S01.E10: What Have You Done

[formerlyfreedom]

Puzzled by Catherine's disappearance, Baz hunts down all leads. With J caught in the middle, the cops close in on the Codys and threaten to take them all down.

 

[Chaos Theory]

Well Damn J you just became hella interesting real fast.  Were you playing the long game the whole time against stupid cop lady because Damn J.

I like the Baz/Pope/Smurf stuff a lot of family dynamics psychology in there.  Plus Smurf took care of two birds with one stone pretty effectively.

Who was the guy Smurf shot?  Was that her father?

Anyway I am glad this show got renewed.  It is crazy ass fun.

Edited August 10, 2016 by Chaos Theory

[I-Kare]

1 minute ago, Chaos Theory said:

Who was the guy Smurf shot?  Was that her father?

No, that was the guy from the flashbacks, the one she went and found and spent time with a couple of episodes back. 

[NorthstarATL]

I shouldn't have been rooting for the family, but I got a kick out of J turning the tables on that cop! Especially the bit about her pressuring his mother. So she HAS been at this a long time! She definitely had gone over the line, but probably thought J wasn't smart enough to call her out on it. The Codys are one twisted family, but I'll be back for more next season!

[Laurie4H]

I guess it leaves us wondering in that last scene if J is playing the cops AND the family?

Edited August 10, 2016 by Laurie4H

[I-Kare]

This finale fell flat for me, not sure why other than maybe a little of a letdown after what I thought was a great episode last week. 

But the last 10 min made up for the rest of the episode with the conversation between Smurf and Pope and then the family dynamics. 

Can't wait for next season!

(oh and I love the use of the The Prodigy track!)

Edited August 10, 2016 by I-Kare

[Valny]

Count me in with being surprised and liking what Jay pulled, especially since it screwed over that female detective who I DO NOT like. 

I was wondering where they hid that damn money! Nice spot.

That was pretty hysterical when Deran and Craig and were rolling around in the back of the truck with all the disgusting liquid. Gross!

But they should have knocked the trucker out, then got the cash.  And I felt bad for the guy being stuffed in that barrel. Come on guys,it might be a long time before anyone finds him.

Did anyone think the music was dialed way up tonight? I forget exactly where it was like that, it was definitely inside the house scenes, I think with Baz.... before and after talking to Lena or somewhere like that. I don't know, the music was just in your face,cranked up... plus I just didn't like the tune in general. I'm old.

Surprised that Smurf didn't use a SILENCER when she killed the guy. She's smarter than that.

When Baz was looking at the sliding door that was slightly opened....was that a clue or something that he had an idea what happened to Cath?   I'm glad at least he knows something is not right and that she would never leave her daughter like that.

That was a great little showdown with Pope and Smurf. I bet they loved playing that scene.

 

Edited August 10, 2016 by Valny

[Artsda]

Well J finally just got interesting. I did not see him knowing the cop lady as a child, she probably wasn't expecting him to remember her either. J finally got smart too, recording the conversations. Having multiple copies and threatening the cops to use the evidence against them. I'm so glad the cops didn't get their way. 

Is Nicky supposed to be older than J? Because if J/teacher is illegal, what is Nicky/Craig? 

Great spot for the money, so glad they didn't put it in the house or behind the washing machine. 

Can't wait for next season! I love the family drama and dynamics between them all.

[Valmarmar]

Watched the ep back to back.  Didn't want season to be over !!  

Deran and Craig - hilarious in the truck.

Pope's scene with Smurf was raw and telling from his perspective.

Agree w/Artsda above,  Craig and Nicky - illegal?   Definitely not cool - not only for the legality, but because of J.

J was fantastic in his scene w/detective!!  I give him the "Gold" !!!

I'll be back ~~~

[magdalene]

I have watched this entire season never really liking this family of criminals, I have watched them like you observe fascinating but repellent  insects.  But it did make me happy to see that J is a lot smarter than I thought, and that he got one over on that cop. I don't expect moral standards from criminals, but I do expect police to meet certain standards - given the power they have over the populace.  And black-mailing and using this teenager is not my idea of how police ought to conduct themselves.

That being said  I am not rooting for Smurf and her "boys" to have a happy ending - and from the way J was looking at Smurf and Co - I don't think he is either. Smurf is holding a snake to her bosom there. 

I'll be watching the second season.

Edited August 10, 2016 by magdalene

[lazylou]

53 minutes ago, Artsda said:

Well J finally just got interesting. I did not see him knowing the cop lady as a child, she probably wasn't expecting him to remember her either. J finally got smart too, recording the conversations. Having multiple copies and threatening the cops to use the evidence against them. I'm so glad the cops didn't get their way. 

Is Nicky supposed to be older than J? Because if J/teacher is illegal, what is Nicky/Craig? 

Great spot for the money, so glad they didn't put it in the house or behind the washing machine. 

Can't wait for next season! I love the family drama and dynamics between them all.

Maybe Nicky is 18... Could be....but Craig is definitely too old for her!   Though he  is not in a position of authority, either.

How does J really feel about this thing between Nicki and Craig....h can 't be too happy, no matter what he said to Craig.

