S02.E07: Chapter Fifteen

[Door County Cherry]

Quote

Facing career-ending accusations and potential jailtime, Perry must turn to Strickland to stay ahead of the prosecution; Della presses Hamilton for answers; Paul enlists Clara to infiltrate a wealthy white suburb. 

 

[thuganomics85]

Whelp, it looks like all of the pieces are coming together and it's going to be a classic: the familiar face is behind it all!

Because, yep, baring any more twists, it certainly looks like Camilla/Hope Davis was the mastermind behind Brooks' murder because he was going to expose Lydell's illegal "smuggling oil to Japan" scheme thanks to his own less but still illegal scheme of selling the decoy fruit to other countries and the FBI catching wind of that particular scheme.  And I guess if Lydell had gone down, she would have as well.  Still wondering how the Gallardos themselves will end up factoring in and if they really will still end up being her hired guns.  It also looks like that assistant of hers (I think?) might be involved since it was his wife that Paul was trying to follow this entire time.  So many unanswered questions: hopefully for now!

Also, Pete really was the one who broke into the safe but he at least feels guilty about it and is now back on Team Mason.  Of course, that revelation led to classic moment where Perry and Pete beat the shit out of each other on a bridge and then share a smoke and laugh it off.  That's how they settled most issues in the 30s, right?!  Granted, I'm not sure if Della and especially Paul will be quite that forgiving judging from their initial reactions....

Looks like Hamilton really is being blackmailed to try and close this case.  Definitely worry now that Della will be next.  Have to imagine all of these scenes with her new squeeze will play a part in this.

Glad Paul is more open now with Clara about everything going on with him.  They make an effective team.  Hopefully that nosy neighbor would cause them problems going forward.

No sight or mention of Ginny.  Still wonder if she'll show back up.

Finale next week!

[paigow]

Rich Pool Lady Camilla - surprising Why .. but knew she wanted Brooks dead...

[paigow]

10 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Looks like Hamilton really is being blackmailed to try and close this case.

Explains why he might be just a regular prosecutor next season... if he still has a job...

[paigow]

Does anybody working at The Art College read the newspaper or listen to the radio??? Even if the acceptance was sent before he got arrested, it should have been rescinded by now...

Edited April 18, 2023 by paigow
bad grammar

[paigow]

11 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Glad Paul is more open now with Clara about everything going on with him.  They make an effective team. 

Who would have guessed Paul & Clara would be Depression-Era Harry & Helen Tasker???

[EtheltoTillie]

I'm confused:  Who is really the mastermind behind the oil smuggling--Hope Davis or Mr. McCutcheon?

Did Pete just break into the safe on a whim?  Or was he provided with some info? 

So Constance the "hophead" was the super talented pianist?  Oy.  How did she manage to play, practice and perform? 

 

[Chicago Redshirt]

3 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

I'm confused:  Who is really the mastermind behind the oil smuggling--Hope Davis or Mr. McCutcheon?

Did Pete just break into the safe on a whim?  Or was he provided with some info? 

So Constance the "hophead" was the super talented pianist?  Oy.  How did she manage to play, practice and perform? 

 

Just judging from what we've seen, they are uneasy partners. Lydell actually owns the oil and is producing it and arranges for shipping it. Rich lady Camilla has the social/cultural/business contacts to broker and continue the deal. It's funny because Lydell is crude and Camilla is refined. Oil humor.

Pete was under pressure to find something to undermine Mason, so I'm guessing he independently went rooting around and just guessed that something useful might be found in the safe. When he found the gun, he correctly guessed that the only reason it was there was because it was the murder weapon. I suppose it's possible that he was tipped off to specifically look for the murder weapon in the safe but the only people who specifically knew it was there were Mason, Della, Paul, Marion and the Gallardos, and none of them have an incentive to reveal that to anyone, let alone Pete. There was the red herring of Ginny having possibly overheard the nebulous comment that the smoking gun was in the safe, but there's no reason to suspect that she would betray Mason or that she specifically would be able to seek Pete out to tip him off.

Constance wouldn't be the first talented musician/addict.

Edited April 18, 2023 by Chicago Redshirt

[anniebird]

This show has so much going on that I have to watch every episode 2 or 3 times and then I have to come here so you all can tell me what I just saw.

[EtheltoTillie]

I'm still not sure how they're going to deal with the brothers.  How will they get leniency, even if the other folks were behind the murders also. 

[paigow]

7 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

I'm still not sure how they're going to deal with the brothers.

They will likely get murdered in jail... give Perry more guilt for next season...

ETA: If Atticus Finch passes the California Bar Exam, he would be the ideal partner for Perry in cleaning up L.A.

Edited April 19, 2023 by paigow

[Chicago Redshirt]

1 hour ago, EtheltoTillie said:

I'm still not sure how they're going to deal with the brothers.  How will they get leniency, even if the other folks were behind the murders also. 

