Graceland - General Discussion

[David T. Cole]

Your Jakes topic!

[formerlyfreedom]

A place to discuss particular episodes, arcs and moments from the Graceland's first season. Please remember this isn't a complete catch-all topic -- check out the forum for character topics and other places for show-related talk.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S2 promo! New episodes start June 11!

 

[formerlyfreedom]

So here's a jumping off point for everyone....

 

[formerlyfreedom]

When a cartel puts a hit on Mike, he returns to Graceland, finding the place changed.

 

 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

A couple of promos!

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEnXXutELl0

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOyyLYFPlng

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Paul: These guys are late.

Mike: I expect a certain level of professionalism from my professional assassins.

Edited June 12, 2014 by ElectricBoogaloo

[Dagny]

Oh Graceland. I should have watched the last two episodes of Season 1. The previously didn't help me much.

[Lady Calypso]

I liked the premiere episode; I think it really set up season 2 as a whole, and I liked seeing the small changes in all of the characters. I can't remember new guy's name (besides his nickname Bates) so I'm not really sure how I feel about him yet. So, Charlie and Briggs are together and it seems like they're definitely going to throw more hints of Paige and Mike. I did like Mike's new girl, Jessica. She's an interesting character. Hardass Mike is quite different from season 1 Mike, and I'm not sure if I'll like this version, but I'm very intrigued to watch his storyline grow.

 

Overall, good way to start off the season. 

[KittenPokerCheater]

So I guess Mike is going to have some PTSD from his abduction and have to be reined in by Briggs at some point.  And is Charlie using?  If Mike is moving back into his room, where is New Guy going to live.  Many questions so I think I'll keep watching.

 

Mostly, I'm not loving the newer, harder Mike who wants to be a rock star again.  

[Tara Ariano]

I checked back in on Graceland after dumping it in S1.

[Pyewacket]

I thought the premiere was fine -- it did what it had to do, set several of the S2 storylines in motion. I'm a little concerned by the sheer number of spoilers I've read about different arcs and new characters, because I'm not sure how they can all possibly fit into what is essentially a half-season, but since I have an inexplicable obsession with this show I'm in for the duration. 

 

I was sorry to see that the writers did not spend the hiatus thinking about how "show me, don't tell me" might be applied to Charlie. For me she is the one clunker of a character, and since her behavior proves the opposite I do not care how many times she is said to be the best agent ever who thinks of the people in the Graceland house as her family. (Doesn't that make throwing her in bed with Briggs on the regular a little weird? It just makes me think of that "So that's how it is in their family" quote from Ferris Bueller.)

 

 

[Pyewacket]

"How Well Do Graceland hotties Aaron Tveit and Daniel Sunjata Know Each Other?" 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[lynny]

The very best part of this episode was the shot of the chore wheel with the masking tape with New crossed off and Better Mike there.

[thuganomics85]

I wasn't aware that this was going to be on Wednesday now, so I just caught the premiere tonight.  Overall, I guess it was OK.  I am curious about the idea of Mike not only back in Graceland, but in charge now.  I can see plenty of conflict and drama with this, since Mike clearly is insecure over what went down in Washington, and it is making his desperate and kind of an asshole.  Plus, I have to think Briggs isn't just going to take orders from him with ease.  Nor, anyone in else on the team.  Could be intriguing; depends on how Eastin and the writers handle it.

 

Briggs and Charlie are already together.  Still seem to be heading that way with Mike and Paige, but I hope this doesn't mean they going to make Paige just hang around and be snippy or moody with Mike.  She was one of my favorite characters last season, and I liked the humor and no bullshit attitude she had then.  I don't want that to change.  I'm OK with them going the romantic way, but continue to have her snark, being tough but supportive, and loyal to the team.

 

The stuff involving Juan and his death, took on a whole new meaning for me, since I'm so use to seeing Pedro Pascal as Oberyn on Game of Thrones.  Pedro Pascal characters have not been faring so well this past year.

[Elsinore]

Still have no idea what that torture scene was all about.

