S03.E05: Prey

[formerlyfreedom]

Deran gets to know his father, Billy, and helps J with a dilemma as Pearce closes in on Smurf's laundering operation; Craig uncovers a secret that sends him to Smurf; Nicky must decide whether she belongs in the Cody family or not.

 

[Gsallo]

Go Pope! Pope is the only smart one in the family, Smurf thinks she's in control but she isn't.

[WalkerTalker]

I just love the opening song. This show is bringing it again this season. Wait til Pope finds out who killed his bro. 

[Shriekingeel]

I liked the insight into the way Deran and Craig have been kept as man-babies to make them easier for Smurf to control. 

 

Poor Mrs. Lassiter.  

[rhys]

Man that was cold what they did to that woman. Jeesch.

so did Nikki shoot up with Billy?

[nekilarose]

You know what? Let Smurf out of jail. Cause clearly she is the damn brains in that family. I understand that she deliberately kept the boys in the dark so she could control them, but my god are their decision making skills just non existent. Deran has no concept of what being an adult entails, Craig has been sheltered from  any consequences, and Pope? I'm willing to bet Smurf told him crap about therapy, or took him to crappy shrinks, just so he could distrust them.

Poor Lena, baby girl needs help (and to get away from that family) Pope is trying, but he needs help himself. 

I was cheering for Nicky the whole time she was leaving, but of course that went nowhere. I really don't think she's making it out of this season alive.

[formerlyfreedom]

17 minutes ago, nekilarose said:

I was cheering for Nicky the whole time she was leaving, but of course that went nowhere. I really don't think she's making it out of this season alive.

I've never hated Nicky, more like a dull throb, sort of 'oh, she's still here' but tonight? Yeah, I wanted her to run. I was positive that J was going to crawl into bed and find her dead. Gurl, you gotta GO. Save yourself, because nothing good is going to come out of that place at this point...

[nilyank]

That was straight up evil what they did to that poor woman. She obviously would be unable to be any kind of credible witness. Couldn't they just switch their fake records to say that she is the only one paying $175 a month. I highly suspicious of Smurf paying anyone off unless it was to keep him quiet from ratting out Craig.

[WalkerTalker]

It was an insightful show tonight. Those boys are always whining about Smurf's control etc.etc.. Turns out she has been doing alot more than running a criminal empire. She has been cleaning up their messes too. The show highlighted what the years in Smurf's crime family has done to the boys, no formal education .Deran's total lack of taxes personnel, and payroll was mind boggling. Pope realizes what he lacks. I think that is why he wants Lena to stay in that school she hates so much. Poor kid, so desperate to get out of that school she took those desperate measures. I wonder how long J can go before he cracks. The pressure appears to be bldg up. I would bet my last dollar that Nicki did some smack. Billy tossing that smoke into the pool showed his total lack of respect for these people. Reminded me of the scene from TWD when that guy takes a P in the bar while talking with Rick, Glenn, and Hershel. A total lack of respect. Billy is up to something. Plus, he looks like a big time junkie. I'm guessing he came to case the place out and rob her. He didn't expect her to be in prison and the boys on hard times. Smurf is a brutal businesses women at the end of the day. Her living justifies the means, whatever the cost. This show rocks! Looks like another great season ahead. 

[HollyG]

Billy already started working on Deran... telling him that Smurf should have left him in charge. Next he will be trying to horn into Deran's bar/business. 

I was hoping Niki would leave. I agree with nekilarose  that she probably won't make it out of this season alive.

What Deran & J did to the old woman was really cruel. 

Edited June 27, 2018 by HollyG

[Raja]

1 hour ago, saoirse said:

I've never hated Nicky, more like a dull throb, sort of 'oh, she's still here' but tonight? Yeah, I wanted her to run. I was positive that J was going to crawl into bed and find her dead. Gurl, you gotta GO. Save yourself, because nothing good is going to come out of that place at this point...

I was getting suicide vibes off of her every scene.

J. that boy is just a book smart Pope.

[Gsallo]

9 minutes ago, Raja said:

I was getting suicide vibes off of her every scene.

J. that boy is just a book smart Pope.

^^Nikki is desperate, poor girl. She can't get out of this mess.

Another subpar episode, but at least we know what billy wants -- Smurfs empire.  He's smarter than he looks.

Mia, wow! Pope's face when she came back to the house; the girl wasn't intimidated. She's annoying.

I think this episode was about Pope losing control... over Lena, J, Mia and the family.  I like Pope.

