For years now, Desna has dealt with different world-renowned gangs to make it out of poverty. Has she finally reached the end of her rope?
Network | |
TNT | |
Director(s) | Carrie Preston |
Writer(s) | Doug Stockstill |
Air Date | 7/28/2019 |
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Recap
24 Hours: Benedict, Melba, Mac, Desna, Dean
Benedict, aka The Professor, decides as restitution that Desna, Mac, and Melba have 24 hours to get him 3 million dollars. Otherwise, they’d all die and to encourage Desna, he makes it clear Dean will join them too. Since, you know, Triads believe in wiping out a whole family tree and not just pruning a branch.
Embrace The Darkness: Polly, Joe, Governor Patel

While Desna is worried about making money, Joe is worried about loose ends. Specifically, Governor Patel since he is part of what has the Triads feeling exposed. So, Polly, per Desna, is tasked to go with Joe and she ends up crossing a line. Not with Joe, but a mental line. One in which, as Joe strangely struggles to kill the governor, Polly assists and with that, she has either snapped – period – or maybe snapped back into place.
It’s hard to explain, but it seems Polly used to operate in fear, but in keeping Joe from dying, the issues stemming from not saving her twin were lifted. Thus she may not have returned to a sense of normal, for herself or the viewer, but definitely has reached a new chapter in her life.
Paying The Cost To Be Middle Management: Mac, Melba, Desna, Benedict, Quiet Ann, Chad, Bryce
Despite all the property Ruval left, which I assume the government must have seized, Desna is freaking out about that money. Luckily for her, Mac and Melba know Chad. You know, Chad who gave Bryce a book deal which he was excited about until he learned Chad was a white nationalist. That Chad.
Someone who happens to hold not only confederate memorabilia in his home but gold bars. Which the team steals but they lose Mac in the process. But, at the very least, Benedict is happy. Granted, he tasks Desna with killing Melba since he can already see her becoming a liability, but who is Melba compared to Ann, who is getting sick with worry?

Luckily for Desna, despite the trying few days she has had, she has just enough left in her tank to lie to Ann and end the drama.
Collected Quote(s) & .Gifs
It’s like after looking into all that darkness, I can finally see.
— Polly
Review
Highlights
Polly Embracing The Darkness
On Claws, character development leans more towards things happening to characters and them adapting than us really exploring their psyche and watching them grow. For example, with Jen and Bryce, because of Desna and the whole Dixie Mafia stuff, their development has been all about outside forces testing their marriage and them adapting. On the flip side, with Desna and Polly, we got their history, and see them not just knowing better, when it comes to how to act in certain environments, but have a sense of their mental and emotional state.
Like, when it comes to Desna, you can see when she is at that line before she is going to start hallucinating, we’re seeing dance numbers or people from her past. With Polly? While she is more tell than show lately, who needs subtly to be the only driving force of a narrative right? Sometimes you need a character to just lay it out, as Polly does.
Thanks to not saving her sister, Polly has lived with a sense of guilt which contributed to the negative state of her mental health. For at that moment she could have saved her sister, she froze, and it seems the world went dark. Luckily for her, however, Desna became a lightbulb that kept the shadows of past regrets away, but with Desna pushing Polly towards Joe, who doesn’t have a glow to him, it forced her to walk into the darkness and realize her eyes can adjust. That maybe she isn’t as mentally or emotionally weak as she thought. It’s just between her grifting and coddling by Desna, she didn’t get to know her full potential.
And that ladies in gentlemen is development. Scared Polly, the odd white girl who tries to be down and often times is struggling to find her place, to one ready to serve, now maybe even kill, for the mental block in her mind could be gone.
Clay Is A Big Boy Now
Let’s not discount Clay’s development, just because Desna and Polly’s is a bit more noticeable. While his seemed random, particularly due to it being part of Virginia’s off and on awakening storyline, it has stuck since earlier this season. So we must note how nice it is that with Toby clearly in his feelings, missing his sugar daddy, Clay honors his feelings over this longing for someone to step into the place Juanita used to inhabit. Maybe even embraces the idea Toby could possibly step up and give him that emotional support?
That is, rather than keep seeing Brenda, lie to Toby, and then Toby popping a cap in Brenda and maybe Clay too.
On The Fence
Benedict, Like Every Other Villain, Seems Like A Reem In A Giant A** Ladder