 Great Finale!

[Rapunzel]

I do love this show and will be back next season. Loved the Smurf/Pope showdown and curious as to how that will play out. Somehow I can't see him actually leaving. I think, though he won't admit it, that he really does need the family and Smurf in particular too much. If he does leave, I think it would be short term.

He also appeared to have dropped Vin off at the hospital. There was an ambulance there, and I wonder if he will end up living and what problems he may cause. He looked near dead, but we never saw him actually kill him, so there's a chance he may survive. Pope may not have been able to kill him given that Vin protected him in prison and that he knows Vin isn't guilty of killing Catherine.

Also, if the truck driver lives, he may be able to ID Craig and Darren - they weren't wearing any masks. He may end up being too scared to say a word though, but they didn't pull a gun on him nor did he know what they took out of those barrels. I think they already had most of it in the bags and shoved him in one of the drums before they took out the rest. He probably assumes, however, that it was drugs/money/guns because, after all, who would hijack a truck full of used cooking oil?

I live in San Diego, and in this area, practically every other house has a pool and, as we're about an hour or so from the boarder, there is a lot of drug/contraband trafficking going on. Experienced law enforcement teams definitely would have checked that pool out for drugs/money/guns. They would have drained it if they had to and looked in every vent and every nook and cranny. It's actually been done in real life, in addition to tearing apart houses as we see in other shows. Here, however, all they said was "J said the money was in the kitchen" and didn't seem to look too hard for it. Smurf's house still looked pretty much as good as it usually does, so this was a bit of plot contrivance for me. However, I can give them a pass since it's possible they thought that they may not have had enough time to really hide it too well (though making an assumption like this is not very good police work). In addition, given that the lady cop is so incompetent, stupid, and arrogant enough to believe she had J wrapped around her little finger and that he wouldn't dare lie to her or set her up, maybe she could only pull together an inexperienced team and they appeared to being taking orders from her. Also, perhaps none of them had to check out a pool before so the thought never occurred to them - wouldn't surprise me, though I would have thought her partner was a bit smarter. If he had been though, he would have tried harder to stop her pimping out J and would have been more concerned for his well being and not covering her corrupt ass - he should have been looking out for himself. If that recording J made ever gets out, he's going to be going to jail right along with his horrid partner.

Nikki mentioned in one of the early episodes that she was just about to turn 17, if I remember right. That definitely makes her and Craig illegal, but she's high as a kite all the time, trying to get back at J and has Daddy issues, plus Craig isn't bad looking, so of course she's going to stay around him even though I think she would definitely prefer to get back together with J. I'm honestly kind of surprised that Smurf hasn't shown her stupid little ass to the door, though maybe she is keeping her around (and perhaps has even told Craig to help keep her pacified) for the moment just to help keep her Daddy under control (as evidenced by that scene where she made Paul go out the back so he would see his daughter snorting coke with Craig) and then will have Craig very rudely kick her to the curb. I have a feeling that there could be a chance Nikki may end up catching Craig with someone else, given his habits, before he intends to get rid of her because she is no longer useful, which may throw a wrench in their plans.

I also wonder if Paul will ever actually get paid or if they will kill him or just threaten to kill Nikki and/or the rest of his family if he doesn't back off.

This has taken so many turns from the movie (which I just re-watched over the weekend) and, at first I didn't think it had a chance to live up to the film and didn't think it could work outside Australia, but I love that it is set right in my back yard here in San Diego (Oceanside). I think it clearly works quite well here, and glad they chose here instead of some other US cities. Picking a city where they can also factor in the Mexico boarder to help with story lines as needed is a good choice as well, I think. I can't wait until next season and see where they take things and how the characters continue to develop.

Oh, also forgot to mention that I loved the last scene where J is watching corrupt lady cop arrest scumbag teacher. Wonder how much jail time she'll get, especially as the cops are not likely to put in a good word for her at all. At a minimum, she can kiss her job goodbye even if a good lawyer can get her sentenced reduced and possibly keep her out of jail (especially if it's her first offence). However, as she is a teacher, they can tend to be a bit harsher on them with sentences since they are supposed to be role models for the kids.

Edited August 10, 2016 by Rapunzel

[Laurie4H]

I don't feel that Pope is pure evil.  I think he is manipulated by Smurf and yes he is unstable. There was some remorse in his expressions when Baz was beating Vin and his emotions when his killed Catherine.  I think he was just doing whatever he could to win his mother's approval.

[Raja]

7 hours ago, Artsda said:

Well J finally just got interesting. I did not see him knowing the cop lady as a child, she probably wasn't expecting him to remember her either. J finally got smart too, recording the conversations. Having multiple copies and threatening the cops to use the evidence against them. I'm so glad the cops didn't get their way. 

Is Nicky supposed to be older than J? Because if J/teacher is illegal, what is Nicky/Craig? 

Great spot for the money, so glad they didn't put it in the house or behind the washing machine. 

Can't wait for next season! I love the family drama and dynamics between them all.