Some possibilities:

1. In a tip of the hat to OG Perry Mason, where he rarely represented guilty parties, the Gallardos somehow are not the actual killers of Brooks despite all appearances. Perry somehow proves this in court and the Gallardos live happily ever after.

2. Perry and co. use what they know about the oil smuggling etc. to broker a deal where the Gallardos either go free or get way lighter sentences than they otherwise would.

3. One Gallardo takes the rap for the other, allowing him to go free. I would lean toward older (Mateo) taking the rap for younger artist (Rafael), but it could just as easily be the other way around.

4. Despite the courtroom heroics, one or both Gallardos gets killed in custody, making all this largely moot.

5. The Gallardos in fact don't get leniency and both get life without parole or similar.

[EtheltoTillie]

I really like the show, but some of it is preposterous.  The horse racing escapade went too far, but the invasion of the shipping vessel was beyond ludicrous.  They climb on and then just start carrying vegetables around and no one notices?  Then they manage to swim a mile to shore with those little life preservers?  No one noticed them climbing over the side? 

[sistermagpie]

17 minutes ago, EtheltoTillie said:

I really like the show, but some of it is preposterous.  The horse racing escapade went too far, but the invasion of the shipping vessel was beyond ludicrous.  They climb on and then just start carrying vegetables around and no one notices?  Then they manage to swim a mile to shore with those little life preservers?  No one noticed them climbing over the side? 

But we did get that, imo, hilarious moment where Perry wants to keep his leather jacket in case he's freezing on the boat. Bet he was grateful for that when they had to swim!

Edited April 18, 2023 by sistermagpie

[EtheltoTillie]

1 hour ago, paigow said:

They will likely get murdered in jail... give Perry more guilt for next season...

Maybe that is the conceit of this version.  Perry's clients prevail but commit suicide or die each season.

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, paigow said:

They will likely get murdered in jail... give Perry more guilt for next season...

1 hour ago, EtheltoTillie said:

Maybe that is the conceit of this version.  Perry's clients prevail but commit suicide or die each season.

It seemed pretty obvious the younger brother was already “punished” to the point of likely being suicidal. 
I have no appetite for seeing violence — or even the skillful suggestion of violence —on TV. 
But I respect that the writers et al. want to make a statement about the injustice inherent in the criminal justice system within the show.

[paigow]

4 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

No one noticed them climbing over the side? 

Most crew were on the other side handling the oil delivery.. but why was fruit thrown off that side exclusively? It would have been more efficient to use both sides for dumping...

[J-Man]

I'm confused about the woman who od'd in the Beverly Hills house. The close captioning identifed her as "Constance Barbour," and Phiipps called her "Constance." So its seems unlikely that she is his wife, since she does not use his surname. 

[EtheltoTillie]

1 hour ago, J-Man said:

I'm confused about the woman who od'd in the Beverly Hills house. The close captioning identifed her as "Constance Barbour," and Phiipps called her "Constance." So its seems unlikely that she is his wife, since she does not use his surname. 

She had a different surname professionally, as I understand it.  So I think none of us realized she was the wife till the OD scene.  I think they were trying to mislead us.

Edited April 19, 2023 by EtheltoTillie

[Moxie Cat]

On 4/18/2023 at 3:06 AM, thuganomics85 said:

Still wondering how the Gallardos themselves will end up factoring in and if they really will still end up being her hired guns.

My understanding is that Phippsy knew the sneaker guy whom Paul beat up, because his wife scored drugs in that part of town. Phippsy asked the sneaker guy to find someone to do the hit on Brooks. He hired the brothers. Multiple degrees of separation help ensure that the big cheeses aren't connected.

I like how everything is coming together, but I wish we'd had more twists...for instance, I wish Pete would have switched the guns, and we would have found out that the gun the cops took from the safe wasn't the murder weapon. Or, that Ham wasn't being blackmailed with evidence of his homosexuality (just because it seemed so obvious), but by something else that he was involved in.

My guess is that Mateo will take the rap for his brother, so he can go to art school. They were responsible for pulling the trigger, and it's going to be hard to tie Camilla to the murder when the sneaker guy is (presumably) dead - unless Phippsy flips. 

Something I don't understand: if the FBI is investigating Brooks and the oil/veg scheme, why does Camilla apparently have a mole there who is working for her? (OK, to be fair, there are multiple things on this show I don't understand - the need for repeat viewings is super accurate!)

[paigow]

6 hours ago, Moxie Cat said:

Something I don't understand: if the FBI is investigating Brooks and the oil/veg scheme, why does Camilla apparently have a mole there who is working for her?

The dude that Della was bribing was Agriculture not FBI. He was helping the FBI investigation but Camilla sent her minion to cut  Della off....

[paigow]

Camilla knows Burger is gay, so she is also his blackmailer.

