TOO OLD TO DIE YOUNG (S1EP7+8) ”The Magician” & “The Hanged Man”: Martyrs & Angels Of Death

We’re almost through with our Too Old To Die Young reviews. I’ve said this before, but it’s a difficult show to get through. It requires patience and most episodes need to be mulled over for a day or two, let the themes and images just sit in your mind while you try to find meaning and make some sort of sense of them.

 The Magician

Episode 7, titled “The Magician” opens with Viggo and Martin reunited with Diana, who remains a complete mystery to me. Maybe that’s the point, but I can’t figure out what or who she is in relation to our characters and the narrative. She is clearly trying to purge the world from the evils within, but at times, she feels like a piece of a puzzle that doesn’t fit in here. This is not to say that Jena Malone is bad in her role. She plays Diana straight but wraps her in devastating mystery, like a raw flesh wound. There is something sad and tragic about her character; she’s isolated with her visions that give her the hits she then forwards to Viggo.

Diana has Martin sit within a triangle while she speaks softly of the violence that must occur. I can’t help but go back to the idea that Too Old To Die Young is very much a spiritual companion to The Neon Demon, from the neon lights to triangles and Jena Malone’s presence. It’s equally mesmerising and violent in more ways than one; both projects feature a world full of predators who prey on the weak of heart. With Too Old To Die Young, it’s unclear who the enemy is, the morals are much more convoluted, especially in “The Magician”.

Viggo and Martin are tasked to go kill a couple of irredeemable people who they slaughter in their house. Using the word ‘slaughter’ feels wrong when Viggo and Martin are as close to as you get to protagonists in a NWR film, but slaughter is exactly what unfolds on screen. Martin enters the home of a man and a woman claiming to want to talk to them about recent home invasions. Viggo enters and shoots the man while Martin stabs the woman, her blood staining the wall. Viggo comes in the room and shoots her again, her blood once again hitting the wall behind her. The blood now forms wings behind the dead woman, like an angel.

Violent Fantasies

The episode then cuts to Janey’s birthday party. She’s finally of age! Martin must be relieved, but we find him standing alone sipping on a beer, isolated from the other guests. He is always in the frame on his own. Theo gives a cringey speech while Martin has murderous fantasies about massacring the entire party. Violence has now taken over him completely and it has become a fantasy, something to dream about rather than a necessity. He’s forced to contact his sleazy co-workers by Damian who wants to know whether the police know about the Mexican causing some trouble.

“The Magician” makes way for Billy Baldwin’s masterful and creepy performance as Janey’s father Theo. Constantly sniffling and snorting (don’t do cocaine, kids), Theo is a malevolent presence, without ever being violent or evil. Egotistic narcissist perhaps, but never evil. At time Theo feels more like an addition to an endless stock pile of fascinating, but rather pointless characters. Baldwin shines in the role, really milking the sleaziness of it. It’s a thankless, meatless role for Baldwin, who might have had the chops for something bigger and better, but as always, the filmmaking outshines everything and everyone in an NWR production.

Martin is ultimately left alone with Theo, who shows him a terrible cop film to which he masturbates loudly and Martin kills Theo, snapping his neck. Martin must call Viggo to help him get rid of the body. Poor Martin vomits after they watch the car containing the body get crushed. This is the first time we start seeing Martin show any kind of humanity and emotion. Miles Teller has been playing Martin with a very straight face, but that is now starting to crack and it makes for a fascinating watch. It’s unusual for NWR and precisely why it’s so interesting to watch. This is the first time Martin is upset and experiencing some sort of regret over killing someone, although Theo was no angel himself.

The episode ends with Viggo, who is now concerned for Martin and his morals after killing Theo and Martin heading over to see Damian. They find his house empty and bloodied, with two severed hands left to be found on the floor. Unbeknownst to them, Damien is held in an empty swimming pool by Jesus and Yaritza. He laughs in Jesus’ face and tells him he killed the wrong cop. Yaritza kills Damien. This will not end well, mark my words.

The Hanged Man

Episode 8, titled the “Hanged Man” is an episode that is near impossible to review because it’s an explosive episode that threw all my previous theories about where the show was heading out the window. My notes are scrambled and confusing and I had a small meltdown in my living room, having to hit pause several times to collect my thoughts. The episode contains some of the most shocking scenes in an NWR film to date, some violent, some not.

The episode really focuses on Martin, who we now know is in mortal danger because Jesus knows he was behind the killing of Jesus’ mother. The episode opens with a farcical re-enactment of Jesus Christ on the cross, Jesus being played by Martin’s Lieutenant at LAPD. Phrases like ‘fascism is goodism’ and ‘democrasy is my bitch’ and a heart around the word NRA are all scribbled onto the white board behind the Lieutenant, who carries a broom like it’s a cross. This is fake martyrdom, plain theatrics; the police force is now in show business and the show must go on. It’s a bold statement from NWR, who clearly has some thoughts about the police in the Trump-era.

Martin and Viggo are tasked with another kill. Viggo is on death’s door, unable to go through with a killing because he can’t stop coughing. Martin, now resigned from the LAPD, goes through with it on his own and takes Viggo home, where the older assassin asks Martin to hold him, almost as if to guide him through the mortal pain. It’s a touching scene. In “The Magician” and in “The Hanged Man” we’re seeing a lot more human emotion from all characters, especially Martin. This only makes me think bad things are coming.

Elsewhere Janey is talking to a detective about the disappearance of her father. Martin takes her to the beach where they walk around and sit peacefully, talking. They’re blissfully unaware that Jesus’ men are watching them, ready to unleash violence upon them.

The High Priestess Will See You Now

The men confront Martin and Janey and mercilessly shoot Janey through the eye, killing her and take Martin to Jesus. Jesus ties him up at one of the stables where he whips and beats him for days, until Martin is close to death. NWR makes connections between violence, power and sex; Jesus and Yaritza engage in several sexual scenarios where power is almost always lies with Yaritza. She either masturbates him, performs fellatio on him followed by her wiping his sperm all over him and inserting her whole fist in his mouth or penetrates him with the same whip he uses on Martin. Jesus seems turned on by the violence and the sense of control he regains from inflicting such pain on another man.

Yaritza also goes on a violent rampage of her own, killing several men raping girls in a seedy motel. She tells the girls to tell people they were saved by the High Priestess of Death and every time she says that I get goosebumps. The whole sequence is choreographed like a violent ballet where pirouettes are replaced with flying bullets. It’s a gorgeous scene and it certainly adds to the mystery that is the whole character of Yaritza. She has now established herself as the queen of violence, a force to be reckoned with and Cristina Rodlo plays her with such gusto and grace that it’s hard not to swoon.

A Shock Ending

After that comes the biggest shock of all time. Jesus kills Martin. Just like that. He chops Martin into pieces with a machete and all of a sudden all my theories about this show are invalid and out the window. We’re only on episode 8, for crying out loud! It’s a great twist, something I truly did not see coming. Characters, main or supporting, dying in an NWR film is always a rule rather than exception but this was one death I did not see coming so soon. It’s brilliantly executed and Miles Teller has brought so much charisma into this show I would lie if I said I wasn’t going to miss him. Although I am intrigued where we are headed now and how Viggo will react to the death of his colleague, friend even.

“The Magician” and “The Hanged Man” are both incredibly well executed episodes, full of shocks and a decent amount of gore. NWR has complete control over his artistry, unlike many other directors. He’s a perfectionist and it shows. Too Old To Die Young might be exhausting, but both of these episodes with their shocks and new emotional layers are incredibly rewarding to watch.

What did you think of that twist? Where is the narrative heading after that? Let us know in the comments!