A missing man, a mysterious item and a dangerous stranger in a pickup truck pull R.J. into one of his strangest cases yet. Meanwhile, someone close to him is caught up in a mystery all their own.
The logline promised R.J.'s strangest case yet. A lot certainly happens. It also feels quite overstuffed. At a certain point, the story just gets lost. It's more focused on plot than character. The most colorful details come from Wish's crush on Kayla. That appears to work out in the end. He provided comfort. That was appreciated. Meanwhile, Jake wakes up from his coma. While he's going to change his life around, he's still interested in the money he got from pawning the championship ring. Some things never change. The audience can always trust this show to offer colorful characters and situations. The opening sequence includes that. Kayla and Jake drive around in a pink vehicle. It stands out. That makes them an easy target when they pick up a cooler on the side of the road. They are hunted by a man with one hand. A severed hand with the ring is in the cooler. Multiple people are after different things. Jake only sees the windfall from the ring. Meanwhile, Carmine seeks to exploit Eduardo's connections to the Nicaraguan consulate to steal millions in seized crypto assets. All of this is rather ambitious. In order to achieve that, some things get lost in the process. Not much time can be given to the family dynamics or R.J. trying to help Emi.
R.J.'s investigation largely revolves around trying to pinpoint motive. The ring is the obvious target. It's value can be seen immediately. The case requires the investigators to look deeper. It's not the only thing of value. Eduardo foolishly talked about his job in front of unsavory figures. Carmine retired to Florida after a lifetime of mob entanglements in New Jersey. Everyone at the gym is guilty of something. In fact, this episode paints a rather damning portrait of powerlifting overall. It's riddled with steroids and corruption. The financial rewards are just whatever people are willing to pay. Eduardo spent all of his ill-gotten gains on the ring from the person who actually won the championship. That was enough to satisfy him. He didn't strive for anything more. That belonged to others in his orbit. Meanwhile, R.J. struggles to simply identify the person stalking Kayla and Jake. One ends up in the hospital. The other conveniently happens to be outside when her trailer is broken into. This plot is mostly convoluted. That's not inherently a bad thing. The outcome is still the same. R.J. realizes something got lost in translation. The security at the Nicaraguan consulate was more impressive than originally thought. R.J. and Mel act in time. The case is closed. It's relatively easy in the end. It's not all that satisfying given how difficult the journey was getting to that point. And so, that makes this a less than stellar episode.
Then, everything picks up with a renewed sense of energy with the final twist. Emi knew she was being watched. The family company has been targeted ever since Victor's death. The business was suddenly vulnerable. Emi just wanted to know who would engage in stalking to prove their point. Plenty of strangers have invaded her life since her father's murder. They felt entitled to answers from her even when she has nothing to give. R.J. and Cat saw the value in friendship. Emi will need that now more than ever. She's arrested for her father's murder. The person watching her was an undercover cop. It was all a ruse when she went to the District Attorney for an update on the case. She was meant to believe every lead was coming up cold. Instead, she was the target. She could never get suspicious until the time of the arrest. That occurs. R.J.'s connections with the police weren't enough to protect her. It's all communicated through a new friend in the lab. Trudy is weird in the hopes that provides some dimension. It's quirky in a way that doesn't quite fit in with the rest of this world. It's forced. That's purposeful to an extent. She's meant to be withholding information R.J. needs. It's all in the name of delaying this reveal until the final moments. That way the show can reignite excitement as it closes out one episode and prepares for the next.
