Trust Season 1 Episode 8 Review: In the Name of the Father
Caralynn Lippo
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This series never ceases to amaze me.
In an unexpected move, Trust Season 1 Episode 8 doesn't focus on the Gettys or on Little Paul (until the final moments anyway). Instead, the hour turned towards the complicated (and tense) dynamics among the Calabrian mafia kidnappers.
"In the Name of the Father" centered upon the Confirmation of Leonardo's son.
Leonardo and his family, along with their larger Calabrian "family," gathered together to celebrate the boy's milestone.
The irony isn't lost that they're all dealing with managing a kidnapping gone wrong (and potential murder) while simultaneously trying to enjoy one of the most significant events in a Catholic's life.
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The hour was filled with interesting and ever-increasing tensions that managed to make nearly all of the villains seem far more complex.
Primo is still pretty much a straightforward, psychopathic villain. But Leonardo's conflict with his way of life was a great new aspect of his character.
The main source of tension was over the fact that the core group of kidnappers knew Getty hadn't paid the ransom and that they still had Little Paul hidden in a cave.
They were all keeping this information from Salvatore, who they feared would kill them all. He may be even more menacing than Primo, as it turns out.
How terrifying was that scene when Salvatore cornered an anxious Fifty and forced the truth out of him?
But another source of tension was between Leonardo and Salvatore over the idea of Leonardo's newly-Confirmed son "becoming a man" joining the Calabrian mafia.
In his speech at the confirmation, Leonardo was insistent that Francesco would be the first in his family to leave their town and go to university. Closer to the beginning, he echoed the same sentiment when Francesco approached his dad and asked to help with the kidnapping.
Leonardo straight-up slapped the boy, making pretty damn clear that he did not approve of involving his son in the criminal enterprise.
Francesco: It's in my blood.
Leonardo: No, it's not. The only thing in your blood is blood. Red blood cells, white blood cells. Understand? Know when you become a man? Not on your Confirmation. When you have a child to look after.
Interestingly, Salvatore noted Leonardo's insistence that Francesco would not be involved in the mafia – and directly defied him.
The don gave his "surrogate son" – which is certainly a weird thing to call a boy who already has a dad sitting right there – a knife from his own father that had been used in the war.
That couldn't be much more of a clear "induction" into the mafia if he'd tried.
That entire scene was one of the best of the hour, as Leonardo and his wife nervously listened to Salvatore flatter and seduce their son into the mafia way of life.
Francesco seemed all for it at first – until he actually found Little Paul in the cave.
Part of me expected that the kid would try to kill Paul, in an attempt to ingratiate himself and get into Salvatore's good graces. But Francesco's visible discomfort in killing the lamb in the hour's opening ended up being very indicative of his character.
He wanted to save Paul, not kill him, and he made the decision near-instantly.
Perhaps recalling how poorly his escape attempt with Angelo had gone, Paul refused to leave and instead hatched a new plan: he convinced Francesco to cut his ear off so the mafia would send it to his parents.
The young Getty didn't explicitly explain his plan, but it appeared that his thinking was that his grandpa and dad would see how serious the kidnappers were and have a change of heart about sending the money.
Paul wasn't in much of the installment, but Harris Dickinson nailed every single scene he did have – particularly the heart-wrenching realization that he was worth "nothing" to the Getty family.
Nobody came. Nobody paid. And no one's gonna pay. I'm worth nothing. Nothing.
Paul
But for better or worse, Francesco has now involved himself – and clearly it gutted his distraught father.
What have you done? What have you done?
Leonardo [to Francesco]
Another powerful part of the hour was when Angelo's grandmother confronted Salvatore and demanded to know where her grandson was.
I didn't expect that to happen at this point, but it was perfectly done.
The old woman was distraught but clearly knew what she would find out. When Regina finally admitted that the burned body that was found was indeed Angelo, his grandma was devastated but not surprised.
I certainly hope that her "curse" on Salvatore winds up coming true. That guy is completely despicable.
Other Thoughts:
- The opening and closing sequences were a fantastic parallel. First, we saw Leonardo guiding Francesco and showing him how to slaughter a lamb. Then, Francesco put his knife skills to work slicing off Paul's ear. Even the blood dripping down in both scenes was a perfect echo.
- Leonardo's wife Regina was a low-key fantastic part of this installment. So much tension, fear, and pain were communicated in the actress' eyes.
- I don't think I'll ever get over how perfectly, disturbingly empty Primo's eyes are. Luca Marinelli is wonderful in this role.
- As usual, the cinematography was on point. That closing shot of Francesco emerging from the darkness of the cave, tear-streaked and holding out Paul's ear in the same manner he received the priest's Communion offering – I mean, wow. It's basically art.
What did you think of "In the Name of the Father"? Share your thoughts by commenting below, and don't forget that you can watch Trust online here at TV Fanatic anytime!
Caralynn Lippo is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.