 

I'm fairly new to the fandom, so I'm still catching up with s1 (thankfully they gave a three minute recap). I had no problems following along though.

[gazebo]

Judging by the look on everyone's faces after Mike announced that he picked all of them to be on his team; I don't think they are too happy.  Mike first came in all green and inexperienced and now that he's back, he's going to run the show.  It will be interesting to see how others will react to him now.  I think Briggs will handle Mike just fine.  As a matter of fact, I think Briggs will be the one to point out the mistakes Mike will be making.  Mike's extremely ambitious and I think that's going to get him in big trouble.

 

Thank God that this show is back.  I hate, hate, hate Summer TV which is the land of the reruns and I'm really looking forward to this show.

[formerlyfreedom]

Briggs digs up an old connection to help Mike get information; Paige pursues a drug manufacturer.

 

 

[ParadoxLost]

Haven't seen this mentioned.  But we're supposed to conclude that the woman and kid with the last name named Badillo that Charlie is watching is Briggs' dead girlfriend and his daughter, right?

Edited June 17, 2014 by ParadoxLost

[ParadoxLost]

They didn't know what to do with Jakes so much of season 1 that every time he shows up. I'm waiting for him to be killed off.  He's happy.  He's dead.  New guy.  He's dead.

[Rae Spellman]

Haven't seen this mentioned.  But we're supposed to conclude that the woman and kid with the last name named Badillo that Charlie is watching is Briggs' dead girlfriend and his daughter, right?

 

Juan Badillo was the guy Briggs killed last season. 

[thuganomics85]

OK, I'm confused about the Jakes thing.  Was he really delusional about getting to spend time with his son and everything?  Or was his ex lying to him this whole thing and setting him up?  If it was the second one, then that has to be a contender for one of the biggest dicks moves I've seen.  What would be the point of getting his hope up like that?  At the very least, go ahead and get the restraining order before he buys the apartment?  But, again, was I just reading the entire thing wrong and Jakes was forcing the reunion?  So many questions....

 

Briggs finds out that Charlie feels guilty that Juan's wife is falling apart, so he's now pretending to be a fellow recovering addict and bond with the widow of a guy he accidentally killed.  Yeah, that's going to end well.

 

Paige was really giving the looks to Mike both during the "arrest" and the final scene.  But I suspect the final scene will be a fake-out, and Mike is going to refuse and remain faithful to Emily Rose's character in DC.  Of course, I noticed that "New Mike" was totally checking out Paige in her underwear, so I think we could be getting a love quadruple/square this season.  But I suspect the current endgame couples are still Mike/Paige, Briggs/Charlie, and, twist!  Jakes/Johnny.  What?  Johnny was totally freaking out over Jakes moving out of Graceland.  Johnny would be lost without Jakes! 

 

Always good to see Benito Martinez.

Edited June 19, 2014 by thuganomics85

[SimoneS]

This episode made me remember why I gave up on this show last season. Almost nothing about the premise of this show or the weekly episodes makes any sense. No judge, and in Miami of all places, would grant a restraining order for a DEA agent without a hearing and cause and no police force would enforce it so violently. Why not just write a realistic custody battle? The rest the show is so eye rolling. The criminals in Miami  must be fools if they have not figured out that everyone in that house is in law enforcement by now. The chick who plays Paige is so hot. I cannot believe that she has to try so hard to get Mike or any man to sleep with her. 

 

I like Daniel Sunjata. He deserves better than this show. Surely, he could get a role on one of Dick Wolf's shows.

Edited June 19, 2014 by SimoneS

[Lady Calypso]

Well, the Paige/Mike thing is moving faster than I thought it would be. I have no trouble believing them hooking up or at least making out in the last scene. From what I remember, Mike and Jessica aren't an official couple because of her hesitation and I don't think they became a couple in the premiere. However, it still would be a dick move for Mike to hook up with Paige while having a sort of relationship back in DC. 

