Irma Vep Episode 4 Recap & Ending Explained: After taking us into the French production of the doomed project “Irma Vep” where we saw the various ways in which Oliver Assays has expanded and updated the world of his own 1996 film, the latest episode takes us into the extremely personal conflict going with the life of its heroine. It also takes us deeper into the very meta dig that Assays makes on himself.
Irma Vep Episode 4 “The Poisoner” Recap:
This episode titled “The Poisoner” dives straight into the production sets. Assistant Director Carla is on set taking rehearsals for the very important party scene that involves almost all key players and a plethora of extras. It’s a busy day on set and the party organized by the Baron (disguised as the Grand Vampire) will set the series into motion.
Also on the set is Gaultier – one of the chief producers backing the show. He is there to make sure that his backing is well worth the buck. Which ensures that Mira becomes the face of a new line of perfume called Dreamscape. He is there to make sure that Mira signs in on the perfume campaign and not to make sure that this super-meta show he has put his money on, is working fine.
On one hand, his tone of voice is coercing towards Mira, on the other, he is really harsh towards Rene who is unable to secure a famous Asian actress for the show. He says that casting an Asian actress is important for the market. Consequently, he also tells him that the show isn’t niche and that people want binge-worthy stuff, which Rene’s rendition is clearly not. Then, Rene slowly goes into the bathroom and shouts his gut out.
Meanwhile, the party scene of the show goes really well and the loot is taken by the Vampires as they flee. Gottfried who has an important sequence on a moving car is not ready to put a harness on but Alex insists that his insurance will not cover it and he will ‘fucking sue him’ if he doesn’t. Zelda and Mira, on the other hand, are again on each other’s case regarding the “Silver Surfer” movie.
The next sequence finds Alex and other production members at the airport to escort Cynthia (the Asian actress hinted at in the beginning) who has just arrived from Hong Kong. She goes straight to the shoot where she has a scene with Gottfried which involves some kind of hypnotism.
More disagreeing texts with Zelda are exchanged by Mira where she claims that, being in France and shooting for Irma Vep is giving her a new perspective on life. She then gets into her suit, transforming into Irma Vep, and sneaks around the hotel. The transformation is shot with a remix version of “The Taste of Blood” (the OST from Jim Jarmusch’s Vampire masterpiece Only Lovers Left Alive) playing in the background.
Rene is unable to sleep too. He wakes up from a nightmare and is met by what seems like a ghost of Jade Lee. Oliver Assays makes sure he walks on the right tight-rope as he allows another incredibly personal and self-referential sequence to play out. In this exchange we see Jade being sad that Rene did not consult her before casting Mira in the role that was made for her. Rene claims that he sent her many emails but she did not revert back. Some assumptions are made where Assays and the audience gets a little closure as to why Jade Lee (referring to Maggie Cheung) left acting and it just uplifts the episode yet again.
The next morning Zela and Mira negotiate and discuss Dreamscape and Mira reluctantly agrees to do what the perfume line wants. Then Mira goes out for the day to meet Rene as he had texted her about some kind of urgency early morning. While Mira is unsure if it is okay to visit him alone, she decides to go anyway with Regina accompanying her waiting in the car.
When Mira reaches Rene’s home he is completely plastered with anxiety. He is in his bathrobe and has second thoughts about continuing to shoot the series (or as he claims ‘the movie’). He claims that making a movie out of one of the biggest legend’s work was a sure-shot wrong foot. Mira argues that he is wrong and that the original film is no masterpiece either. She also shuts him down by calling him ‘self-indulgent’ and that he should ‘stop whining’ to get over these second thoughts.
As far as Edmond’s side of the story is concerned, in this episode, he is shooting a horseback sequence that Rene shoots to perfection and is clearly happy with. However, Edmond is not pleased that everyone, including the new Asian actress, has an assistant.
Zoe and Mira share another steamy sequence together when Mira is playing a disguised man on the show. One can clearly see that their is some kind of sexual air between them that is further amplified when Mira asks Zoe to drop her off at the hotel. Both, we the audience, and Zoe anticipate some kind of sexual rendezvous, but when Mira blows Zoe off – we find that this is leading towards some kind of toxic rebound scenario altogether.
Irma Vep Episode 4 “The Poisoner” Ending:
After Zoe leaves, Mira is left alone in her hotel room unable to sleep. It is either because she is too in her head about the production, or that she herself did not like the way she treated Zoe back there.
Just then, Eamonn calls Mira and cries over the phone. He is upset and Mira invites him over. He then tells her that his girlfriend Lianna, who was recently pregnant with his child lost their baby.
Mira comforts him and tells him that she once had a miscarriage too when she was much younger. She also asks why he is not with Lianna right now, to which he tells her that both him and Lianna are busy with their work and can’t skip for any reason whatsoever.
While the two of them are at it, they share an intimate moment together and a hug turns into a kiss and the two of them end up having sex; leading Mira’s life into another personally problematic ground.
The episode ends with the usual ‘Coming Soon’ frame, this time with Gottfried staring at the screen as the episode title ‘Hypnotic Eyes’ flashes.
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IRMA VEP EPISODES 1 – 4 ARE NOW STREAMING ON HBO MAX & HOTSTAR
IRMA VEP EPISODE 4 LINKS – IMDB
IRMA VEP EPISODE 4 CAST – ALICIA VIKANDER, VINCENT MACAIGNE, ADRIA ARJONA, BYRON BOWERS, JEANNE BALIBAR, VINCENT LACOSTE
