East of Eden (TV Mini Series) Part Two (1981) User Reviews

Powerful mini-series inspired by a great novel. Dark, violent and seedy but balanced in the end by a moral lesson.

[Larry41OnEbay-2 · 7/10 · 27 September 2020]

SPOILERS: Adam and Cathy are living in the Salinas Valley in California. Cathy has given birth to twin boys. Shortly afterward, she told Adam that she is leaving him, and shoots him in the shoulder when he tries to stop her. As this episode begins Adam is devastated, but eventually recovers with help from his loyal Cantonese servant Lee and his old friend Samuel Hamilton. Lee and Hamilton relate to Adam the story of Cain and Abel, and tell him that God's admonition to Cain - "Timshel", Hebrew for "thou mayest" - symbolizes a human being's freedom to choose between good and evil and forge their own path in life. Inspired, Adam becomes a devoted father to his sons, whom he names Caleb ("Cal") and Aron. He tells them that their mother is dead. Meanwhile, Cathy changes her name to Kate Albey and finds work at a whorehouse in Monterey. She endears herself to the madam, Faye, who eventually puts Kate in her will; Kate then murders her and takes over the whorehouse. Adam tries to win her back, but she rejects him and tells him that Charles is the boys' father. (It is left ambiguous whether she is telling the truth.)