 

Oh, Briggs, what are you doing? That's worse than the stalking Charlie was doing! Although I did like his scenes with the widow because they showed a side to Briggs we haven't really seen, I'm worried that the two will start to like each other or some crazy shit like that. I hope not, because it would be a messed up relationship and Charlie would get hurt.

 

I was confused by the Jakes plotline as well. I could see a small window of Jakes pushing too hard and not listening to his ex about his son, but from what I can see, he hasn't really done anything wrong and she absolutely should have made things clear the moment he started pursuing his son again. I'm not sure if Jakes is entirely in the wrong here (I like the guy but I can see him being slightly wrong in this scenario) but I'm not sure why Jakes' ex is pushing him away to get to know his own son. That's actually pretty cruel;every kid should at least know who his father is, even if they're not completely present in his life. This kid is going to grow up, resenting his mom for keeping his dad away from him, that's for sure. But yeah, that whole scenario was ambiguous and hopefully they explain things more clearly. 

 

Oh, I have a really bad feeling about Johnny's safety this season. I just have a feeling like he's going to do something stupid to prove he can go undercover, or he'll just get tangled up in something far bigger. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Johnny: Do you want a hug?

Jakes: No, Johnny.

(big hug)

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I wasn't clear on what happened with the ex either. When he called, she confirmed that he was coming over the next day which implied that he had already set up this time and she was fine with it and then BAM!  What the hell, woman? Unless Jakes is having a psychotic break and totally misinterpreting, "You stay the hell away from us, you jerk!" as "Why, yes, it would be great if you came over and spent some time with your son," then that was a dick move on her part.

 

Another dick move: Mike telling Bates he has to move out of the house because he wants his room back. Where is he supposed to go for six weeks? But I did find it kind of funny that Johnny chose that time to announce that Jakes had moved out so Bates could move into his room.

 

I thought it was stupid for Charlie to yell, "BRIGGS! Are you anywhere in this house?" and then go announce to everyone else that his car was gone. If you knew that, then why were you yelling his name? Did you really think he moved his car and then snuck back into the house for an elaborate game of hide and seek? I also thought it was stupid for her to get so mad at Mike about Briggs going to Mexico. You've met Briggs before, right? You know he does whatever he wants regardless of what anyone tells him, so blaming Mike is pointless.

 

On the other hand, I thought it was ridiculous for Briggs to be pissy about her being out at night without telling him where she was going. She goes undercover for a living so maybe she's working. Secondly, they don't seem to have a regular boyfriend/girlfriend relationship and even if they did, she doesn't have to report her every movement to him. But thirdly, they live in a house with a bunch of their coworkers. That can be overwhelming/annoying sometimes, so maybe she just wants to take a walk or not be around all the roommates after a long day at work. Even if she hadn't been stalking Juan Badillo's wife, it's not like she and Briggs need to be joined at the hip 24/7.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

The team tries to find the bus line responsible for smuggling contraband into the country; Tuturro sells an antique gun to the son of a cartel leader.

[Lady Calypso]

When he called, she confirmed that he was coming over the next day which implied that he had already set up this time and she was fine with it and then BAM!

 

 

I don't think she was necessarily fine with it. She seemed hesitant on the phone, almost as if she wanted to tell Jakes that he couldn't come over. Not that I agree with her turn-around in the very next scene because I think it was a bitch move. But maybe she wanted to talk to Jakes in person about the situation. It still doesn't mean she has to be so rude about it. It felt like she wasn't acting like an adult about it and if she had a problem with this, she should have sat him down and talked to him about it instead of giving him hope and then yelling at him the moment he came to the front door.

 

Another dick move: Mike telling Bates he has to move out of the house because he wants his room back. Where is he supposed to go for six weeks? But I did find it kind of funny that Johnny chose that time to announce that Jakes had moved out so Bates could move into his room.

 

 

Yeah, I think this was definitely a dick move. Where was Bates supposed to go while Mike was still there? It wasn't like he was moving back permanently or anything (well, not yet anyway). That was a bad call on Mike; at least use the full team that you have instead of kicking the one newcomer out. But yeah, I had a feeling Johnny would spill but I still laughed at how nonchalant he was about it. "Oh yeah, guys, BTWs, Jakes moved out and is pushing for a desk job". Heh. 

