Last night’s episode title Second Chances was rather uneven, of the season’s first four episodes it’s the weakest. A few storylines are fraying around the edges and it seems as though some of our main characters have too much going on at the moment. They are all individually focused on doing or completing this one deed or task, with the hope that it will save them and give them a reset. But, we know life doesn’t work out that way. The decisions they’ve made to this point will live with them regardless no matter how hard they try to right a wrong…
We open this week’s episode with the three amigos. Ghost, Tommy, and Kanan. Ghost learns that Tommy’s dad (Teresi) is out. Ghost is not happy he’s only now hearing about the news and that other people (Kanan and Proctor) knew before he did. Everyone has their own motives and suspicions around this. Ghost doesn’t trust Teresi as he blackmailed him twice when they were in the can. Tommy wants a dad, but is somewhat suspicious. He also yearns for acceptance, love, and loyalty, unconditionally. Kanan wants to get back what he lost, while he was inside. He wants to be the NYC drug kingpin. Between the three of them, he’s the one with the clearest vision and an endgame. Most importantly, he doesn’t have outside forces (familial or personal) interfering or clouding his judgment.
Kanan’s character development from the beginning of the series until now has been really interesting. He was a shadowy figure locked away, then once he got out he becomes more of a viable threat to Ghost, Tommy, etc. Now he seems poised to be the one person that may actually get what he wants. That isn’t to say that his journey to this point has been smooth, the man did get barbecued inside of an abandoned building. He did kill his own son, and more than a few people would be happy if he were dead. But Kanan has managed to work his way into the “good graces” of just about everyone, and in turn, he uses the information from these people to further his plan. He got Ghost to tell him about a plan to make Tommy to “radioactive” for the Italians and Kanan beats him to the punch. In terms of vulnerability and weak spots, Kanan has far fewer than anybody else on the board, and that’s a frightening thought. Kanan has even managed to get in good with the Italians, using the old I’m going to rescue you from a situation that I set up, ploy. Funny how that scheme always seems to work.
The Italians are a storyline that while necessary, only muddies the pool in my opinion. Teresi is so obvious in his attempts to get information from Tommy. Does anyone else see that? Tommy has his guard up and is suspicious, but the aforementioned shooting will possibly cause him to slip. Notice how worried he was after the Kanan “rescue”? He speeds over to Teresi’s to make sure he is okay. Meanwhile, Kanan is sowing seeds of discord with Vincent and his crew. Telling Vincent, that the driveby was a result of Tommy’s drug beefs. Now Tommy has his “family” looking at him through a suspicious lens, while he tries to deal with everything coming down on him. Tommy still has Dre and the Jimenez cartel to worry about.