Perry got his hostile witness confession; unfortunately, not under oath like the Raymond Burr iteration did.

[Dminches]

On 4/18/2023 at 3:26 PM, EtheltoTillie said:

I'm confused:  Who is really the mastermind behind the oil smuggling--Hope Davis or Mr. McCutcheon?

Did Pete just break into the safe on a whim?  Or was he provided with some info? 

So Constance the "hophead" was the super talented pianist?  Oy.  How did she manage to play, practice and perform? 

 

The same way all the other musicians in the 50s, 60s and beyond did it while being addicted to heroin. 

 

[aghst]

OK, I get that Pete and Perry are more than former colleagues, that they're friends and all.

But why does Pete owe Perry loyalty?  The DA was the one paying his bills so why should he feel guilty about getting the gun or even feel compelled to help Perry track down the plot and stow away on the ship?

I don't get Della and Paul's reactions when they find out it was Pete who broke into the safe.  Pete needs work from the DA's office, unless they're wiling to give Pete a retainer, some of that Sunny supermarket money.

Then Perry takes pictures on the ship and they swim back to shore.  Did they have such great waterproof cameras back then?  Pete threw away his cigarettes when they reached the beach so I'm curious to see what photos Perry is going to show from his adventure.

OK, now we can see the motivations behind the whole thing.  How did Della come to know Camilla though?  Or how did Ham know Camilla?  I guess just a society of rich people, even if Camilla was engaged in a possibly traitorous business deal?

I get greed but she has a LOT to lose if she's caught.  Not just Brooks' murder but treason.

 

But apparently they want a character already seen to be the mastermind or main perpetrator of the whole case.

They are going to lean on Phipps to testify but why wouldn't Lydell drop a dime?  Not to mention, those pictures from Perry's magical camera should be the smoking gun.

[EtheltoTillie]

7 hours ago, Dminches said:

The same way all the other musicians in the 50s, 60s and beyond did it while being addicted to heroin. 

 

In retrospect I realize this, but what I think I was reacting to was the complete misdirect in her look and behavior. 

[Dminches]

4 hours ago, aghst said:

OK, I get that Pete and Perry are more than former colleagues, that they're friends and all.

But why does Pete owe Perry loyalty?  The DA was the one paying his bills so why should he feel guilty about getting the gun or even feel compelled to help Perry track down the plot and stow away on the ship?

I don't get Della and Paul's reactions when they find out it was Pete who broke into the safe.  Pete needs work from the DA's office, unless they're wiling to give Pete a retainer, some of that Sunny supermarket money.

 

So you wouldn’t be upset and surprised if a close friend and colleague screwed you the same way Pete did Perry, Della and Paul? I get that Pete needed to keep the ADA happy but he could have found something else like trial prep documents instead of opening the safe that the ADA didn’t even know existed. Not only has Pete potentially ended Perry’s chance of getting the boys off, he may have ended Perry’s career as well.  I would expect more from a close friend.

Paul and Pete don’t like each other to start, plus Paul is already close to the edge with this case. Now Pete screws them and shows up at their office.  I am shocked Paul didn’t try to kill him right there.

[shapeshifter]

5 hours ago, aghst said:

Then Perry takes pictures on the ship and they swim back to shore.  Did they have such great waterproof cameras back then?  Pete threw away his cigarettes when they reached the beach so I'm curious to see what photos Perry is going to show from his adventure....They are going to lean on Phipps to testify but why wouldn't Lydell drop a dime?  Not to mention, those pictures from Perry's magical camera should be the smoking gun.

I wondered about that too. From an online photo discussion forum:

Quote

I once put a 35mm roll of Provia through the washing machine (cold cycle). My lab told me I wasn't the first person. Of the 36 exposures, about 20 turned out reasonably unharmed....
https://www.photo.net/forums/topic/59912-film-got-wet/?do=findComment&comment=914491

Only one roll of 220 out of twenty had any damage at all and it was confined to the edges of the frame. Guess I'm one lucky dude!
https://www.photo.net/forums/topic/59912-film-got-wet/?do=findComment&comment=917961

🤷🏻‍♀️

[paigow]

On 4/22/2023 at 4:55 AM, aghst said:

but why wouldn't Lydell drop a dime? 

Nothing to gain...No leverage with Federal prosecutors... He violated the oil embargo... nobody cares if he ordered the hit on Brooks...

 

[paigow]

On 4/22/2023 at 9:07 AM, Dminches said:

Paul and Pete don’t like each other to start, plus Paul is already close to the edge with this case. 

Paul was ready to kill Pete after Perkins got arrested...maybe this is how Pete gets written out... 

[MsVixen]

Just finished binging this season and loved it.  However, in the credits for this episode, Don Swayze was listed.  Even after rewatching I still didn't see him.  Did any of you?  BTW, Don Swayze is Patrick Swayze's brother.