Sorry for the delay but here it is!
Paiutes episode 11
The show opens with Ralph driving his pick up and listening to Hank Williams singing “We’ll Go Honky-Tonking” and we get to drink at the top of show because Quaid smiles! He pulls into the parking lot of the Las Vegas Bank and Trust (on my tv it only said Vegas Bank and Trust but that can’t be right because an institution like a bank would be called Las Vegas, not the slangy Vegas), walks a few feet, knocks on the door and gets smacked big time upside the head (as my mother would say).
Title card: 58 hours earlier (that’s two days and change for those of you like me who are time impaired).
58 hours earlier we’re at the Sheriff’s Office where Dixon is trying to put the moves on Miss Sanchez by bringing her a cup of coffee. She reminds him the last time he did something similar he wanted “petty cash to paint racing stripes on his squad car” (that groan you heard was fans who keep hoping this show will get better just take one for the team). A guy with a loaded rifle comes in, threatening to shoot Dixon (can you guess why? I thought you could. DRINK!). Seems Dixon and Mrs. LaForge are “bridge partners” or maybe something more. Her husband certainly seems to think so. Ralph walks between his son and the loaded rifle and asks Mr. LaForge to put the weapon down. Dixon copes to his father that he and Mrs. LaForge are more than bridge partners. (Duh!). It certainly isn’t going to impress Miss Sanchez. Quaid smiles (DRINK!) as he talks Mr. LaForge into not killing Dixon. He tells Dixon to drive them home “before I shoot ya myself”and Quaid smiles again (DRINK!- If this keeps up, we’ll be in our cups before the first commercial which considering the writing of the opening scene may not be such a bad idea.)
Over at the Savoy, half naked Jack is lying in Mia Rizzo’s bed talking to her though she is getting ready for work. Jack doesn’t like her working Sundays it seems, “there are no days of rest in the holy book of Ralph Lamb, he thinks it’s just a typo”. He tells Mia she is pretty and she is trying to figure out his angle. Did Jack get a new haircut? A knock at the door and Mia tells him to stay put and shut up. The high rollers have arrived and she is needed. She squeezes out the door make sure no one sees Jack.
Downstairs, Vince is approached by the not Parry Thomas banker . Not Parry Thomas informs Vince all his accounts have been cleaned out, including the loan the bank made to Vince so he could buy the Tumbleweed. This is news to Vince. Not Parry Thomas is not happy and doesn’t want “to look like a fool”. (If that’s the case he should have talked his agent out of getting him this gig.)
In the high rollers room, we get the info dump on the players. The young man at the table is “Hal, something or other. He’s been losing here all week and wanted to have a private game up here”. Seems Hal is in insurance but he doesn’t know the couple that Mia mentions. Red Flag, anyone?
After the commercial, whoever grabbed Ralph is driving him somewhere.
Title card, 56 hours earlier (yes, time is dragging by) and we are back in the Sheriff’s Office. Jack shows up to work and Ralph ribs him about. Jack blames traffic, no one believes him. (Are you surprised?)
Vince confronts Daddy Rizzo about the missing money, especially the money from the loan that has to be paid back to the bank. Seems Daddy sent half the money to Chi-town and invested the other half on the street for shylocking. Daddy says they’ll get more money by going to another bank. Daddy says he’ll handle it. Vince is not happy. (Are you surprised?- maybe this is the new drinking game?)
Katherine and Missus Savino meet in an alley. Seems they are working together to bring down Daddy Rizzo. Katherine asks Missus Savino about the dead singer and tells Missus Savino that Diane was an informant for the Feds. Katherine tells the Missus that if the Feds start investigating they won’t stop and will dig into Vince as well. The Missus doesn’t like that idea. The only way to stop that, Katherine tells her, is to prove that Rizzo killed Diane Desmond that way the DA’s office brings the charges “and the Feds stay home and I can make sure your husband stays a free man”.
