Shadows House Season 2

Episode 7

In the language of flowers as recorded in John H. Young's 1882 etiquette manual Our Deportment, the daffodil means “chivalry.” We haven't seen a daffodil this season, but given its Victorian flower language meaning, that past glimpse we had of it (repeated in Patrick's flashback this week), it's fitting that the flower Emilico gave to the trapped Shadow was a daffodil, because it was her kind, and even chivalrous, heart that made him fall in love with her. Equally fitting is the Victorian meaning of the peony, which according to Young is “anger,” because that's precisely what others are likely to feel should Patrick reveal that the person he's in love with isn't Kate or another Shadow, but Kate's “living doll.” Ricky is likely to see Patrick's feelings as a foolish betrayal of the person he's deemed most helpful (Louise/Lou), while other Shadows may be angered by the mere fact of a Shadow loving a face. (At least, those who don't know what goes on in the adult wing.) But most importantly, Patrick himself isn't entirely happy with his own heart, which he describes as “broken in two.” If nothing else, his love for Emilico could be an easily exploited weakness.

But in the moment, it also shows that Patrick is much more in line with what Kate is already aware of and Louise in woeful ignorance of: that the living dolls are, in fact, human. That Patrick fell for Emilico rather than Kate and recognizes it implies that he sees them as two totally separate individuals, and that may be key to eventually unraveling the secrets of the Shadows family and ending their reign. We can see this sentiment in his treatment of Ricky as well; he thinks of Ricky as someone smarter and more strategic than he is himself, asking Ricky for advice in a way that's much more similar to how Kate interacts with Emilico than their peers' treatment of their human counterparts. Louise is the worst offender (I honestly think John just doesn't think much about it at all), as Benjamin attempts to point out to her when she goes looking for answers. The incredulity and tiredness in his voice when he realizes that Louise thinks that Lou doing pushups will benefit her as well even though she's just standing there watching is telling, and it's hard to say if he thinks Louise is stupid or simply naïve. I think rather than either of those Louise is just very self-centered, because when two separate people – Benjamin and Maryrose – point out to her that Lou doesn't look good, she finally does put the pieces together. Is this borne of her actually understanding that she has to respect Lou to a degree, or is it more like a child trying to take better care of her doll after the dog has nibbled on it? That remains to be seen, but Lou's survival – and Louise's – could depend on how well she got the message.

Things aren't looking great for Lou in the moment, either. She's pale and lightheaded, nearly fainting back in Louise's room, and while that could call to mind Emilico's early thoughts that dolls don't need to eat, it's also worth considering that the amount of soot Louise has been making Lou consume could be taking a toll on her. If the soot-laced coffee acts like a drug, could Lou be overdosing? We've seen how the Belles and Rosemary suffer from their extreme exposure to soot and the panic Gilbert expresses as he and Gil rush the twins to the cleaning room, so that feels like a real possibility. That means that Louise's selfishness and inability to recognize Lou as a separate entity could bring about her downfall; our glimpse of Maryrose this week in her filthy blouse and William and Henry's words to Patrick about how groups of graduates are reduced by more than being summoned by Lord Grandfather both have a worrying undertone about the ways a Shadow could fail.

Kate and her agemates are all learning more about the way things work in Shadows House as they investigate what's really going on. The way that blends with casual introductions of more Shadows is working very well thus far, even if it is bringing us a boatload of new named characters every time they venture out of their rooms. But the fat's well and truly in the fire now, and the Star Bearers' reprimand of John feels less like telling him to stop broadcasting his love for Kate and more like a tacit warning to him that they're watching. That means that he and Kate are very likely on to something. Kate is smart enough on her own not to let on what's up, but will her peers prove to be a liability?

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Shadows House is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.