Margot’s brother came to collect in The Catch season 1, episode 6, “The Benefactor.” He took what he came for, and unfortunately, he also took the life of a beloved character.
Just days after a writer for The Catch signed the Lexa Pledge, vowing to treat LGBTQ+ characters better, the show has added another casualty to the trope that caused the pledge be created. Note: the writer who signed the pledge was not a writer on this particular episode.
It truly is a shame that Felicity was killed, because her story gained so many layers in this episode. In past episodes, Felicity was an interesting tie to Margot’s past and an intriguing development in her present, but The Catch season 1, episode 6, opened up a lot of potential story opportunities for her character.
The discovery that she was sleeping with both Margot and Rhys, while definitely off-putting, made her a much more valuable player in the battle between Margot and her family. Felicity also showed that she could be much more than a pawn in their game. Her language skills and the level of trust that Rhys afforded her made her a unique asset whose choices could have had fascinating effects on every character in The Catch.
It has been unclear so far if Margot actually had feelings for Felicity, or if she was just using her, but her intentions were finally clear in this episode. She exhibited true jealousy when she found out about Felicity and Rhys, and relief when she found out that Felicity was still hers. Any, and all of these factors would have provided an interesting story for Felicity going forward, but unfortunately, those are now off the table. Felicity is a perfect example of an LGBTQ+ character who could have, and should have been treated better.
There were some important things that happened in The Catch season 1, episode 6, aside from Felicity’s death, so read on for my thoughts on the other developments.
There’s one in every family
My first thought when we met the benefactor, a.k.a. Rhys, was that he wasn’t what I had been expecting. He seemed a little too warm and lighthearted to be the head of a large scale crime organization. However, he soon showed his true colors, and everything made perfect sense.
I really loved John Simm’s portrayal of this character. Rhys walks a perfect line between being crazy enough to kill a person in cold blood with no real reasoning or remorse, and being charismatic and intelligent enough to run his organization.
Aside from discovering his dueling personalities, we learned a lot of interesting information about the benefactor in The Catch season 1, episode 6. First of all, I guess when Margot has been referencing “the Family” in regards to the benefactor’s organization, we were meant to take that literally. Rhys is, in fact, her biological brother. When their father died, Rhys was put in charge, much to Margot’s dismay.
His connection to Margot’s Angels doesn’t stop there, though. Apparently, Ben(ji) was actually Rhys’ partner in crime before he married Margot. The fact that Rhys knows Ben so well is going to make things even more dangerous for Ben and Alice, now that he knows about them.
The things we do for love
Alice made a very interesting, powerful move in The Catch season 1, episode 5, but her plan was derailed in this episode. In an attempt to get the upper hand on Ben, Alice stole the bracelet which Ben, Margot and Felicity stole for Rhys, with the intention of returning it to its original owner. Things didn’t go according to plan when one of the other syndicates showed up, so Alice completely shifted gears and jumped into Ben’s con head first (although she did put up a pretty impressive fight against Mickey).
I’m sure Alice is still confused about her feelings and everything that has happened to her, but she’s walking a dangerous line right now. It’s honestly a little disappointing to see Alice basically abandoning her own values and beliefs to help Ben at every turn. It’s one thing to still care about somebody who has hurt you, and it’s entirely another thing to help them carry out a crime which results in somebody’s death. Alice really fit right into that world, so if she’s not careful, she could actually become part of it.
While Alice was making questionable decisions for love, Valerie was making some decisions of her own. There’s always a level of creepiness surrounding Agent Jules Dao, so she may come to regret sleeping with him later, but for now, she’s just awesome. I loved the way she stepped in to protect Alice from JD’s plan to take down Ben. She really is the best friend anyone could ask for. I fear that her relationship with JD means that we’re definitely going to learn that he’s not to be trusted, but for her sake, I hope he’s being genuine.
Stakeout to take out
This weeks case was somewhat more interesting than most, for a few reasons. First of all, it featured Samira Wiley, from Orange is the New Black, who was fantastic! On top of her performance, the case did have some genuinely creepy (when they found the battlefield cross in her apartment) and surprising (when it was revealed that her brother was the culprit) moments.
Related: Why ‘The Catch’ doesn’t need a case of the week
Most importantly, the case was more interesting because it showcased Danny so much. Overall, the case of the week still felt disconnected from the rest of the episode, but at least it was relevant to a lead character. Danny was more adorable and charming than ever, and don’t worry, Sophie definitely noticed!