1 hour ago, HollyG said:

Billy already started working on Deran... telling him that Smurf should have left him in charge. Next he will be trying to horn into Deran's bar/business. 

I was hoping Niki would leave. I agree with nekilarose  that she probably won't make it out of this season alive.

What Deran & J did to the old woman was really cruel. 

 

Yup. That's exactly what he wants, he's here to take over and sees an opening seeing as they're all in fragile state. He worked Deran but he can't work J/Pope.

Edited June 27, 2018 by Gsallo

[Dowel Jones]

So, if the inmate is telling the truth, is Mia freelancing and taking J's money for herself, or perhaps her own sub-gang?  But the Trujillos are still getting paid the protection money.  What gives?

2 hours ago, HollyG said:

What Deran & J did to the old woman was really cruel. 

As opposed to killing her?  At least she'll go to a shelter somewhere, as I see it.  Their money laundering system is a house of cards.  If any one of those tenants runs afoul of the law, and Pearce finds out about it, he can lean on them for conspiracy until they give up Smurf.

That conversation between Nicky and her dad was heartbreaking, especially with her situation.  She's better off without him, too.  The problem is, she's no different than the Codys.  Always taking the easiest path in life, until it turns into a dead-end street.

[Novel8]

So far, I do not see the reason for that Nurse with Deran to be in this, except for the fact that the studio had to make the token effort to put a black actor in. Being gay, is he going to all of a sudden be part of the Cody robbing crew. ..at least Deran, was born into it. Sorry, for that old lady being left  there on the bench...couldn't they just drop her off to one of those senior centers? Perhaps, it would have meant that they would have had to supply personal information which of course they couldn't do.

[patty1h]

Pope's mini meltdown after Lena got in trouble at school was agonizing.  It looks like Pope feels like it's all falling apart - his brothers aren't listening to him, Mia disregards his demand to stay away, Nicky still hanging around, Bill flopping at the house.   His one good deed - to give Lena a stable life seems to be crumbling too.  The man is on a short fuse.  Maybe he'll rally - we saw that a little of the old fierce Pope popped up when he said if Smurf has to die, he'll do it himself.

Did I hear right... Smurf's tenants are paying low rent but the accounting is showing their rents at $2000+?   For the life of me, I don't understand how this helps a money laundering scheme.  I thought she'd charge a lot and put down less in her books, being able to pocket the difference and use it to upkeep their lifestyle.   Can anyone explain it to me?  Oh, wait... I think it hit me as I was typing this.   Is J collecting rents of $2000+ and then converting that to those money orders for $125, thus keeping the difference?    That makes more sense, if I interpreted it right.

I was chanting to my self "yay, Nicky's leaving", but of course she's still hanging around.  The previews for next week look promising for her departure.  If only.

I was not into seeing Deran with the doctor.  I built up him and Adrian as a OTP in my mind.  Hopefully, doc was only a booty call.

Edited June 27, 2018 by patty1h

[Raja]

5 minutes ago, patty1h said:

Pope's mini meltdown after Lena got in trouble at school was agonizing.  It looks like Pope feels like it's all falling apart - his brothers aren't listening to him, Mia disregards his demand to stay away, Nicky still hanging around, Bill flopping at the house.   His one good deed - give Lena a stable life is crumbling too.  The man is on a short fuse.

Did I hear right... Smurf's tenants are paying low rent but the accounting is showing their rents at $2000+?   For the life of me, I don't understand how this helps a money laundering scheme.  I thought she'd charge a lot and put down less in her books, being able to pocket the difference and use it to upkeep their lifestyle.   Can anyone explain it to me?  Oh, wait... it hit me as I was typing this.   Is J collecting rents of $2000+ and then converting that to those money orders for $125, thus keeping the difference?    That makes more sense, if I interpreted it right.

By not getting market value for the rent she is able to hide some of the crime cash there. It would seem just as easy to fill up units at near market value and just have real estate money flowing in.

[SuzieQ]

11 hours ago, nilyank said:

That was straight up evil what they did to that poor woman. She obviously would be unable to be any kind of credible witness. Couldn't they just switch their fake records to say that she is the only one paying $175 a month. I highly suspicious of Smurf paying anyone off unless it was to keep him quiet from ratting out Craig.

