#Ratched Season 1 Episode 6 Review: Got No Strings

Mildred and Edmund did not have the best start in life. 

Ratched Season 1 Episode 6 zeroed in on the relationship between the siblings, and it was more gnarly than I could have ever imagined. 

The moment Mildred said about the stage beneath the house, her demeanor changed, almost as though she was reflecting on what really happened down there. 

Using the kids to perform sex acts on each other as a group of perverts watched was harrowing, and it’s no wonder that Edmund lashed out in the only we he could. 

The couple’s enterprise was built on people gazing at young children, so taking their sight away was penance in Edmund’s eyes. 

Mildred was too young to fully process what was happening, but Edmund understood more than her. That explains why he sent her packing. 

Now, their reunion on Ratched Season 1 Episode 1 has a much bigger impact. It was their first time in the presence of one another since being in that home. 

The big surprise was that they were not biological siblings because the series has strongly suggested they were. 

Mildred’s life has been filled with misery, and I dare say Edmund’s has been the same. Edmund killing all of the priests was because of the way he was conceived. 

Had he had a better start in life, he probably thought he would have been a normal young man, but instead, the sins of the past come back to haunt him. 

Dolly was absolutely bonkers, and the heel turn for her character is too much of a stretch for me to care about. 

She went from chewing gum in every scene, to giving Edmund oral sex, to becoming a ruthless killer without a second thought. 

There was a hint of darkness to her when she became infatuated with Edmund, but rushing out of the barn and opening fire on the officers seemed thrown in there for shock value. 

Her death was striking, and the way it was filmed was pretty well done, but beyond that, it simply didn’t work. 

Edmund lost someone he loved, and it’s going to be difficult for him to bounce back from that. He’s going to blame himself for Dolly’s death because he didn’t follow Mildred’s orders. 

There was a plan to make everyone think Edmund was crazy, but instead, it all ended in disaster and has probably sealed his fate. 

Mildred has had a wall up when it comes to getting close to people, and it was nice that she finally softened up to Gwendolyn. 

Who would have thought Gwendolyn would have survived and managed to leave the hospital the next day? Not me. 

Gwendolyn loves Mildred dearly, which explains why she didn’t run for the hills the moment Mildred opened up to her. 

Gwendolyn is playing a dangerous game by not going to the law about Mildred and Edmund, but she also understood the extent of what happened to them in the past. 

Ultimately, Gwendolyn had to lose something, and her job was just par for the course when you consider recent events. The Governor was not a nice man from the beginning, so firing his secretary shortly after being shot was not unexpected. 

The whole scenario is going to be a PR nightmare for him and his campaign. He uttered the most sense when he balked at the idea of Edmund being allowed to attend a dance in the hospital. 

Why would one of the most notorious serial killers in the country be allowed to attend such an event with such little security?

Mildred’s plans aren’t thought out very well, and it could be her ultimate undoing. Her aim should be to save her brother, and that probably means sneaking him out of the hospital when no one else is looking. 

Many people have escaped already, so it wouldn’t be surprising. 

Because I like to speculate, I’m guessing Mildred will turn back to Lenore to try to find a way to save her brother, in exchange for her decapitating Dr. Hanover. 

Hanover is fast becoming useless to Mildred, and now that he’s signed the order for Edmund’s execution, Mildred is going to make his life a living hell. 

Then again, Hanover’s back was against the wall. The hospital is going to collapse because the funding has been pulled, so I’m guessing Ratched Season 2 will be set somewhere else entirely. 

We have two episodes left, and Mildred’s list of enemies is starting to multiply. I’m guessing Bucket and Hanover will team up to take her down, and the latter will realize that he does actually like the former head nurse. 

“Got No Strings” was a middle of the road episode. It had some great reveals, but some of the key plots were not handled as well as they could have been. 

It will all come down to the final two episodes to assess whether the series has been worth the time. 

What did you think of those past reveals?

Do you think Mildred will escape the hospital with Edmund, or do you think they are destined to fail?

Hit the comments. 

Ratched Season 1 streams on Netflix exclusively. 

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