NBC's all-new show "Aquarius" aired Thursday with its seventh episode, featuring Sam Hodiak (David Duchovny), an LAPD detective, who investigates the savage murder of a Hollywood A-lister who turns out to be a closet homosexual.
In "Cease to Resist," Hodiak teams up with Charmain Tully (Claire Holt), an eager female officer, on the gruesome case. The victim was found nailed to the wall of his dressing room in an apparent mock crucifixion. After meeting the star's fiancé, the two eventually determined the dead man's sexual preference.
Hodiak then sends Brian Shafe (Grey Damon) to a local gay bar for information, as most of the regulars there refuse to talk to him after a gay-raid he headed a few years ago. The younger detective shows a surprising discomfort in dealing with the homosexuals, and as TV Fanatic reports he and Hodiak "switched their usual roles" as the former became the one with the "more conservative point of view."
Halfway into the investigation, the case is suddenly dropped because of orders from above. The dead star's studio fears that public revelation of the victim's homosexuality will impact the profitability of his last film, with nearly $8 million at stake. Apparently, "stars can be dead but they can't be dead homos," as Hodiak's police chief says to his officer.
Meanwhile, Emma Karn (Emma Dumont) and Sadie (Ambyr Childers) meet someone special from Charlie Manson's past. After a gun standoff with Ed Cutler (Chance Kelly), Mason's harem goes out to find "Mother Mary," the "original" woman in the criminal's life.
Katie (Tara Lynne Barr) reveals to Emma that Mary is the one who took care of Manson when he got out of jail, and in a "true cult-fashion," they were fated to meet each other. The pregnant Mary reunites with her lover while viewers became privy to some disturbing details of physical abuse that Manson inflicted on his "womanly possessions."
Hodiak's murder case takes center stage on the hour-long 60s era drama, and as Screenfad reports, that focus "is well deserved in the nuanced and complex social issues of gay life and homophobia that are explored."
The website also reports that the show's conclusion is not "the case-of-the-week simplicity" often aired on television.
"In an astute commentary on some still-relevant social issues, Aquarius tackles the harsh realities of the time period well while still maintaining the drama and dark thrills that keep us tuned in week after week."