At an empty casino, Ralph and Jack walk into a hostage situation, one of the hostages being one of his deputies. The hostage takers isWalter, Jr from Breaking Bad (who really must be realizing at this point that not all tv shows are as well written or bolted together as Breaking Bad. This is the second actor from that great series to guest star but I wouldn’t get my hopes up that Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, Dean Norris or Bob Oderkirk will be showing up any time soon in guest roles). The other hostage taker is pouring alcohol and lighter fluid all over one of the hostages and looking for matches. He lights the guy on fire. We all know that this is not going to sit well with Ralph and Jack. The two criminals run away. Ralph tries to save the burning man and Jack gives chase.
Back from commercial and we are back in real time with the driver of the car carrying Ralph coming to a stop. He puts a big wad of gauze and chloroform over Ralph’s face.
36 hours earlier (okay, time is finally moving faster). Back at the Sheriff’s Office, they identify the criminals. Jack has a visitor, Mia. Ralph smiles (DRINK!) and tells him, “don’t keep the lady waiting”. Seems Mia is there officially. Ralph joins the conversation and smiles (DRINK!) while Jack tries to act like there is nothing going on between him and Mia. He does it badly. Mia tells them about the young gambler, Hal. She wants the Lamb boys to look into it. Quaid smiles broadly (BIG DRINK!!!) and asks, “don’t you have your own people for that?” She thinks it might be an inside job, that’s why she wants the Lambs’ help.
Ralph and Dixon talk to the mother of the really bad, fire-starting criminal, Nathan. Seems he has talked his younger brother, Russ (we know him as Walt, Jr) into a life of crime as well.
Over at the Savoy, Vince and Daddy Rizzo are finishing up business when Missus Savino comes in. Daddy Rizzo leaves. Missus Savino starts asking questions about Diane. She point blank asks Vince if he killed the songbird. Vince says he is trying to protect the Missus. “By lying to me.” She retorts. Vince realizes he has to come clean. He tells his wife that it is possible some shot her up with a “hot dose, two parts heroin, one part strychnine. Readily available on Carson Street.” Vince also tells her that it may have been Daddy or it “could just be bad luck”.
Jack tells Mia there’s no dirt on young Hal. Mia’s not convinced nothing is going on. Jack tells her he can spot “a liar a mile away” and tells her to put him in the card game. (Like the regular card sharks in the game won’t recognize him as Ralph’s brother and deputy). Mia’s not buying it. (She is a smart girl, after all).
Ralph and Dixon find another casino owner who got ripped off by Nathan and Russ.
Oops, I was wrong. Seems Mia did buy Jack’s line about being a good card player. He’s playing cards with young Hal and the regular Vegas card sharks while Mia watches. Jack goes all in and wins. Mia still doesn’t look convinced.
So the criminal brothers are hitting places that their late alcoholic father used to haunt. Pay day at the cement factory where the old man used to work is coming up and the brothers are there to take it from the guards. But Ralph and Jack are there. A stand off commences. Nathan starts shooting and Ralph drops him while Russ gets away. Nathan tries to draw on Ralph and Ralph kills him.
Not Parry Thomas and his family are out for a drive. They get a flat tire and Daddy Rizzo and a friend come up behind them. He waves to the wife and son. Daddy Rizzo intimidates not Parry Thomas and tells him from now on, any accounting problems, don’t go to Vince. Not Parry Thomas gets the message. Nice guy that he is, Daddy Rizzo leaves behind a new radial for not Parry Thomas to change out.
Coming back from commercial, Ralph is in not great shape but he realizes he has been thrown down an empty well or a badly shaped hole.
10 hours earlier. (The light, I can see the light!). Ralph and Jack are talking. Katherine shows up to tell them that Russ’ car was spotted outside of Phoenix. Jack leaves and Katherine tells Ralph that the Feds think Rizzo killed Diane Desmond. Katherine says she can probably get wire taps for Rizzo, Savino and the Savoy. If she is successful, she’ll be celebrating at the Gemini with a cocktail and she hopes Ralph will join her
Over at the Savoy, Mia and Jack are arguing whether Jack won or young Hal lost on purpose. She says he knew they were on to him. Mia had a spotter to see what young Hal is up to. Seems young Hal was wired and had his own spotter. Busted!!!!
