Last time, we met Jake and Max’s dad, witnessed the creation of the Scottish Avengers, confirmed that Rich Politician Type is indeed connected to Maggie and Roy’s crime family, and got to see Yvonne making the (hopefully not horrible) choice to trust Demoted so she can have a cop buddy to take down Maggie. It was a lot!
This week, we kick things off with a bit of a flashback to Skye and Handsome Goon having a chat… about her plan to intimidate the goon squad with a mascot head and a gun.
Skye: If it doesn’t work, what will you guys do to my weird would-be stepdad? He thinks this was his idea, which means your boys will also think that.
Handsome Goon: They’ll probably just beat him up.
Skye: That’s it?
Handsome Goon: Yeah, he’s not worth the trouble of doing more. Anyway, it’ll work!
And then, of course, it didn’t. Which I’m sure put a bit of a damper on the friendship/relationship/whatever it is that’s going on between Skye and Handsome Goon. Anyway, back in the present day, Teddy’s meeting up with Maggie to tell her he did the job (i.e. murdered Jake and Max).
Maggie: Well, good job. You get paid on Friday, but we’ve got work to do first.
Teddy, mad: But you said if I did this I’d get paid and I’d get to leave. We had a deal!
Maggie, apparently not scared of Teddy for some reason: Friday. That’s the end of it.
Teddy’s next assignment? Tossing Skiing Accident’s room while she’s in the middle of a call with her boss. The boss is pressuring her to stop doing the due diligence she’s presumably paid to do, and instead just sign off on everything like he and Rich Politician Type want. This feels like a catastrophic mistake on his part, reader, because she’s clearly a contrarian, and that only makes her want to look into everything MORE. Teddy, meanwhile, hasn’t found anything, and is clearly keen to get away from Maggie. She lets him go, with an ominous directive to “stay close,” but doesn’t seem to totally trust what’s happening (she’s a lifetime crime boss, after all: this isn’t her first double cross).
And she’s right not to trust Teddy, because his next stop is to give all the pictures of Skiing Accident’s room to Max, Jake, and Kenny.
Max: Well, whoever she is, if Maggie cares about her, so do we.
Teddy: You should also know that she’s been working in a separate room that has its own key card.
Max: Cool. Well, do whatever Maggie says. Other than killing me!
Jake: Or me!
Max: Duh.
Jake: … it felt like I had to say it.
The next part of Max’s plan involves Skye, who is smart enough to distrust him on sight, but still wants to get herself out of trouble, and so reluctantly agrees to stay in the group even when Kenny suggests they leave.
Jake: That’s all well and good, but where are we going to stay while we do this plot of yours?
The answer? They’re about to go threaten an old lady. To be fair, said lady was behind a murder/insurance fraud scheme, so she’s no angel either. You guessed it: we’re off to visit the woman I called Rear Window in the season 1 recaps. Rear Window is, unsurprisingly, weirdly happy to see the boys again, and invites the whole squad inside.
Max: So I see you’re dating someone new?
Rear Window: Obviously. He’s not well, I’m afraid 😉
Max: You’re hilarious. Look, we need somewhere to stay for a bit with someone who won’t ask any questions and doesn’t have a moral compass. We’ll pay.
Rear Window: You flatterer! 5k a night, and you cook for yourselves.
Across town, Yvonne has waited around long enough to catch Skye’s mum leaving home, and used that gotcha moment to get herself an interview, such as it is.
Skye’s Mum: I didn’t see anything, I don’t know anything, and everyone in the building agrees! I keep my head down, and I won’t be intimidated. My brother works in the law and I’ll get him involved if I have to!
Somehow I don’t think she’ll have to do that, because Yvonne’s been looking around during this speech, and obviously just spotted a picture of Kenny.
And it’s about to get even more awkward, because just as Yvonne’s leaving, Kenny rolls up to visit his sister. He spots his partner before she sees him, and ducks out of sight, like a weirdo. Pal, this is just putting the hard conversation off, not preventing it! Anyway, he tells his sister that Skye is ok, and then listens to her talk about how she did her best with Skye until he notices a rather prominently placed photo of himself, and realizes that Yvonne must’ve also spotted this photo just a few minutes back.
