'Sabotage' by the Beastie Boys kicks off and we get a rapid fire credits montage of highlights from the season:
Nash slides across the roof of the building into the stolen bus and blows a kiss
Maddie slow motion walking into the Paris club
Danya directing Nash with her hands on proper tough guy etiquette
Nash and Ninotchka going through the bus window
Mac hands off the dossier out of nowhere to Raphael
Luke picks up the Scotch as it arrives in the VIP room
Maddie gets Raphael's necklace
Luke punching out the DJ
Nash surrounded by K-Rome's crew
Mac offering a cutting sideways glance
Danya leaning against the doorway before dealing with K-Rome's crew
Maddie admiring K-Rome's obnoxiously overblinged Desert Eagle
Breakfast in Chicago. Luke apparently has an apartment here and the crew receives a call from Mr. X on the Red Smartphone. He lays out the this week's competition. A wedding involving the Hanrattys, Chicago's top Irish mob family, is going down. The wedding is bringing out Cormac Hanratty, aka Trash Can Han, the semi-retired head of the family. He keeps a little Black Book that has a ton of dirty laundry inside and Mr. X wants it. Of course, after the phone call, Luke reveals he has other plans. He's not comfortable giving Mr. X such leverage and, at the very least, wants a copy for himself.
He sets his plan in motion. He sends Maddie to go swap out as the wedding planner. She needs to get close to the family and some invites for the crew. Mac makes her job easier.
MAC: It wouldn't be crashing. I'm invited.
Seems our favorite hacker used to date one of the Hanratty boys and Trash Can Han is the man that brought her into Crime World. Maddie slides in as a Southern Belle wedding planner, but she gives us the first Complication of the night. Good Help is Hard to Find because the Hanratty's have spared no expense, so sneaking in as catering staff will be a bit difficult.
LUKE:You'll need a date.
MAC: I need someone that looks good in a tux. (beat) Danya?
Luke has different plans for Nash. He wants someone close to the bride and groom at all times. The priest 'called in sick' and everyone gives Luke a wary eye as he hands Nash Catholic priest garb.
We cut to the reception, a lavish affair being held at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium. The crew is in place, though Luke has not revealed himself in the con yet.
NASH: That would have been so much easier if I had been Anglican.
Mac bringing Dayna as her date has another agenda. She used to date Cillian Hanratty, the youngest of Trash Can's three kids. Katherine is helping Maddie run the reception, Elias is dead and Cillian, called Uncle Silly by almost everyone, is getting razzed by the various thugs at the wedding. So of course, she shows up with a girl as her date to rub his nose in it a bit.
Danya introduces herself as Tanya, but someone overhears it as Danya, and the voice makes Danya freeze. Her sister Alexia is at the wedding. Alexia is a Federal Agent, and Danya wonders Why is Alexia here?
Nash keeps an eye of things from the bar. Luke directs him to back up Danya, but Katherine stops him to buy him a drink. It's a hilarious combination of her being a Cougar and Nash picking up some Plot Points for Sleeping With The Enemy. The scene ends with a line that triggers a great reaction from Nash.
KATHERINE: Have I mentioned one of my favorite books is the Thorn Birds?
Danya and Alexia head to where every wedding day crisis is solved - the women's bathroom. Alexia is suspicious of Danya but doesn't accuse her of anything. She thinks its far too convenient that she showed up with Mac and she's up to something. Alexia is - the Feds know Cormac is there and want to move against the family. During the exchange, Danya admits Mac is not her girlfriend. Mac gets in some snark over the headset.
MAC: You're breaking up with me?
Maddie decides to get the band to play the Father/Bride/Mother/Groom dance to peel Katharine away from Nash. She is shocked to discover Luke's role in the con - he's playing lead guitar for the wedding band. He obliges and during the song someone cracks wise about his guitar.
LUKE: Her name is Loretta and I am going to ignore that you said that.
Maddie also discovers one of the presents is not where it should be in the huge pile . With Nash newly freed, he tucks over to the gift and Luke advises him to crack it open. It could be The Black Book they are looking for. It it really that easy? Of course not. It's a bomb.
Mac and Maddie head over to to take care of the gift. Mac needs some wire clippers and some ice to disarm the bomb. Maddie rolls over the Melting Ice Sculpture and breaks off a piece for Mac's use. Mac handles the bomb and recognized the make - IRA.
DANYA: That's not Cupid's arm.
Nash ducks out the nearby fire exit to see if he can find the culprit. Sure enough, he does - he overhears Katherine talking to someone on her cell phone. A quick hack from Mac and he overhears her complain the bomb didn't go off. She tells whoever it is on the other end to send some hitters down to the reception to take care of business. She'll make sure her and Cillian are not in harm's way.
Luke tells Mac to pull up security footage to see if they can get any more incriminating video of Katherine or if she's left any other surprises lying around. But Mac proves human for once - trying to multi-task while dancing and trying to show up her old boyfriend means she can't quite pull up the security feed.
