#NOS4A2 Season 2 Episode 5 Review: Bruce Wayne McQueen

Playing with narrative structure is risky, but NOS4A2 Season 2 Episode 5 was a resounding success from start to finish. 

It had all the makings of a season finale, and it’s fascinating to think that we still have five more episodes remaining. 

Charlie Manx got his wish, and Bruce Wayne McQueen is headed to Christmasland. We knew it was coming, but the desperate mission to save the kid’s life was brutal. 

Charlie’s revenge plot against Vic may seem like a bit much, but after hearing how he felt about being away from his minions for all those years, it makes perfect sense. 

If you watch NOS4A2 online, you know he has been working under the guise of taking children away from their terrible parents, and while Vic has made some mistakes along the way, she will fight to keep Wayne safe. 

Vic was forever changed after her first fight with Charlie, and her emotional issues are not going to be resolved overnight. 

Now that Charlie has her child, her father has been shot, and her lover may be dead, we’re going to be introduced to a more ruthless Vic. 

Anyone who gets in her path will be dealt with in a brutal manner, and I’m here for every single minute of that. At the core of the show is the simmering war between Vic and Charlie, and I’m not even getting tired of the back and forth. 

The writers have managed to elevate the show considerably during NOS4A2 Season 2. The feud between the two has had far-reaching ramifications, and Charlie should be worried when Vic ultimately makes her way to Christmasland. 

There has been a big question mark hanging over the Hourglass man and his abilities, and we finally got some insight. The compulsion is a neat trick, but I hope it’s used sparingly. 

His mission was always to take Vic down, but will Charlie still allow him to terrorize her now that Wayne has been taken? 

Keeping a lookout on Vic in case she gets close to the truth may be a good idea, but I suspect a development that finds Vic finding out what the Hourglass man is being offered, and will offer him something better to help her. 

I know we’ve spent a little amount of time with this new character, but he strikes me as the type who will go wherever the power is. That being said, his existence should help introduce us to a wider mythology for the series. 

Speaking about bad guys, it’s time for Bing to go. He’s creepy, one-note, and not an exciting villain in the slightest. During NOS4A2 Season 1, him being Vic’s friend and joining forces with her sworn enemy made for good TV, but the character had a shelf life. 

He’s hopelessly devoted to Charlie, and even though he’s been left high and dry all over again, he’ll return to Charlie with his tail between his legs awaiting his next command. 

The way he taunted Vic about the house of sleep made me want to vomit. He’s a deeply unpleasant man, who thinks he can scare people with words. 

It was telling how he ran away from the crime scene when Charlie left. He knew he was no match for Vic, Lou, and Chris, and it highlights the fact that he thinks he’s invincible with Charlie by his side. 

Charlie wouldn’t even furrow his brow if Bing died, and the sooner he realizes that, the better. In an ideal scenario, Vic would get to kill Bing, but Bing would probably be happy dying, thinking that a better place awaits him. 

NOS4A2 Season 2 has been light on the horror, but the anxiety-inducing scenes of Vic in the water were perfect. She could hear everything going on around her but knew she was dead meat if she tried to do anything. 

There are a lot of possibilities in terms of storytelling now, and Wayne is going to be in for a tough time of it in Christmasland. Millie hates Vic, but hearing what happened from Wayne’s perspective might get Charlie’s daughter to turn her back on her father for good.

Millie’s already been without him for years, and feels like he’s been giving her empty promises about his return. That, coupled with the fact that she knows her mom is being held in a house next to Christmasland, might give her a little bit of humanity to turn on Charlie. 

Could you imagine his reaction if Vic, his ex-wife, and daughter worked together to take him down? That would be well worth watching!

All we can do is ponder the possibilities. On that note, I’m chatting with Paul Schneider (Hourglass man) and Jami O’Brien (showrunner) next week, so if there’s anything you want me to ask either of them, let me know in the comments. 

What did you think of Charlie finally getting Wayne? What will Vic’s next move be? Do you think Lou will survive his brush with death?

Chat with me in the comments about the show.

NOS4A2 continues Sundays at 10/9c on AMC. 

Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.