There is no new information in High Desert, that much is certain. Another protagonist who believes she can manipulate others to achieve her goals while feeling belittled by the results of her activities. Her problems, which are totally manageable, are the focus of this story. Although there are many complex ladies on film, this one seems to be a favorite, and we’re not sure why. She isn’t even endearing. Here is a summary of the first episode of High Desert.
Warning: Spoilers
Why Does Peggy Become A Private Investigator?
It is safe to say that Peggy Newman’s luck began to decline 10 years ago, specifically in 2013, when the DEA conducted a raid at her residence during a family pool party, forcing Peggy to flush down all the cash, cocaine, and marijuana. This was the company that Peggy and her husband, Denny, ran, and it was how they made their money. But that appears to have come to a stop after the DEA raid and Denny’s subsequent arrest.
Peggy, who is clearly no longer wealthy, is employed as a bartender in a restaurant with a Western motif today. Dianne and Stewart, her siblings, find the work embarrassing, but there isn’t much they can do or say about it. However, they have a specific reason for visiting Peggy. Peggy has been caring for her mother and residing in her mother’s home for the whole of this time. Because of this, Dianne and Stewart kept helping Peggy financially while still making mortgage payments on their home. But now that their mother has passed away, they no longer want to act in that way. In order for Peggy to be able to pay the bills herself, they ask her to obtain a better employment. In fact, Dianne and Stewart vow to support Peggy through any shift as long as she demonstrates that she is sincerely committed to personal growth. Peggy isn’t prepared for that, though. She is a drug addict, even though she won’t confess it, and all she seems to desire is to get by. Peggy continues to pick up her medications for her own addiction even weeks after her mother passed away. When she does that, we can see the self-pity on her face, yet she seems powerless to stop herself.
It’s unclear from High DesertEpisode 1 whether Peggy is truly upset by her mother’s passing, but she detests having to take care of herself.
Peggy must find a way to make money regardless of whether she wants to or not, and she does it by helping her friend Jeannie, who is having difficulties obtaining full custody of her son from her abusive boyfriend. Bruce Harvey, the private eye that Jeannie engaged to dig up information on her ex, has also simply vanished with her money. Peggy, who is watching TV with her buddy Carol, comes across a Bruce Harvey advertisement talking about a PI training program. Peggy believes that she can perform that job without a license or any training. She did appear to have some talent in this area, we must concede. Peggy discretely stole the man’s wallet when Carol was concerned that a man with a yellow hat was a federal agent who was following her. In the hospital, she could tell an adolescent was hooked to methadone just by looking at him. She is highly likeable and charming, which further endears her to everyone. Maybe Peggy is correct when she claims she can work as a private detective.
She appears at Bruce Harvey’s office the following day and insists that he return Jeannie’s money and give Peggy a job. Bruce is undecided about Peggy’s work, but he doesn’t have much of a choice with Jeannie because Peggy threatens to sue him in small claims court. Peggy views it favorably, in contrast to her siblings who do not recognize the financial potential of her position. Stewart is especially enraged by Peggy’s attitude because he notices that she is living a very opulent lifestyle. He advises her to reduce her spending or sell her coffee maker to pay the mortgage for one month, but Peggy can only respond that their mother is deceased.
The following day, Peggy returns to see Bruce. She prepared him coffee the other day just the way he liked it, demonstrating that she might make an excellent investigator. Going through his trash, which had far too many empty sugar sachets and much too few coffee cups, she discovered the recipe. But Peggy gets the job because she is able to stop his landlord, Mr. Geasly, from showing up to collect the rent for the previous two months, not because she is a skilled investigator.
Does Peggy Get A Divorce?
In the opening scene of High Desert Episode 1, Jeannie’s coworker Tammy makes an attempt to bring her down by bragging about her fiancé and the 2-carat ring she received from him, which Peggy claims has the appearance of a moonstone. Tammy was so enraged by that that she felt the need to argue with Peggy. She sent her a video explaining how wealthy her fiancé was and how he would spoil her with all the world’s comforts. However, Peggy had a keen eye, and she noticed a long-missing Picasso artwork in the background. Bruce is shown the video, and she informs him that it is some new business, but he thinks it is a scam. Peggy manages to persuade him to explore it with a little coaxing and prodding. She only wants to work as an associate or an intern and receive 30% of whatever he earns from his cases, but he encourages her to sign up for the PI training. Naturally, they negotiate it down to 10%, but Peggy now has a job. She discovers her siblings ignoring her calls and prepared to leave without telling her when she goes to tell them about it. Peggy is heartbroken by the way she is being treated, but she cannot argue that her life and her deeds do not call for any different treatment. She so decides to take some acid and go to prison to meet with her husband and request a divorce as her first move toward getting her life together. Peggy agreed to Denny’s request to put off their decision to break up until after he was released. However, Peggy needs a spotless record for her new position. She can divorce Denny, a felon serving a prison sentence, even if she can’t get rid of the prior accusations made against her. Peggy learns at the conclusion of High Desert Episode 1 that Denny was actually still married to her despite pretending to sign the divorce papers. In an effort to protect both her new career and her life, Peggy is enraged and prepared for this fight.
Final Thoughts
To be honest, High DesertEpisode 1 seems a little random. The people closest to this woman are tired of picking up the pieces because she won’t accept responsibility for her life. Tiny Beautiful Things, a similar series that we recall seeing in the past, is a touch more comedic than High Desert. We hope writers and producers of programs and movies would realize that characters like Clara or Peggy are not as complex as they are tiresome. This is what we got up to that time.