MAC: I'm...distracted by breasts.
During his performance, Luke manages to get Cormac's Respect. He takes five to talk to the old man and tell him what's going on. Cormac sits back and listens and when Luke offers to take care of things for him, he agrees. Just like that, one of the Clients is the Mark, and the Mark is the Client.
The party is really beginning to amp up, with both Strong Mixed Drinks and a Drunk Archbishop coming into play. Luke comes up with a plan in three parts. Make sure the bride and groom leave. Make sure Katherine and Cillian don't. He and Danya will take out the hitters. Nash is fine with this plan.
LUKE: I'm much more worried about Nash getting shot.
NASH: Yeah, me too.
Of course, in discussing their plans for the hit teams, Luke and Danya ratchet up their sexual tension. Luke wins this round, though Danya gets in the final shot.
DANYA:Do you know what it's like to be punched through the radio?
Meanwhile, Alexia comes over to talk about Mac and Danya as a couple.
MAC: I'm kind of here with a date.
ALEXIA: No, no. I wanted to talk about your relationship with my sister.
MAC: There had been thought of twins.
Once they move out of Cillian's earshot, the discussion gets more earnest. Alexia doesn't disapprove, she's just stunned Danya never told her about it. They aren;t as close as they used to be and Alexia has some pangs of genuine regret buried down underneath the sibling rivalry. Alexia is a Sympathetic Sister, so maybe they should tip off the Feds about the hit team. Mac lets Alexia know that Danya feels the same way, but also gets in a quick dig on two teammates at once.
MAC: I get the feeling she still has the hots for her old boyfriend.
Danya has been drinking with the boys hard and fast and despite what their opinions of her might be, her strong liver has won over the family. Even the Archbishop offers to marry her and Mac should they ever want to. When someone points out they are in Chicago and not Boston, the bishop makes a startling proclamation.
ARCHBISHOP: This hall is now Massachusetts!
Maddie slips over to the bridge and groom and between the Archbishop and Uncle Silly falling off the bar, convinces them to leave early. Danya tells her sister about the hitters and The Feds Are On Their Way. Nash locks down the other entrances to the aquarium, meaning the only way the hitters can approach is though the Hall of Sharks.
Eamon Driscoll and his crew show up toting automatic weapons. It's going to be a massacre if they slip by Luke and Danya. He meets Luke on a catwalk over one of the tanks. Luke blows the catwalk Eamon is standing on with his own bomb, but not before offering a lovely Callback.
LUKE: Except this time, I didn't bring a tiger.
Danya shows up with the rowdy Irish cavaly and handles four heavily armed hitters with her Badass Talent. With Eamon in the drink, the bride and groom safely away, it looks like it's time for the Wrap-Up.
Once again the stakes are two-fold. If they win the wrap-up, not only do they stay in the lead, they also make sure Cormac gets away while Katherine and Cillian take the fall.
Danya is up first. She flashes back to when she tried to convince her sister to let Cormac walk. She fails to do so and is met with a stony glare as her only reply.
DANYA: You always look at me like this.
Mac is up next. She wants to play the audio she recorded of Katherine's phone call to Driscoll over the stereo system to make sure that even if she wriggles out of the bust, her family knows she's a traitor. She fails as well. Alexia catches her fiddling with the stereo and confiscates
Maddie's turn. She shows how she was a royal terror as the wedding planner and pushes the crew to blow through their reserves.
MADDIE: Is this pate for a wedding or a PTA meeting?
She succeed and smuggles Cormac into the parking lot in one of the rolling freezers.
Nash flashes back to collecting the guns the IRA hitters left lying around. He succeeds and those guns end up in Katherine and Cillian's trunk as they get stopped by Federal agents.
Luke pulls it all together...and fails. Alexia discovers Cormac in the catering truck. He tells her he'll go peacefully but he wants five minutes with Mr. Charles. They have a heart to heart. Luke convinces him that if he really wants Danny out of their world with his new bride, he needs to give the book to someone else. Cormac agrees and asks Luke how he got Nash in as a priest. The flashback is all too similar to the New Year's Eve Job, except this time, the priest wakes up in a motel room handcuffed to the bed a bag full of cash within reach. A key is taped to the none on the bag which reads: "Sorry, Father. My act of contrition are two Hail Marys and 250,000 George Washingtons"
We cut back and Cormac is shaking his head.
CORMAC: Jesus Christ. (beat) In my day, it was $50,000.
Cormac gives up his Little Black Book, which Luke makes a copy of before he drops it off for Mr. X. Oops, he seems to have dropped it in the shark tank first...
Credits.
Fixer's Commentary after the jump.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Mark - Katherine Hanratty
 |
| "My gift will be unforgettable." |
Cougar -d4- Katherine has never wanted for lovers. A pretty girl connected to a powerful family has her pick of the handsome soldiers serving in her father's name. She was always faithful to her husband and anyone that suggested otherwise usually got a visit from Trash Man Han. The pretty girl is now a beautiful widow, and she takes what she wants, especially if it's young, blond, and Catholic.
