Your Honor Season 2 Episode 5 Review: Part Fifteen
Denis Kimathi
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How does a show resolve its central plot point in the middle of the season?
A lot happened on Your Honor Season 2, Episode 5. Did that sound overwhelming? Because it wasn't. Michael finally came clean to Charlie about how and why he was released from prison, transferring his fears and anxiety to Charlie.
Little Mo was kicked out of the Mo Kingdom after his aunt learned of his disobedience which amounts to betrayal in their line of work. It didn't happen as dramatically for him as it did for us, and a few broken ribs and scars are a testament to this.
The Baxter family did a complete 180 after having a somewhat eventful dinner, and they became one happy family, although that happiness is yet to be verified and quantified.
We were thrown for a loop when Michael got arrested in connection to the murder of his wife.
But first, there was that reunion between Big Mo and Eugene. That was the reunion that outed Little Mo's betrayal, but Big Mo wasn't concerned much about that at the moment. With the money in hand, the bar was finally hers.
Her two immediate problems now were Little Mo and Eugene. In Eugene's case, the apparent decision would have been to kill him. She wouldn't have had much trouble after killing him because, as far as everyone else was concerned, he was dead already.
So, your miraculous escape not so miraculous after all. And then Little Mo hides you out in Houston with my sister, of all people. Take brains to outsmart damn near a whole city looking for you. But you coming back now... Now, that take balls.
Big Mo
But a good turn deserves another, and she opted to forgive him because he had saved her when she needed it most. Or did she? She is conniving, and her next moves are unpredictable. For a second there, I thought she had murdered him.
We didn't hear from him for the rest of the episode. I sneaked at the promo for the next episode, and it would appear he was safe after all.
Things didn't go as well for Little Mo. He was saved by the simple fact that he is her blood relative. She had to mess him up a bit to keep up appearances so that none of the rest of the crew would disobey her again.
Ultimately, leaving both of them alive will be her undoing.
Little Mo was used to the comforts being in Desire provided. And even more, privilege because she was her nephew. With all that gone, he will resent her and maybe join rival gangs.
If Eugene drew a chart and traced the death of his brother, Big Mo would be the cause. He also has some allegiance to Little Mo as it is only natural with him having saved his life and all. I feel that he, too, will come to resent her.
With Little Mo out of the crew, she will be looking to groom someone else to be her lieutenant and possibly a successor.
Gina went feral.
How dare you suggest that man be godfather of her child. That is a sacred position, and you are to treat it as such. Now eat your fucking cannoli.
Gina
One could hear the traces of racism coming off her when she confronted Jimmy about his birthday stunt. Like her father, she is old school. She believes in showing muscle in all instances and a little bit of white supremacy.
I expected much from Carmine in terms of flashbacks to some of the things he had done, but that wasn't forthcoming. There is no real way of gauging just how bad he is. It's still early on in the season, so fingers crossed.
Michael threw all caution to the wind and decided to stop being used by Olivia. Having a gun pointed at him by Jimmy on Your Honor Season 3 Episode 4 was a real moment of clarity for him. He realized he did want to live, and the way he was living wasn't living at all.
He made some major moves, including quitting his job and revealing everything to Charlie. From being photographed at a mob boss' birthday party and bad public perception about his policies to being the target of multiple entities, his whole world came crashing down.
Michael: I am part of a federal investigation into the Baxter organization.
Charlie: That's why they let you out of prison?
Michael: Yes.
Charlie: And you just let me in on this now?
Michael: I was trying to protect you.
Charlie: From the feds who could prosecute me or the mobster who could kill me?
Michael: Both.
One could almost hear the pain of being betrayed as Michael did him. He had sensed as early as on Your Honor Season 2 Episode 3 that Michael was hiding something or that something was off with Michael.
If there is one thing politicians hate more than losing an election, it is scandal. And nothing is more scandalous than fraternizing with known criminals.
Whoever said blood is thicker than water must have measured the Baxter blood because the bad blood between them suddenly turned good. Without Michael's shoulder to lean on, Fia is at risk of being indoctrinated into the Baxter way of life.
Wasn't she and Carlo talking about how they would murder their parents if they ever wanted?
Fia: So, how would you do it?
Carlo: Popsicle. You sharpen one... a grape one... Make a fine point, jab her in the neck. Evidence melts away. Perfect murder.
Fia: You've thought about this before, maybe?
Carlo: Once or twice, yeah.
Now she was giving in to having a baptism.
How does Gina justify her way of life to God anyway? Is it the case of a killer from Monday to Saturday who repents on Sunday only to start over again the following week?
The much I know about baptism is that it is supposed to absolve the child of the original sin, not the subsequent sins. How does she justify being that devout? I'm quite curious to see what she finds in her religion that makes her cling to it so badly.
It was quite shocking how easy it was for Michael to cut ties with Fia. Was he seriously going to let his grandson grow up around these people?
Good for him, he was now enjoying simple pleasures like eating a spoon of peanut butter, but the damage his actions would cause in the long run couldn't be quantified.
The biggest twist was Michael being arrested in connection to the death of his wife.
This twist felt odd as it came out of nowhere. It didn't feel as thrilling as they wanted it to be. We didn't know much about the night she died to warrant such a dramatic reveal.
Charlie being tangled with Olivia is much more thrilling than that.
My biggest criticism was how anticlimactic it felt to resolve Michael's current secrets.
Some of the existing plots are interesting, but they don't feel as grand, with Michael now out in the open.
It remains to be seen whether the dead wife storyline will pay off.
Can we take a moment to appreciate just how good Hope Davis is as Gina? She would have been greatly underused if they had kept her as a grieving mother this season. Every scene she is in is pure gold.
This would have been a great episode if everyone didn't act so out of character the entire time.
We always love hearing your thoughts, so don't hesitate to comment below.
Denis Kimathi was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. He has watched more dramas and comedies than he cares to remember. Catch him on social media obsessing over [excellent] past, current, and upcoming shows or going off about the politics of representation on TV. Follow him on X.
