S03.E11: Jackpot

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

Smurf enlists the boys in a surprise job that results in devastating consequences; Pope is forced to confront the truth about Baz's murder as J steps up for the family in an unexpected way.

 

 

Airing 8/7/18

[Chaos Theory]

Two kidnappings, a gunfight, and yes Smurf really did kill Baz.

[Laurie4H]

Great episode but did it all take place in one day?  Could they really be going back and forth between Mexico and LA?  Isn’t it like a 4 hour drive?  

Didn’t they show Mia shooting Baz earlier in the season?  Is she working with Smurf?

[patty1h]

Do you think this ends the Cody's vs Lucy story line?   Will they keep the feud going or things have been "settled" on that front?

EDITED TO ADD:  Some of the shots in that big warehouse caught my attention, like the wide shot when all 5 Cody' s were lined up at the railing while talking, then outside the building when the 4 Cody men were staggered apart and they were all turned to look back at the facade - they were "artier" than usual.  They reminded me of the work of  Michael Mann.  Then I saw on another site that Shawn Hatosy directed this episode.  Good work, Shawn.

Edited August 8, 2018 by patty1h

[SuzieQ]

I loved this episode!  I thought for sure Pope was dead and surprised how relieved I was to find out he wasn't.

So did Smurf really have Baz killed or just say that to get Pope back?  Seems like the boys will lose any loyalty to her if it's true.

On a purely shallow note, Craig looked hotter than hell, shooting 2 guns at the warehouse! 

[Raja]

2 hours ago, Laurie4H said:

Great episode but did it all take place in one day?  Could they really be going back and forth between Mexico and LA?  Isn’t it like a 4 hour drive?  

Didn’t they show Mia shooting Baz earlier in the season?  Is she working with Smurf?

They are based south of Los Angeles in Oceanside about an hour from the border. Pope was left just over the border in Chula Vista CA.

 

What was going through J's head? Thinking he was expendable to acting like Smurf's personal Secret Service Agent when the gunfight started.

[rhys]

2 hours ago, Laurie4H said:

Great episode but did it all take place in one day?  Could they really be going back and forth between Mexico and LA?  Isn’t it like a 4 hour drive?  

Didn’t they show Mia shooting Baz earlier in the season?  Is she working with Smurf?

the Codys live in the San Diego area so quite close to Mexico.

1 hour ago, SuzieQ said:

I loved this episode!  I thought for sure Pope was dead and surprised how relieved I was to find out he wasn't.

So did Smurf really have Baz killed or just say that to get Pope back?  Seems like the boys will lose any loyalty to her if it's true.

On a purely shallow note, Craig looked hotter than hell, shooting 2 guns at the warehouse! 

i don't know why Pope isn't dead. There must be some reason. I, too, thought Smurf just said that just to get Pope back. Who wouldn't?

[Raja]

2 hours ago, SuzieQ said:

I loved this episode!  I thought for sure Pope was dead and surprised how relieved I was to find out he wasn't.

So did Smurf really have Baz killed or just say that to get Pope back?  Seems like the boys will lose any loyalty to her if it's true.

On a purely shallow note, Craig looked hotter than hell, shooting 2 guns at the warehouse! 

I vote that Smurf had Baz killed, it was her contract gangster and Mia who did the deed

1 minute ago, rhys said:

the Codys live in the San Diego area so quite close to Mexico.

i don't know why Pope isn't dead. There must be some reason. I, too, thought Smurf just said that just to get Pope back. Who wouldn't?

Pope is now the man to kill Smurf for Lucy

[Gsallo]

Wow! Color me shocked, Smurf killed Baz. The writers made a big mistake revealing Mia as the shooter,  too obvious the connection.

Anyone notice J is about to blow up?! Haha. All the brothers look disheveled and ready to walk away. I'd walk away.

And lucy... Why didnt they focus on her this season instead of Nikki?!

Shawn, you did a good job capturing the emotion of a family in disarray. This family is nuts!

33 minutes ago, Raja said:

I vote that Smurf had Baz killed, it was her contract gangster and Mia who did the deed

Pope is now the man to kill Smurf for Lucy

J better put a ring on Mia, or he's next. Every time I watch her she looks stone cold.

