After last week’s episode set up the arc for the rest of the season, tonight’s show was a little more laid back. That isn’t to say that nothing happened, but it wasn’t quite as jaw-dropping as the events that transpired in the season premiere. No chopped-off feet to speak of, and no crazy shootouts in the middle of Farmington. There were plenty of confrontations (Dutch and Billings, Vic and Corrine, Danny and Tina), however, but nothing we haven’t seen before. Still, I love that the writers make the most of the Dutch and Billings pairing, because even though the latter may get on Dutch’s nerves most of the time, you have to admit that when he tries, Billings is a damn good detective. Unfortunately, Dutch’s character has fallen to the wayside over the last two seasons (to the point that his character is almost as insignificant as Danny, Tina or Julian), and though this season is first and foremost about how Vic is going to save his badge, I’d like to see Dutch become involved in the fate of Vic’s future before the end.
With the Armenian/Mexican gang war in motion, Vic decides that it’s high time to get Aramboles out of the country, so he orders Shane to set up “travel arrangements” to Mexico with the same coyotes that were originally going to get Lem across the border. I’m not exactly sure why Vic is helping Aramboles (he’s already set him up as the fall guy, so why go through all the trouble?), but it probably has something to do with the fact that he just doesn’t want to give Pezuela the pleasure of killing him. Speaking of which, Vic’s carefully plotted gang war is already beginning to spin out of control when the Mexicans greenlight a hit on Rezian. Worried that Rezian’s death will result in the Armenian mob’s second-in-command following through with the assassination of his family, Shane visits the Armenian number one in prison to warn him, thinking that by doing so, he’s insured his loyalty to him. Instead, Rezian simply confirms his fears: if he dies, so do Shane and Vic’s families.
As if things couldn’t get worst, the mayor has just initiated a Most Wanted list that ranks the area’s top ten gangs. Vic is worried that it will only create competition (he likens the list to the sports standings, with every team making a push for the playoffs), and he’s right. Within hours, a white businessman is gunned down for no good reason, and before the afternoon is over, another white couple is shot in the middle of gangland. When an old woman comes forward as a witness to the second shooting and fingers two youngsters wearing Spook Street colors, Vic brings in the gang’s leader, Jamal, for questioning. As it happens, Jamal really doesn’t know anything about the hits, but when he learns that Homeland Security is involved due to an Al Qaeda-related threat tied to the murders, he realizes that an earlier joke involving the terrorist group might have been taken out of context as an order. Whoopsie daisy, indeed.
Of course, there is some good that comes of this. By relieving the pressure on another gang leader (Moses) suspected of the murders, Vic is able to call in a favor to some of his guys in lockup to keep Rezian safe. Meanwhile, Shane visits the accountant testifying against the Armenian mob boss, and though the deputy sheriff is sitting in the room with them the whole time, he still manages to threaten the man’s life (along with his family’s) should he refuse to recant his testimony. I’m actually kind of surprised the accountant was able to understand the intended threat, but kudos to Shane for relaying the message without actually saying a whole lot. Of course, that deputy sheriff is an idiot if she didn’t notice the change in the accountant’s behavior after Shane mentioned the livelihood of his daughter, but maybe she’s unfamiliar with the concept of a crooked cop.
With Rezian safe for the short-term, however, Vic is more than happy to gloat about it to Pezuela. He’s also ready to renegotiate a new deal, and for every week that Vic’s tenure isn’t preserved, Pezuela will have to cough up $10,000 for his services rendered. Unfortunately, I’m not convinced Pezuela cares about money (he was willing to take a hit financially by ordering the hit on Rezian), so if Vic thinks that draining his pockets will do him any good, he’s in for some bad news.