While illegal, just like the detective knows Pope murdered decades ago, we are back to prove it. Also it is low on enforcement priorities if she is 17. Her teacher or a cop having sex with her would have the DA filing, just some boyfriend with her within sight of the age of consent unless the parents or media made a stink would probably be a pass by the DA. And the only witnesses they have is Nicky herself, but she is having her emotional and addiction needs met by Craig. While J has already told them to pound sand he is standing with familia. So she is being used to blackmail her father, If he does go to save her the Cody's will trade up to the US Attorney who would gladly override California's case to get a traitorous   USN Lt Commander.

[Chaos Theory]

The teacher is probably going to jail for possession (she bought drugs from an undercover cop) and not statutory rape.  I am not sure the cop can put her in jail for the rape without implicating herself.  

J has a long ass memory.  He remembered the cop from what was probably years before when he was a kid.  That awkward moment when you realize you got played by a 17 year old.  I can most definitely see him playing the long game with his family now who paid his mother's rent but didn't bother to help her or him.

Edited August 10, 2016 by Chaos Theory

[sjohnson]

To me, the contrasting scenes of Smurf and J glaring at the animal kingdom set up a long term hate match between J and Smurf. between the two characters driven by vengeance. Coming minutes after we learn that Smurf has kept a roof over his head for years, this seems...strange. J I think didn't like his mother, so it's hard to see him continuing her vendetta against Smurf for her sake. (Were this a proper mystery, the technicalities would require we revisit the question of how accidental the hot shot was. That seems perverse even for this show.) The parallel between Smurf killing the man who abandoned her to her (dead) mother and Smurf abandoning him to his (emotionally dead, to him at least, if not to heroin) mother doesn't hold because J knows Smurf didn't abandon him. Smurf could have just given hush money directly to Julia, after all. She could have hopped from one bed to another for a roof. J knows this. 

The thing about that, the episode had already shown J throwing away his very best chance to take Smurf down, while getting an out for the crimes he's already committed. Smurf has already given him more of a stake in a future than he ever would have had from foster care (where he would have been on the streets penniless after he turned eighteen.) At this point, given his potential legal problems, when he graduates, he takes his cut and tries to get into college...on the East Coast.

Some aspects of the show are getting very shaky. It's quite true that not all seventeen year olds have their own car, but it is exceedingly strange that Smurf hasn't been bribing J with one. At this point it seems like the show is using that bike as a prop to make Finn Cole seem like a kid.

Withholding J's motive for screwing over that woman cop is one thing but the success of his plan hinges on him being the best teacher ever had, better than heroin even, so that she loses her head over him and gets played. I think he went to watch teacher being busted for the satisfaction of seeing her go down. It's kind of hard to believe that even teacher was so love addled she couldn't get a hint he was just that kind of guy. His emotional reserve and constant lying doesn't seem all that appealing. Maybe he just has an amazing dick? By the way, I'm pretty sure the timeline didn't permit any help from Smurf for the plan.

Also, the show is suggesting that J has a problem with Cole, but given the way he avenges himself on teacher, it really really seems implausible he wouldn't have a problem with Nikki.  Of course, going with Craig is a more horrible revenge than any J could devise absent implements of torture or white slavers. But it clearly shows why Nikki was with J, namely, looking for a bad boy. It's hard to believe J can't see it now. 

Smurf giving Paul eyewitness evidence of Craig committing a crime doesn't give her leverage on him. Assuming he'd rather wink at Craig doping (and screwing, Paul's not that stupid) his daughter rather than have it revealed what kind of girl she is, seems like Smurf using telepathic or prophetic powers (aka script.) If the cops had bothered to follow up on Craig/Nikki, they'd have real leverage. 

Pope's continued crazed standards of justice have just dug Smurf's hole even deeper. (It was hard to tell if he killed Cath for talking to the cops or for lying so blatantly about loving him.)  Leaving Lena alive told Baz that something besides Cath leaving happened. Leaving Vin alive means Baz and Pope are now threatened with aggravated assault charges. 

And yes, the desultory search was not quite believable.

[sugarbaker design]

Great final scene, J safely behind glass, looking at his family, like they were animals in the zoo.  Observing them in their natural habitat, J holding his gun, wondering what to do next.

[Syndicate]

12 hours ago, Laurie4H said:

I guess it leaves us wondering in that last scene if J is playing the cops AND the family?

It was quite an ambiguous scene. I think it said for sure that J is ready to embrace his family's wickedness.

[iMonrey]

I felt the finale was a bit anti-climactic, but I understood why they did it that way. These shows were all filmed before they knew if there would be another season, and it ended in a way that wouldn't have left me feeling ripped off if it hadn't been renewed. Ambiguity aside there was enough closure to have made the season worthwhile as a stand-alone.

There were a few parts that didn't make any sense though. One minute, Smurf is trying to convince Baz that Catherine ran off on her own, and the very next second she's telling him Vin came by and threatened her. Why did she change tactics so quickly, and why didn't Baz wonder why she was just - literally seconds ago - trying to convince him Catherine left of her own accord if she knew Vin had made threats against her? That scene felt like it was badly written or edited.

