Imposters Season 2
Imposters Season 2
Sarah is a Bravo TV addict, and when Imposters came on she gave it a shot right off the bat. She loved it…enough to write this blog post to tell everyone about it. She kept telling me that I needed to watch it, I kept agreeing and putting it off. Then I was sick one weekend decided to try it out, and I watched the entire season in one day. Imposters is great – suspenseful, mysterious and surprising, and it is well acted and a surprising addition to the Bravo line up.
With Imposters Season 2 underway, we thought we would do a quick recap and discussion of Imposters Season 1, and then each week we will discuss the new episode and our predictions for the season.
Imposters Season 1 Wrap-Up
What makes the first season so good is that you never quite know what is going on, and every time you think you have figured it out another twist is revealed. Imposters Season 1 follows two groups of people: Maddie and her fellow con artists Sally and Max, who con unsuspecting men into marrying Maddie, then she disappears with all of their money. Three of Maddie’s victims; Jules, Ezra, and Richard, are determined to find Maddie and reclaim both their dignity and their money. Throw in a new mark, the FBI and a handsome stranger & you’ve got one hell of a thrill ride on your hands.
Imposters Season 1 – Favorite Characters, FBI & What’s to Come in Imposters Season 2
Jessica: I think my favorite character from the show was Richard – he is surprisingly vulnerable, devastatingly handsome, and brings the most comic relief. What about you Sarah?
Sarah: If we’re talking Season 1 Imposters, then I have to say Maddie. I’m like these damn marks. There is something about her that is so electric. Getting to learn about her family & trying to figure out exactly how & why she got into this lifestyle is what really keeps my interest. If we’re walking Season 2 Imposters, then Richard for sure. I loved getting more of his backstory when the gang headed to Scottsdale. I am still on Twitter begging Bravo, Paul Adelstein & Parker Young to send me that cardboard cutout of Richard from his car salesman days.
Jessica: There were a couple of things that drove me crazy in Season 1. First, the FBI seemed totally clueless. How could they not know who Jules, Ezra and Richard were? It makes no sense that they would not have done research to figure out their real identities.
Sarah: I totally get where you are coming from. My take is that The Doctor’s crew is so secretive & so good at what they do, that maybe the FBI didn’t even know. As I’m typing this, I am thinking you’re right. The FBI should’ve known, right?
Jessica: Also, how was The Doctor bamboozled by the Imposters and Patrick? If all Richard had to do was follow Patrick to the FBI Building to find out his real identity, wouldn’t The Doctor be able to figure it out too? This is a man who vets all of the marks by doing extensive research not only into their finances but also their past secrets and betrayals. It seems if he did any research at all on Patrick he would have figured him out. As much as I love this show, these holes in the plot really bothered me.
Sarah: The Doctor didn’t know about Patrick because he is focused on Gary Heller, remember? Patrick is who found Maddie in the coffee shop & approached her, so the Doctor didn’t know anything about him. While I agree that it seemed a bit too easy for Richard to find out he was in the “borough”. The Doctor’s focus was elsewhere & Max, who provides boots on the ground for the Doc was preoccupied with Sally.
Jessica: Haha “borough.” I was always picturing “burro!” Richard’s mispronunciation aside, maybe The Doctor knew it was the FBI all along…
Sarah: We shall see how Season 2 plays out.
Imposters Season 2, Episode 1
Jessica: This was such a great start to the new season! It was interesting to see where everyone ended up. The Imposters (Jules, Ezra & Richard) are still all together, but the professional cons (Maddie & Max) are all split up. Max is spiraling, and Maddie is trying to begin a new, quiet life. Good luck. Sarah, you are totally right – going back to Scottsdale with Richard and learning his backstory was a great addition, and it is fun to see how close these three have become over the course of the show.
Sarah: Always forward, never back. Maddie gave me serious Sleeping With Enemy vibes moving to her new town. Scottsdale has some shady ass people. That roller rink crew is frightening. Max is definitely looking rough & I believe this is pure payback for Sally.
Jessica: And then there is Shelly Cohen.
Sarah: Oh my lord. Those flesh-colored gloves are the stuff nightmares are made of. His rose-colored glasses and dapper looking suit, only make him look more menacing. Also, I need to know more about his marriage to Lenny. Like, how did they meet, what went wrong & are they on good terms?
Jessica: Totally! How did they become creepy, married killers for The Doctor? These two could probably have their own show. Maddie’s new life was way too idyllic to work for long. I would have been weary of the wind chime salesman as well. He is way too chatty – he must have other motives.