 

Everyone seemed to be pushy this episode. Briggs with Charlie about the cartel, even though she has perfect reason to be upset; Charlie with Briggs disappearing and not telling her (to me, she was acting a tiny bit clingy); Mike with him trying to kick Bates out and almost trying to rush this investigation. The only two I think were perfectly justified in their pissy moods were Johnny and Paige. I think Jakes could be justified, but we obviously don't know the whole story with him and his family. 

 

Also, what was with Briggs showing up at Charlie's undercover job to have a chat about the Mexico trip? Unless her undercover job already has Briggs as part of it, why confront her there? 

[dubbel zout]

I'm worried that the two will start to like each other or some crazy shit like that

I would be very surprised if that did not happen.

 

When he called, she confirmed that he was coming over the next day which implied that he had already set up this time and she was fine with it and then BAM!  What the hell, woman?

Seriously. Either let Jakes see his son or don't, but to jerk him around and sandbag him like that is cruel. And I knew Jakes would destroy his son's room the moment they showed him looking at it. I wish the show tried a little harder to stay away from the easy cliché.

 

Another dick move: Mike telling Bates he has to move out of the house because he wants his room back.

 

Is that really Mike's decision? He may be in charge of the team, but who made him head of household?

[helpmerhonda]

Did Charlie really have an FBI file of Badillo's wife handy while she was undercover working at the tattoo place? That was what she handed to Briggs, right?

[Easyspreestep]

Did Charlie really have an FBI file of Badillo's wife handy while she was undercover working at the tattoo place? That was what she handed to Briggs, right?

 

Of all the WTF moments in this show, this had to be the worst.  What FBI agent goes undercover and keeps random FBI files of the people they are watching in the business they are working undercover.  Way to blow your cover.  

[freebie]

I'm sort of glad this show is back because it's got that nice blend of eye candy and eye roll-inducing stupidity that make it a good summer show for me. Everyone looks great -- I'm digging the gray in Briggs' beard, Jakes is transformed, and there are new characters. Yay! Plus, the WTF-ery is at very high levels already. In addition to the issues mentioned above, how about Briggs getting a sit-down with the head Caza honcho, who then made him fresh -- and I mean fresh! -- goat stew. So ridiculous. 

 

Also, I love how Mike's bus investigation is now dove-tailing into his "who put the hit on me?" investigation. Is his bus theory, which didn't seem to be panning out, the reason why new!cartel is after Mike or just some kind of crazy coincidence? Also in WTF news, Charlie flouncing out of the op in a fit of pique? -- whatever, girl. I so wanted to see Johnny's move after she left him hanging. Please tell me he has a "lip thing" in his repertoire, too!

[3girlsforus]

I'm completely lost with the restraining order... First whether the mom was hesitant on the phone or not she clearly said 'we'll talk about it tomorrow' and confirmed he was coming over. Then they give him the restraining order AS they are arresting him for violating it. WHAT??? He was invited and did nothing wrong. Being served with a restraining order is not something you are arrested for and you can't violate a restraining order that hasn't been served. And all of this is assuming she could walk into a court and say 'My son's dad wants to see his child. Give me a restraining order.'

 

Edited to add that a restraining order can be enough to end a career for a Fed. 

Edited June 20, 2014 by 3girlsforus

[Irishmaple]

Nice to see Briggs's curse continue.  The man can't even pet a goat without the poor thing having its throat slashed minutes later.  If I ever saw Briggs approaching, I'd take a second to admire the pretty and then run for my life.  Everything he touches ends badly.