I also don't get why Vin didn't immediately tell Baz that Pope had set him up with the promise of another job. Sure maybe Baz wouldn't believe him but what motivation did Vin have for just sitting there and taking it? Was this the "job" as Pope explained it to him? Was he just playing along, willing to get the shit beat out of him for money? Otherwise why didn't Pope finish him off? Surely whatever money he left him with was less than the 10 grand they gave him before. None of this really made sense to me.

I did love the shots of Craig and Deran rolling around in the oil (and some of you thought Craig was greasy before!) and the revelation of where they hid the money. Best of all was the revelation that J had been playing Yates. For how long, who knows. 

Quote

Is Nicky supposed to be older than J? Because if J/teacher is illegal, what is Nicky/Craig?

What can Paul do about it though? He can't call the cops, they have his money. Smurf made it pretty clear to him he has no leverage now.

Quote

They would have drained it if they had to and looked in every vent and every nook and cranny. It's actually been done in real life, in addition to tearing apart houses as we see in other shows

Yates did actually tell the team to tear the walls down but Patrick stopped them and said that was beyond their warrant. I don't know how it works but maybe there's a limit to what they can do in a search based on the type of warrant they have. 

I don't know if they would have searched the pool (it wouldn't have occurred to me), but since they were looking for cash instead of drugs, weapons or jewels they might not have thought it likely it would be hidden under water.

[Chaos Theory]

The whole point was that J said the money is on the table in the kitchen so the police got a warrant in that information.  I am pretty sure a tear apart the house warrant is a lot harder to get.

[Bruinsfan]

14 hours ago, Valny said:

That was pretty hysterical when Deran and Craig and were rolling around in the back of the truck with all the disgusting liquid. Gross!

That's how ninja turtles are made!

While J is clearly bothered by the Craig & Nikki situation, I'm not sure which of them he's got a bigger grudge against. If it's Nikki, all he has to do is bide his time until Craig gets tired of her and Smurf tosses her vindictive ass to the curb along with the rest of the trash. If it's Craig, all he has to do is bide his time until an OD or drug-fueled stupidity knock him out of the picture. Kid can definitely play the long game.

[Artsda]

I was thinking by her behavior in prior episodes the lady cop had something personal against the Cody's. Now that we know that she was working J's mom and giving her fixes for info for so long and while J was a child, I think even more she has an axe to grind. There has to be something more to it than just wanting to catch some criminals.

[Shermie]

It seems that, like in the real animal kingdom, a new young male has entered the pack and will eventually take out the aging alpha(s).

J is filled with hate for the cops who harassed his mother, and for his grandmother who knew about his dire childhood and left him to wallow there. Sure, Smurf paid the rent, but she didn't really help her daughter and grandson. Same goes for all his uncles. He's out for vengeance.

The whole pack of them are terrible people, and for all their money and victories and celebrating, there doesn't seem to be any joy there. What's the point then?

[iMonrey]

I commented on that last week Artsda. It appears that Yates is the one who got Catherine's parents to agree to cooperate, or spill info, which is why they wound up dead. At the very least, she was on the scene when their dead bodies were found, based on her vivid descriptions of where they were and what kind of shape they were in when she took Alexa to the site of the burned-down house. So I think Yates feels a personal responsibility to avenge the death of Catherine's family. That seems to be what it's tied to more than anything, and that seems to have been the whole point of the scene where she took Alexa there to show her just how awful the Codys were and how far they would go. 

[atomationage]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

I felt the finale was a bit anti-climactic, but I understood why they did it that way. These shows were all filmed before they knew if there would be another season, and it ended in a way that wouldn't have left me feeling ripped off if it hadn't been renewed.  Ambiguity aside there was enough closure to have made the season worthwhile as a stand-alone.

That pretty much sums it up.   This wasn't the best episode of the series.   I really don't care any more about Jay than I did before.   The actor just doesn't do anything for me.  He's so bland in comparison to the others.    That mess with Baz, Pope, and Vin was a little too much for me, and delayed watching the complete episode.  Hatosy came off as the best actor in this series, IMO.  

[Texasmom1970]

12 minutes ago, atomationage said:

That pretty much sums it up.   This wasn't the best episode of the series.   I really don't care any more about Jay than I did before.   The actor just doesn't do anything for me.  He's so bland in comparison to the others.    That mess with Baz, Pope, and Vin was a little too much for me, and delayed watching the complete episode.  Hatosy came off as the best actor in this series, IMO.  

I agree about Shawn, to me his character had the most depth and he portrayed his struggle with his conscience and family loyalty well. None of the crimes any of them commit are forgivable but I actually forgive his transgressions a little more. With him seeming to struggle with some mental instability, the stuff between him, Baz and Kath, and add all the shit his Mom has heaped on him its a lot. With the others I see them just as more money hungry, even though Smurf has pushed them into this way of live since they were young it seems.

[NorthstarATL]

1 hour ago, Bruinsfan said:

That's how ninja turtles are made!

