This week, we open with a brief respite from the Tulsa heat and head over to the mystical, far-off land of Newark, New Jersey, where we follow hitman Samuel L. Jackson as he pulls off a hit on some unlucky schmuck. Boom, headshot. Instead of celebrating with his boss, Quiet Ray, he’s told to go West to Tulsa to take out Dwight Manfredi. Okay, I guess I should call Jackson by his character’s name, Russell Lee Washington. You probably know that Jackson is set to star in his own show, NOLA King, and this episode introduces us to the character before he gets to properly headline his own series.
Back in Tulsa, Musso asks Dwight about Deacon the terrorist. Dwight insists that Deacon is not coming back. I’m not sure how much time has passed since the last episode, but if it’s been more than a couple of days, Deacon is surely dead, having been buried alive in the Montague mausoleum. Actually, he probably died after just an hour or so, since he must have run out of air. I suppose that’s more merciful than starving to death, but he was a straight-up bad guy, so I’m not exactly shedding any tears over his cruel and unusual punishment. And, ya know, he’s a fictional character, so the Bill of Rights doesn’t really apply here. My budding sociopathy aside, Dwight asks Musso for a Federal Liquor License in exchange for all the information Deacon gave up under torture. Or ‘enhanced interrogation’ if you’re a Bush-era enthusiast.
It seems the license went through, as we’re treated to a brief montage (set to Bob Dylan’s Subterranean Homesick Blues) that features Dunmire’s signature booze replaced on store shelves by the Montague stock, much to the chagrin of Cole Dunmire and his gaudy polo shirt.
Over at the bar, Russell Lee Washington reacquaints himself with his old pal, Dwight. They did time in prison together. Around 20 years ago or so, Dwight saved Washington’s life, so they’re not just pals, but honor bound. Their meeting is friendly, and Washington says that he was asked to murder Dwight, but turned down the offer. He’s here to warn him that Quiet Ray is gunning for him.
Following the successful sale of the college kids’ ecstasy last week, an over-confident Tyson giddily throws some money around. He pays Dwight, earning his respect, and he pays Bodhi, who, while skeptical, is nevertheless impressed. The only problem is, Tyson is running a bit low on product, and would much rather buy (or steal) more drugs than make them himself, so Bodhi agrees to ‘bake’ more ecstasy for him so they can make a ton of money. They also decide to keep it a secret from Dwight, which seems like drama for its own sake. Does Dwight have a vendetta against party drugs? I mean, it’s just ecstasy, not heroin! (TV Squad does not condone the use of ecstasy or any drugs, no matter how much fun the cool kids make them seem)
Grace only has a cameo in this episode, but she effectively asks Dwight’s sister, Joanne, to take her under her wing, and she agrees! I reckon this is setting the stage for the two of them becoming a force to be reckoned with next season.
Speaking of cameos, Robert Patrick only has a single scene this week, and he doesn’t react well when Cole tells him that Dwight’s Montague bourbon is replacing the Dunmire booze on store shelves. He basically just throws a tantrum, smacks a still around with an axe, and daydreams about venting his frustrations on his own son. I’ve been critical of Manfredi’s mafia for not going all “scorched Earth” on the Dunmire clan, but maybe they’re doing it the right way, beating him at business until Dunmire implodes all on his own?
After looking at an old picture of a lady holding a baby (backstory bait for his spin-off, no doubt!), Washington goes, armed, to visit Manfredi at his house. He’s gone there to kill him. But he doesn’t. They’re pals, after all, and Quiet Ray is too much of a prick to murder a friend for. When Washington rings the doorbell, his gun is drawn, but by the time Manfredi answers, he’s changed his mind and put his weapon away. What follows is the best scene in the episode, maybe even the whole season.
It’s a showcase of Jackson and Stallone showing off their acting talents over a drink of the mythical Montague 50. In front of his guys, Dwight is “The General,” and is always ‘the boss,’ even when he’s being affable. He’s the leader, the north star. But here, with an old friend, alone, no witnesses, he’s just a guy, thinking about the life he’s chosen for himself, and helping his friend choose to live his own way. However, there’s an obstacle they both need to clear: after Washington turned down the hit, Quiet Ray sent two hitmen after him, to whack both Washington and Dwight. So the two old killers have to remind Quiet Ray why their shows have the word “King” in their titles.
But first, we stop at a nightclub where Tyson and Spencer are selling ecstasy before getting kicked out by security. They try to offer a 5% cut of the profits, but the security guy isn’t having it, and they’re politely shown the door. This will surely come into play during next week’s Season Finale.
Goodie, off-camera, points Dwight and Washington to where the hitmen are staying. Naturally, it’s the same hotel at which Washington had booked himself, and they’re booked at the adjacent rooms. Dwight and Washington team up, kick down the doors, and take down their would-be murderers with a single shot each… Well, Dwight takes two, since the first shot was non-fatal. Nothing like a little semi-justifiable murder to bond two old killers, right? In the aftermath, we learn that Vince himself is here in Tulsa. I have a good feeling he’s not going to survive the season finale.
Mitch has spent most of this episode laying low, since, after all, he did get blown up last week, but he gets a noteworthy scene that sees Cleo Montague (Bella Heathcote), who had been trying to quit him, realize that she doesn’t want to be rid of him. See? All it takes to get girls to like you is to get blown up and be as beautiful as Garret Hedlund. But it needs to be both. Alas, I’ve never been blown up.
The episode ends with Joanne getting kidnapped by Dunmire’s goons. Okay, now it’s personal! Nobody messes with Annabella Sciorra and gets away with it! She’s an angel and I will kill to protect her! I know Dwight feels the same way.
Zak’s Thoughts (I’m Zak)
I don’t get why Tyson is tiptoeing around Dwight. I know TV gangsters aren’t always fans of hard drugs, but like I said before, X isn’t exactly rat poison. Maybe it’s the idea of producing drugs being bad compared to mere distribution? But then it’s vertical integration, and that’s good for business people, right? I think Tyson is just making drama for its own sake.
I’m already game for a full Samuel L. Jackson show. He delivers a fantastic and understated performance in this episode, and his chemistry with Stallone is palpable. I hope they contrive a reason for Dwight to make a trip to New Orleans next year. The only thing I’m a bit skeptical on is the accent. He’s got a slight cajun accent that kinda dips in an out and I don’t mind it, but that’s mostly because I love the cajun accent. I think it’s the best accent ever. Remember Maine Justice from SNL? Best. Sketch. Ever.
Another actor who pairs really well with Stallone is Dana Delany. She only has a single scene this week, but they’re always jolly to watch together. I want her to ‘break bad’ so badly, she’d be a great unhinged villain if the show wanted to go in that direction. She’s far too ambitious to be ‘just the girlfriend,’ and I wonder if she’ll decide she can be more powerful puppeteering Thresher than supporting Dwight, you know what I mean?
There’s only one episode left. I imagine Vince and Dunmire will get killed (to death!), but I wonder if Quiet Ray will cut his losses or keep on gunning for Tulsa. Also, I hope Musso is keeping Bill Bevilaqua fed and watered in whatever detention center they’re keeping him. I’m also a little worried about Mitch and Cleo. I’d like to see them walk off into the sunset together, but I can also see Mitch refusing to abandon his new gangster life, or one or both of them getting tragically killed. Not that I want that to happen! I’m just saying, I can see it happening. We’ll find out how it all shakes out next week!
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