Sarah: I’m going to be using the term wind chime pervert for the rest of my life. I don’t trust that guy at all.
Imposters Season 2, Episode 2
Jessica: I am loving Mexico City. Jules is flourishing there, Richard is floundering, and Ezra is upping his game. Ezra seems to have done a complete 180 from the beginning of the show.
Sarah: Ezra loves the grift. He & Rosa are not starting a healthy relationship, that’s for sure. Loved this part. Jules: ” You’re drinking. I thought we talked about this.” Richard: Oh, it’s beer”. I like seeing my boy Richard succeed, so he’s gotta get out of Mexico, fast!
Jessica: As much as I love the setting of Mexico City, I am not digging Maddie’s cult storyline. I get that she is in hiding, but this feels a little slow for me.
Sarah: This weird venture into a cultish rehab is a no-go for me as well. If I wanted to watch this sort of thing, I would watch The Arrangement on the E! channel. That damn windchime pervert is back, this time with a mulberry cardigan. Maddie needs to steer clear of this weirdo ASAP.
Jessica: Sally! She is back! Sarah says she knew Sally wasn’t gone, but I really thought The Doctor had killed her. Maybe he is more merciful than we originally thought? If Sally was spared, that definitely means that Max will be. Her crimes were far more egregious than his.
Sarah: Sally is back & I’m thrilled. I knew she wasn’t gone. But, where is Patrick?
Imposters Season 2, Episode 3
Sarah: The Bumblers are still in Mexico City. Jules finds an art commune & finds out Ezra is doing some shady dealings behind their back. Griffin Dunne is helping the gang create fake passports to return to the US. Sally confronts Max, tells him to get into the car & drive, but where are they going?
Jessica: I love Griffin Dunne and I love his cameo in Mexico City. Even though I have been enjoying this story arc, it is time for these three to get back to the United States and back to their new reality, although I think Jules may come back and retire at that commune. Sarah, were you as shocked as me when you realized Sally & Max were with Ezra’s parents?
Sarah: I was not totally shocked when Sally & Max arrived at Ezra’s parent’s house to hold them hostage. Amazingly, Ezra’s mom makes tuna fish sandwiches for her kidnappers, but Josh comes in to return a weed whacker. They think he’s gone & he tries to play hero & gets his nose busted by Max.
Jessica: When I saw Josh I thought maybe he will be the hero, but that was just for a second. This is the same guy who gets bamboozled by Maddie’s blonde wig in the first episode – I don’t have a lot of faith in him.
Sarah: Oh my gosh, that’s right; the airport scene! Well, this means the gang needs to get back to the US and fast. Rosa – excuse me, Sofia – demands to hear why they have to go back after Ezra asks for her help. Ezra ends up telling his new partner in crime the entire story, and she says she will help them if she gets 10% after selling the ring.
Jessica: Does this means our trio has become a quartet?
Sarah: Maybe…I like that we get a tiny bit of Jules’s backstory & meet her sister Poppy. This story serves two purposes. First, it shows that Jules did at least at one point have a good relationship with her sister. Two, it shows the pattern of her family bailing her out of bad situations, foreshadowing Jules getting the $10,000 wired to Mexico City so her, Ezra and Richard can get their passports.
Jessica: Back to Maddie/Molly participating in therapy at the cult/spa/rehab. The therapist has her imagine her funeral, which seems like a great idea for someone with anxiety & emotional issues. She imagines the Bumblers there, but then Shelly shows up, kills Ezra & points the gun at Maddie. She’s got some serious PTSD like issues going on. When her therapist gives up on her, she leaves the rehab as she’s having a full-blown panic attack. She goes back in & her therapist promises her confidentiality & Maddie promises to tell her the truth. Maybe she will actually do it this time.
Sarah: Patrick is BACK with an ex-wife & two kids! He looks up Agent Pauline Cook/Auntie Colleen & asks her to come out of retirement & go with him to Pottsville to find Maddie. She agrees but only if he agrees to help her take down the Doctor as well. My favorite part is Pauline telling Jerry to smell the meat!
Jessica: It is personal for Patrick and Pauline – this case has ruined their careers and now they are going rogue. You know that this vendetta is going to get them further by themselves than with the FBI. This is going to be a very interesting duo to watch next week.
