Rubicon: Season 1, Episode 9. "No Honesty in Men"

Production Designer: Henry Dunn
Set Decorator: Jacqueline Jacobson-Scarfo 

AMC's "Rubicon" is an incredibly underrated show. I'm no network marketing exec, but I think that the "Mad Men" and "Breaking Bad" audience that perused the show’s advertising campaign saw a drama based solely on a conspiracy plot that didn't have marathon legs necessary to maintain long-term interest. Heck, the tag line for the campaign was "Not all conspiracies are theories." In the beginning, while all of the players were being established, that was somewhat true. What has developed is a rich, character-driven, taut exercise of the psychology of people in jobs where difficult and heartbreaking decisions are made on a daily basis.

This particular episode of this particular show inspired this blog. I was watching “No Honesty” and noting the detail of the sets, and had a minor epiphany on one in particular. The show appears to derive a distinct influence from film noir, which springs from the plot and the writing.

I would have thought that I'd have been inspired by the posh digs of widowed socialite Katherine Rhumor (Miranda Richardson) that look like they could have been inhabited by Ingrid Bergman's character in Notorious, or the dingy Sam Spade bachelor pad dwelling of analyst Will Travers (James Badge Dale), or even the sickly and claustrophobic office setting at the American Policy Institute.

Instead, I zeroed in on the apartment of Andy, a woman Will spies on in a manner not unlike that of Rear Window, and determined that (minor spoilers throughout!) her place is the ideal hideout once he destroys a bug in his apartment.

As played by Annie Parisse of "Law & Order" fame, Andy is a mischievous, free-spirited painter who finds Will's honesty to be a fun and somewhat kinky lie. It was her bathroom that caught my attention.

Will Travers (James Badge Dale) in "Rubicon"

Now, as I thought about this new blog and how I would write about this set, I realized that analysis comes with a healthy dose of speculation. I feel that there are times when my speculation will highly outweigh my analysis, but speculation is much more fun. Aaaaaaaannnnd, I digress.

First of all, this bathroom actually looks like that of a "cheap" New York rental. It features inexpensive ceramic white tile (in two different shades, suggesting that the landlord did a patch job at some point), an old shower bar with a hint of soap scum, the builder's grade pedestal sink, and the completely unflattering three-sided mirror/medicine cabinet (also patch job updates). The light switches erupt with the loud click found in pre-war circuitry (which I actually find quite charming, since I have that in my house and that's the story I'm sticking to) when turned on and off.

Here's where the speculation comes in. I'm going to guess that Andy did not select the paint color for that bathroom. It's too much of a direct contrast with the palette of her paintings and the furniture, which I attempt to demonstrate in the still below:

Andy (Annie Parisse) in "Rubicon"

My, but AMC really likes their promo stills moody. But take my word for it, the walls and flea market style furniture found in the rest of her apartment are in neutral tones to serve as a backdrop for her abstract paintings, all of which remain on the warm side of the color wheel. I hope you can sort of see that in the shot above. This makes sense, as that warmth with a hint of spiciness is also reflected in the presentation of the character.

Therefore, my supposition is that Andy's position on painting the bathroom was either a) not a priority for her, or b) not allowed as part of her tenant agreement. The shower curtain, the footstool, and the linen armoire were selected to work with the existing color. Visually, the sky blue hue (which is a shade that, as a side note, "women loooooove" according to a mustachioed paint counter guy I encountered in Hoboken) and the stark lighting allowed the audience to clearly follow Will's movements in that tiny space as he hid his secret files on top of the armoire, while showcasing the cold and solitary nature of that act.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, then please try to catch up with "Rubicon" on AMC on Sundays at 9pm/8c. Those with On Demand can take advantage of a couple of 4 minute "catch up" clips to assist in doing so. It's worth the time investment, and such a pleasure to watch.

Blue paint color: Unknown, but Benjamin Moore's "Soft Jazz" is a similar look.