I'm disappointed there wasn't a twist., the brothers will band together to get rid of Smurf. She is ruthless!

Edited August 8, 2018 by Gsallo

[Gsallo]

3 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

Two kidnappings, a gunfight, and yes Smurf really did kill Baz.

And J acting all tough to save Smurf... I'd just throw her to the wolves.

[Dowel Jones]

I rewatched the shootout in slomo, and I sure thought that Pope took one in the head or the upper body.  I don't know how the two henchmen managed to get him and Carlos into the SUV, assuming he was fighting. 

Note to producers:  If that desert scene with Lucy moaning over Carlos's body was supposed to be the border, I call fail.  From personal experience, even on the US side, if you park your car next to the fence you will attract attention.  A dead body increases that chance.  Maybe it was just some random fence in the desert.

Oh, you Codys.  You need some seminars on how to do a hostage exchange.  When Craig said you were going to need some firepower, I was expecting automatic weapons, not pistols.  And have one guy on the railing, out of the line of fire, covering everyone else.  Still, J being the boy scout and doing his good deed was pretty funny.  Almost as "funny" as Smurf looking at him in the shower and saying "You're all grown up, now."

I wonder if Lucy had a tape recorder going.  Package in the mail...

When it comes down to it, will Mia side with J or with Smurf?

Why does Ellen Barkin walk the way she does, stiff backed and almost robot-like?  Is it just the way she is characterizing Smurf?  It just seems so unnatural to me.  I've seen her in other roles a long time ago, but I can't remember how she acted in those. 

[lazylou]

Just curious.  How hard would it be to take Pope back and forth across the border, supposing he was not carrying his passport?

Surprising J saved Smurf considering he has (correctly, I think) decided he is completely expendable to her.  Maybe just reflex. Craig turned pretty quickly against J too.  But Pope knew J was paying the Trujilos protection money for :Smurf, and  Deran knew he was paying someone for her protection. How did Lucy know he had brought a friend to the cafe?  Didn't Mia and J arrive separately? I thought the whole Lucy/stolen property problem that has been hanging in limbo for nearly a season was polished off surprisingly simply.  I expect Lucy hopes that Pope will get revenge for Smurf, and the previews of next week seem to indicate that is what he may do.  

Had they not shown Mia shooting Baz, I would have been speculating that Pete had done it anyway, and even though they showed the shooter as Mia, many fans refused to believe Lucy was not the guilty party anyway...I hate the fact that Mia, apparently J's only ally, though maybe only a mercenary one,  is  Baz's killer.  So I still wonder why the writers revealed her as the killer so early on.  And we still have a bit of mystery surrounding her...just another red herring, or is her taking the legal form somehow going to be important?

[Chaos Theory]

Lucy is either cartel or has cartel ties so I doubt she has any trouble crossing the border even with a hostage.  Lucy’s cartel history is the reason the Cody boys didn’t want to confront her directly.  Smurf didn’t give a shit.  She wanted her money back.  Plus she realized if they didn’t do something it would be a mark on their reputation as bad asses.

Mia is actually getting fairly interesting.  She is an ally of J but one he has to pay for.  I am not sure I trust her or that she wont betray him for more money but right now she is at least an interesting player in the game.

I was surprised Smurf said she killed Baz.  Then again even if Lucy was taping it she could legitimately say she did it under duress.  Then again I don’t think Lucy cares about putting Smurf in jail she just wanted to hear her say the words.    I forgot how deep a history Lucy had with the Cody’s.  She knows how dangerous Smurf really is.  

Edited August 8, 2018 by Chaos Theory
Typos

[LoveLeigh]

5 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

Why does Ellen Barkin walk the way she does, stiff backed and almost robot-like?  Is it just the way she is characterizing Smurf?  It just seems so unnatural to me.  I've seen her in other roles a long time ago, but I can't remember how she acted in those. 

Ellen Barkin is very small, short and petite. I think she made an actor's choice to play Smurf that way to enhance Smurf's confidence and power and iron will. The stiff walk translates to: I may be diminutive but I am a force to be reckoned with. 

