Hanna Season 1 Episode 2 Review: Friend
Lisa Babick
at
.
Let's just call this When Hanna Met Sophie.
It was magic for both Sophie and Hanna when they befriended each other on Hanna Season 1 Episode 2.
Neither had ever met anyone like the other before, but both reveled in their newly formed friendship.
But if we had to make a bet, we'd wager that Sophie's love for Hanna increased tenfold after what she witnessed at the train station.
If there's a better word for badass, I don't know what it is, but holy hell, even I've never seen anyone like Hanna.
For a few days, Hanna had no cares in the world. She was learning about things she had never known before.
Related: Hanna Season 1 Episode 1 Review: Forest
She was having fun and testing limits. She was wearing makeup and awkwardly kissing boys.
In short, she was being a typical teenager.
But her total immersion into real life was cut short, and it wasn't even because of Marissa.
At least not at first.
I had wondered in my review of Hanna Season 1 Episode 1 if Hanna giving herself up to Marissa's men was really a ruse to save her father or a way for her to get away from him after her brief taste of freedom with Arvo.
It's clear now that she gave herself up to save her father's life.
Hanna stayed on script from the moment she asked to talk to Marissa through the entirety of her time with Sophie and her parents.
Related: The Blacklist Season 6 Episode 14: The Osterman Umbrella Company
Her end goal throughout her Moroccan adventure was always to meet up with Erik as had been previously planned.
She never lost sight of that even as she got lost in Sophie's world.
Hanna: Alcohol slows your reactions.
Sophie: Who taught you that?
Hanna: My father.
Sophie: Are you always going to do what your daddy says?
Sophie herself was very open and welcoming to the strange girl she met in the Moroccan desert.
She was living the miserable teenage life of having to vacation with her annoying parents and little brother.
Hanna offered her a reprieve and despite not knowing or even questioning why a girl would willingly be out in the desert alone, Sophie took Hanna under her wing.
Sophie's parents were both curious and cautious about Sophie's new friend, but they accepted her into their fold mostly because they wanted to make their daughter happy.
And who the hell wants to see a teenager throw a temper tantrum if they don't get their way? Sophie would have become a pouting mess if her parents didn't acquiesce to her wishes.
The level of trust and connectedness between the two girls was almost immediate.
While I questioned it at first, I had to take a step back and reflect on my long-ago teenage days to remember that's just how teenagers are wired. They're more open and trusting and not marred by a lifetime of failed relationships, platonic or otherwise.
Hanna should have had a wall around her but Arvo had already put a crack in it. Sophie just knocked it down.
The greatest moment in the hour came when she drank a shot of vodka at the club.
Related: What We Do in the Shadows Season 1 Episode 1 Review: Pilot
Her father's warnings about alcohol rang in her ears, but Sophie shot them down.
The buzz she got was reminiscent of her and Arvo's trek on the ATV when the wind was blowing through her hair.
Hanna cut loose and it was beautiful to watch. It was freedom of a different kind.
She might not realize it yet, but these small acts of defiance are paving a path for her to live on her own terms and do things her way.
She doesn't always have to live in a world of paranoia and caution even if a crazy woman has her sights set on you. Moments of release like what she experienced with Sophie are okay.
The unfortunate thing is that until the situation with Marissa is resolved, Hanna will never truly be free. She's always going to be looking over her shoulder, and she'll always be on the run.
And although she realizes and regrets that she put Sophie and her family's lives in danger, the friendship between them will be forever.
Sophie is a part of Hanna's world and Hanna is a part of hers.
Besides, Sophie and her family aren't going to get to go on their merry way. Jacobs and Marissa are going to have questions.
Sophie won't give anything up, not even the information Hanna shared with her about her real destination, but it's going to cause problems for her and her family.
I'm going to guess that Hanna will somehow get wind of what's happening and swoop in to save her friend.
Who knows? Maybe even Erik will help out.
The mystery of Marissa remains. When she visited Erik's mom she reminded her about a woman Erik killed, but Marissa is a liar and whether her reminder is true or not we don't know why or how it fits into the overall story.
DNA is what we're made of, no, actually, it's who we are.
Sophie
The other mystery has to do with Hanna's DNA. Is Hanna the product of some secret experiment? Was her DNA modified to make her the badass she is?
Was Hanna supposed to be part of a killer team but Erik decided that wasn't the route he wanted for his daughter?
It's intriguing, to say the least.
Hanna continues to tell a compelling story. The mystery is slowly unraveling, but we're nowhere near done yet!
Over to you!
What did you think of "Friend?"
Were you blown away by how badass Hanna was at the train station?
Did you like her adventures with Sophie?
What is the DNA mystery?
Hit the comments and share your thoughts!
If you need to catch up, you can watch Hanna online right here via TV Fanatic!
