The goals for this episode: 1) Show that Celeste doesn’t have anyone to confide in; 2) Have Celeste reject Agent Taylor’s offer of help outright.
The preceding episode ended after Gordon threatened Celeste, which raised the question of whether she would continue to do business with him or cooperate with the FBI. This episode opens with her talking to herself about this dilemma in the form of confiding in a psychic. The conventional choice would have been for me to have her confide in a psychiatrist, someone who couldn’t tell her secrets because of doctor-patient confidentiality. However, that wouldn’t have been organic to the character. It’s highly unlikely that Celeste would go to a psychiatrist because most black people don’t engage in psychotherapy. It’s a cultural thing. If she needed counseling, she’d go to the pastor. So I had to come up with someone that Celeste could talk/vent to and not worry about Trudy or the Dean finding out about her secrets. I think it’s sad when Madam Lola suggests that she talk to someone about what’s going on and Celeste responds, “I’m talking to you.” There’s no one in her life with whom she feels she can share her troubles.
Immediately after Celeste pays Madam Lola to be her sounding board, she runs smack dab into Agent Taylor. He knows her secrets, and he says that he wants to help her. But she clings to the facade that she’s smarter than everybody and rejects his help. At this point I was worried that her actions stretched the bounds of credulity after Gordon’s threat. Why would she do anything that would, in effect, protect him? I had to make sure that Celeste’s rationale — yet to be disclosed — would be strong enough to justify this self-destructive behavior.
This episode is about allies, the characters that help the protagonist make the right choices. Madam Lola advises her to talk to somebody, and she rejects that advice. Agent Taylor offers to help, and she rejects that help. Celeste is determined to go it alone.