Zen the Hard Way

On the dark comedy Enlightened , the road to peace has a few banana peels

Art Streiber for TIME

Amy Jellicoe (Laura Dern) cannot take a hint. In the first episode of Enlightened , having had an affair with her married boss, she's transferred to another division. This is meant to paper things over, but she does not go quietly. The last we see of her before the opening titles, she is wrenching an elevator door open, cursing, makeup bleeding down her face, a melting birthday cake of fury.

Amy's breakdown earns her a stay at a new-age retreat in Hawaii. She meditates. She reflects. She swims with turtles. Then she goes back to work, ignoring the nervous smiles of her...

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