'30 coins' (2x07): scent of undead and supercomputers in an episode that fails to build the previous tension at the end

New Monday and dawn again with an episode of '30 coins'. HBO’s supernatural and fantastic horror series Max is nearing the close of its season 2 and the attempt to avoid the culmination of the plans of a Barbrow that barely comes out in this episode. Something that may be a factor to consider in the lack of tension of these fifty-something minutes.

From here, spoilers of 'The Two Cores', chapter 2x07 of '30 coins'

'30 coins' and the connection with 'The Stand' and 'The Dark Tower': how Lovecraft unites the Church’s Alex universes and Stephen King
IN ESPINOF
'30 coins' and the connection with 'The Stand' and 'The Dark Tower': how Lovecraft unites the Church’s Alex universes and Stephen King
This episode is probably the shortest prologue, with a simple sequence in which we see the tunnels excavated by the company of Barbrow (Paul Giamatti) in Nazca, Peru. The villain (and his minions) we will see something less than what we have accustomed Álex de la Iglesia and Jorge Guerricaechevarría, since apart from a couple of scenes told, we have simply the adventures of our two "groups" of heroes.

To get the cores

On the one hand we have the escapees from the psychiatric hospital, who have left the van stranded and are looking, somewhat reticent, for clues about what to do next. Here we see, I don’t know if I call it that, two sides: Laguna (Pepón Nieto), who already seems to have given up and all he wants is to see his wife. On the other hand, Haruka (Najwa Nimri) and company, are willing to get to the bottom of everything. Its goal is to find, as described by Antonio (Javier Bódalo) the "church full of wires": the second nucleus to destroy the world.

What they’re up to, with their doubts, following this lead, let’s see what our zombies are up to, they stink the plane that takes them to Italy. I don’t know why, they come down escorted by the Italian police as soon as they land in Fiumicino. There already Vergara (Eduard Fernandez) and Santoro (Manolo Solo) manage to escape their custody and meet Elena (Megan Montaner), who just at that time was seeing if he bought a flight to Madrid.

'Corpus Christi', an exciting debate on faith and Catholicism in the form of a tragicomic fable
This reunion will be interrupted when they are cornered, starting an action scene with Father Vergara sharing with the advantage that, well, you can’t kill him. Meanwhile, Santoro "deciphers" the pages of the Black Book of the Mad Arabic they needed and sees that now what they need is the Eye of Blood, the relic that is on the Pope’s staff and that contains the shed blood of Christ by the spear of Longinus.

The issue of the power of the objects that harmed Our Lord is again brought into focus. Something that seemed to have been practically forgotten since the second act of season 1. After "talking about it" with His Holiness, they and Elena set off for Peru. With the woman there are a couple of interesting conversations (and heretical ideas) on what they travel to Nazca. One, that God and Devil is the same person with a different face "at convenience"; the other talk also includes things from the first season: the love that the former priest professes to Elena.

30 coins
Reflections on God and love, and freedom to change the script apart. The "crazies" are in Barcelona, in the so-called "Cable Church" which happens to be where Barbrow companies have a supercomputing center. The next step seems to be to sneak, if possible, into the secret facilities. Will they make it? We’ll have to wait until next week.

I have to say because they tell me it’s the penultimate episode of the season, but if they tell me we’re in the fourth I believe it. For some reason one does not have a sense of the final act seeing these fifty-odd minutes of action. Yes, the characters seem to get into the mouth of the wolf in both Barcelona and Nazca, but it doesn’t feel like the game is on top.

This, in fact, does not have to mean that we will not have a high end, but I think it does not leave us with enough tension to look forward to this last chapter (for now) of '30 coins'. Next Monday, we will see if it gives us a worthy end.