I was horrified!!  Although I did breathe a sigh of relief that they didn't do something worse, it was really unnecessary!  She was in full blown dementia and couldn't have hurt them.  I had a mom with dementia so that really got to me :(

[Dowel Jones]

I thought J was collecting the actual rent of $175 from each tenant, payable in cash only, and then reporting the rent as $2600 (market value).  The extra cash would come from their robberies, thus laundering it into legal money.  That's why it's necessary for each of the tenants to lie and say their rent is $2600/month, and they have to pay in cash, as a check would be proof that they're underpaying the rent.  As per my earlier post, the tenants know that they are participating in some kind of illegal scheme, and are thus easy prey for the police.

[iMonrey]

I was horrified at what Deran and J did to the old woman. If I'm being generous to the writing of this show, the purpose was to remind us what horrible people these characters are, but I can't help feeling that was a big mistake. I don't really care if the Codys rob Camp Pendleton, or the Mega church, or the pill mill, or stores that have insurance. But this was just so viscerally cruel I don't ever remember being this stunned at their cruelty. And it wasn't even necessary. Clearly the woman would not make a reliable witness. Even if she said she only paid $175 in rent it's not like she has receipts. I doubt the Codys let the tenants pay by check or direct deposit since that would leave a paper trail. 

Somehow, having the cat with her made it seem ten times worse. 

Hopefully we haven't heard the last of her. She knew who J was and she remembered who Julia was. She might be able to spit up the name "Cody" if interrogated by the police.

I just think the show's success relies on our continued investment in these characters and showing them doing something this horrific might be a bad move, ratings wise. I worry about the show's longevity - it's not exactly a ratings smash or a critical darling. 

At the same time, it's sort of a fascinating dichotomy that we grow to care so much about people who have murdered, robbed and maimed people with a clear conscious.

I'm still not really feeling this season though. Whatever became of Lucy and her brother and all the money and jewelry they stole? I wish the show had stayed focused on that, with Pope tracking them down and then the four Codys planning the big heist to get their stuff back. Seems like they just dropped it.

[SuzieQ]

1 minute ago, iMonrey said:

I was horrified at what Deran and J did to the old woman. If I'm being generous to the writing of this show, the purpose was to remind us what horrible people these characters are, but I can't help feeling that was a big mistake. I don't really care if the Codys rob Camp Pendleton, or the Mega church, or the pill mill, or stores that have insurance. But this was just so viscerally cruel I don't ever remember being this stunned at their cruelty.

Somehow, having the cat with her made it seem ten times worse. 

 

So true!! The cat did make it worse.  It just magnified how helpless she was.

3 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

 

I just think the show's success relies on our continued investment in these characters and showing them doing something this horrific might be a bad move, ratings wise. I worry about the show's longevity - it's not exactly a ratings smash or a critical darling. 

 

I think the shelf life of this show is about 4 seasons, no matter what happens.  They will destroy themselves eventually and I think this season is about illustrating this.  But agree that showing that scene makes you hate the ones you thought were more human than the rest.  She is a sitting duck sitting on that bench and could be in for a fate worse than them killing her.  That scene really got to me!

[Chick2Chic]

11 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

That conversation between Nicky and her dad was heartbreaking, especially with her situation.  She's better off without him, too.  The problem is, she's no different than the Codys.  Always taking the easiest path in life, until it turns into a dead-end street.

I am 100% no fan of Nicky and even I felt bad how her feckless dad basically told her to kick rocks. That said, I ultimately saw her actions in the ep as Nicky running away from one situation to another yet again. That's how she ended up where she is now... running from her father to J to Craig back to J (honestly, I am still mad he took her back but I get that it's related to his mom issues) then trying to run to her father again then getting shut down and going back to the Cody home. She's stuck but it's ultimately something she hasn't tried to escape from in any real sense. She doesn't seem all that motivated to do something with her life. She has nothing that is her's and doesn't seem to be trying to change that. She's hanging on to other people to take her away... take her away from what, at this point, I have no idea. I got when it was about rebelling against her dad and even when it was about sticking it to J by hooking up with Craig when J broke up with her to protect her. But I am ???? nowadays about Nicky's reasons. I would've thought that girl from school she ran in to would have been a wake up call for Nicky to try to find a purpose or drive to do something - anything! - for herself separate from the Cody family but nope.

13 hours ago, Gsallo said:

Yup. That's exactly what he wants, he's here to take over and sees an opening seeing as they're all in fragile state. He worked Deran but he can't work J/Pope.

