Graceland - Episode 12 - Recap - Pawn

Graceland - Episode 12 - Recap - Pawn

Here we are! The first season finale for USA Network's newest drama, the Scarface meets The Real World show about a house full of undercover federal agents, Graceland! Agent Mike Warren (Aaron Tveit) continues his investigation into corrupt (?) fellow agent Paul Briggs (Daniel Sunjata). We pick up right from the end of last episode, with Briggs on his way out of town with his secret duffel bag and the rest of the team scrambling to find him.

After getting some help from DJ to escape, Briggs meets with an old associate. Paul helps him escape a hit by giving him a new identity and putting him on a boat to Ecuador. He also gives this guy the go bag from last episode! Twist! Briggs isn't leaving! Then Briggs heads out to the desert and starts digging. He finds his loot (Agent Badillo's body) and removes a key from the body's keychain. Briggs continues his investigation into the true location of the cartel assassin known as Jangles. He takes a call from DJ, who thinks Briggs is on a boat to parts unknown. Briggs does an investigative montage and develops a (correct!) theory that Charlie's Mexican federal agent buddy is actually Jangles. Paul meets up with DJ to get word through to Charlie, but DJ doesn't bite. Briggs takes matters into his own hands and goes to Jangles's house. He finds the infamous keyring, plants the key from Badillo's ring on there, and then has to deal with Jangles approaching from upstairs. Paul gets him (yeah!) but is stopped by the suddenly arriving Charlie (boo!) and can't finish the takedown. Jangles knocks Briggs out and Charlie helps tie him up. Paul awakens briefly to meet a boot with his face, then later again in the bedroom tied up with Charlie. But uh. Not in a fun way. Jangles, who is for sure absolutely Jangles now, comes into the room dancing, then gets a knife into Charlie's skin. It's not pleasant to watch, but luckily there's not really any horrible sound effects to go along with it and a lot of the cutting happens out of sight. Mike bursts in to rescue them, and then Paul tells him the secret twist in the Paul Briggs Secret Origin: Jangles killed the woman Paul loved, and it was Paul who gave her up (because Paul was so messed up on heroin that he told Jangles where the undercover house was, the one that preceded Graceland). In the interrogation room, we see all of Paul's scheming come to fruition. He planted the key on the Jangles keyring because he knows Jangles tkae keys as trophies (so now Badillo's murder gets blamed on Jangles). His buddy he sent to Ecuador is pinned as Odin (because he uses Briggs's old Odin phone).

Meanwhile, the FBI interrogates the Graceland housemates about the (now eight-day long) disappearance of Paul Briggs. The Bureau learn who knows what and also tells the agents about Mike's true mission at Graceland. Mike starts putting together the pieces, deducing that Briggs must still be in town. He tells Paige, and in a fit of passion, they smooch hardcore. Paige tells him that this is not the time (she right, duh) and leaves. Mike approaches DJ to tell him about this theory. Jakes has met with Briggs again at this point, so he has to lie to Mike. When he leaves in anger, though, DJ leaves a note for Mike. Mike takes a brief commercial break, then calls up his housemates to tell them that he knows where Briggs is hiding. After some tense following, Mike arrives at Jangles's house (in third place, while Briggs and Charlie are being mega tortured with a big knife). The fastest and most boring standoff ever happens, then Mike shoots Jangles dead in one go without any struggle. Mike gets commendations from on high, and the chance to return to DC for his dream job. It's looking like he'll turn it down, but he ends up back in DC with a shorter haircut and job job requiring a full suit.

The episode (almost) ends with another with bonfire! It had been a few episodes since there were intercut scenes of the characters drinking beers on the beach, so this was a nice callback. Right after, in a tease for possible season two plots, some kids find the recorder from Badillo's car in a pawn shop and Briggs calls up Mike to reveal a secret (which we in the audience do not hear). Overall, this was a strong episode. The season had its stumbles, but hopefully a second season will be just what it needs. And of course, as you know, we're definitely seeing that season! Check back... uh... later! Like, when season two starts... whenever that is! Bye!