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Graceland, Ep. 1.10 “King’s Castle”

Graceland, Ep. 1.10 “King’s Castle”
Photo Courtesy of USA Network

Photo Courtesy of USA Network

Graceland, Season 1, Episode 10: “Smoke Alarm”
Written by: Daniel Shattuck
Directed by: Charlotte Sieling
Airs Thursdays at 10 pm (ET) on USA

On this week’s Graceland, Mike’s cover is blown, Charlie continues hunting Odin, Briggs buries a body, Jakes pays his ex-wife a drunken visit, Paige remains suspicious, and Johnny loses his temper.

Unnecessary flashback aside, “King’s Castle” opens strong with a tense, music-free montage of Briggs hiding the body of the undercover officer he’s just killed. For the first time this season—even after the discovery of his (former) heroin addiction—Briggs no longer feels like a hero, let alone a character worth rooting for. His desperation to keep Odin’s identity secret causes him to frequently act out of character, something Charlie, arguably the smartest agent in the house, definitely notices. None of the house members are innocents, except maybe Johnny, but Charlie seems to have the best moral compass of them all, and thus the best chances for discovering Briggs’s drug dealing alter ego. Her unrelenting hunt for Odin makes for excellent stakes (especially since her target not only lives with her, but is also a friend and fellow agent) moving into the finale.

However, the best part, and focal point, of the episode is the rupturing of the house itself as Graceland’s leader mentally unravels. Everyone (including Jakes!) receives a heavy, emotionally-charged storyline in “King’s Castle,” as Graceland examines the effect an increasingly-unstable footing has on each undercover agent. And Johnny, who’s essentially been nothing but comedic relief, finally snaps when he sees how his “family” is falling apart; in a stunner of a scene, played beautifully by Manny Montana, he addresses every member of the house—who have each retreated to their respective rooms—from the living room and calls them out for their recent erratic and damaging behavior before insisting that, despite what everyone may individually believe, they really are family.

Undoubtedly, the relationships the undercover agents have with one another will lead to great character drama in the final two episodes of the season and beyond. If, and when, Briggs’s criminal dealings finally come to light, it’ll be fascinating to see where everyone’s loyalties lie; will they choose to protect their “family,” or will they remain honest and do their jobs?

Last week’s review can be found here.

Ashley Laggan

 

 

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