 That's the vibe I am getting too. He's not actually there for Deran. They should all find his timing suspect, IMO. Billy is there to ingratiate himself and try to take over Smurf's operations. Craig and Deran are easy for him to get to in that sense, even with Deran being more overall distrusting than dimwitted Craig. J and Pope are much harder to fool and to gain trust from. They're chips off the old Smurf block, so Billy has his work cut out for him there. That last look between Mia and Billy makes me think there's something going on there too, so maybe she's the angle to work J though other then screwing her, he's not all that interested in or susceptible to her.

Also, I like Dichen Lachman as an actress (hey Dollhouse!) but she has been wasted thus far on this show. TBH, I'm not wowed by Denis Leary's performance or character so far either. 

Good for Deran hooking up with hot clinic guy :) I totally think Deran is in love with Adrian and vice versa, but they're not together and Deran shouldn't have to pine for Adrian, especially being so freshly out of the closet. I am enjoying him embracing his sexually openly and very physically without shame. 

Also, regarding the old woman with dementia, that was awful but I am reminded of Deran & Craig watching the cartel members take that young teen away last season knowing they were going to execute him. I may like some of the characters but it is moments like that which remind me that these characters have some ugly sides to them. 

Edited June 27, 2018 by Chick2Chic
addition... addition!

[iMonrey]

I was also stunned that J would be so stupid as to leave $5,000 in cash just lying on Craig's bed for him to find, when there are two grifters and drug addicts squatting on the property. What a dumb move! If either had walked into Craig's room or had just been snooping around for stuff to take, you know they would have taken that money. J's not usually this stupid - I think it was just lazy writing to get around an actual meeting between J and Craig.

[lazylou]

Leaving the old woman as they did was terrible, though she probably ought not to have been living by herself in any event.  I would even have felt better if Deran and J had bought her that milkshake!  Surely, though, the neighbors will wonder what has happened to her, so it is not clear to me that abandoning her was such a perfect way to avoid police attention.  She is clearly suffering dementia...so much so it seems someone is probably helping her out...neighbors or relatives.  The writers do indeed leave loose ends everywhere.  Fans can't think too much about anything...

I am a little puzzled about Pope and hope someone can clarify how he learned whom he needed to visit to find out about Smurf's protection in jail, why Mia had moved in, and so forth.  I thought, even though Pope does realize that things are spinning out of his control,  it was helpful to J to know that Pope knows about the protection money and is OK with it.  Before J felt he had to keep secret everything related to Smurf in order to get any cooperation from the brothers.  Now Craig also knows that Smurf is pulling the strings and Deran, who had to go to J for help about his unemployment insurance, etc., may understand he is not really up to managing the financial aspects of any business, though he is able to rescue J when it comes to the shadier issues of managing a set of double books.  It seems, in an odd sort of way, that the boys may be coming together.

Poor Lena!  Poor Nickie!  She has always felt abandoned by her parents, and now she really has been turned away.  

Maybe Pope will have to get out the shotgun to rid the house of Mia, Billie, and Billie's weird hippy girlfriend.

And now we find out that Craig's abandoning Renn  is the second time he has left someone to die.  The more we find out about him, the worse he seems.  

[Broderbits]

10 minutes ago, lazylou said:

Deran, who had to go to J for help about his unemployment insurance, etc., may understand he is not really up to managing the financial aspects of any business

He hasn't even figured out that he could Google this stuff to find out what he needs to do, and hire someone to help. Instead he does what they all do when there's a problem: run home and seek help from "The Family". Only the Family Matriarch isn't available or willing, and the rest of them are too inept. When Smurf first went to jail they should have closed ranks and secured the property; if not then, certainly after Baz was killed. Now things are totally out of control, and the boys are basically just wringing their hands and crying "what do we do?" They are so ripe for a takeover.

[Dowel Jones]

3 hours ago, iMonrey said:

At the same time, it's sort of a fascinating dichotomy that we grow to care so much about people who have murdered, robbed and maimed people with a clear conscious.

Include me out of the group that cares about any of the lead characters.  I really don't root for them at all; it's just interesting to watch the machinations. 

[Raja]

4 hours ago, lazylou said:

 

I am a little puzzled about Pope and hope someone can clarify how he learned whom he needed to visit to find out about Smurf's protection in jail, why Mia had moved in, and so forth.  I thought, even though Pope does realize that things are spinning out of his control,  it was helpful to J to know that Pope knows about the protection money and is OK with it.  Before J felt he had to keep secret everything related to Smurf in order to get any cooperation from the brothers.  Now Craig also knows that Smurf is pulling the strings and Deran, who had to go to J for help about his unemployment insurance, etc., may understand he is not really up to managing the financial aspects of any business, though he is able to rescue J when it comes to the shadier issues of managing a set of double books.  It seems, in an odd sort of way, that the boys may be coming together.

