This episode almost accomplished the impossible. It nearly made me feel bad for Roller.

Roller just couldn't catch a break on Claws Season 1 Episode 7.

He wore down his captor Gladys, the romance novel-afflicted artist who agreed to take him and attend an art show on South Beach.

Roller looked positively dapper, drugged, strapped into a wheelchair and covered with a blanket. 

It was funny watching Roller trying to cajole a woman essentially using jock-speak. For someone who is used to having everything handed to him, that's got to be painful.

And, using a hotel butter knife, he managed to cut himself free at the art show and make a run for it, only to get shot at by Gladys, then captured seconds later by Russians.

I'm fuzzy how the drug-dealing Russians figured out where Roller was and that he was alive when Uncle Daddy's forces had failed to do so for weeks. All I can guess is that they were tapping Uncle Daddy's phone, then traced it to Gladys' house.

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So what do they want with Roller? Trade secrets? Bryce has already proven to be a more capable businessman than Roller, so I don't think ransom from Uncle Daddy is the way to go, since Roller isn't the asset he used to be.

Still, it's got to be better than being the slave of a love-starved nutjob.

And wasn't it terribly convenient plot-wise that Dean and Virginia were also in South Beach, to spy Roller alive if not particularly well?

Much to Desna's chagrin, don't Dean and Virginia make a cute couple? He's innocent, and she's trying hard to do the right thing to go straight.

Virginia saw Dean as just a sweet man and thinks they're just friends. As evidenced by his homemade corsage, Dean had fallen much harder for Virginia than that. Desna saw that and tried to make Virginia understand in her blustery way.

I'm sure Virginia truly meant to straighten out Dean. But coming from her background, she enjoyed having someone who defended her honor and was sensitive to her feelings. His physical attributes were just a bonus.

So now, after sex with Dean, she dug an even deeper hole with Desna, since Dean is convinced they're a couple.

Jenn was part of two couples in trouble.

First were she and Bryce. She's afraid she's losing him to Uncle Daddy. So Jenn called Hank, her Jewish square-dancing instructor, for a little distraction.

Jenn fell off the wagon. And Bryce, the murders weighing on him, actually snorted a few lines. I'm glad to see them recommit to their sobriety in the end.

Then, even worse, Jenn and Desna were squabbling. Jenn was obviously burdened with Desna's secret, as she understood it. She blamed Desna for Bryce becoming a murderer.

After Desna explained the horrible nature of the Coombs people, Jenn softened, but they're still not back to normal. Jenn and Desna need each other, but hopefully, they'll get past this.

There's a pair of new couples forming, as well.

Quiet Ann ignored her friends' warnings and remained with Arlene, the detective. Ann is such a guy that her lack of emotional sharing may end up costing her a relationship. She's just used to quickies with bored housewives.

Sometime before season's end, I'm hoping they get around to explaining Quiet Ann's fierce loyalty to Desna. I'm sure there's a good story in that.

The latest odd coupling is Polly and Dr. Ken. It's good to see that he's over his ex-wife, but I'm not optimistic about any relationship in which a con artist such as Polly is the stable one.

Now not only was Polly pondering love, but her maternal side came out with her teen neighbor Marnie. It is worth exploring as a continuing story line.

It says something about how different Claws is when its most enduring couple is a menage a trois: Uncle Daddy, Juanda, and Toby.

You gotta love a Gone With the Wind-themed vow renewal (with one stray Union soldier). The event even softened Uncle Daddy up enough so that he let Desna out of his control.

Hopefully, we'll get to see more of Toby now that he's taking over Desna's old salon.

So the big question left to answer is this: What will Roller's being alive mean for everybody, for Desna and Gregory, for Jenn and Bryce, for Virginia, for Uncle Daddy?

Desna, Virginia, and Dean know he's alive, but not that's he abducted. So what's their next move? How long before Uncle Daddy, Bryce and Jenn find out?

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The last few episodes of the season have been set up well. To catch up before the narrative accelerates, watch Claws online.

Have we seen the end of Psycho Gladys? Why do the Russians want Roller? How can Desna keep her newfound happiness? Comment below.

Dale McGarrigle is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.