While J is clearly bothered by the Craig & Nikki situation, I'm not sure which of them he's got a bigger grudge against. If it's Nikki, all he has to do is bide his time until Craig gets tired of her and Smurf tosses her vindictive ass to the curb along with the rest of the trash. If it's Craig, all he has to do is bide his time until an OD or drug-fueled stupidity knock him out of the picture. Kid can definitely play the long game.

I think it is still possible that Craig and Nikki are "conning" the others because we only have Nikki's word for their actually hooking up. I don't know how that benefits Craig, but he may just be tweaking J. That's why I think Smurf keeps Nikki around. Not just because of her father, since he's already on their hook, but because she sees Craig/Nikki/J as a second Pope/Kath/Baz, a triangle that she can manipulate to keep the males in line until such time as it no longer benefits her.

[sugarbaker design]

Quote

I think it is still possible that Craig and Nikki are "conning" the others because we only have Nikki's word for their actually hooking up.

I totally agree, Nikki wants to make J feel uncomfortable, Craig is probably just doing it out of spite.

So Paul and Smurf have their showdown, Smurf tells him to leave, but use the backdoor, knowing full well that he'd pass Craig's room and notice his daughter is doing cocaine and in a 'relationship' with Craig.  So Paul sees his daughter doing drugs and just keeps walking?!  I know Smurf basically told him she's in charge, but damn, that suddenly makes him cool with his daughter doing drugs?

[Chaos Theory]

16 minutes ago, sugarbaker design said:

I totally agree, Nikki wants to make J feel uncomfortable, Craig is probably just doing it out of spite.

So Paul and Smurf have their showdown, Smurf tells him to leave, but use the backdoor, knowing full well that he'd pass Craig's room and notice his daughter is doing cocaine and in a 'relationship' with Craig.  So Paul sees his daughter doing drugs and just keeps walking?!  I know Smurf basically told him she's in charge, but damn, that suddenly makes him cool with his daughter doing drugs?

He just committed a MAJOR felony and tried to extort a bigger cut out of Smurf.  Smurf shut him down quick and harshly and then sent him past an open door with Craig and his daughter doing drugs.  What exactly are his options?  If he makes a scene the cops have an excuse to barge in and HIS career and life are over and he has no idea how deep his daughter is with the Cody's.   He did the only thing he could do.  He made the smart move.  He retreated.  

At least for now.

Edited August 10, 2016 by Chaos Theory

[iMonrey]

Quote

I think it is still possible that Craig and Nikki are "conning" the others because we only have Nikki's word for their actually hooking up.

After that first time he took her to the beach then came back and sat down with Deran to iron the money, Craig did indicate he found her interesting, or smart or whatever he said that made Deran ask why he couldn't keep his dick in his pants. So I don't think it's a con on his part. Renn is gone now so she may be nothing more than a convenient girl to sleep with but I don't think he's "pulling" any kind of con with her. (I also don't think Craig is smart/sober enough to pull something like that off.) Nicky might be a different story - whether she's in this mainly to bug J, I don't know.

Edited August 10, 2016 by iMonrey

[sjohnson]

36 minutes ago, sugarbaker design said:

I totally agree, Nikki wants to make J feel uncomfortable, Craig is probably just doing it out of spite.

So Paul and Smurf have their showdown, Smurf tells him to leave, but use the backdoor, knowing full well that he'd pass Craig's room and notice his daughter is doing cocaine and in a 'relationship' with Craig.  So Paul sees his daughter doing drugs and just keeps walking?!  I know Smurf basically told him she's in charge, but damn, that suddenly makes him cool with his daughter doing drugs?

Craig and Deran don't hold grudges very long, as near as I can tell. That's Pope and I think Baz, though Baz is very smooth about it. So I think Craig is doing Nikki because she's fresh and eager and there. As for being cool with Nikki doing drugs...no, he's not. But maybe we should see Paul/Nikki as continuing the incest theme. He treats he like she's his much younger wife who's got him afraid to call her out on her shit because she'll leave. 

3 hours ago, iMonrey said:

What can Paul do about it though? He can't call the cops, they have his money. Smurf made it pretty clear to him he has no leverage now.

 

If Paul calls the cops about Craig doping and banging Nikki, they're not going to say, he's just mad about his split in our big heist. 

21 minutes ago, Chaos Theory said:

He just committed a MAJOR felony and tried to extort a bigger cut out of Smurf.  Smurf shut him down quick and harshly and then sent him past an open door with Craig and his daughter doing drugs.  What exactly are his options?  If he makes a scene the cops have an excuse to barge in and HIS career and life are over and he has no idea how deep his daughter is with the Cody's.   He did the only thing he could do.  He made the smart move.  He retreated.  

At least for now.

It depends on who he's afraid of. If he's afraid that Smurf is threatening Nikki, there's 1.) cluing in Nikki about the heist and 2.) using Nikki to threaten Craig with rape charges and 3.) telling Smurf he's made a confession to a lawyer/sealed one in a safe deposit box, to be released posthumously. If he's afraid of Nikki, yeah, he's sunk. By the way, the business of holding up the recycle left a paper trail at the base. 