 

I am guessing Pope knew the owners of the auto shop when he dropped Mia off like the drug dealer the episode before knew the Pope Cody name.

[Joimiaroxeu]

Billy is nasty AF. He and the girlfriend are basically using the pool as a bathtub.

Deran and the new guy Linc? So much pretty.

J is an effing idiot. He was thinking he should just kill a sick old lady? But leaving her on the side of the road wasn't much better. Be funny if the cat is chipped. It'll likely run away as soon as it gets hungry though.

I'm surprised poor Lena isn't setting things on fire. My heart breaks for her.

You almost want to feel sorry for Nicky. Almost. Talk about having to lie in the bed you made.

[tennisgurl]

They actually made me feel sorry for Nikki this week. I was half convinced that Mia would find her in the bathroom dead, she looked so miserable all. Her dad basically telling her they dont want her around was pretty damn cold. Girl, I know you dont have many options right now, but you gotta get gone. The Cody house is a pressure cooker, and she isnt in any way prepared for that. 

Leaving the poor old lady on the bench was horrible to watch. At least they didnt kill her I guess, and hopefully someone will pick her up and help her at a shelter. But still, ouch. 

Smurf really was running everything, even the guys financial stuff, so much so that they dont even really know how to function without her. Its certainly a part of her manipulations to keep them under her thumb, but holy crap guys! I mean, I kind of expect that from Craig, but I expect a bit more from Deran on the intelligence scale. At least he seems to be trying to do his own thing with the bar now, but considering he cant even figure out how to Google something, its a long way to go. Plus we have Pope, who is clearly on the verg of a meltdown trying to help run the business and parenting Lena, who is obviously acting out over her miserable life, and Pope having a meltdown is a bad thing for everyone. 

Poor little Lena. Someone help this poor child! 

Billy is totally trying to worm his way into head of the family, and is already manipulating everyone around him. Craig is easy to manipulate, being a hedonistic dumbass, and Deran secretly seems excited to having an actual seemingly accepting parental figure (even if he is clearly not won over yet), but J and Pope will be tougher nuts to crack. Smurf is totally right to tell J to get him the hell out of the house. The guy is clearly a user, and isnt at all there to try to connect with his now grown kid. Smurf is many things (stone cold criminal, awful mother/grandma) but she is a very intelligent lady who runs a tight criminal empire. 

[JFParnell]

That sequence with the old woman was exxxxcrrrrrrruciating! Seriously -- even for these characters I thought it was too jarring a choice for them to write it that way. Took me right out of the story, to the point I thought, "I can't watch this show anymore. There's no one to care about and these people are cold, lowlife scumbags." lol. I get that J et al have been raised by wolves, have massive social/moral blind spots, etc., but yeeeow! That poor demented woman. And gray cat! Tough to watch, and I'm not generally squeamish. I dunno. Just something about it felt WAY way off, even for this show and these characters.

Oddly, for all his own flaws I find I'm caring most about Pope's story. That scene with Lena where he's just barely holding it together -- he knows he WANTS to hold it together but feels it's all slipping away -- was sad. And well acted. 

Pope needs to clean house -- I think literally! lol. Especially that pool. I mean, someone noted above that it's become Dennis Leary's bathtub. But, let's be honest: It's probably his part-time toilet too if the need calls. Bleccchhhh.

[iMonrey]

Quote

I am a little puzzled about Pope and hope someone can clarify how he learned whom he needed to visit to find out about Smurf's protection in jail, why Mia had moved in, and so forth

I would assume Pope is astute enough to guess that Mia is part of Smurf's protection gang. He knew right away she wasn't just some friend of J's. And I would also assume he knows who Smurf would turn to for protection. There must be some sort of prior connection between this gang and the Codys which he's aware of. Otherwise, who would Smurf know who to turn to for this type of thing?

As for why Mia is moving in - I think that alludes to the scene where she was confronted by her mother (?) in the previous episode. Troubled home life blah blah blah. I don't know, I don't really care about Mia but they're trying to make her "a thing." Maybe if the kill off Nicky I could tolerate her a bit more but there's just too much Nicky and Mia at this point. At least one of them has to go.