Imposters Season 2, Episode 4
Sarah: The Bumblers are almost out of Mexico, but there are still a ton of obstacles. Luckily, Jules’s older sister, Poppy shows up. Loved the rickshaw scene with the 2 sisters. The Federales are closing in on them & damn Griffin Dunne doesn’t help them out at all. If you can’t trust a criminal, who can you trust?
The Bumblers, along with Poppy hop on a bus. Richard cozies up next to Poppy & after talking to her he realizes she is Alice. Since Maddie was married to Jules before Richard, Maddie studied Poppy & used personality to seduce Richard. I’m telling you, Richard is brilliant. Especially when he finishes his beer before running from the Federales.
Maddie continues on with therapy & we get a tiny bit of truth from her that Ezra is the one mark she could have really loved if given the chance. This is not a huge surprise to me, but what about Patrick? I felt she really loved him. Maddie leaves the cult/rehab/clinic & cons her way to a hotel room filled with nothing but a bottle of liquor. She then decides to call Max who eloquently reminds her, “Don’t shit a shitter, kid”. Max tells Maddie that she needs to face the Doctor, just like he did. He also shares that he’s next to Mr. Bloom & she hangs up immediately & procures a gun.
Meanwhile, Max & Sally are not messing around with the Blooms. I mean, damn- they wouldn’t even let Josh change his shirt! Mr. Bloom faces the music & rides into the sunset with Max & Sally. I’m thinking this is his way of owning up to his earlier indiscretions with his secretary & his poor business decisions (stealing the Bloom heel patent).
Agent Pauline Cook & Patrick make is to Pottsville & sit down with Maddie’s mom. Patrick is kind of a dick playing the bad cop role, but Maddie’s mom knows nothing! Agent Cook smooths things over & tells Maddie’s mom that there are some really bad people trying to get to Maddie & she & Patrick are just trying to help. Pauline jumps down Patrick’s throat in the car. He can’t let his past feelings or Maddie ruin their chance to find her & finally get the Doctor. In one of my favorite lines, she calls him a “cocky mama’s boy.”
The Federales are still chasing the Bumblers, so with a wad of cash, they persuade a man to get them across the US border. In a super stressful scene, cops are everywhere & they don’t have a second to waste. Before we know it, they are in the trunks of Crown Victorias stacked on an 18-wheeler presumably headed to the US.
Imposters Season 2, Episode 5
Jessica: This week we start with Maddie heading home to Pottsville, with no clue that Pauline and Patrick have already been there to interrogate her mother. As Maddie drives into town, we get an excellent flashback to her introduction to the con. As a waitress in her hometown, she has a fateful encounter with Max & Sally who immediately see her potential.
Jessica: Shortly after they meet, we see Maddie working her first con, and the trio is born. These three clearly have a long history together and I loved watching how it started, as I often wonder how they get into the con in the first place. Maddie was smitten from the beginning.
Sarah” I love getting these flashbacks- especially more about Maddie’s backstory.
Jessica: When Maddie makes it home, her mother plays dumb and mentions nothing about her little visit with the FBI. That woman is sneaky too….perhaps where Maddie gets it from.
Sarah: I kept waiting for the ball to drop. I thought for sure she would contact Pauline or Patrick, but so far it seems she’s got Maddie’s back. But you’re right; she’s pretty sneaky.
Jessica: The Bumblers are heading for the US, and they are extremely uncomfortable in those trunks! I am claustrophobic just looking at them! Apparently, all of this trunk time is helping them figure out some things, like Richard feeling like he is destined for something greater than the life of the con. Poppy and Richard are both pining for each other, and they are both seeing a way out of their current lives. They have what seems to be a very close encounter coming across the border….
Jessica: Once they are over the border, The Bumblers form a plan – Ezra is going home to save his family, while Richard, Jules and Poppy go back to Scottsdale for the ring. When they are finished with their respective jobs, they will meet up at Jules and Poppy’s family cabin to hide out.
Sarah: I just have to say that Richard using the underwire of a bra to lift a car is one of the sexiest things I have ever seen in my life.
Jessica: When the three arrive in Scottsdale, they find Richard’s house has been foreclosed on, is up for auction, and the ring is nowhere to be found. Richard is visibly upset that his childhood home is gone. At least Jules saved his life-size cutout! We are still waiting for ours! They come up empty-handed and head out to the cabin to meet with Ezra.
Sarah: I want that damn cut-out!
Jessica: We catch up with Pauline & Patrick, who, surprise surprise, are heading to Indianapolis. We also get a little backstory from Pauline, and hopefully get a little less judgement from Patrick. He is a tad too high on his horse, especially for someone who seemingly has not seen or spent time with his children for weeks.
