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Graceland, Ep. 1.04 “Pizza Box” fully remedies pilot’s lack of well-rounded characters

Graceland, Ep. 1.04 “Pizza Box” fully remedies pilot’s lack of well-rounded characters

Graceland, Season 1, Episode 4: “Pizza Box”

Written by: Daniel Shattuck

Directed by: Sanford Bookstaver

Airs Thursdays at 10 pm (ET) on USA

Photo by USA Network

Photo by USA Network

On this week’s Graceland, Mike takes the lead on Briggs’s Bello case, Charlie holds down the fort while making pasta sauce, and the thus far underdeveloped trio of Paige, Jakes, and Johnny finally get their hands on a quality storyline.

After four episodes in, Graceland‘s made successful attempts to fully remedy the pilot’s lack of well-rounded characters; at this point, everyone’s finally been given chances to shine and develop into equally-worthy members of the Graceland team. Even Charlie, sidelined this week to make her allegedly world-famous pasta sauce, is given a handful of decent scenes with both the whole crew, as well as individual moments with Briggs (where he shows a rare moment of emotion over Mike’s surprise moment of glory re: the Bello case) and Johnny, who needs a set of faux tattoos for his role as a Mexican gang member.

In a nice bit of casting, Defiance‘s Mia Kirshner guests in “Pizza Box” as an organic food-loving marijuana farmer named Ashika Pearl with a history involving Jakes. Paige, assigned to bring Ashika in after a busted drug buy indicates Ashika’s growing more pot than legally allowed, recruits Jakes and Johnny for her undercover mission. Despite a near setback where Johnny (still comic relief, but showing more of his carefree, stubborn side now) plays his pretend gangster status a little too heatedly, Jakes and Johnny manage to score a deal with Ashika. The show made a great decision pairing Jakes and Johnny together–Johnny’s jokey playfulness frequently aggravates professional Jakes, creating an equal mix of humor and tension, especially when Johnny’s plan (involving sleeping with Ashika, wherein she discovers ink smears from Johnny’s tats on her sheets and his cover is blown) fails, and the pair wind up with guns to their heads.

Photo by USA Network

Photo by USA Network

Meanwhile, Mike receives a solo sit down with the elusive Bello, much to Briggs’s disappointed chagrin, and Bello requests Mike’s gun skills to teach his crew to shoot. (Also of note, Eddie’s seen with a bandaged eye–the result of last week’s punishment involving liquid lead.) Though Mike’s cover is nearly blown several times, by his own mistakes as well as Eddie’s suspicions, he manages to earn Bello’s trust. Unfortunately, Eddie proves himself a liability after attacking Mike, and the feds are forced to bring him down. In a tense scene toward the end, Bello gives Eddie an ultimatum that also gives Mike a dangerous brush with death; the moment shakes Mike to the core and will undoubtedly haunt him for episodes to come.

Is it too early to call Graceland one of the best new summer shows? Maybe. But, after only four episodes, the show has yet to truly disappoint and continues to deliver quality TV week after week.

Last week’s Graceland review can be found here.

Ashley Laggan

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