Episode Grade: (7.5/10)
Peace is teetering on the inside as the leaders lose faith in Mike’s ability to get them out. The bonds are taken by an unknown individual.
Plot (37/50)
The fragile peace between the leaders and Mike has not yet collapsed even though it seemed like them being moved to another prison would’ve been the final straw. It’s only until Kareem tells them outright that Mike can’t help them that the sentiment shifts. Somehow, Mike is still making promises even though there’s no substance to anything he says, as Rhonda blatantly points out. As expected, he’s trying to leverage the bonds to get the DA to hold up their end of the deal, but now that he’s lost those, how does he proceed? Does he go he to the DA with a deal anyways in the hopes that he might recover the bonds later? What if Milo already has the bonds? After all, he did tell Joseph that he’d have to clean things up himself. How much longer can Mike kick the can down the road? His plot is starting to get repetitive, the writers need to shake things up sooner rather than later. Kareem’s completely ignoring Mike, and it’s not quite clear why he’s absolutely refused to work with him. Nonetheless, he too finds himself under pressure after one of the three inmates he beat up is rushed to the hospital after collapsing earlier in the day. As a matter of fact, being in a new prison has put pressure on just about everybody. Despite having a clear numbers advantage, Bunny and co. don’t have the same sense of security they had at Kingstown because the guards heavily favor the AB (the whites). Bunny’s already felt the brunt of this corruption after being put in solitary for no apparent reason. That might be a blessing in disguise, as Bunny had just indicated that he would have to take matters into his own hands. Did he order the hit on the Mexican general, or was Big Swole making a power play on his own? The dynamic at the new prison is intriguing, but one would think that the bonds have to take center-stage moving forward.
Character Development (13/15)
This was one of those episode that’s light on the plot development and heavy on the character development. Mike’s still holding onto this idea that his word is enough. Rhonda, Bunny’s cousin, made sure to call him out at every available opportunity. Bunny was desperately holding onto the idea that Mike would come through, but the meeting with Kareem ended any wishful thinking he had at the beginning of the episode. Effectively, he’s lost faith in Mike’s ability to make good on his promises, and now that he’s no longer in denial, he’s retaking ownership of his life by running things his way. Kareem’s gone past not working with Mike to actively sabotaging him it seems. He knows exactly how anxious the leaders are feeling, yet he insists on provoking them by refusing to take any sort of responsibility over the deal he was a part of. Carney finds himself in a unique position of trust from both Mike and Kareem; there could be serious consequences if he decides to pick a side. Kyle has doubts over his ability to be a good father, and he’s also undecisive about whether he wants to work with Mike or rejoin the police force. Tracy, his wife, advises him to take the time to properly think things through, and that’s sound advice, but he needs to step up sooner rather than later. Finally, it was interesting to see Milo’s psychological dominance in play over someone like Joseph, who’s supposed to be a formidable crime boss but is reduced to begging for forgiveness in front of Milo. This was a well-executed sequence that preserved Milo’s character in the short time that he was on-screen.
Theme/Messages (3/5)
- There’s a limit to people’s trust.
Acting (11/15)
Jeremy Renner (Mike), Tobi Bamtefa (Bunny), and Taylor Handley (Kyle) kept things rolling with solid performances.
Cinematography (11/15)
- Nothing of note.