Jessica: The former FBI agents check into a hotel in Indianapolis, and lo and behold guess who is in the lobby? None other than Max, who has Sally and Ezra’s father in a room upstairs. They had moved him there to get some separation from Ezra’s mother and brother, and plan on having Ezra meet them at the hotel. Max recognizes Pauline, but she does not recognize him, as she is distracted by a phone call from Maddie’s mother, letting her know Maddie has come home.
Sarah: I knew Maddie’s mom couldn’t be trusted. Also, when Sally brought up Mr. Bloom stealing the heel patent I yelled. I was waiting for someone to burn his ass with that.
Jessica: Max retreats to his room, and he and Sally are attacked by Mr. Bloom. They manage to get him locked in the bathroom, but soon realize that he has had what appears to be a heart attack and has died on the floor. This death leaves Max in an existential crisis – he is a grifter, not a killer. Sally, who is permanantly scarred from his betrayal, both inside and outside, tells him to suck it up. Ezra arrives to find his dead father.
Sarah: This is heartbreaking & takes the grift & the con to a whole other level.
Jessica: After a heart to heart/confession with her father, who has Alzheimer’s, Maddie leaves home on a mission to kill The Doctor. She is tired of this life and this is her only way out. She is totally unaware that Pauline & Patrick are trailing behind. She also has a mysterious cell phone with an unknown person communicating with her. I can’t wait to find out who is keeping tabs on her, and where her mission to get rid of The Doctor leads everyone.
Imposters Season 2, Episode 6
The Bumblers, minus Ezra, are at Jules’ family cabin in upstate New York, and Richard and Poppy are definitely enjoying each other’s company. Loudly. Poppy is preying on Richard hard. Ezra calls Jules and lets her know that his dad died, and when Jules tells Richard, he is so deep in Poppy’s layer he doesn’t care enough. The frustration lures Jules to her local watering hole, and she runs into none other than Lenny Cohen, but she doesn’t know who Lenny Cohen is. Just hearing her voice made the hair on my arms stand up – not good.
Jules ends up in a deep conversation at the bar with Lenny, and ends up giving quite a bit of information. Some of this information includes, finally, Jules’ back story. Her college roommate committed suicide, and Jules stole her art. Poppy is simultaneously giving Richard the story as well, and then leaving him high and dry. Poppy used Richard to get revenge on her husband, and it worked. She leaves the house, just as Jules is being dropped at the cabin by Lenny Cohen.
We first see Maddie at the horse track, dressed in a bad wig, glasses and a mysterious cell phone. She is looking for a man named Cy Roberts, and finds the information she needs to get to him. Pauline & Patrick are still on her tail, following her every move. They haven’t a clue what she is up to. The follow her to a nursing home where Maddie visits a man with dementia. We find out that this man, Cy Roberts, is one of the original Imposters, and Maddie is looking to him for help.
Turns out that Cy doesn’t have dementia, but he spending the rest of his life out of the game, but still under The Doctor’s orders. During this conversation we are reminded that Maddie still thinks Sally is dead. She is looking for as much information on The Doctor as possible. Cy doesn’t know The Doctor’s real name, but does know that he is an actual doctor, and that he practices in Buffalo. Interesting that everyone seems to be heading for Upstate New York…
Pauline & Patrick investigate Cy, but he plays them with his fake dementia and they have know idea why Maddie visited. The two get a room for the night at a local motel, and when Pauline goes to get the room, Patrick puts a tracker on Maddie’s car and gives her a phone call. While he is quizzing her on their relationship, Pauline catches him, and the two get in an argument. Pauline is tired of his games and she decides she is going home in the morning – she is finished with this case.
Ezra is mourning his father and trying to contact Sofia, who is ignoring his calls. He shows up at the funeral home where his father’s memorial will be held, a place he clearly should not be. His brother finds him there and chastises him for all the problems he has caused his family. Ezra gives him a speech to read at their father’s funeral, as he won’t be there. At least that is the plan. As Josh reads Ezra’s touching speech, we see him hiding behind a tree. Then he hops into a car with Max and Sally, who have The Doctor on the speaker phone. The Doctor lets Ezra know that he, Jules and Richard are now working for him. Max and Sally are going to drop Ezra off at the Langmore Cabin, and they are to await further instruction.
