Bird, it's me. I know who has her.
PJ was thoroughly enjoyable as well. For the moment, I'm a PJ fan. He totally fangirled over Jane and admires her skill for reading people, but he's astute in that regard, too.
It was refreshing having someone respect Jane as an artist. PJ didn't excuse her behavior, nor does he paint a perfect picture of her, but he still adores her.
He's very fond of her as a creative person and may know her better than anyone else in her life right now. Their connection is unusual but intriguing. It's nice that she has someone who doesn't judge her.
PJ: Jane gets people. She reads them and tells her story.
Bird: She lies her ass off, and I want to find out why.
PJ: Truth is just another story, and a good story has to be told right.
Gus is part of the Jane fan club as well. He was reluctant to admit that he and Jane had a relationship until Bird told him about the e-mails, but he was passionate when it came to talking about Jane and her love for her daughter
He said he would have made sure the girl didn't disappear if he was present at the time, the "by any means necessary" was implied, and he was convincing.
Bird tipping him off was enough to have Gus making moves to protect himself. He knows by now that word is out that he's a mole and others may be coming after him.
It'll be interesting to see if the corrupt police angle somehow ties into Lake's investigation.
She's a handful, yeah? But that kid is her center of gravity. You take that away, and she'll spin apart. I just want to help her.
Gus
I'm also ever so patiently waiting for Ali and Tom's arc to tie into all of this. Will it? I'm genuinely curious because it has to be significant in some way, right?
We were able to learn and see more of Tom which is cool since he has barely had a presence. He's an unemployed journalist who needs a break, and his wife may have just helped him get one.
It was so awesome seeing Missy Peregrym randomly pop up. All the Rookie Blue feels. You don't bring in Missy unless something is going to happen, right?
I lied, I'm impatiently waiting to see if anything happening with Tom and Ali will ever play a big role. Like, what if Tom is Lake's real father? This show is full of surprises, so it could happen.
Look at this Casey development for example. She's now singing with the angels, and Lake is missing AGAIN. We're just shy of the halfway mark. It has only been four days, and all hell has broken loose everywhere.
Who took Lake now?!?! And if it's anyone other than Lynn, does that mean she was kidnapped twice now? Poor Lake just wants to see her mom and go to school.
Does Lynn have Lake? Did you expect Casey to be killed? Who is Lake's father? We would love to read your thoughts and theories in the comments below.
You can watch Ten Days In the Valley online right here via TV Fanatic!
Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is an insomniac who spends late nights and early mornings binge-watching way too many shows and binge-drinking way too much tea. Her eclectic taste makes her an unpredictable viewer with an appreciation for complex characters, diverse representation, dynamic duos, compelling stories, and guilty pleasures. You'll definitely find her obsessively live-tweeting, waxing poetic, and chatting up fellow Fanatics and readers. Follow her on X.