Meanwhile, at the hotel, Skye’s gone undercover as a housekeeper and successfully gotten into Skiing Accident’s workspace, while Skiing Accident goes to lunch (quietly observed by Jake). And it’s a good job Jake was there, because he hears Skiing Accident decide to take her lunch to the conference room, and tries to run game on her. It… does not work. Apparently his ability to seduce American women was limited to Angie. Anyway, he’s panicking, but he doesn’t need to: Skye finishes up just as Skiing Accident returns, and leaves their target none the wiser. Back in the car, Max looks over the paperwork, and confirms that they got what they needed.
Later, at Rear Window’s house, Skye waits until everyone’s gone to bed and sneaks out to meet up with Handsome Goon. She tells him she’s only here to get the money to pay him, and then she’ll leave town.
Handsome Goon: What, to go to school somewhere else
Skye: Buddy, I’m trying to get 20k off a lowlife to pay off a gangster. Not sure that’s lawyer material.
Me: If I speak…
Handsome Goon: I’m just saying, you don’t have to do… this. You can do something else. And I could too?
Skye: Look, there’s something happening with Maggie. There’s money involved… enough money to change things for whoever gets it.
Handsome Goon: Oh I know.
Skye: If we had the opportunity… would you?
Handsome Goon: Yes.
Skye: Then you need to tell me. If that opportunity turns up.
Back at Rear Window’s house, said lady takes her opening to interrupt Jake’s reading to do what she does best: drive a wedge between the brothers.
Rear Window: He’s always been so obviously only out for himself. And he’ll hurt you if he needs to.
Jake: We’re not a very happy family, it’s true.
Rear Window: Whatever he’s planning, it needs the rest of you to succeed, but the winner will be him. No one else. Unless you let me help you get what you deserve.
Jake, who has, after all, a lifetime of being manipulated by Max and can sometimes spot it when other people do it: No thank you!
Rear Window: You need to cut ties with him.
Jake: He’s my brother. If I do that, I’m not sure what I have left!
Rear Window: You know, sometimes at night I like to sit here in the dark, drink whiskey, and have a think about the future. Makes me brave. I’ll be here tonight, if you want to join me.
Jake: Look, you’re wrong. Yes, Max is a nightmare, but we’re working together this time.
Rear Window: So what’s he up to now?
Great question! He’s at a very posh office, politely refusing to listen to a receptionist who’s trying to get him to leave. Meanwhile, across town at the cafe, Maggie asks Handsome Goon why Skye ran away. She also suggests, not very subtly, that perhaps Handsome Goon and Skye had a romantic attachment.
Handsome Goon, pretty convincingly: She’s not my type.
Maggie: Hmm. Tabling that for now. How did you come to work for us?
Handsome Goon: I got out of the home for young offenders and heard you might be hiring.
Maggie: Classic Roy. He had a soft spot for kids like you. Kids like him, really: outcasts. Who do you have, other than us?
Handsome Goon: No one.
Maggie: Good. Because I’m all you need. It took us a long time to get the drug network set up. If you’re still with me on Friday, it’s all yours. I can’t be your mom, but I can give you opportunity. Also, meet my new giant goons. Don’t take it personally, but I needed to be sure.
Back at the hotel, Skiing Accident has finally uncovered the problem she knew was there all along. Her first move is to call her boss.
Skiing Accident: You were right, it’s all fine! Sure, some creative bookkeeping, but we do that too. I’ll confirm the deal.
Boss: Welcome back to the club, kid.
Skiing Accident: Hey, while I have you, can you authorize my access to our systems? I’m logged out. Lost access after my accident. Anyway, I want to do a summary of the benefits of this deal for the media — money stuff, you get it — but I need access to our records to do that.
Boss, cagey and reluctant: … good idea. I’ll have your access fixed.
While we wait to find out what she’s up to, let’s go back to Max, shall we? That fancy office he’s lurking at belongs to none other than Rich Politician Type, and he’s got a lot of questions for Max.
Max: We’ve met before, but you won’t remember. Anyway, that document I had the receptionist show you? Suspicious as hell. I didn’t get it from that American bank lady, but if I noticed what was wrong with it, she will too. Heck, she’ll find stuff I don’t even know about!
Rich Politician Type: She signed an NDA. And you’ve stolen information that doesn’t even prove anything illegal happened. Whatever you’re trying to do, it won’t work.
Max: I think the bank is bankrupt and you need this deal to go through before it all falls apart. And I think Maggie’s helping you do it, in exchange for you helping her with a lot of cash… which I would like to get instead.
Rich Politician Type: I actually do remember you. You were trying so hard to network, in your cheap-ass suit.