The closing moments of the episode show Maddie receiving another text on her mysterious phone, and this one claims to be from Ezra, asking her to join him at the cabin. Maddie smiles and seemingly drives to meet him there. It looks like the whole gang is getting back together – and Lenny Cohen is right there.
Imposters Season 2, Episode 7
Maddie is well on her way to Albany in her stolen truck, which we know is being tracked by the now lone wolf Patrick. But Maddie is nothing if she is not smart, clever and careful – she dumps that truck and finds a lady driving a semi to finish her ride up to the cabin. Patrick is no fool either, and after waiting for Maddie to come back, he realizes what happened and even finds out who gave her a ride and where she dropped her.
Ezra has joined Jules and Richard at the cabin, and he is feeling some heavy guilt for the death of his father and bringing The Doctor in. The three work on protecting themselves at the cabin by breaking into the Langmore antique arsenal. They train with swords, daggers, axes – traditional weapons they hope will work against The Doctor. They also used some modern day technology and made sure all of the cameras were set up around the property. All of this was just in the nick of time; their surprise dinner guest arrives – Lenny Cohen.
The Bumblers are still ignorant of Lenny’s real identity, and they let her in to cook them dinner. Just who you want wielding a knife in your kitchen. Lenny reveals herself soon enough, and gives them their assignment. The Doctor’s “new family” of Ezra, Jules and Richard are to go find the engagement ring, which happens to be in Burlington, Vermont, where the collector who bought the jug from Richard’s house is Scottsdale. Apparently Max and Sally will be assisting them when they need help. Lenny claims this is their one and only job….
Max and Sally are holed up in a motel, and not only is Max in the dark about The Doctor’s plan with the Bumblers, but he is very sick from his stab wound courtesy of Ezra’s father. Sally gets over to the local pharmacy, creates a diversion, and steals the medication Max needs. While Sally is treating Max (in a close, intimate setting), Sally tells her horror story of what The Doctor did to her for punishment. Torture. Max apologizes to Sally, sincerely, and there seems to be some reconciliation with them, though you can never be too sure.
Maddie happens to arrive at the same time Lenny Cohen is giving her instruction, but she spots her car in the driveway and wisely sits back until she leaves. Once she is gone, Maddie makes her way into the cabin, and surprises everyone one by one, starting with Jules. I don’t know about you, but I kind of forgot how long it has been since Maddie has been with The Bumblers. Maddie ties up Jules and quizzes her, asking her if Jules set her up to be caught by Lenny Cohen.
She moves onto Ezra next, and asks him about the text messages she has been getting. Ezra lets her know the texts were not from him, and also lets Maddie know that Sally is still alive. When Maddie hears that, she knows it is Sally who has been trying to track her down. We cut to Max and Sally, and Sally is letting Max know her real intentions – it is time to go after The Doctor – and she is going to use Max, Maddie, Richard, Ezra and Jules to do it. The whole gang gathers at the Langmore Cabin.
Sally explains how she got everyone together and why. She and Max are damaged goods, and as far as The Doctor is concerned, Maddie has disappeared. She believes The Doctor wants the Bumblers to replace the old trio, and the only way for everyone to get their freedom back is to work together. She wants to find The Doctor and turn him over to the FBI and exchange him for clean slates.
While the group of six plot against The Doctor, the FBI and Patrick gather outside. With all of the surveillance, they are spotted and the new team is able to get away. Patrick is left with his final website, with Ezra leaving him the message. Patrick has failed again, and Sally, Max, Maddie, Ezra, Jules and Richard are off to find The Doctor.
Imposters Season 2, Episode 8
The elusive Doctor. Episode 8 gives us our first taste of who The Doctor really is. He gets heckled at an Orthopedic Surgery conference, and later follows his colleague to the parking lot with a piece of sharp glass. We are left to imagine what happened…
The Bumblers, along with Maddie, Max and Sally, are in Burlington, Vermont to get back Richard’s Toby Jug which is presumably hiding Maddie’s engagement ring from the FBI. Ezra and Richard play the Toby Jug collector, Charlotte, at the antique mall, and Ezra finds a way to get close to her as the rich, British ex-pat Clive. When “Clive” takes Charlotte out to dinner, Ezra and Jules
While The Bumblers work on Charlotte, Max and Sally work on The Doctor. Max remembers that he has a pen from The Doctor, one that he picked up at an Orthopedic Surgery Conference. The two start digging and eventually find the photographer from the conference, and an actual picture of The Doctor. They use this picture to find his identity by visiting other attendees from the