RJ Decker Season 1 Episode 3 Review: Rich People Problems with a Twist

Critic’s Rating: 4.2 / 5.0

4.2

RJ Decker just keeps getting better and better.

The hour delivered a case that went from a missing persons case to a murder investigation, and it’s great to continue seeing RJ sharpen his skills.

But this hour also solidified the complicated dynamic between RJ and Emi, and with the ending, one has to wonder just how their relationship will fare.

There’s this ongoing theme that the series does, and RJ Decker Season 1 Episode 3 cements it yet again, where RJ doesn’t see what people have done in their past, but he recognizes their worth right in the present.

Emi brought him into an investigation in which the Carter family, or at least Holden’s sister, was determined to figure out where her brother had disappeared to, and it wasn’t just about him being part of this rich family.

Holden was also a recovering addict. When it comes to the disappearance of addicts, many people tend to write them off.

It’s difficult to seek help from the police when they so often assume that the missing person fell off the wagon, so to speak, and that they’re out trying to get their next fix.

And ultimately, the belief, whether it’s openly stated or not, is that they’re not worth the resources it takes to find because they’re most likely off feeding a habit that people don’t understand or sympathize with.

We’ve come a long way as far as acknowledging that addiction isn’t just a moral failing but an actual disease. But it’s still not far enough, and the topic doesn’t come without its stigmas.

But RJ never once looked at Holden as just a missing addict who may have fallen off, and even if Holden was, it didn’t deter RJ from wanting to find him and devoting as much energy to determining what really happened to him.

It’s interesting because we know he takes on these cases to make money, but even so, it doesn’t stop him from leading with empathy and compassion.

He’s genuinely a good person, and it’s refreshing to see a man perform a job like this for more than just compensation.

Tracking what happened to Holden led him to a facility where he was keeping up with his sobriety, and then we saw that absolutely hilarious footage of a person dressed in a pickle suit kidnapping him, basically.

Poor Holden didn’t get kidnapped once but twice.

The pickle situation was hilarious, especially the mix-up.

I couldn’t stop laughing at the teenager performing the wobble and, with a straight face, explaining that her version of the mascot was the recent one, and that the one RJ was looking for was the retired, circa 2012, edition.

And then it led to the guy Holden humiliated and bullied in high school, which, as far as revenge goes, maybe you have to learn when to let some things go, right? You’re practically catching a felony over a decade later — maybe try therapy, sir!

But then it took a horrific turn when Emi called to tell RJ that they had found Holden, and he was dead.

She was quick to assume what everyone else did: that he died of an overdose since he was at a motel with a needle in his arm.

But after RJ spent all of that time looking into Holden and even meeting with those who would hold a grudge against him, but ultimately didn’t in the end, RJ knew better.

Holden was way too devoted to his sobriety and wanted to ensure that other people got help, too.

Speaking with Rico, RJ was able to surmise that the real issue was that the Carter Foundation that Holden’s father started didn’t actually help people battling addiction.

Its sole purpose was to make as much money as possible off the backs of these people via their insurance companies.

And that’s sadly a fairly common thing.

There are many instances of so-called sober houses and rehab facilities where their sole desire is to make as much money off people and patients as possible, even if it means enabling habits or just leaving them hanging.

The money is the priority; the people? Not at all.

Just knowing that and the fact that Holden had spent a long time struggling with sobriety, but devoted his life to it and helping others — it made sense that RJ wanted to respect and honor his memory and give him the justice that he deserved.

He could’ve easily walked away from the case with his payout and left it there, but he wasn’t afraid to push back on everything and question what he knew didn’t make sense.

It wasn’t just about the paycheck but getting real justice for Holden, even if it meant pointing the finger at one of the most powerful men in the city.

I admire RJ’s gumption. He didn’t hold back, even if it meant telling Emi about herself, to smooth things over and preserve her father’s relationship with Carter.

As the hour played out, it wasn’t that much of a surprise that Carter was responsible for his son’s death. It didn’t make it any less horrific, though.

I just can’t imagine murdering my own flesh and blood to avoid accountability and losing money. Holden was a whistleblower willing to expose his own father for the horrible things he was doing.