Ellen Barkin has a very active presence on twitter and she responds to fans' questions on twitter. if you ask her nicely, she just may answer. Last year. she replied to something I said about the show. She is very nice and very approachable. 

5 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

I wonder if Lucy had a tape recorder going.  Package in the mail...

 

It was obvious to me that was the reason Lucy wanted Smurf to say it. She was recording it. 

[Raja]

11 minutes ago, DakotaLavender said:

 

It was obvious to me that was the reason Lucy wanted Smurf to say it. She was recording it. 

I think she needed Smurf's voice in an attempt to influence Pope since Smurf not just any Cody is her actual target.

[showme]

7 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

When it comes down to it, will Mia side with J or with Smurf?

I'd say J. Smurf is business, J is the man she is sleeping with, probably has feelings for. Besides, J has money too.

[Chaos Theory]

2 hours ago, DakotaLavender said:

It was obvious to me that was the reason Lucy wanted Smurf to say it. She was recording it. 

I don’t think Lucy was taping the conversation.  If anything I was surprised that when she said Pope was “close” he wasn’t listening nearby.  Taping the conversation does nothing for her and like I said upthread Smurf could always say that she confessed to killing Baz to save Pope’s life.   I think Lucy truly loved Baz and stole the money to get back at Smurf but then just wanted to hear Smurf say the words.  It doesn’t matter anymore if she can prove it or not.  Pope believes Smurf killed Baz as well.  Which is going to be a problem for Smurf.

Edited August 8, 2018 by Chaos Theory

[Novel8]

I was hoping that they will kill Pope's character....he is just dragging this Lena s..t too far. If it wasn't for the Lena character, he is the borest of the lot.

[sugarbaker design]

When Smurf admitted she had Baz murdered I was on the fence.  I wasn't sure if she actually did it or admitted it to assure Pope's release.

But when Pope looked her in the eye and said "I know what you did." and Smurf did nothing but look in his eyes, that clinched it for me.  Smurf had Baz killed.

[Chick2Chic]

I tip my hat to Shawn Hatosy for a well directed ep. 

2 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

I think Lucy truly loved Baz and stole the money to get back at Smurf but then just wanted to hear Smurf say the words.  It doesn’t matter anymore if she can prove it or not.  Pope believes Smurf killed Baz as well.  Which is going to be a problem for Smurf.

This is where I am on the situation as well. I feel that Pope killing Cat will also come back in to play. Smurf will not go down quietly. 

Look at Deran somewhat stepping in to protect J from Craig's freakout... not that J seemed to think he needed it. He's got that quiet fury going for him.

I continue to adore the casual domesticity of Deran & Adrian in their scenes. So much progress from S1. I wonder if Adrian will now leave for South Africa or if we'll be seeing more of him? 

[iMonrey]

Quote

Wow! Color me shocked, Smurf killed Baz. The writers made a big mistake revealing Mia as the shooter,  too obvious the connection.

I thought the moment they revealed Mia as the shooter the show was making clear that Smurf was responsible. I brought this up a few episodes back - I can't remember whether Pete was driving the getaway car Mia got into after she shot Baz. If he was, that's pretty solid proof since we know Pete and his gang were working for Smurf. What's weird is that Pete would have Mia do the job - it doesn't seem like she's a regular part of his crew, but just someone he pays extra for side jobs. She didn't know anything about the Marco kidnapping until J paid her to follow them. And when Pete told her she didn't have to collect payments from J anymore she asked if he had any other jobs for her because she needed the extra cash.

Is she asking for 300 thousand just to cover J's back? I assume she meant more than just 300 dollars. That's a lot even for J.

Quote

Just curious.  How hard would it be to take Pope back and forth across the border, supposing he was not carrying his passport?

I'm not sure they were in Mexico. Lucy said that was the house she and Baz planned to live in with their kids. They didn't specify whether it was north or south of the border. But yeah - that would be a tough trip through border control. Maybe easy enough to smuggle Pope into Mexico but out again would be a lot harder.

