Claws Season 3 Episode 2 Review: Muscle & Flow
Dale McGarrigle
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Has Desna already gotten in way over her head?
D and her crew discovered that running a casino wasn't nearly as easy as Wikipedia made it seem on Claws Season 3 Episode 2.
Mac and Melba, along with their adopted son/general manager Joe, are proving to be as brutal as the Dixie Mafia and the Russian and Haitian mobs that Desna has already squared off against and survived.
Because Mac and Melba are odd, Desna is making the mistake of underestimating them, which will prove dangerous for her and her crew.
Since she had been underestimated throughout the first two seasons of Claws, you would think Desna would know better than underestimate anyone. But it seems she did in this case, which played a role in Penelope getting killed.
Of course, what really got Penelope killed was her blackmailing the wrong people, in this case, the governor for whom the casino is laundering money.
Desna has become a busy woman, now that she has reopened Nail Artisans of Manatee County after buying it back at auction.
Related: Claws Season 3 Episode 1 Review: Just the Tip
I can buy that Desna might have still had the funds to purchase the salon since she was working with the Feds. But where did Uncle Daddy, who must have been busted, find the money to reclaim both the Jewish Center and Suncoast Rejuvenation?
Here's hoping someone picked up and will reopen the strip club last known as Hammer & Pickle.
Desna was taking the right approach at the casino -- assigning one of her girls to various areas to learn how they work. Knowledge is power, y'all.
Jenn and Polly soon found out about the drudgery that can be involved with being a concierge and assistant general manager respectively.
Only Quiet Ann embraced her new duties, busting heads and rubbing oil on the female bodybuilders.
Meanwhile, Desna took up a post in the command center and just watched to see what she could learn.
Related: Watch Claws Online: Season 3 Episode 1
Melba did her best to keep Desna busy, having the floor managers bring every little problem to her.
Desna soon found out how difficult it was going to be trying to run two businesses across town from each other. It wasn't as simple as walking down to the pill mill at the other end of the strip mall.
Mac and Melba made a bad move torturing Yolanda, the casino accountant because now Desna had a source inside at the financial level.
Yolanda was there to explain to Desna that the sketchy-looking Mormons were actually bag men bringing money to be laundered for the Trip account.
So everyone in her crew was listening for anything having to do with the word "Trip." Which, with them working at a vacation destination, could have gotten confusing very quickly.
First, Jenn heard bodybuilder Penelope threatening Melba that she would call Trip to get a better suite.
Then Polly saw, in Joe's office, an autographed photo of Gov. Patel with the nickname Trip thanking them for all their help.
Penelope later confirmed for Desna that Patel, who had gotten her pregnant, was laundering bribe money from "something he was building."
And conveniently Ann's brother, the closeted gay Republican, is running against Patel.
Now it seems that Claws is heading into an area even darker than organized crime: politics. How timely with a presidential election on the horizon.
It's already clear that the Lovestones will kill to protect Trip's and their secrets. So how long before Desna or her crew overstep and become targets themselves?
Didn't Jenn and Bryce's peaceful existence back in Palm-ghetto last a long while?
Related: Claws' Jenn Lyon Q & A
They finally got past all the pain they had inflicted upon each other over the last two seasons. And now Brienne's father EJ, fresh out of prison, complicated things by asking to get to know his daughter.
From her imagined conversation with Future Brienne, Jenn has been concerned with her daughter missing out on the black part of her heritage.
They both mishandled their meetings, with Jenn wanting to take things glacially slow and EJ wanting instant joint custody.
Then Bryce made things worse by brawling with EJ.
This dispute is heading to court, a place none of these three should be going to voluntarily, not with their checkered histories.
The inevitable happened: Polly dumped Dr. Ken.
It's the right move for her psychological health. But I'm afraid she's going to get involved with Joe, which could be hazardous to her health.
And Ken, who has been relatively stable, is bound to spiral as a result, which will benefit no one.
Ann seems to be kissed off Arlene, so she's single again, unless she hooked up with one of the bodybuilders.
Who would have thought two seasons ago that Virginia would now be managing the salon?
Being with Dean has been good for China Doll because he gives her someone to care about other than herself.
Flighty Virginia surfaced when she couldn't shut off the alarm but appeared to be an aberration.
But mostly we got new, metaphysical Virginia, who convinced Uncle Daddy to let go of his darkest secret.
Clay finally told his nephews the grim tale of how their parents died. Older brother Bryce, who remembered how nasty his father could be, forgave him but Roller couldn't.
Letting go made Uncle Daddy more enlightened.
Now he wanted the staff at Suncoast Rejuvenation to heal the pillbillies that are their clientele. No wonder everyone looked confused.
Uncle Daddy's gone good. How long can that last?
To check out the new Claws, watch Claws online.
Has Uncle Daddy changed? How about Roller?
In how much trouble are Desna and her crew?
Who is paying the governor all that money?
Comment below.
Dale McGarrigle is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.