Quote

 Instead he does what they all do when there's a problem: run home and seek help from "The Family".

Well, Deran can't exactly hire an accountant. Not a reputable one, anyway. He's using the bar to launder stolen money. Only his family knows that. It would be risky letting someone else know.

Quote

Be funny if the cat is chipped. It'll likely run away as soon as it gets hungry though.

I know I'm one of those crazy pet people who care more about animals than people but I'm just as worried for the cat. I don't think I would have been nearly has horrified if she hadn't had that poor cat with her. At the same time I'm horrified for her because something will separate her from that cat one way or another. 

[MrWhyt]

21 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

Include me out of the group that cares about any of the lead characters.  I really don't root for them at all; it's just interesting to watch the machinations. 

exactly, when watching Heat or other heist movies do you really care about the characters? or do you just want to see skilled people carry out a plan? I hope J gets out ok (but it's a not a requirement for me to enjoy the show) but I don't care about the other brothers I just want to see how things fall apart.

[Chaos Theory]

I think the show understood that people were asking why was Nikki staying and they tried to answer it with this episode.  It’s not like she has anywhere to go.  She doesn’t exactly have any life skills.  The only person who even remotely gives a shit about her is J. 

As for the boys it’s interesting how few life skills they have.  The only one who might have been able to take over for Smurf was Baz.  Pope maybe?  But his attention is divided on figuring out who killed Baz and on Lena.  I am not sure if he has the mindset to wrangle the boys.  Deren and Craig don’t have it in them to run a criminal empire. Maybe plan a job or two but they don’t have the mindset to  think in the long term.  Even J is too internalized.  I am not sure he knows how to ask for help from the others if he needs it.

Edited June 28, 2018 by Chaos Theory

[spritz]

On ‎6‎/‎27‎/‎2018 at 7:03 AM, Raja said:

It would seem just as easy to fill up units at near market value and just have real estate money flowing in.

A similar thought occurred to me. Why don't the Codys just earn their income legitimately? I assume they could make a living from the potential legitimate rents from their many real estate properties. But I guess being criminal is in their blood. Committing crimes is their occupation.

 

On ‎6‎/‎27‎/‎2018 at 10:21 AM, iMonrey said:

I just think the show's success relies on our continued investment in these characters and showing them doing something this horrific might be a bad move, ratings wise. I worry about the show's longevity - it's not exactly a ratings smash or a critical darling. 

At the same time, it's sort of a fascinating dichotomy that we grow to care so much about people who have murdered, robbed and maimed people with a clear conscious.

That may be true. I don't really like any of the characters. I can't say that I root for any of them. At times, especially this season, I want the Codys to fail and get caught. Yet I find their story and the show to be compelling anyway.

 

Deran and J are probably the two thoughtful Codys. But what they did to that woman showed that even they are fundamentally coldhearted criminals.

 

23 hours ago, lazylou said:

Leaving the old woman as they did was terrible, though she probably ought not to have been living by herself in any event.  I would even have felt better if Deran and J had bought her that milkshake!  Surely, though, the neighbors will wonder what has happened to her, so it is not clear to me that abandoning her was such a perfect way to avoid police attention.  She is clearly suffering dementia...so much so it seems someone is probably helping her out...neighbors or relatives.  The writers do indeed leave loose ends everywhere.  Fans can't think too much about anything...

Maybe the loose ends will come back and bite the Codys. I don't know how far ahead the writers are thinking. The writers could be setting up plot points for the future. One of the loose ends may lead to the ultimate undoing of the Codys at some point in the future whenever that occurs.

[Chaos Theory]

Maybe I have watched enough shows like this that I can enjoy it.  Dexter,  Breaking Bad, The Americans,   Sons of Anarchy.   It’s fun sometimes to watch bad people do bad things and get away with it.  

But you also know it will be just as interesting to watch it all fall apart.

Edited June 28, 2018 by Chaos Theory

[iMonrey]

Quote

That may be true. I don't really like any of the characters. I can't say that I root for any of them. At times, especially this season, I want the Codys to fail and get caught. 

I root for them to some extent. I feel for J. He's had a really crappy life and has been walking on a tightrope ever since he came to live with Smurf and his uncles. I also think he's in  over his head trying to take care of the family business. And I feel for Pope. He's done awful things but it's clear that Smurf has messed him up and manipulated him. I want to feel for Deran, he's messed up too and just now trying to pull his life together. 