I just don't know where this is going because they cannot kill off Smurf or Pope. The show just wouldn't be the same without them. I have a hunch Smurf will regain a hold over Pope somehow, probably involving Lena in some way. Smurf could possibly adopt Lena and use that to keep Pope in line.

[Raja]

19 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

I thought the moment they revealed Mia as the shooter the show was making clear that Smurf was responsible. I brought this up a few episodes back - I can't remember whether Pete was driving the getaway car Mia got into after she shot Baz. If he was, that's pretty solid proof since we know Pete and his gang were working for Smurf. What's weird is that Pete would have Mia do the job - it doesn't seem like she's a regular part of his crew, but just someone he pays extra for side jobs. She didn't know anything about the Marco kidnapping until J paid her to follow them. And when Pete told her she didn't have to collect payments from J anymore she asked if he had any other jobs for her because she needed the extra cash.

Is she asking for 300 thousand just to cover J's back? I assume she meant more than just 300 dollars. That's a lot even for J.

I'm not sure they were in Mexico. Lucy said that was the house she and Baz planned to live in with their kids. They didn't specify whether it was north or south of the border. But yeah - that would be a tough trip through border control. Maybe easy enough to smuggle Pope into Mexico but out again would be a lot harder.

I just don't know where this is going because they cannot kill off Smurf or Pope. The show just wouldn't be the same without them. I have a hunch Smurf will regain a hold over Pope somehow, probably involving Lena in some way. Smurf could possibly adopt Lena and use that to keep Pope in line.

I figured it was just $300. Just a token rate so J doesn't think she just wants to be with him and will ride or die just because. Mia's interaction with that gang doesn't seem to fit. maybe she is cartel royalty like Lucy and Pete is guiding her along in some way.

As for Smurf and Pope. I figure there are two more seasons top and Smurf has to be around until almost the last episode. Pope on the other hand could go with two brothers to spare to engage with their nephew in the series finale.

[Joimiaroxeu]

I can't believe Marco was still alive and reasonably coherent after Smurf turned him into a buffet table for rats. Even if he'd lived he's probably have had some nasty diseases, right? Like rabies?

Oy, Craig adopting Lena. Geez, that poor kid might almost be better off dead.

Maybe if Smurf didn't try so hard to be a patronizing BAMF her boys wouldn't hate her and mistrust her. But she's got them so crippled emotionally that they can't let her go. I don't believe Pope will go through with trying to kill her unless he made some kind of deal with Lucy.

Edited August 9, 2018 by Joimiaroxeu

[showme]

Quick question: Who is the father of Lucy's son? Was it Baz?

[Raja]

59 minutes ago, showme said:

Quick question: Who is the father of Lucy's son? Was it Baz?

Well Baz acted more fatherly towards  him than he ever did to Lena.

[Dowel Jones]

1 hour ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

I can't believe Marco was still alive and reasonably coherent after Smurf turned him a buffet table for rats.

I suspect Marco folded long before the rats actually got to him.  The blood loss alone overnight would have killed him.

The reason I think Lucy might have taped Smurf is not for the criminal justice system, but to give to the Cody guys so there's more than a seed of doubt in their minds about Smurf's loyalties.  I don't think for a minute that Lucy's cartel is going to let this go. 

[showme]

1 hour ago, Raja said:

Well Baz acted more fatherly towards  him than he ever did to Lena.

That is why I was wondering, did Baz and Lucy have a child together? Seems very likely since they got together since teenage years.

Edited August 8, 2018 by showme

[walnutqueen]

2 hours ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

I can't believe Marco was still alive and reasonably coherent after Smurf turned him a buffet table for rats. Even if he'd lived he's probably have had some nasty diseases, right? Like rabies?

No.  Rats rarely, if ever, contract rabies and have not been known to transmit rabies to humans.  And he's probably not going to bleed out from a few rat bites, either.

[iMonrey]

Quote

Quick question: Who is the father of Lucy's son? Was it Baz?

The show has never specified who the kid's father is but it's not Baz. At least, there was never any acknowledgment of it. I'm sure someone would have mentioned it. Lucy at this point would be bringing it up every time she accuses Smurf: "She killed the father of my child!!!"