 

I enjoyed the Briggs/Charlie chemistry last season when they knew they shouldn't hook up despite the attraction and I wish they'd kept to that because I don't like Charlie in this relationship.  Her concern for Briggs came off as clingy to me too.  She was really snappy to everyone around the table too.  No wonder they kept her in the dark.  I didn't care for Charlie in the Team Mom role last season, but Brigg's Girlfriend is worse, I think.  I wanted to watch Briggs repair his friendship with Charlie after tricking her into believing in him after her doubts; the romantic relationship isn't working for me because it's based on him continuing to lie to her.

 

If Briggs does develop a relationship with the Widow Badillo, I'm going to be so happy because it's just the kind of thing a guy with his history of bad decisions would do.  It's his fault she's struggling so his motivation is genuine but it's Briggs.  There's nothing he can't screw up.

 

I have no idea what's going on with Jakes.  It seems like he gave up his parental rights, abandoned his child and is now trying to re-insert himself into his son's life. He was really premature in providing a bedroom for his son because the kid doesn't even know him and would likely resist overnight visitation.  This seems like a baby steps issue and Jakes is sprinting.

[dubbel zout]

I don't think Jakes legally (like it matters on this show) gave up his parental rights; I think he removed himself from his son's life because of his undercover work. Now he's wanting to make up for that lost time and is asking to be a part of his son's life. But his ex is making things difficult. (If they're going to demonize her, it would help to put across her POV more clearly. I don't need to agree with her, but I'd at least like to know her reasons for being such a jerk.)

 

He was really premature in providing a bedroom for his son because the kid doesn't even know him and would likely resist overnight visitation.  This seems like a baby steps issue and Jakes is sprinting.

 

Agreed. His kid didn't even know who he was. He called the other guy Dad. Jakes should have spoken with a family-law attorney before starting any of this; at least that way he'd know what his rights are. He's been naive.

Edited June 20, 2014 by dubbel zout

[miles2go]

Hi!  First time posting on this forum. <waves at group>  

Anyway -- I'm rather lukewarm about Graceland.  Watched the first season, and decided I wouldn't bother with a second -- but then I forgot to remove it from my DVR record list. Figured as long as I was recording it, I may as well watch it. (because I'm lazy that way)

 

So far, season 2 has been okay, though.  I'm interested in the new guy; what's his story?  And Mike trying to throw him out was a wee bit high-handed, wasn't it?

 

And as for Jakes, I really feel for him.  I think he's had his son's best interests at heart all along, he removed himself from his kid's life in order to protect him, but now is trying to move too fast to be a dad again.  I didn't quite catch whether or not he was married to his son's mother, or whether he was recorded as the boy's legal father.  If not, he may have some difficulty establishing any parental rights.    I agree with the comment that he should have seen a lawyer first.

[thuganomics85]

Well, I totally called Mike/Paige wrong.  They do end up hooking up, and seem to be continuing to do so.  I still think something is going to come up over him sleeping with Emily Rose back in DC.

 

This was kind of a brutal episode for almost all the characters.  Jakes is now turning to the bottle, and acting like a drunken fool.  Johnny feels disrespected by Mike, and almost got shot in the back while undercover.  Paige gets stabbed in the hand and has now lost the girl.  Charlie is still down on herself for believing the worst of Briggs, while Briggs continues to have to hide the fact that she wasn't that far off.  In general, Mike just can't seem to be a leader, without coming off like a jerk.  Yeah, getting rough over there in Graceland.  Have a feeling this might only be the beginning.

[luckyroll3]

In general, Mike just can't seem to be a leader, without coming off like a jerk.

 

Mike is coming across as quite the dick.  And it's clear that he thinks a leader just makes people do what he wants without considering/trusting their knowledge, expertise, etc.  Quickest way to lose your team.  And I'm not sure where the "Johnny is incompetent" thing is coming from.  From everything we were shown last season, as much as Johnny was a goof/easy going, he was also always on point and successful in any of the missions he participated in.