Point blank: Escalation is one of Claws’ biggest issues. There always has to be this new gang, this new threat, one bigger than the last, and it is at a point where it has found a routine it is likely going to stick to. Which sucks since it shows the program doesn’t really have much of a desire to coerce us to take its villains seriously.
Take Zlata. With her we could have had a multi-season villain, perhaps a frenemy, who taught Desna the ropes, helped her expand under her, and maybe once Desna got too good, and was threatening, we could have transitioned to showing Zlata trying to backstab Desna. However, Claws is mid-key like fast food. It’s more about the quick fix than really taking its time to deliver something that gives you long term satisfaction. But, let’s be real, and never forget, Claws is a comedy with dramatic elements and a satirical tone. So it is a bit unfair to expect the world from a show which doesn’t want you taking it too seriously.
Chad
A great example, and I know this review has way too many of them, is Chad. Between the cops showing up to break up his protest, and him being friends with the cop, to the stuff he says on his porch, Chad is the epitome of a Claws character. Someone based off a stereotype amped up a bit to maybe not be fully three dimensional but can present the ruse of being human. Which makes the idea, as Mac and Melba exit, him playing the B-story villain, as the Triads take over for being “Big Evil,” worth hunching over a bit. Even if he fits the times we’re in and what Florida is known for, to a point.
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Claws - Episode List
Character Guide |
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Collected Quotes |
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Current Status |
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Season Reviews |
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Season 3, Episode 9 “Melba Toast” | In the penultimate episode of the season, a lot of feelings are aired out, and a familiar threat is presented to challenge Desna’s crew. |
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Season 3, Episode 6 “Fly Like An Eagle” | All eyes are on Dean as Desna becomes desperate to bring him back under her wing. Leading her to boss up to accomplish that goal. |
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Season 3, Episode 7 “Chicken Pussy” | Quiet Ann finds herself blowing up Mac, Melba, and Desna’s spot and with that, it is determined someone has to die – and someone does. |
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Season 3, Episode 8 “What Is Happening to America” | For years now, Desna has dealt with different world-renowned gangs to make it out of poverty. Has she finally reached the end of her rope? |
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Season 1/ Episode 2 “Funerary” |
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Season 1/ Episode 3 “Quicksand” | As Virginia comes up with an elaborate tale of what happened to her, Uncle Daddy also works up some manipulation to get what he wants for this situation. |
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Season 1/ Episode 5 “Batshit” | With uncle daddy paid off, now the only thing Desna has to worry about is someone learning about her and Virginia’s involvement in Roller’s murder. Well, that and Dean losing his mind over the Coombses. |
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Season 1/ Episode 4 “Fallout” | As PTSD starts to effect Desna heavily, and Uncle Daddy gives Bryce a reason to have it too, we finally learn the truth about Polly. |
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Season 1/ Episode 6 “Self-Portrait” | Desna may actually have a quality man in her life. But will he be willing, and able, to deal with her being a rock for so many people? |
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Season 1/ Episode 7 “Escape” | It’s time. Desna is going to ask to be free but with Jenn being a bit unstable and Dean off with Virginia, there is so much that could go wrong just in one day. |
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Season 1/ Episode 8 “Teatro” | Roller somehow goes from kidnapped by the Russians to walking around freely. Alongside this, he is acting funny. Making Desna, Virginia, and everyone else who knows the truth about him getting shot, antsy. |
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Season 1/ Episode 9 “Ambrosia” | As Roller tries to get a handle on his situation, Bryce’s unraveling causes a major threat to Uncle Daddy’s operation. Alongside this, we get to see how Desna became part of Uncle Daddy’s operation and got with Roller. |
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Season 1/ Episode 1 “Pilot” [Series Premiere] | Claws is not a show to be slept on. For with Niecy Nash’s experience, combined with her co-stars, you get a program which certainly will make your jaw drop. If you don’t find it predictable. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Season 1/ Episode 10 “Avalanche” [Season Finale] | Many sacrifices are made, financially and by means of body count, for some semblance of peace. Leading Claws to have a finale which has Desna break even, but with a whole lot more on her plate. |
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Season 3, Episode 5 "Zaddy Was A Rolling Stone" | Just as it seems Mac and Melba have cut ties and made peace with Desna, Mac tries to hold onto Dean and stirs up trouble. |
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Season 2, Episode 1 “Shook” [Season Premiere] | The Russian takeover goes anything but smooth, especially as Riva’s sister Zlata comes about and decides she doesn’t like the way Riva handles things. |
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Season 2/ Episode 2 “Cracker Casserole” | Zlata continues to be an empowering force in Desna’s life. Something needed as Dean and Virginia present some surprises. |
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Season 2/ Episode 3 “Russian Navy” | With the introduction of Ruval’s mother comes Desna questioning if it is over as it has just begun. However, Zlata, through Clay, shows her what she needs to do. |
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Season 2/ Episode 4 “Scream” | Quiet Ann comes into full focus as her family, inner thoughts, and a few things she has been holding back are revealed. |
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Season 2/ Episode 5 “Vaginalologist” | Desna comes to a crossroad in which her loyalties will lay and Zlata does something which makes the decision go from difficult to easy. |
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Season 2/ Episode 6 “Double Dutch” | After Desna’s discovery in the last episode, and what happened to Bryce, she finds herself retreating to the last person who made her feel safe to rediscover herself. |
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Season 2/ Episode 7 “Burn” | Desna begins to make moves which will have dire consequences. Including possibly pissing off the wrong people. |
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Season 2/ Episode 8 “Crossroads” | With Desna hitting rock bottom, the question isn’t when she’ll pick herself up but how and whether her next plan actually succeeds. |
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Season 2/ Episode 9 “Til Death” | We finally get to “meet” Polly’s twin sister Lillian as Desna makes her final plans for her wedding to Ruval. |
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Season 2/ Episode 10 “Breezy” [Season Finale] | The saying goes, “You have to pay the cost to be the boss” and damn has/does Desna pay for the title. |
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Season 3, Episode 1 “Just the Tip” [Season Premiere] | Claws returns in style and with drama. Including a twist you might not have seen coming in a million years. |
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Season 3, Episode 2 “Muscle & Flow” | Desna starts feeling the pains of being a boss as Mac and Mable assign her duties which may not make big money, but are necessary for the day to day. |
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Season 3, Episode 3 “Welcome To The Pleasuredome” | Just as Desna thinks she got Melba and Mac in check, they remind her all that ambition won’t make up for lack of experience. |
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Season 3, Episode 4 “Boy, Bye” | Desna comes to fully realize she may be way out of her depth as Melba checks her. Also, as that happens, Dean pushes away Virginia for Mac. |
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Chad - 70%
Benedict, Like Every Other Villain, Seems Like A Reem In A Giant A** Ladder - 75%
Clay Is A Big Boy Now - 80%
Polly Embracing The Darkness - 85%
78%
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