Episode Grade: (8.0/10)
Bunny’s desire for revenge is threatening to tip Kingstown over the edge leaving Mike caught in the middle of a war he can’t stop.
Plot (42/50)
Wendy was the one who let Bunny out and made the investigation into Robert officially go away in what was a nice twist because now Mike owes her a favor. Bunny hasn’t been out for 48 hours and is already wrecking havoc. He and his crew robbed a gun shop in broad daylight in what is the ultimate sign of aggression. The police are seeing it that way too, but because of Mike’s connection to Bunny, they are offering him a chance to make things right by returning all of the stolen guns. Bunny tells Mike that he is willing to return the guns if he gives him Robert in return. Mike obviously denies this request, not that it mattered as Bunny sent a hit squad after Robert. It’ll be interesting to see how Mike sides now that Bunny has gone past the point of no return, especially if Robert is dead, which I don’t think he is for the record. Peace is crumbling, war is on the horizon, and Mike is powerless to stop the impending chaos. Furthermore, he will have to contend with potentially fatal threats in the form of Evelyn, the Bloods, and/or the AB. It was nice to see Evelyn hold her ground instead of rolling over for the sake of the plot. Evelyn is definitely not someone Mike wants as a threat, so why isn’t he considering offering up Milo in order to regain some goodwill with her? Has he completely given up on Kingstown? Is that why he agreed to exchange Iris for the bonds? Also, why isn’t Kyle trying to stop him from making what is by all accounts a terrible deal? Maybe he won’t have to now that the deal is complicated by Iris’ murder of Joseph. One thing Kyle should definitely try to stop is Tracy leaving him. The poor woman has had enough and simply can’t bear to watch Kyle continue down the dangerous path he’s on. Finally, among all the craziness, it was devastating to see the manner in which Jacob Reed’s subplot ended. Mike not getting to him in time was expected, but for the kid to end his life the way he did was absolutely brutal.
Character Development (12/15)
Iris continues to be Mike’s Achilles heel. Kyle explicitly asks him what Iris means to him in this episode and he was not able to answer. I wonder if the discovery that Iris chose to return to Milo would make a difference for Mike, although given how he’s behaved with regards to her so far, I doubt it. He was understandably behind for the entirety of the episode, but it just goes to show that in his line of work, the margin for error is practically non-existent. He was out of the loop for a day, and during that day, Bunny was released, Ben was murdered, Robert was cleared, Jacob was moved, and Iris was spotted. All five events took place in his absence, and as a result, none of them were used to contribute to peace in Kingstown. Mike acts in the paramount interest of peace, and others follow suit as long as he’s present to referee said peace; however, in his absence, each side only has its own individual interests in mind. Mike’s alliance with Wendy, coupled with the DA’s murder, has marginalized Evelyn to the point that she might soon become the biggest threat to his system. It’s nice to see the consistency in her character. The same can be said for Bunny, who just can not get over the way the DA broke their promise when all he was trying to do was re-establish the peace per Mike’s plan. Like Evelyn, he’s been pushed too hard, and now Kingstown is feeling his wrath. Bunny reminds everyone that he is, first and foremost, a gang leader. Sure, he’s been a peaceful and reasonable gang leader, but a gang leader nonetheless. I thought he would need another catalyst to push him over the edge, but it seems his stint in prison was enough. Another character that was pushed over the edge was Iris, who couldn’t take any more harassment and let her rage out on Joseph. Her decision to return to this life remains the most bizarre decision made in the show. Tracy has also reached her limit and can no longer watch as Kyle’s life unravels. One could argue that she should take a more assertive approach, but it seems unlikely that Kyle would respond positively to such a strategy. Moving back to her father’s place is a sort of silent protest that leaves the door open for Kyle to make amends when he’s ready to do so. As you may have noticed, this was an episode that saw many characters pushed past their limits, which means there will be plenty of big decisions made in the finale.
Theme/Messages (3/5)
- Truces work for only as long as people are willing to compromise. As soon as one person reneges on their promises, it is inevitable that the rest of the agreements fall apart.
Acting (12/15)
The dynamic between Jeremy Renner (Mike) and Tobi Bamtefa (Bunny) always delivers. I really wish they’d give Aidan Gillen (Milo) more screen-time.
Cinematography (11/15)
- Nothing of note.