[freebie]

This episode didn't really engage me. I feel like they moved the ball forward on some aspects -- got in with Carlito, finally got somewhere with the buses, but so many other things are just stuck or are drifting. Paige has her new quest involving the Russian girl, Jakes is wallowing, Briggs and Charlie are still a hot mess, and even if Mike isn't up for Boss of the Year just yet, I do think that Johnny isn't exactly helping his cause. He did go off script to acquire guns that weren't the right fit for the op, he is unnecessarily cocky about some things, and he does have a huge chip on his shoulder for reasons unknown. I hope we get to learn more about Johnny this season -- his character/motivations are kind of a mystery to me. Maybe because he really did play that comic relief role a bit too much last season I have a hard time understanding angst-y Johnny. And from various interviews with Eastin that I've read, his storyline has the potential for even more angst, so I hope there's a plan to show us what's driving him. So far, there was that one scene where he was complaining about being just the tactical guy, or whatever, and that's a start, but I'd like to know more.

[FireFoxy]

I feel like Paige is going to get involved in a human trafficking ring. That poor girl.

 

Jakes is heartbreaking. I hope he gets it together.

 

Charlie's trauma makes me feel awful for her. But Briggs befriending the widow is going to come back and bite them in the ass.

 

Mike and Paige are hot and adorable but him still being in a quasi relationship with that other woman is not cool. Paige deserves better.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

While I agree that Mike not trusting Johnny to go undercover seemed out of the blue (Mike seemed to trust Johnny's undercover skills just fine last season), I ended up so annoyed with Johnny.

First he went off book with the antique gun angle to cover for Charlie's freak out at the bar. When Mike tried to warn him that this was not a great idea and that the guy was a violent psycho, Johnny ignored his concerns, even after Charlie pointed out the guns wouldn't work since they were French, not Mexican. Before going in, Johnny insisted that Mike not send in the team and blow their cover.

So when Johnny's stupid scheme didn't work out and he almost got shot in the back, how did he have the nerve to blame Mike for all of this? Dude, just suck it up and admit that your play didn't work out.

I do agree that Mike's idea of leadership seems to veer into "follow my orders without question" territory. Given what a dick he was for most of the episode, I was surprised he let Johnny go to the meet at all. That's why I'm doubly annoyed with Johnny's hare brained scheme backfiring. Don't let Mike think that he's right to go all "my way or the highway" with everyone in the house! If you're not going to do things his way, you better make sure your plan is awesome.

Drunk Jakes was getting dangerous. He head butted his buddy Johnny! While I don't think Bates should have whipped out his gun, I can't really disagree with him about not being threatened in his underwear.

Jakes was a dick to demand his room back. Dude, you moved out. You packed all your crap and took it with you. That means you don't get to come back the next morning and try to kick the new guy out of your former room!

[Irishmaple]

Do none of the agents have a handler or oversight from their individual agencies?  Is there someone at ICE who might be interested in the fact that Jakes is going through major emotional and mental turmoil, getting himself to the point that other agents actually find him dangerous to be around?  Is there no-one at DEA or FBI who might be concerned by the fact that over half of the house's population is sexually involved with fellow agents?  That Charlie is losing her edge?  It seems like it might be time for a visit from Human Resources because the house dynamics are starting to look more dysfunctional than the people they're chasing.

 

I still enjoy Briggs trying to be a good guy while having no intention of telling Charlie the truth.  I love his sideways approach to solving problems.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Briggs and Charlie engage in risky behavior to atone for past misdeeds. Jakes uses his own secrets to sell his undercover at a garage. A night of clubbing with Carlito forces Tuturro to examine how far he'll go for a case.

 

According to the promo on USA, no new episode the week of the 4th of July:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xB_pwknCoo4

[3girlsforus]

Do none of the agents have a handler or oversight from their individual agencies?  Is there someone at ICE who might be interested in the fact that Jakes is going through major emotional and mental turmoil, getting himself to the point that other agents actually find him dangerous to be around?  .

 

No kidding... I would think they would have to know since a restraining order is a legal proceeding. It's a really big deal when an law enforcement person, especially a Fed, has a restraining order issued against them. But it's like Graceland is totally autonomous with the exception of Mike checking in with his quasi-girlfriend. I'm not sure what she is anymore since it seemed like she was his girlfriend and now he's sleeping with Paige and it seems like that is more than just a one-night stand. Isn't this is guy who was uncomfortable even dating a girl last season because he had to lie to her about what he does for a living and he doesn't like being dishonest with women???? 