Young Hal will only get hit with a misdemeanor but he can’t keep the $130k he won. That money will be held at the Vegas Bank and Trust.
Over at the Savoy, not Parry Thomas calls to tell Vince and Daddy Rizzo that the money is flowing again and arranges a meeting for that evening.
Katherine lays out her evidence to the dirty DA but he wants to know her CI before he’ll sign off. Katherine convinces him otherwise.
As Ralph is on his way to meet Katherine for that drink, Jack tells him that young Hal is leaving town and the bank is holding the money. A phone call comes in for Ralph. It’s Walt, Jr (er, Russ). He’s not happy that Ralph killed his brother. “I’m coming for you!” he tells Ralph. “I’ll be waiting.”
As Ralph drives to drop the money at the bank, we are back to where we were at the top of the show.
But before we can go there, we have to go with Daddy Rizzo and Vince to meet with the board of directors at the bank. Seems not Parry Thomas called in some hitters.
It also seems that Walt, Jr (er, Russ) never left town. Ralph’s truck was found with blood all over the sidewalk. Jack realizes that it’s about the money. “Get every deputy, here , NOW!”
After the commercial break, Ralph is trying to escape. But not having much luck. Someone is throwing dirt on him, burying him alive.
Seems young Hal has killed a private investigator from the Golden Nugget in Reno. He pulled a similar scam there and they tried to catch him. The investigator has been missing ever since. Jack remembers that young Hal’s family had a ranch in Paradise Valley (YAY! Historic accuracy!!!).
Over at not Parry Thomas’ meeting, the hitters have the upper hand. The ring leader has the upper hand. After telling Vince and Daddy Rizzo a story about the Paiutes. Just before they pull the trigger, Vince reminds them that the hoods from Chicago can be of help. There’s some sort of analogy to the Paiutes, the land being all dried up, gambling being the “wave of the future” but it’s convoluted at best. Long story short, they don’t kill the hoods. Vince gives them the Tumbleweed in exchange for their freedom. Money always wins! Vince offers to run the Tumbleweed for them. Daddy Rizzo seems to understand he got out played.
Over in Paradise Valley, Ralph is being buried alive and somehow manages to get young Hal by the collar and drag him into the well. Just before young Hal raises the shovel to bash Ralph’s head in a shot rings out and young Hal drops like a sack of potatoes. Brother Jack to the rescue. Nice back lit shot of Jack, though.
Over at the Savoy, Daddy Rizzo is mad that Vince gave up the Tumbleweed and compares him to the French during WWII. Daddy Rizzo reminds Vince that not only was the Tumbleweed never his, but “none of this is”. As Vince tries to comprehend, Daddy Rizzo hits with his best shot, “you’re quarter Irish, you’re never going to be a made man. You’re expendable.”
Vince reminds Daddy Rizzo that the town is a goldmine and Daddy is screwing it up. Makes no difference to Daddy, he’s a made man and “the only way I’m leaving this town is in a body bag” (foreshadowing much?). Vince is not happy. His dreams for the Tumbleweed and for rising in the organization have just been blasted all to hell.
Over at the hospital, Jack, Dixon and Katherine visit Ralph. Katherine and Ralph agree to a rain check. Quaid smiles (DRINK!!!).
Mia meets Jack at the hospital. She wanted to make sure that Ralph and Jack were okay. They kiss, a peck. Mia reminds Jack that her family does fight.
There was too much going on in this episode. Some pipe got laid for upcoming episodes. Vince now has a reason to turn on Daddy Rizzo and possibly Chicago. He may partner with the new owners of the Tumbleweed, he may work with the Missus to gather evidence implicating Daddy in the death of the songbird.
A new episode next week so maybe we'll start to find out!