Reviews & Ratings for
"Enlightened" Consider Helen (2011)

1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
The self-realization of the series, 5 February 2012

Author: ASlightlyRedDisturbance from United States

Perhaps the show's most dramatically heavy episode, Consider Helen lets us take a look into the past of the family, and the guilt and anguish of Amy's mother. We finally get a look into her thoughts and her past. The episode is definitely very serious in tone and not comedic in any aspect, but this is a good thing. It balances out, and it reminds us of the tragedies that have been brought down on this family. Diane Ladd is excellent here, and for a while now we wonder what the relationship between mother and daughter was, and why it's so sour. This episode lets us deeper into Helen's mind and for the first time we see things through her perspective

Overall, incredible episode, and very heartfelt. Just the dose the show needed.

Memories, 22 August 2012

Author: jotix100 from New York

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Helen is seen in bed with her dog Ginger. Her day is about to start. Preparing breakfast does not mean Amy is staying. Left alone in the house, her mind wanders. Shopping at her local market, she mets an old friend, Carol, a chatty woman who only seems interested in showing off her successful daughters. Helen cannot help asking her a question that it has been meaning to ask Carol all these years. It has to do with a business her late husband and Carol's were trying to start. Frustrated with Carol's lack of memory, Helen flees the market.

At home, Helen's mind goes back to her husband's suicide. No doubt her encounter with Carol makes her reflect on her life and her loneliness. The arrival of Levi who has brought Amy's photo albums is not a happy occasion. Her pain is acerbated by the failure of her daughter's own disastrous marriage to a worthless man. The episode ends with Helen in bed forcing herself to sleep.

Directed by Phil Morrison, this chapter clarifies Amy's past life. What once was a happy family is examined through Helen's own recollection of how things once were. It puts into context an aspect of Amy's life we did not know. The episode is one of the best thanks to the contribution by Diane Ladd, a marvelous actress and a welcome presence in anything she graces. Barbara Barrie, another wonderful actress is at hand to play the friend from the past. Mike White sensitive account on the life of Helen reflects on the quality of the writing.

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