Max, can’t help himself: Correction: it wasn’t cheap.
Rich Politician Type, ignoring him: And then a few years ago I heard you got caught for a hit and run and thought… sounds about right.
Max: Oh, it’s like that? Well: that night everyone at my table was laughing at you. At your manners, and your wine choices. I went to prison, but it could have been worse: they could have found out I was laundering money for Roy. See, I cleaned up the cash and sent it to a numbered account. Roy was VERY proud of that… someone anonymous was keeping it safe! But Roy wasn’t that savvy about this kind of stuff, and he gave me a form he shouldn’t have. A form that made it easy for me to connect that account to you. You looked after their money for a long time, and that’s a weird thing for a smart person like yourself to have done. So weird, in fact, that you’d only have done it if they had something on you. They’ve always got leverage, don’t they?
Rich Politician Type: So what are you suggesting?
Max: I give you the evidence of the money laundering, instead of the cops. You give me the cash. Deal goes through, we live happily ever after. Of course, you’ll have to take care of the American.
Rich Politician Type: I can do that. Meet me at the club. Bring everything you’ve got and we’ll agree to terms. Wear a better suit than last time.
Later, in an abandoned lot, Maggie calls Teddy in for a chat. Apparently, one of her contacts has informed her that he saw Max around town. Which is surprising, because according to Teddy, Max is dead!
Maggie: Where are they?
Teddy: I don’t know.
Maggie: Look, this is bad for you!
Teddy: I’m not that scared of you, tbh.
Maggie: Well you should be. Because my friend has a gun, and I have a hostage… your dad.
Teddy: I won’t forget this.
Maggie: You better not. You have until tonight to figure out where they are. Otherwise…
Elsewhere, things aren’t looking much better for Yvonne: she’s been told to stop any investigation of Maggie.
Demoted: Yeah, they know she’s leaving, and they want her out of town.
Yvonne: That’s why I won’t stop: she’ll get away with it.
Demoted: If you don’t stop, you’ll get fired.
Yvonne: I know, and I’m ok with that.
Demoted: Then I’ll keep watching her. I’ll tell you if I see anything interesting.
Back at Rear Window’s house, Max rolls up in a very fancy suit, and runs into Jake, who’s getting emotional looking out at the road where it all began.
Jake: Look, I think it’s weird that you’re risking everything to claw back to what you think you had.
Max: If you have a different idea, I’m all ears.
Jake: Why don’t you just go somewhere else? Start over?
Max: Because I’m a penniless disbarred lawyer who could be arrested for parole violations? The only way I rebuild is to get a big chunk of change that’s supposed to go to Maggie.
Jake: There are other ways to live.
Max: I’m too good for that! And you’re here because you know I can do this, and give you the life you want.
Jake: Were you gonna split the money with me in Chicago?
Max: … no. Because you had Angie. You had a life, something real. I didn’t have anything, and I thought you needed it less than I did. But I don’t think that now. When we finish here I’m gonna pay off Kenny, and Skye, and Rear Window, and then we’re going to split the rest. Because we’re both looking for something. For a life.
Jake: Thanks for not lying to me again.
Max: No more lies. We’re too near the end.
Do you believe him? I’m not sure I do, and I’m not sure Jake does either. Anyway, across town, Kenny comes upstairs in his office to find Teddy waiting for him.
Teddy asks where the brothers are, and Kenny turns him down. Security stuff! Teddy gets it, right?
Teddy: Maggie has my dad. He’s not much of a dad, but he’s mine.
Kenny: Tell Max that! He’ll come up with something.
Teddy: I’m sure he will.
Kenny: There’s got to be another way!
Teddy: Ok, play hard to get! I’ll just go close the blinds while you think it over.
Kenny: Teddy, look, they’re with my niece and Maggie wants her too. I can’t tell you!
Teddy: I’ve tried so hard to not be who I am. But right now it’s not working. Everything I’ve tried to get rid of is coming back. Please tell me.
Outside, Yvonne is walking up to the office, when she gets a call from Demoted: he’s been following Maggie, and she’s just dispatched two goons to the hotel. Why? Because of something related to the bank, something big, and Yvonne should head over there ASAP. That does indeed seem important, so she leaves, reluctantly, possibly condemning Kenny in the process.
Speaking of the bank, Rich Politician Type is in the process of telling Skiing Accident that he’s happy she’s decided to ok the sale.
