So this episode paralleled the first episode, only this time, it was from Annie's point of view. Eventually, she gets to the same point she was at when Owen connected with her as they began this experiment.
We got a bit of backstory on Annie. She's a druggie who won't accept the severity of her addiction. She's desperate to buy more of this 'A'-shaped drug, the same one Owen was taking. She uses her connections to talk with a lady working for this pharmaceutical company and get her into this experiment in the first place so she can take more of these drugs. Initially, Annie failed the test to be eligible for this experiment. Her mind had defense mechanisms in place that she doesn't even consciously know about (though it's obvious she will eventually).
The experiment took her on a journey with her sister as they trekked to the beautiful mountain area of Utah. They have character-building conversations, and it's revealed that they are not on good terms. The trip felt like a last hoorah before Annie's sister gets married.
These life-like simulations are kind of scary. They prey on these characters' real-life experiences and memories, yet they are limited, to an extent, by the user's subconscious. What'll be interesting to see is whether these approval tests the subjects first had to pass were dependent on their submissiveness and willingness to accept what they're told, or if the minds of those who fail the approval tests are too difficult to convince. This has the making of a more direct mind-control version of Inception written all over it, but it'll be interesting to see how it differentiates itself. So far, Maniac has not done anything all that unique. But with eight episodes left, there's plenty of time to shed some light on what's behind the curtain. What is the motivation behind this pharmaceutical company? What are they trying to accomplish? Are we in some Brave New World, or is there something more devious at work?
Keep in mind, in the mind of Owen, Annie is supposedly his contact sent by his brother in his alternate reality (as a result of his schizophrenia...or is it real?). The experiments do not seem to be connecting the subjects into one reality; rather, each character has his/her own world they go to/are sent to.
One other weird thing that's going on is the robots. Early in the episode (in the real world), Annie was talking to this robot that looked like a toy house you build for your kids in the backyard, and the robot apparently had the memories and/or consciousness of her father. Sounds bizarre, I know. Maybe there's something going on with this experiment that involves jumping multiple consciousnesses. What I hope doesn't happen is that we discover the real world we're in now is actually inside a simulation or another consciousness, as well. It'd take me a while to name every movie that follows that storyline path.