The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey – Episode 2 “Robyn” Recap & Review

Robyn

Episode 2 of The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey begins with Ptolemy back in his apartment, calling out for Reggie. Robyn is having trouble too, sprung tight and distrusting of Hilly. We know he’s an opportunist and not exactly saintly, and Robyn believes he’s trying to come at her and rape her that morning. His mum is no help, making excuses for Hilly’s behaviour. Eventually Robyn leaves, snatching up the key to Ptolemy’s before she does.

Robyn shows up at Ptolemy’s apartment, using the key to let herself in. The place may be a mess but it’s nothing compared to the backed up toilet and lack of water he’s dealing with. Robyn is determined to help turn Ptolemy’s life around and that starts with cleaning the place up.

Robyn starts cleaning one room at a time but all the piles of boxes and clutter is a breeding ground for insects. Cockroaches scutter out from under the sink and cobwebs blanket the walls and old magazines.

Robyn does an incredible job with the bathroom though, using her knowledge and know-how to unblock the toilet and get the sink running again. Ptolemy is delighted but when he tries to hug her, she pulls away. Between this and getting spooked over Hilly, something bad clearly happened in her past but for now, that remains hidden.

Robyn enlist the help of a couple of guys to help unclutter the rest of the house. The sun begins shining through the windows and it’s definitely brighter inside; it’s a big difference for Ptolemy. With nowhere else to go, Robyn is going to crash at his for a while. She even gets permission to break into the locked room hidden by a sheet; a bedroom that’s almost in perfect order.

After a visit to the hardware story, Ptolemy is confronted by that crazed woman outside asking for money. She’s the one who broke in originally and took his hidden change.  Poor Ptolemy is fearful and cowers while Robyn fights him off. However, the pair have bigger problems to contend with.

The apartment is still full of bugs, so Robyn sets off some poison to do its work and leaves with Ptolemy, visiting a motel room for the night.

Remember Reggie’s important meeting for Ptolemy to attend? Well, it turns out that’s to see a doctor specializing in dementia and Alzheimer’s. Apparently he can temporarily remove all forms of dementia inherent in a patient with an experimental medicine he’s working on. After two doses, Ptolemy will remember everything, including explicit details of his life. There are no side effects but the treatment will only work once. After that, it won’t work again.

Ptolemy agrees to the procedure, and he’s administered his shot. Ptolemy slowly starts to remember crucial parts of his life and is even walking faster too. He hears about Reggie’s death again, this time learning that he was murdered in the alley by Delmar Circle. The cops are disinterested in pursuing this case, having written it off completely. Ptolemy is on a tight window and he decides to head down and see the alleyway for himself.

One of the squatters in the alley nearby claims the shooter was a “brown coloured man with spiky hair” and also sports a “zig-zag scar across his left eye.” Ptolemy uses this eye-witness account as gospel, intending to find Reggie’s killer before it’s too late. He recognizes the injustice Reggie’s death has brought, and wants to go ahead with the doctor’s extra shots, regardless of their drawbacks.

However, Ptolemy has memories that have been hidden and buried from us, and that night he begins to lose control. He’s spinning out, breathing heavily and panicking. Robyn calls a doctor over, as Ptolemy wails to the heavens, claiming he’s dying.

The Episode Review

There is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s and as far as I’m aware, no drugs can radically reduce and reverse these effects. It’s a shame then that The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey has wandered into the realm of fantasy after such a grounded opening episode.

Don’t get me wrong, the show is still good value for its run-time and there’s some excellent drama here, with Robyn heading over and helping to clean the place up and bring Ptolemy back from the brink of despair.

The bond these two are going to share is likely to encapsulate the rest of the show going forward, and there’s a decent tone hanging over this as the series moves into the mystery genre. This early on, it would seem that Ptolemy and Robyn are going to work together to solve Reggie’s murder.

But who did kill Reggie? And why? I’m sure we’ll find out soon as this week’s episode comes to a close.