Sharp Objects premiere recap: ‘Vanish’
By Grant Butler
“Vanish” sets up Sharp Objects for a great start on HBO.
St. Louis reporter Camille Preaker (Amy Adams) is asked by her boss Curry to return to her small hometown of Wind Gap, Missouri to cover the murder of one girl and the disappearance of another. Camille has no interest in going, but her boss insists that she cover the story. Curry knows her history but hopes the trip will help her. Making the journey alone with plenty of liquid courage, Camille makes her way ‘home’ to kick off Sharp Objects.
Vickery, Wind Gap’s police chief, isn’t thrilled she is there, but he grudgingly tolerates her. While looking for locals on a search party, Camille meets Detective Richard Willis (Chris Messina), who is technically in charge of the investigation. Arguably the only person of significance who seems truly happy to see Camille is her Mom’s old friend Jackie (Elizabeth Perkins).
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While in town, Camille is staying with her mother and stepfather in their sumptuous, gated house. Which is fitting because Camille’s mother Adora Crellin (Patricia Clarkson) isn’t just rich, she’s the Queen Bea of Wind Gap. After a courteous, but chilly greeting, Adora makes it plain that she doesn’t exactly approve of Camille’s assignment. Even more telling is the fact that the only person who hugs Camille when she arrives at her old house is the maid. Which explains why later on Camille goes to a bar and passes out in her car all night.
Camille does manage to talk on the record with the father of Ann Nash, the murdered girl. She also sees a group of girls taking the flowers and other gifts left as tributes to the two girls. Which is exactly when the other missing girl’s body is found, with Camille and other spectators to witness it.
After returning home, Camille finally encounters her half-sister Amma (Eliza Scanlen), who happened to be one of the girls taking stuff left to the murdered girls. Amma is also dressed totally different when at her mother’s house. Speaking of her mother’s house, Amma has an exact replica of it in dollhouse form. In her own words, Amma is incorrigible, but Adora is unaware of it. It is also revealed that Camille had another sister closer in age who died very young. Not surprisingly, Camille didn’t take it well.
Next: Sharp Objects season 1 episode 2 recap
In the classic comedy What About Bob? Bill Murray introduces himself to his new psychiatrist by saying rather succinctly “I have problems.” Well, the exact same phrase would apply equally well to Camille. The best way of putting it is that she is a hot mess. In this, she is just like her hometown. Wind Gap is a sticky, humid hothouse of a town, a pressure cooker of emotion just waiting to explode.
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