As to whether Smurf paying the rent was, or wasn't, doing anything for J I suppose depends on your basic attitudes about how big a deal material support is. Julia surely knew that she had the option of sending J to Smurf. It seems pretty likely that she didn't want to deliver a hostage to her mother. But yeah, it was Julia's decision for J to live in squalor when he could have had the cushy life at Smurf's. I'm sure J knows this. 

[SunnyBeBe]

Once again, I missed some things. Who did Smurf shoot and why?  Was that flashback her as a young girl and who was that lying dead in the store?

[Joimiaroxeu]

Was that guy Smurf killed Pope's father?

I think this show has the potential to be as good as the Sopranos now that it'll be able to move beyond its source material.

[formerlyfreedom]

The guy Smurf shot/killed was her mom's boyfriend when she was younger, the one who nicknamed her Smurf. That flashback was originally shown earlier in the season.

Man, this gets complicated. I feel so tense after watching this, and now I can't wait for the next season. I really need to know what happens next!

[Raja]

1 hour ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Once again, I missed some s. Who did Smurf shoot and why?  Was that flashback her as a young girl and who was that lying dead in the store?

To show the guy who Smurf murdered running off leaving them behind 50 years ago 

[ethalfrida]

Okay, my OCD kicked in when Smurf wiped her hands on the dish towel after mixing up the burger. I am still creeped out that she didn't use soap and water. Hot water at that. 

[terxav]

Nikki is headed for a serious fall, the pilot had Craig waking up in the bed with two women , he was messing  with Renn , he even made moves on the girl at the party that Deron was trying to use to hide his homosexuality .  Craig is going to drop Nikki who has become a serious drug user.  What is she going to do when the Cody's kick her to the curb?  I think the whole Craig + Nikki helped Jay - he has the ability to keep a grudge and work out revenge.   Craig made a serious enemy, when Jay takes him down he will not see it coming.  In fact I can see Jay taking out Craig & Baz.   

 

Baz questioning if Catherine would actually leave him was funny,  he acts like he was not sleeping with Lucy this whole time.

[MaggieG]

Ugh Nicky. I am not on board with the whole Craig hookup thing. He will drop her like a hot potato.

Deran and Craig rolling around in the back of the truck had me rolling with laughter! I may have watched that a few times. I don't know how and why, but Deran became my favorite. I'm kinda rooting for him. I felt so bad for him being stuck in a car with a coked up Craig.

I'm confused about one thing. Paul told Smurf he put a hold on the waste drums pickup but they were picked up by the truck anyway. Did he lie about putting a hold on it just to try and get more money out of them? I guess it doesn't really matter anyway, the truck left and they got their money, I just thought it was odd.

I said it last week and I'll say it again, poor Lena getting stuck with them.

[Rapunzel]

54 minutes ago, MaggieG said:

I'm confused about one thing. Paul told Smurf he put a hold on the waste drums pickup but they were picked up by the truck anyway. Did he lie about putting a hold on it just to try and get more money out of them? I guess it doesn't really matter anyway, the truck left and they got their money, I just thought it was odd.

I think Smurf "agreed: to give him the extra $50K (he now gets ($150k) just to get the shipment released. Paul knew as soon as it was released, so he likely finally authorized it as he immediately went to Smurf's to get his share as soon as the shipment left the base. In any case, I have a feeling Paul will never see one dime of that money.

[Chaos Theory]

14 minutes ago, Rapunzel said:

I think Smurf "agreed: to give him the extra $50K (he now gets ($150k) just to get the shipment released. Paul knew as soon as it was released, so he likely finally authorized it as he immediately went to Smurf's to get his share as soon as the shipment left the base. In any case, I have a feeling Paul will never see one dime of that money.

Not paying him is stupid and Smurf is a lot of things but stupid isn't one of them.  If Paul doesn't get paid and they doesn't have an "unfortunate accident" he is a lot more likely to say screw it and go to the cops.  They will pay him and make him fully culpable in what as a military crime.

I think Craig actually likes Nicky as more then just a sex and drugs buddy which will be interesting next season. 

[Rapunzel]

1 hour ago, Chaos Theory said:

Not paying him is stupid and Smurf is a lot of things but stupid isn't one of them.  If Paul doesn't get paid and they doesn't have an "unfortunate accident" he is a lot more likely to say screw it and go to the cops.  They will pay him and make him fully culpable in what as a military crime.

I think Craig actually likes Nicky as more then just a sex and drugs buddy which will be interesting next season. 

Smurf is also greedy. She kept a lot of the stuff from the jewelry store heist even though she told the boys it all had to be destroyed because of the screw up on the guard surveillance.

Also, Smurf has clearly shown Paul that she has complete control over his daughter and she can do anything she wants with Nikki, including turning her into a hard core drug addict. It would not be beyond her to threaten the rest of his family or to just flat out kill Paul and make it look like an accident or suicide or something else. They only got roughly $600k or so from this job and you could see either Craig or Darren (can't remember which) was very reluctant to leave as much behind as they did, which is part of the reason they took the $20k and hid it from Smurf afterwards and Smurf definitely noticed. I just don't think she would cave so easily into giving Paul an extra $50k, especially after the fact, if she really had any intention of paying it to him. I also wouldn't be at all surprised if Smurf made sure to get some evidence against Paul in case he did try to turn them in. After all, J was smart enough to do it with the teacher and Smurf has been at this a long time. She knows how to protect her family.