Skiing Accident: Yes, everything looks really good! But then I was reading the files and it looks like you’ve been doing a lot of lending on a specific asset.
Rich Politician Type: That’s legal!
Skiing Accident: Totally! If you have the asset in the first place.
Rich Politician Type: Which we do!
Skiing Accident:
I followed that money, and found out that it lives with us.
Rich Politician Type: Disguising ownership is good, actually!
Skiing Accident: Yeah, except I opened the account at our bank and it’s empty. Your loans are all built on nothing, and I think the only people who know are you and my boss. This deal is your only way out.
Rich Politician Type: The growth of the new company will replace —
Skiing Accident: You clown. You know there’s no way, even with growth from a sale, that you’ll make back all that money. So the plan is what, that you and my boss both leave the company a few months after the deal, leaving some other poor schmucks to try and salvage things?
Rich Politician Type: That’s the way the world works!
Skiing Accident: Gross. Pull the deal tonight or I go public. I need to hear from you in the next hour.
Rich Politician Type, desperate: We’ll cut you in!
Skiing Accident: No!
Wowee. I really admire her confidence, but, not gonna lie, I worry for her safety. And she’s not the only one in hot water: guess who’s waiting for Max at that fancy club? No, it’s not Rich Politician Type: it’s Maggie, and she’s mad.
Back at the hotel, Skiing Accident gets an angry call from her boss, who tries to order her to pack a bag, come home, and get fired.
Skiing Accident: Dude, I know what you’ve done! I’ll just go public!
Boss: Ok, and you can do that as an angry, ex-employee with a drug problem.
Skiing Accident: I have the paperwork!
Boss: I have records of how much time you spent with that paperwork, and you haven’t been sleeping. I think you’re delirious, and that you’ve been using drugs to stay awake.
Skiing Accident, finding that her keycard to the records room no longer works: How did you know how long I was in the room?
Boss: In fact, there WAS no paperwork. You’re tired, and you’re on meds. We’re getting a signed statement from a hotel porter that you never left your room and went nuts on the minibar. Let me get you out of there, ok? It’s for your own safety. This guy isn’t like us… he’s worse.
Speaking of worse, let’s see how that convo between Maggie and Max is going, shall we? It’s about as you might expect: Maggie is being menacing, and Max is trying to put on the razzle dazzle, suggesting that she might need his help. They can split the money!
Maggie: Rich Politician Type will do what I say, and you don’t need money anymore.
Back at the hotel, Skiing Accident gets into her room only to find Rich Politician Type there already, waiting for her.
Rich Politician Type: I got my start at a small bank branch. There was this one family that brought in enough money to keep us funded, but my boss didn’t like them. He thought they were criminals, and he didn’t care that my career would be ruined if he talked to the police and shut them down. So off he went to the head office, but he never made it there alive. I got promoted in his place, and kept getting promoted, and here we are. If I would do that when I had nothing to lose, imagine what I’d do now. This is my city, and I need you to pack up, leave, and keep it quiet. Ok?
Skiing Accident, incredibly brave: No.
Rich Politician Type: Sorry.
He leaves, and gives the nod to Maggie’s giant goon and Handsome Goon, who are waiting in the hallway, presumably to kill Skiing Accident. But before they can get into her room, Skye swoops in dressed as a housekeeper, and gets inside first. Across town, other goons escort Max out the back door of the club, and are about to bundle him into a car when Demoted swoops in and saves the day by radioing in to the office about a “possible disturbance.”
Maggie: I know it was you who sent the cops to the farm. I’ll get to you later.
Demoted, into the radio: Standby.
The Radio: Do you need backup?
Maggie: Ugh, fine, take him. But don’t think you’ve got away with anything. This just means the two of you get to die together later.
Demoted, into the radio, as they scamper off: False alarm, all clear!
Back at the hotel, Skye exits Skiing Accident’s room with the laundry cart (nice), and drives it right past the goons. The scary one heads into the room to look for his quarry, while Skye makes a break for the exit. As she’s leaving, she passes Yvonne, who belatedly recognizes her as Kenny’s niece and follows her outside. She’s a little too slow to talk to Skye, but fast enough to see her drive off… with Handsome Goon!
Meanwhile, back at Rear Window’s house, she’s joined for quiet whiskey plotting time by Jake. What kind of plan will they hatch? Will the cops and the Scottish Avengers finally team up? And is Kenny ok? We’ll just have to wait for next week’s finale to find out!
