Hightown: Season 2/ Episode 5 “Dot Dot Dot” – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

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Things heat up as multiple rash decisions COMPLETELY alter people’s relationships and their mortality.

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Aired	11/14/2021
Network	Starz
Directed By	Eagle Egilsson
Written By	Lloyd Gilyard Jr.

Recap

Friends & Employees – Charmaine, Frankie, Jorge, Vernon, Osito

With Charmaine making Jorge and Frankie a lot of money, you see there is still a bit of a power issue between all parties. Charmaine wants and tries to assert herself, but between Frankie and Jorge, neither take her seriously. They admire her gall, but she is just a kid new to the game to them.

But, while they may underestimate and disrespect her, Osito is already putting in that work for her and has Vernon cooking it up. Mind you, with a stern warning not to get hooked, which Vernon says isn’t going to happen.

A Series Of Unfortunate Events – Renee, Frankie, Daisy, Jorge

After giving her a black eye, Jorge feels terrible so he plans a romantic night out. The thing is, between Renee seeing the black eye and Frankie? Both feel a bit uneasy about Jorge and Daisy’s relationship. However, while Frankie originally seemed to care about Daisy’s well-being, what he was actually doing was presenting a test that Daisy failed.

You see, in Frankie’s mind, if Daisy could snitch on Jorge about giving her a black eye, who is to say she couldn’t say something to a cop? So, he murders her without Jorge’s permission or knowledge, which leads to a tiff between them since Jorge doesn’t trust Renee.

And you know what? Rightfully so. For when Jorge is sent to the club, for the sake of an alibi, he and Renee get into a verbal back and forth, and, accidentally, Renee shoots him. But, the kicker here is, she shot him but could have called Frankie and kept Jorge alive. However, she instead makes sure he dies and uses migrant workers to get rid of the body.

This Is What Desperation Looks Like – Ray, Ethan, Renee, Ed, Jackie, Alan

With word getting out that Alan is working with Ray, Alan finds himself forced to drop Ray and reiterate there isn’t a return to the force. This is a bit devasting to hear since Ray was making progress, doing good police work, and thought this could be his means of getting back in people’s good graces. However, it seems nothing has changed.

Though to make matters worse, Ethan, the kid Kizzle beat the hell out of, Ray thought he had a tip for him, another means to maybe impress the brass, but really he was just getting set up. The kind of setup where Ray doesn’t get robbed or killed, but he does get the hell beaten out of him. However, as a silver lining, before he takes a gun and contemplates suicide, Renee shows up, says she loves him, and oh! Did we mention she decided to not abort Ray’s baby?!

Leaving Jackie. Things with Leslie were going good, and there was banter, nude pics, and it seemed like Jackie had it all! I mean, she has a girl, her career is going places, with Alan even complimenting her on her police work, and she had surrogate daddy Ed to hang out with as he makes the biggest catch of his career!

Then things went to s***. Jackie said she loved Leslie and things went silent. Ed didn’t catch the Scrodfather, and then Jackie went off on Ed in a way that got personal between them. Which, based on previews of the next episode, aren’t going to be easily forgiven.

Things To Note | Question(s) Left Unanswered

Question(s) Left Unanswered

1. Was Ray about to kill himself?
2. So is Charmaine never going to hear about Frankie and Jorge killing one of her dealers?
3. What happened to Junior’s ex? She just went quiet for quite a few episodes.
4. So is Ray not going to try to heal the relationship between him and his son anymore?

What Could Happen Next

1. Renee becoming a CI again
2. Jackie self-destructing as Ed potentially cuts her off
3. Frankie’s empire imploding due to paranoia

Review

Highlights

Surprise Deaths

I wasn’t really expecting Daisy to die, and certainly not Jorge! Never mind both in the same episode, and by Frankie and Renee’s hands, respectfully. This sets off a domino effect since Daisy’s death triggers Jackie to investigate what may have happened to her CI. Then considering Leslie is acting funny, you can expect her pulling a Ray and acting irrationally to get a win. Add in Renee’s feelings about it, maybe Junior’s ex getting involved, and you can see a mounting headache for Frankie.

As for Jorge’s death? The main thing to think about with that is Frankie seemingly doesn’t like to work alone. Yes, he is a boss and enjoys having a certain amount of control. However, he has blind spots and not just Renee. He is a man with an ego, a machismo if you will, and while Jorge definitely was rash in his decisions, as shown, so can Frankie.

So there comes the need to wonder how paranoid is he going to get with Jorge up and disappearing? Lest we forget, the last the two saw of each other is when Frankie killed Jorge’s girl, and Jorge seems like he could be petty. Granted, not go to the cops and snitch petty, but definitely the type I could imagine finding a new partner and taking Frankie out to assert his dominance. Which leads me to wonder if Ed’s problem with the Scrodfather could eventually lead to Frankie seeking him out as a new go-to for his organization. Since you know damn well he isn’t going to give Charmaine any real props.

Reminder That Immigrants Are A Diverse Group

Too often are immigrants seen as those from Central America, where they are just the ones popularized. Whether it is the Caribbean or central-western EurAsian countries, immigrants come from everywhere and are equally exploited. So to see and hear from about the Jamaicans who work in the cape was a nice change of pace. Especially with them all making sure, for the work people like Alan and Renee wanted, they got paid for their information or services – because a “Thank you” really doesn’t mean a damn thing.

Osito’s Friendship With Vernon

Osito is honestly just a big teddy bear with sharp teeth and claws. But, for the most part, I think if you don’t mess with him, he’ll treat you like a sibling. Now, am I forgetting how he treated Kizzle and Junior to a certain degree? Yes. Yet, similar to Ray, I think Osito has come to the point of realizing he doesn’t have much in the way of friends, so now when people try to form those bonds, and it appears mutually beneficial, he tries to foster and protect that relationship.

Ray

Ray, without question, is that character who works well with anyone, no matter what is going on with their storyline. He makes Alan’s dull behind interesting, and their buddy cop duo seems straight out of a film you forgot about. Jackie? Their back and forth has this giddiness to it that tickles you. But Renee? Oh, that’s explosive right there. Especially since Frankie is alive and now with Jorge disappearing? Man, you know Ray is going to be a suspect in Frankie’s mind, and I don’t recall how many weeks Renee is at this point, but you better believe Jorge’s warnings about Renee are going to come to the surface of Frankie’s thoughts.

On The Fence

Alan

With him dismissing Ray comes the fear that Alan will return to being a liability on the show. And with Jorge and Daisy killed, the chances of Alan joining them in the next life seem slim to none. Which honestly sucks.

The Potential Of Jackie Having A Downward Spiral

Characters like Jackie are in a perpetual cycle of doing good, and everything being on the up and up, and then their lives falling apart. The problem with Jackie is, if you compare this season to the first, her as an addict, whether sex, drugs, or alcohol, isn’t that interesting. It is proof that a dramatic storyline doesn’t necessarily make an entertaining one. It’s much more interesting to tap into her troubles with love, her complicated relationships with Ed and her father, and storylines that require development and aren’t just a means to try to keep her at the forefront of the show.

But, with Jackie being the female lead of the show and Ray often surpassing her by miles, she has to do something to close that gap.

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