[lazylou]

5 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I thought the moment they revealed Mia as the shooter the show was making clear that Smurf was responsible. I brought this up a few episodes back - I can't remember whether Pete was driving the getaway car Mia got into after she shot Baz. If he was, that's pretty solid proof since we know Pete and his gang were working for Smurf. What's weird is that Pete would have Mia do the job - it doesn't seem like she's a regular part of his crew, but just someone he pays extra for side jobs. She didn't know anything about the Marco kidnapping until J paid her to follow them. And when Pete told her she didn't have to collect payments from J anymore she asked if he had any other jobs for her because she needed the extra cash.

Is she asking for 300 thousand just to cover J's back? I assume she meant more than just 300 dollars. That's a lot even for J.

I'm not sure they were in Mexico. Lucy said that was the house she and Baz planned to live in with their kids. They didn't specify whether it was north or south of the border. But yeah - that would be a tough trip through border control. Maybe easy enough to smuggle Pope into Mexico but out again would be a lot harder.

I just don't know where this is going because they cannot kill off Smurf or Pope. The show just wouldn't be the same without them. I have a hunch Smurf will regain a hold over Pope somehow, probably involving Lena in some way. Smurf could possibly adopt Lena and use that to keep Pope in line.

Pete was definitely driving the getaway car.  I have rewatched  that scene several times...it is Pete.  I have always wondered why Mia would be given the job of killing Baz.  ...I find it hard to believe unless there is a back story of some sort that explains it.  After all, Mia apparently has no place to live, drives a very old muscle car needing a paint job, grew up in foster care, seems to be an errand girl at the most.   Could not have been paid much for the hit. Tina clearly dislikes her.

 I feel sure the 300 hundred was just dollars... I did wonder if Lucy recognized Mia as the shooter when she apparently identified her as J's friend at the restaurant. But I cannot see how ...did not seem she could have had that good a look at Mia either time. Maybe she just guessed that J was not alone.

Another thought I had...could Smurf have hired Mia (thru Pete) to follow J while she was I jail? Maybe that is why she is so interested in meeting her? Even so, I find it hard to believe Mia would be loyal to Smurf when Mia and J have so much in common.

I asked the question about the border earlier because it seemed too easy to get back and forth.  I think Lucy's house is on the US side... but the Trujillos did apparently bring Marco  across...must have required some subterfuge.  

I think we may have seen the last of Lena.  I think she creates problems for the writers ... Someone always has to be watching her, etc.. I doubt Smurf would be able to adopt her.  Even if she has no recent convictions, she is a known criminal who I doubt could pass a background check.

[Joimiaroxeu]

3 hours ago, walnutqueen said:

No.  Rats rarely, if ever, contract rabies and have not been known to transmit rabies to humans.  And he's probably not going to bleed out from a few rat bites, either.

Okay, what about that old European favorite, the plague? ?

[walnutqueen]

5 minutes ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

Okay, what about that old European favorite, the plague? ?

Possible, but not likely.  The European plague was primarily spread by fleas from infected rats; here in the US, only about 17 people a year get the plague.  There's a less than 10% chance he contracts Rat Bite Fever, the most common infection from rat bites.  In any case, all these infections are treatable, including the dreaded plague.  ;-)

Lest you think I'm some pedantic boor, I know about this stuff because I was once bitten by a wild mouse, and got the skinny on my risks from a wildlife veterinarian (who knew a LOT more about it than the doctor I consulted!).  :-)

[hookedontv]

Mia did have a good line to J: “Damn dude, you got a hard ass abuela.”

Truth. 

[formerlyfreedom]

10 hours ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

Oy, Craig adopting Lena. Geez, that poor kid might almost be better off dead.

Oh, you made me chortle with this - because I thought the same thing when Pope suggested it!

[iMonrey]

Quote

Pete was definitely driving the getaway car.  I have rewatched  that scene several times...it is Pete.  I have always wondered why Mia would be given the job of killing Baz.  ...I find it hard to believe unless there is a back story of some sort that explains it.  After all, Mia apparently has no place to live, drives a very old muscle car needing a paint job, grew up in foster care, seems to be an errand girl at the most.   Could not have been paid much for the hit. Tina clearly dislikes her.