Paul is already guilty of a military crime whether he gets paid or not. If he goes to the cops, he is admitting his role in it as well and he would be subject to Court Martial as he is active military and it happened on a base. Just giving them access, not to mention helping them plan the job, is enough to send him to Leavenworth for a very long time. Hell, even knowing about it and not reporting it is severe enough. He gave them the intel necessary to make it happen - the money he may or may not have received is irrelevant as he is guilty with or without it. Plus, he'd have to prove he never got a share. Smurf and company could say he took all of it and he that he has a grudge against her family due to his daughter. If it comes down to it, who can prove who received how much anyway?

Edited August 11, 2016 by Rapunzel

[iMonrey]

Quote

If Paul calls the cops about Craig doping and banging Nikki, they're not going to say, he's just mad about his split in our big heist. 

No but he won't get his cut either, and that's what Smurf is banking on as his priority. And she's probably right. Paul cares more about getting his money than he does about his daughter. I don't see this guy falling on his sword and going to jail just to get his daughter away from Craig. She'd just turn to some other creep anyway.

Edited August 11, 2016 by iMonrey

[SingleMaltBlonde]

10 hours ago, MaggieG said:

Ugh Nicky. I am not on board with the whole Craig hookup thing. He will drop her like a hot potato.

But she can change him....her love will change him...or maybe the baby.  Once she has his child he will be totally straighten his shit up, get a job and (sober) drive her to Mommy & Me classes.  or maybe they can just party really hard forever and never have any consequences.

[Raja]

9 hours ago, Rapunzel said:

Smurf is also greedy. She kept a lot of the stuff from the jewelry store heist even though she told the boys it all had to be destroyed because of the screw up on the guard surveillance.

Also, Smurf has clearly shown Paul that she has complete control over his daughter and she can do anything she wants with Nikki, including turning her into a hard core drug addict. It would not be beyond her to threaten the rest of his family or to just flat out kill Paul and make it look like an accident or suicide or something else. They only got roughly $600k or so from this job and you could see either Craig or Darren (can't remember which) was very reluctant to leave as much behind as they did, which is part of the reason they took the $20k and hid it from Smurf afterwards and Smurf definitely noticed. I just don't think she would cave so easily into giving Paul an extra $50k, especially after the fact, if she really had any intention of paying it to him. I also wouldn't be at all surprised if Smurf made sure to get some evidence against Paul in case he did try to turn them in. After all, J was smart enough to do it with the teacher and Smurf has been at this a long time. She knows how to protect her family.

Paul is already guilty of a military crime whether he gets paid or not. If he goes to the cops, he is admitting his role in it as well and he would be subject to Court Martial as he is active military and it happened on a base. Just giving them access, not to mention helping them plan the job, is enough to send him to Leavenworth for a very long time. Hell, even knowing about it and not reporting it is severe enough. He gave them the intel necessary to make it happen - the money he may or may not have received is irrelevant as he is guilty with or without it. Plus, he'd have to prove he never got a share. Smurf and company could say he took all of it and he that he has a grudge against her family due to his daughter. If it comes down to it, who can prove who received how much anyway?

I think Smurf's long game goes further than turning Nikki into an addict. Addicted daughter who has daddy issues is the perfect fall guy when   NCIS comes around looking and Paul  disappears 

[lazylou]

in one of the final scenes, J seems to have realized that his mother, who, while she was alive, he probably hated for her drug addiction and probable neglect, was the only person who actually cared about him.  Note he covers the initials carved on the headboard with a picture of her with him...the one she actually loved...and the only person who did not use him.

Smurf  is the only person who seems willing to give him a break, though she too seems interested in using his brains and "brass balls" for her own purposes.  So I am puzzled about that stare, in the final scene, as he fondles his new gun (which he has not put away) that intense pure hatred with which he regards his family. What, I wonder, are his actual feelings about his gift? About a grandmother who gives her grandchild a gun...a sort of "today you are a man...welcome to the family" gift?

Maybe Season Two will fill us in on the back story...and maybe we will see J get even with Craig, Baz, et al

Maybe.

[iMonrey]

Lazylou I'm sure the ending with J watching his family while fondling his gun was deliberately ambiguous. But I did note a visible change of attitude in J toward Smurf in that last conversation they had, before she gave him the gun. In all his other prior conversations with her (and most everyone else, for that matter), he barely makes eye contact and barely speaks, only mumbling or nodding. He's been consistently non-committal. Yet when Smurf confronted him he was finally saying whole words, and sentences, and looking her in the eye. It was like a different J and it showed he had finally committed to one side over the other. I found that very revealing, and it also spoke to the subtle nuances Finn Cole has brought to the character. I don't think a lot of people have been all that impressed with him but I thought this episode showed the guy actually can act and has been purposely under-playing the role for effect.