[Beezella]

That was brutal when the guy stabbed Paige's hand. I guess he caught the webbing between her thumb and forefinger, didn't catch a tendon or anything like that. It really was Mike's fault for pushing the escalation of purchase.

[lynny]

They've certainly done a great job of making a whole lot of characters completely unlikable in 3 short episodes.

 

Mike is just a dick, and frankly he sucks at being in charge. It's like everything he touches fails miserably.

 

Jakes used to be cool, now he's a drunken sad sack. If this is going to be his character arc, then just write him off the show.

 

Johnny used to be the comic relief but he also always seemed more attached to the housemates as his "family". Now he's a pouty, angsty whiner.

 

That's three guys who I enjoyed watching last season, even when they did go through down times. But constant down times is not something I need to see every single week. 

 

And, since it can't be said enough, Mike is the worst at being the boss. The absolute worst.

[thuganomics85]

OK, I hate to say it, but I don't think I'm liking this season so much.  It's just getting too dark and dreary for me.  I like my dark shows, sure, but I prefer this one when it's lighter.  Instead, we've got Jakes still falling apart, Paige is stuck in a dark sex trafficking plot, Charlie and Briggs are dealing with Juan's widow and all that drama, and Mike standing around, being boring and angry.  And, then there was this stuff with Johnny.  I felt all his stuff was more suited for an FX show.  Using those drugs to get those girls high enough to party with them, and God knows what else (all in order to maintain his cover, of course.)  Very disturbing, and not in a good way.

 

Seriously, I know it's way to early to be nostalgic, but I'm already missing the S1 days, where Johnny made wisecracks, Jakes was labeling all of his food, Mike suffered some friendly hazing, and Paige was everyone's best wing-woman.  There was drama in that season too, but at least their was some fun and humor countering it.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

A surprise visitor to Graceland upends the power dynamics and puts Mike in a precarious position. Tuturro risks his undercover with Carlito to help Lucia, but he makes a desperate move to earn it back.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-u_6rqls6YI

[Irishmaple]

I'm still enjoying the show though I agree it is darker.  I thought it was pretty dark last season too though with Odin Rossi turning out to be Briggs, deceiving everyone, killing Badillo.  For me, the show was most enjoyable when it was darker.  I really liked Mike watching movies with Bello, never sure whether Bello was his friend or about to shoot him dead.  I liked watching Briggs try to dig himself out of a corner by hurting everyone who trusted him.  I liked Jakes better when he was disenchanted with the house.  Johnny was my least favourite character because he was so unconvincing as a FBI agent so watching him actually work is interesting to me.  I agree he pushed the limits in supplying the drugs to the women, but they made the choice to accept despite already knowing Johnny was the wingman for a complete jerk.

 

I feel for Charlie, weighed down by her guilt in trusting Jangles, which did not lead to Juan Badillo's death, and in distrusting Briggs, who was responsible for the homicide.  Despite the sex and the emotional connection between these two, Briggs has tied that poor woman into knots.  The payout seems like something that could come back to haunt Charlie, though.  If Mrs. Badillo contacts the FBI for any reason or if someone from FBI human resources does a follow-up, the scam will unravel.  I thought Mrs. Badillo's reaction to the cheque was good too.  She might have wanted the insurance money but, as long as the FBI wouldn't pay up, there was a chance that Juan might still somehow be alive.  The cheque was an acknowledgement that her husband really was dead, and it hurt her.  I thought that was a nice touch in the writing.  I loved Briggs' guilt and self-loathing on display while comforting her.  That relationship is really appealing to me in all its disturbing, twisty goodness.   

[formerlyfreedom]

Mike and Briggs go to extremes to find Paige while she is undercover with a sex trafficking ring when the Solano case goes to pieces, seemingly due to an act of sabotage.