That's why it's such a slap in the face to be reminded how truly awful they can be. The last time I was reminded of that was when they cut off that woman's finger on the boat heist. This seemed even worse, somehow. I think J just didn't know what to do but Deran sure did. Remember, this is the same guy who had Pope "take care of" Adrian's new boyfriend by taking him out to sea and leaving him there. It's easy to get lulled into feeling for these characters despite the awful things they've done.

[Dowel Jones]

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A similar thought occurred to me. Why don't the Codys just earn their income legitimately?

It's a damn funny irony that being a crook is harder work than being straight.

[MajorMarket]

On 6/27/2018 at 9:03 AM, Raja said:

By not getting market value for the rent she is able to hide some of the crime cash there. It would seem just as easy to fill up units at near market value and just have real estate money flowing in.

Completely agree with the above!  Every criminal empire gets to a point where they have to launder the cash - and actually run a legitimate business. 

And, by golly, legitimate businesses can make money (Exxon Mobil, Walmart, even your local grocery store!) so just use your real estate empire to pay your bills and build that empire.  No need to tempt fate and getting arrested.  [Though, this path would mean no more fun heists to watch.  Okay, so don't completely eliminate that.]

 

On 6/27/2018 at 3:12 PM, Broderbits said:

He hasn't even figured out that he could Google this stuff to find out what he needs to do, and hire someone to help. Instead he does what they all do when there's a problem: run home and seek help from "The Family". Only the Family Matriarch isn't available or willing, and the rest of them are too inept. When Smurf first went to jail they should have closed ranks and secured the property; if not then, certainly after Baz was killed. Now things are totally out of control, and the boys are basically just wringing their hands and crying "what do we do?" They are so ripe for a takeover.

Google is your friend - no cost and I know that they should have internet access (J was using a laptop when Deran came in to tell him that he has a payroll tax problem.)  That being said, I'd help Deran keep his books clean and tidy. No cash needed if you catch my drift. Yowza!

I did have a good laugh at Billy's attempt to bond with Deran at the bar then Deran comes right out and says:  "I'm gay" to Billy's encouraging to date "lots of women".  Then, Billy says:  "Oh, I think I'm more of a hetero bottom since I like being bossed around."  Fantastic line which got a tip of the hat from this ghey.

[iMonrey]

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And, by golly, legitimate businesses can make money (Exxon Mobil, Walmart, even your local grocery store!) so just use your real estate empire to pay your bills and build that empire.  No need to tempt fate and getting arrested.  [Though, this path would mean no more fun heists to watch.  Okay, so don't completely eliminate that.

I think it would be pretty hard to "go straight" when you've been using your properties to launder money by having tenants lie about what they're paying. You can't just toss them out of their ears then try to rent to new tenants at market prices. For one thing you might not get enough tenants to pay the bills let alone be profitable. We don't know where these properties are . . . the one J went to looked like a pretty crappy motel-type apartment building. In that respect, it's probably easier to just use the properties as a shelter because nobody is going to complain about them not being up to code or whatever. If they really had to live off those properties their lifestyles could be significantly less opulent.

More importantly, they've all been shown to be dyed-in-the-wool hedonists. They live for the thrill of the heist more than the money. Look at the stick-up J pulled with Smurf at that truck stop diner last season. It was practically a sex act for them.

Edited June 29, 2018 by iMonrey

[rhys]

Great title. So many prey and predators in the episode. Every person for her (him) self. We!l, except for Pope & Lens and a smidge of J trying to keep the family in the black almost by himself.

(Stupid kindle won't let me type Lena above)

[nitrofishblue]

I am sorry but I don't really like this show. I watch it because I am waiting for this family  to go down. The show glorifies crime, theft, murder, lying, cheating, you name it they do it. These characters need not be made role models for anyone. I could care less if any of them is killed. They earned it. Kids watch this and think that their lives of easy money is what they want. The last show where they left a senior citizen on a bench in the middle of nowhere did it for me. I won't be watching anymore.

[link417]

On 6/30/2018 at 12:18 PM, nitrofishblue said:

I am sorry but I don't really like this show. I watch it because I am waiting for this family  to go down. The show glorifies crime, theft, murder, lying, cheating, you name it they do it. These characters need not be made role models for anyone. I could care less if any of them is killed. They earned it. Kids watch this and think that their lives of easy money is what they want. The last show where they left a senior citizen on a bench in the middle of nowhere did it for me. I won't be watching anymore.

It’s a crime drama that’s rated TV-MA, it wasn’t made for kids and it’s not holding up these characters as role models. 