Thanks for clearing that up. Honestly, the whole thing with the shooter just screams "re-write." I seriously think they had some other plan in mind last season then changed their minds for some reason.

The only thing I can think of is that shooting Baz was some sort of "test" for Mia to see whether or not Pete could trust her. He also might not have wanted to risk using one of his own guys. Hopefully we'll get more of an explanation of this if it ever comes out that she was the shooter.

[patty1h]

Just a few rambling thoughts:  It just hit me that Mia is a MURDERER - she is a teen(?) assassin walking around la-di-dah with that bitch face always on.  She is young, homeless and is given assignments to kill people.  Later, she's shown negotiating with her sometime BF a price to help him set up a sting.  That's kind of daring for any TV show to have a young, female character be so hardcore.   I was kind of done with her hanging around J - I don't like her with him.   Now, after my revelation, I wish they'd explore more of how/why she's in the life she's in.  It has to be deeper than her just 'making a living".   

I know they showed a little bit of her background with breaking into the mother/grandmother's house for papers and a gun - now I want more.

[MaggieG]

On 8/7/2018 at 11:01 PM, SuzieQ said:

 

On a purely shallow note, Craig looked hotter than hell, shooting 2 guns at the warehouse! 

I totally agree. I also thought it was nice that he was the only one who seemed to care if Marco was hungry or thirsty. I have a crush on Craig :)

[anonymiss]

On 8/7/2018 at 10:01 PM, Raja said:

What was going through J's head? Thinking he was expendable to acting like Smurf's personal Secret Service Agent when the gunfight started.

It's consistent with his character to be responsible and capable--the good boy--so I think it was instinct.

On 8/8/2018 at 6:41 AM, Chaos Theory said:

I don’t think Lucy was taping the conversation.  If anything I was surprised that when she said Pope was “close” he wasn’t listening nearby.  Taping the conversation does nothing for her and like I said upthread Smurf could always say that she confessed to killing Baz to save Pope’s life.   I think Lucy truly loved Baz and stole the money to get back at Smurf but then just wanted to hear Smurf say the words.  It doesn’t matter anymore if she can prove it or not.  Pope believes Smurf killed Baz as well.  Which is going to be a problem for Smurf.

I think Lucy told Pope he gets to go free if Mommy admits what she did. The way that Lucy ended her scene with Pope by saying something like, "Let's see how this goes," followed by Pope's stony reaction to being rescued and his surefire accusation levied at Smurf makes me think that.

I just don't know why Pope would be certain Lucy wasn't just covering her own ass and making Smurf admit it under duress. 

[iMonrey]

Quote

What was going through J's head? Thinking he was expendable to acting like Smurf's personal Secret Service Agent when the gunfight started.

J has a clear goal in mind, and it includes his cut from the stolen storage locker stash. He needs that money to buy his own businesses to launder his own money. So he still needs Smurf until he gets that money.

[Bridget]

On 8/7/2018 at 7:14 PM, Laurie4H said:

Great episode but did it all take place in one day?  Could they really be going back and forth between Mexico and LA?  Isn’t it like a 4 hour drive?  

Didn’t they show Mia shooting Baz earlier in the season?  Is she working with Smurf?

Just to clarify for those who haven’t been here, Oceanside is about 100 miles south  (2 hours without traffic) of LA & 40 miles (45 minutes) north of downtown San Diego. The biggest landmark here is Camp Pendleton, a Marine Corps base, if anyone is curious about Oceanside’s exact location.

Chula Vista is about 12 miles south of San Diego and from there, it’s only 8 miles to the Mexican border. 

It’s completely possible for Smurf to have driven to Chula Vista and picked up Pope so soon after he was kidnapped. They didn’t show the traffic she most likely endured, but it’s an easy round trip drive.

It’s probably just a little over an hour’s drive to the border from Oceanside without traffic.

If I had to drive to Chula Vista from Oceanside during daylight/early evening hours, I’d give myself a solid 90 minutes to allow for traffic. Some carpool lanes are open at certain spots on the 5, but down here, it’s the pace of the traffic that takes forever, not the distance one is driving.