[sjohnson]

1 hour ago, lazylou said:

in one of the final scenes, J seems to have realized that his mother, who, while she was alive, he probably hated for her drug addiction and probable neglect, was the only person who actually cared about him.  Note he covers the initials carved on the headboard with a picture of her with him...the one she actually loved...and the only person who did not use him.

As much insight as this has, it's not easy to say Julia didn't use J. Nikki is mean, but she did imply Julia committed sex acts for pay in front of J. Since J would be the source, J would know if she's making stuff up for the fun of it. He doesn't seem to be angry at her, which is suggestive. But then, he is a very good liar himself.  If so that is quasi-incestuous in a way they haven't dared to attribute to Smurf. And of course J was used to score drugs, shoot her up, etc. I think it was Craig who asked specifically about J being busted scoring for Julia. All in all, seems a lot like using to me. 

But death redeems. Now that she's safely dead J can displace his rage at Julia towards Smurf?

Covering the initials can also be read as making it his bed, not Pope's. 

[lazylou]

Good point, iMonrey.  Throughout the series, J has been noncommittal...he seems to go along to get along.  He seems to do whatever those surrounding him want him to do at the moment...cut through what may be a live electrical wire, jump the fence at the base and throw a torch down a vent, seemingly inform on his family...  So I agree.  At the end, when he begins to make eye contact, he is for the first time revealing himself.

I can only think of three episodes where J seems to act on his own initiative before the finale...1) he calles Smurf after his mother ODs... 2) he returns to his mother's apartment in a futile search for his father's identity, overcomes the drug dealer, and then tries to run away, and 3) goes over to  make lunch for Lena.  (Why did he do that?  Sympathy for a child with a sick mother?  Trying to ingratiate himself with Baz?)

And sjohnson...of course you are right.  He is making the bed his own...and also maybe moving on from the question of his father's identity...as well as bringing his mother symbolically back to the house from which she had been banned and apparently never mentioned.

We don't really know that he scored for his mother, though he may have; we do know he helped her shoot up.  Of course she used him.  But she also apparently tried to keep him away from her family and probably encouraged him to stay in school and to study.  Smurf apparently paid the rent and probably provided financially in other ways, and J does seem to recognize that.   

He probably is redirecting his rage at Julia to Smurf.  This would not be difficult, since for much of his childhood his mother must have filled his mind with plenty of reasons to distrust and dislike Smurf.   

This is the reason why this show has captured my interest, I think...the characters are all very complex and interesting.

[iMonrey]

Quote

goes over to  make lunch for Lena.  (Why did he do that?  Sympathy for a child with a sick mother?  Trying to ingratiate himself with Baz?)

I think he was just looking for evidence that Baz was his father - or he was hoping/assuming Baz was his father and wanted to get to know Catherine and Lena, the latter of which would be his sister. When he said he was going to the bathroom he went into their bedroom instead. He was searching for something.

[terxav]

I loved that Jay put up the detectives past activities in her face, for the entire season she has been self righteous .  She was going to try and browbeat Jay, and he brought up history .  Too bad Patrick turned out to be such a simp.  Oh it is time for Jay to get a car, actually Jay might be able to get smurf to set him up in an apartment .  He can say it bothers him to see Nikki and Craig together.  I remember Craig urinating on himself with the drug dealers , smurf was gassing him up during a conversation saying he was fearless and could do things his brothers could not.  But he has never shown this quality , the first time we are introduced to Craig him yelling at Smurf for using a blender in HER house to wake him from his bedmates.    It will be funny if Jay get a new car, apartment and girlfriend .     This afternoon I had a thought - if Lens is actually Pope's daughter - then he killed the mother of his child.  

 

But what was really shown this episode is that Baz is the scariest of the brothers.

1. Smurf takes him in making him a 'son' but she already had children Pope & Julia

2. He sleeps with Julia as a display of his cunning ( probably impregnating her which caused the break from the family)

3. When Catherine is introduced to the family, Pope falls for her, Baz swoops in because he wants control everything.

4. He sets up Pope at the bank robbery so Pope is sent to prison and Baz is the de facto leader of the brothers.

5. He uses Catherine & Lena to provide him some distance from the family, he does not sleep at Smurf's house.  Smurf has a tendency to snoop around, by having his own place he lessens  her control.

6. He maintains his father as a bank, keep the drunk guy around - who woukd suspect there  is  money stashed in that trailer.  And since he was always around it was like having a security guard for his money.  Which is why he freaked out when his dad tried to stay sober.  A clear thiniking person could get a job, leaving his money vunerable.

7. He cheats on Catherine as a display of his cunning, he got a constant rush from duping  her that is why he was upset he is confused on how Catherine broke away from his influence.  I I think he is worried what she may say vs. actually missing her because he 'loves' her.  His interaction with Jay & Lena shows the guy is cold - emotionless 

8. When Baz finds out Smurf has been holding back funds he is going to try and will kill her somehow

 

Baz is the one 'son' that I don't feel has weird chemistry with Smurf.

 

oh and since Jay does not forget being slighted / Craig & Nikki are now in his sights.  The last scene when he was looking at the family made me feel like Jay is plotting revenge upon the Cody's .

Edited August 13, 2016 by terxav