[iMonrey]

I don't think the show "glorifies" any of these crimes, either. Smurf's in jail, Baz is dead, and the rest of them frequently get the crap beaten out of them. In the first season, Craig got shot during the smash and grab at the jewelry store and they had to take him to a veterinarian in Mexico to stitch him up because they can't go to a hospital. And last season when J got his leg shredded open during the MegaChurch heist they closed it with a staple gun. Ow. 

Not exactly glamorous.  

[Miss Bones]

On ‎6‎/‎27‎/‎2018 at 2:57 AM, Dowel Jones said:

So, if the inmate is telling the truth, is Mia freelancing and taking J's money for herself, or perhaps her own sub-gang?  But the Trujillos are still getting paid the protection money.  What gives?

Were we supposed to believe that the money being paid to Mia is actually for Smurf's protection, though?  Knowing that Mia killed Baz, it's possible that the money Mia is being paid is actually her payment for killing Baz, at Smurf's request...  And Smurf is just telling J that the money is for her protection. 

[hookedontv]

I guess I should feel bad for Nikki after the conversation with her dad-but I don’t. I still can’t stand her and she just brings the show down. Scenes with her in it are slower and boring. 

I did feel so sorry for the old lady and her cat. Now that practically had me in tears, imagining how scared they will be when it turns dark and who knows what kind of riff raff will show up in that area. Or, no one at all will show up....

Edited July 4, 2018 by hookedontv
Typo

[gryphon]

On 6/28/2018 at 6:38 AM, JFParnell said:

That sequence with the old woman was exxxxcrrrrrrruciating! Seriously -- even for these characters I thought it was too jarring a choice for them to write it that way. Took me right out of the story, to the point I thought, "I can't watch this show anymore. There's no one to care about and these people are cold, lowlife scumbags." lol. I get that J et al have been raised by wolves, have massive social/moral blind spots, etc., but yeeeow! That poor demented woman. And gray cat! Tough to watch, and I'm not generally squeamish. I dunno. Just something about it felt WAY way off, even for this show and these characters.

Yes.  I am really still upset about that. So, here: after the boys drive off, about 10 minutes later, a cop comes by on a routine sweep and takes her and her cat to a shelter for older people that accepts cats. And they're ok because they eventually get put into a nice home for folks with dementia and cats--and it's all paid for because she was putting all the money she saved on rent into an account under the cat's name.

Edited May 28, 2019 by gryphon

[Kristi800]

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The last time I was reminded of that was when they cut off that woman's finger on the boat heist. 

That was Marco and unexpected. But the way Smurf threw it in the garbage disposal - GROSS.

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It's a damn funny irony that being a crook is harder work than being straight.

I keep saying this to my husband. All that work to keep everything away from everyone, suspicious about everyone and their motives because their motives are the worst, etc., etc. It would be so tiring to keep everything straight, all the cash transactions you have to hide. I mean look at Breaking Bad and all the stuff Walter White had to do to hide his money. 

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And Smurf is just telling J that the money is for her protection. 

He has to know that it's for killing Baz. Mia and the guy drove by him running after shooting Baz and before Pope pulled up to tell him about Baz. 

Nicki, I can't help but fell a teensy bit sorry for her, but she wanted that kind of life and is now realizing that it isn't great. It's male and family oriented. 

It's so infuriating that Smurf keeps her sons and family so under wraps and unprepared for anything and if they want to do the tiniest thing on their own, they have no idea what to do. I mean, payroll can be pretty confusing and as someone above says, they can't go to a legit accountant, but I'm sure Smurf knows someone, but would never let that person talk to Deran. It was so sad when Pope was telling Lena about his short school experience who is so sad and truly a victim but hope Pope can get her away from the rest of the family. 

Loved Deran & Billy's conversation. Another cycle of abuse, but glad Billy was accepting of Deran being gay.

[Emily Thrace]

On 5/27/2019 at 8:16 PM, gryphon said:

Yes.  I am really still upset about that. So, here: after the boys drive off, about 10 minutes later, a cop comes by on a routine sweep and takes her and her cat to a shelter for older people that accepts cats. And they're ok because they eventually get put into a nice home for folks with dementia and cats--and it's all paid for because she was putting all the money she saved on rent into an account under the cat's name.

Yeah I'm not sure why the boys didn't just call social services in the first place. Just mess up the house and made put a few scorch marks by he stove and social services would have pulled her out of there for them.