Ray ends up in a bit of trouble this episode. However, both times, he shows he isn’t a simple hitman and makes a smart decision. Network FX Director(s) Nash Edgerton Writer(s) Scott Ryan Air Date 10/9/2018 Characters Introduced Dave Matt Nable Bobby Dorian Nkono Nick Edmund Lembke-Hogan Images and text in this post may contain…


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Ray ends up in a bit of trouble this episode. However, both times, he shows he isn’t a simple hitman and makes a smart decision.


Network
FX
Director(s) Nash Edgerton
Writer(s) Scott Ryan
Air Date 10/9/2018
Characters Introduced
Dave Matt Nable
Bobby Dorian Nkono
Nick Edmund Lembke-Hogan

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Jack or Dog?: Nick, Gary, Ray, Freddy

Considering how sloppy Freddy is, it seemed inevitable that cops would catch onto what he was doing right? Enter Nick who has been around for a while and nearly had the opportunity to at least but Ray and Gary. However, Ray catches him trying to report to his partner and Nick, like a dummy, gives himself up. Leaving the need to question: What to do with him?

Well, naturally that decision is up to Ray since Gary doesn’t like getting his hands dirty. We saw that with Vasilli. Someone who is worth mentioning because that whole robbery situation, but we’ll get to that in a second. Long story short, Ray lets him go because he doesn’t need the trouble of a cop’s death on him and because he hasn’t done anything around Nick. At least, Nick says he doesn’t have anything on him.

As for Freddy? Well, he says he is clean too so no harm, no foul. Just hopefully a better awareness will circulate through his organization.

Commentary

Nick (Edmund Lembke-Hogan)
Nick (Edmund Lembke-Hogan)

I think the one interesting thing to come out of this Nick thing is the idea that Freddy is someone the cops find worth watching. Which, honestly, hasn’t been the case for this show. He seems like a loan shark, at best, who has thugs like Ray beating people for money. Surely there are more interesting people than that right?

That is, unless Gary is under Freddy but considering how vulnerable Gary seems, without Ray around, I doubt that. For who would really let the guy who gets his people guns get robbed – twice, and not do something? Pushing the idea that, if anything, Nick was trying to work up the chain rather than seeing Freddy as a big catch.

But props to Ray for making the smart decision to let him live. For even if Ray is heavy into respect, letting Nick live also gives him an out in case he decides to leave his life behind. Also, the situation forces him to perhaps take anger management seriously for he really could have just killed Nick like it was nothing and have been drowned by the consequences. Making it seem Ray is evolving right before our very eyes.

Someone get me a tissue, our boy is growing up.

When You Fail Once, Try Again: Davros, Ray, Bobby, Dave

It seems Davros really isn’t going to let this Ray thing go even though he has seemingly moved on. I mean, he doesn’t even mention the situation to Freddy. Seemingly he has shrugged it off. However, Davros, who might be higher on the chain than Freddy, hence the desire for peace, decides he wants an audience with Ray. This time with him hauled in to push the point Ray is not on his level.

Problem is, Davros maybe a bigger man than Freddy but he also has crappier employees. Hence the many Ray has killed. This go around he has George and Lennie (Of Mice and Men), or rather Bobby and Dave, who are supposed to kidnap Ray and bring him to Davros. Issue is, with the offer of money, plans change. Then, a call back to the Vasilli situation, we learn Ray might have been the one to come up with the safe which has a passcode that is unknown. Leaving the boys frustrated to the point of Ray going from the front seat to the trunk.

Giving him the ability to get out of his cuffs and while Dave is getting an oxy cutter for the same, and Bobby some smokes, Ray gets away.

Commentary

Bobby (Dorian Nkono) looking confused.
Bobby (Dorian Nkono)

Is Ray supposed to come off as the smartest person in the sea of idiots and cowards? Davros, someone who seems like a big man, has the type of goons who easily get mowed down by Ray and outsmarted by him fairly easily. All the while Ray isn’t touted as a genius. He is either of average, or slightly above, intelligence.

But, then again, in what action show do you not have to suspend your sense of reality a bit? The man was in a shootout and didn’t get hit yet he can easily get kidnapped – outside his place of work. So either he got set up, he was off his game for that moment, or maybe Dave just so happens to be smarter than most? I want to believe that but then he was dumb enough to think Ray’s car was soundproof. Making it seem Ray was unlucky in terms of getting caught but lucky that no one seems to have the money, or willingness, to pay professionals.

Question(s) Left Unanswered

  1. Where exactly are Freddy and Davros when it comes to their respective criminal organizations? Are they at the bottom of the totem pole or middle? I refuse to believe either one are anywhere near the top since they’ve been shown as incompetent, one way or another, fairly consistently.
  2. Is Gary just doing his own thing and uses his friendship with Ray to have some sort of protection or is he part of someone’s gang?

Highlights

  1. Ray showing himself as adaptable and not as hot-tempered as he often has been. Pushing that he is growing as a person.

Low Points

  1. Davros and Freddy seem so inept at their jobs that it’s surprising Nick was even tasked to hang about Freddy and infiltrate his organization. Then again, the weakest link in the fence is always the best one to break.

On The Fence

  1. As much as I love Britt, this episode felt better than others since it didn’t try to split Ray’s life in two and just squarely focused on one half. Leading me to believe, since they do two episodes a night, for future seasons, they should have one episode being his professional life and the other his personal.


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