While it may have seemed like the show would play as a pretty straightforward thriller coming out of the first two episodes of the series, its third — “Never Too Much” — adds twists and turns that seem to make everything a little more murky. We (or I) might have thought we knew what was going on (Josh got killed, bad dog dudes did it, now they’re catfishing with him, etc. etc.), but is Josh really dead if Aqua saw him just six months ago in the park? Or did Josh flee Kat and his life in an effort to save not only her from whatever was going down but also his young daughter?
That’s certainly where my brain went after hearing Aqua’s story at the top of the episode, with Josh just coming around months earlier to check in on the love of his life. But at the end of the episode, I’m not sure what to believe, given the revelation that Aqua was the one who attacked Brendan and stole his phone. How does Aqua even know who Brendan is? Is Aqua somehow involved in this horrible dog-person ring? Or is Aqua just trying to protect Kat from herself somehow?
We need to talk about this evil dog breeder situation, too. The episode reveals that it’s bigger than just Titus and the other silent guy, though it’s still pretty clear Titus runs the show. There’s another enforcer involved and at least one (now dead) driver who helps bring people onto the property. In his speech to the driver about why it’s important to hide in plain sight, with very legit dog breeder and handler credentials, Titus suggests that perhaps it’s all part of some larger ring. That makes sense, given the amount of money they’re taking from each and every person chained up in that barn — it seems like millions of pounds every week, which is a lot for just two dudes and some dogs — but what could they be hiding? Are they creepy white supremacists? Weird militia guys? I’m interested to see what we find out.
I’m skeptical that it all ties back to evil mob boss Calligan, even with the revelation this episode that Kat’s very good, very chill dad was on their payroll. The fact that he had a mistress makes you feel horrible for Kat’s lovely mom, but it also implies there’s another face we’re bound to meet down the road. And, really, Kat’s apartment is so nice that I can’t really blame her for not asking too many questions, though it’s not like we really knew that he paid for the whole thing anyway. (Those flashback shots could just as easily have been about how happy she was that her dad had helped her move.)
That being said, there’s no possible way Stagger is telling the whole truth about everything. He’s covering up that fingerprint investigation, he’s lying to Nia and Charlie about what’s going on with Kat, and all of his off-hours work meetings are in a nightclub, which just seems weird for a middle-aged cop. My guess is that he was and still is on the take for Calligan, and he killed Clint either out of greed or because his friend threatened to leave the game and expose him. Perhaps that’s why things seem to have gone sideways for Josh after he went to the prison to see Monte with Stagger. Maybe Monte alluded too much, or Josh just caught a whiff of something that felt dirty. Also, what’s up with Stagger taking Charlie and Pia off the Rishi case? Does that suggest he’s in on the dog ring as well? Just how deep does this whole thing go?
Speaking of sketchy assholes: What’s the deal with Brendan’s uncle Arty? At the very least, he’s entirely too gullible about his sister just up and leaving town with some dude, buying a house in another country, and dropping her son. (Dana Fells must have made a really convincing phone call.) At worst he’s somehow complicit, though I suspect it’s the former. This show is great at absolutely diminishing and dismissing Kat and, by extension, Brendan, which really trickles down to you as a viewer at home. It’s incredibly frustrating, which I suppose is the point, but thankfully, Kat seems to be able to operate outside the system just fine.
There’s danger ahead, though, with some shadowy figure still following Kat around town. Does he work for Calligan? For Stagger? For Titus? For Josh? Maybe it’s a bait and switch, and he’s some cool Interpol character looking to bring her into their existing investigation. (Doubtful, but that’s what would happen on Law & Order.) There’s also a lot of ambiguity afoot, with too many possibilities for where this show could go to even really count. Let’s just hope those lovely dogs all turn out okay.
Missing Notes
• Left-field theory: Clint had a love child with his mistress and that person is somehow related to Josh, hence the sudden departure assuming he figured it out.