And his father didn’t intend to murder him, but he did greenlight forcing drugs into his son’s system to discredit him. In some ways, that almost feels like a worse fate than death for Holden.

That revelation left me speechless. And so did Emi’s actually obtaining that confession and sharing it with RJ.

I suspected she felt guilty and wanted to be as “good” as he is, but I still didn’t anticipate her going this far and risking her father’s relationships to take Carter down. Will he have put two and two together?

Is Emi in any danger because of these moves she’s making? Will her fascination with RJ and her gravitating to how pure-hearted he is come between her and her family? And if it does, what will it mean?

I’m officially fascinated by how Emi factors into all of this and the possible risks that come with her being so drawn to RJ and influenced by him.

And to his credit, he’s warmed to her. He apologized for his harsh words, and they looked quite cozy at the bar together.

Now, I’m eager to see how Catherine confronts RJ. Initially, I was wondering why she seemed so thrown when she saw RJ with another woman. She’s happy with Mel, so I wondered why she would seem jealous.

But then I realized what it must have been like for her, knowing that someone she cared about went to prison for two years because of Emi and her lying and theatrics.

She knows RJ got screwed over, so I can imagine how pissed off she is to see them together. I would also wonder how RJ could forgive Emi or even trust her.

And based on what we’ve seen of Catherine and RJ’s relationship, they’re essentially best friends. They’re family, and who doesn’t get super protective over their family?

This hour also gave us more insight into Catherine, and I’m loving her with each passing episode. She’s genuinely a great woman, and I sympathized with her as she tried to navigate her marriage and her place in relation to Sophia.

The conflict between Catherine and Mel over money was just so real. And both of them had valid points.

When Sophia started talking about that Spa Day, I felt for the girl and wanted her to go, too. I wasn’t even upset at Catherine for finding a solution that allowed Sophia to honor her commitment while still having fun with her friends.

But it was something she should’ve spoken to Mel about.

There was also a brief moment when it was frustrating to hear Mel talk about her past growing up poor, because while I can understand not wanting her child to grow up spoiled, you’d also want better for your kid than what you had.

Mel can still instill values in Sophia that keep her grounded, humble, and grateful for what she has.

But $300 events for tweens are INSANE. Also, it seems that she and Mel have a deeper history of financial issues that have come between them.

And when Catherine spoke to RJ about it, clearly, it’s a prevalent problem.

In her mind, she has the money, and if she has it, her partner has it, too. She doesn’t bat an eye over providing and taking care of the people she loves, and there’s nothing wrong with that at all.

But for people who grew up poor, it can feel like a charity case situation, and it also feels like there’s no balance in the relationship, which I can see would be an issue, too.

You don’t want to be in a relationship where you feel indebted to the person or as if you aren’t on equal footing. Catherine meant well, but she didn’t see how she was making her partners feel.

Fortunately, Mel is upfront about this, and they can address the issue, whereas RJ sat on it, and it may have been one of the reasons their marriage fell apart.

This hour was so well-balanced because it was nice to actually see Catherine and Mel explored more as a couple, and it did a great job of not centering RJ in their dynamic either.

One of the most frustrating things that can happen with some queer relationships onscreen, especially ones that involve two women, is that a series will still find a way to center a man in some capacity.

As much as I loved Station 19, it was definitely an issue that cropped up with Marina and Jack with their fertility journey, especially.

But RJ Decker could easily have made this an issue, especially with RJ Decker moving in with them, but so far they’re doing a great job of giving us the family vibe without undermining or sidestepping Catherine and Mel’s relationship, and I’m genuinely relieved by that.

Thoughts and Things:

• I still love Wish with my whole heart.
• Every time they bring in a new ex-con, I laugh. Their other cellmate with his appliance hustle and being an asset for RJ? I love it. It’s the gift that keeps giving.
• Emi has the best outfits! I’m obsessed! She’s just so stylish.
• I love that she tried to get RJ to wear a nicer shirt, but he still didn’t choose anything that would be appealing in circles of rich people.
• FINE, RJ Decker. I’m slowly coming around to the RJ/Emi agenda.

Over to you, RJ Decker Fanatics! Are you enjoying the series? Did you guess the murderer? Let’s discuss it all below!

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