Lady MacBeth -d12- She's the oldest of Cormac's children but has never been in an official position of power. Her younger brother Elias became head of the family when Cormac went into seclusion. Her husband Robert became her proxy when Elias was killed shortly before he was to go to prison. Rumors believe Katherine has struck up an alliance with her remaining brother Cillian to continue her control of Hanratty interests if he takes over as the head of the family.
Gaelic Bling -d8- The color green always seems to make its into Katherine's wardrobe. But she's a sucker for jewelry with an Irish theme. The bigger the better. Her choice for the wedding day is a shamrock broach featuring real emeralds in each of the shamrock leaves.
IRA Ties -d12- Hanratty spent her summers abroad in the home country from first grade all the way to high school. She likes to believe she was sent away to learn about her heritage but the truth is a bit more grim. While she went away to Ireland, a boy named Eamon Driscoll was sent to America. These trips were a classic hostage exchange between the Cormac Hanratty and Eamon's father, ordered because of a feud between them. Katherine and Eamon bonded because of it and Eamon is now in control of his father's interests.
Just A Girl -d4- There is a fair amount of macho bullshit posturing inside an Irish crime family. Katherine has seen it all. She mostly suffers in silence out of respect for her father, but the quickest way to set off her smoldering temper is to imply she can't do something because she's a woman.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Client - The Wedding Party
| |
| Katherine Hanratty |
Mother of the Groom -d6-
Cougar -d4-
 |
| Cillian Hanratty |
Poor Uncle Silly -d4-
 |
| Daniel Hanratty |
 |
| Alexia Vibeke |
Sibling Rivalry -d4-
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Mark - Cormac Hanratty
 |
| "There's no reason we can't settle this like civilized adults. Because if we can't, you'll be dead." |
Cheap Sunglasses -d8- It doesn't matter if it's in church, at the hospital, or bar time. Cormac never takes off his sunglasses. One of his cousins mocked him about it at the pub once. Cormac mails him one of his teeth back every year the anniversary.
Danny Boy -d4- Cormac thinks the world of his grandson. He's spoiled the boy every chance he's got and he's taking a big risk showing up for the wedding. But he gave his word to look after the boy after his son Elias was killed. He paid for Danny's college and set up a trust fund all without him knowing it. He wants the boy to get out from underneath the Hanratty name and make a new life for himself and his family.
Elephant Man -d12- This is the nickname nobody uses in Cormac's presence. He never forgets. Ever. He remembers everyone's name, what they drink and the names of their spouses. He remembers every joke you've told, every waitress you've hit on and every favor you've asked. If things get heated, he stays calm and watches how things play out. He never yells, he never acts out of anger, but if you've crossed him, you will get yours.
For Tomorrow We May Die -d4- Years of doing business in dingy taverns and foggy docks have taken their toll. Despite his doctor's wishes, Cormac continues to smoke and drink like a man forty years his junior. He especially likes to sit at tables near no smoking signs and light up.
Trash Man Han -d12- Everybody knows a different story for how Cormac got this nickname. Most of the stories involve similar elements, such as a disappearing rival, an aluminum trash can and a variety of cutting tools purchased from a variety of hardware stores.Trash Man Han works like a ghost. He comes to your neighborhood, takes away the garbage, and leaves before you wake up in the morning.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
1.2 The Bootstraps Job
Scenes from the pilot I now recognize from the pilot in the credits:
Luke punching out the DJ
Nash surrounded by K-Rome's crew
Mac offering a cutting sideways glance
Danya leaning against the doorway before dealing with K-Rome's crew
Maddie admiring K-Rome's obnoxiously overblinged Desert Eagle
Man, "Sabotage" is an awesome theme song.
For most people, waking up naked in a cargo container might make things challenging. Luke Charles is not most people.
Luke already has a plan - Nash gets clothes, Danya gets wheels, Maddie handles anyone snooping around the container, and Mac uses the Red Smartphone to find a rich asshole with a private plane.
Danya uses the time-honored "naked lady by the roadside" technique to score the team an SUV. She also notes they are in Paris. The poor bastard she sleeper holds ends up naked in the container himself, but if I'm going to get carjacked, being choked out by a hot, wet, naked lady is probably one of the ways I want to go.
Nash finds Maddie a jumpsuit and a clipboard, which comes in handy when a dock guard comes up acting suspicious. She grifts up a modelling shoot at the drop of the hat and everybody gets into it. Even Mac -
MAC: Lori, I can't work in this light!
Mac finds a Mark quickly. Oleg Kuryakin deals in human traffic, selling girls to businessmen in bulk. They track him to a Parisian sidewalk cafe, where he has a meeting with Raphael Al-Fahid. As an Oil Baron's Scion with an Ivy-League Education, Raphael also fall into the "rich asshole with a private plane" category. He's meeting with Oleg to find some girls for one of his rigs. Between Oleg's intimidating presence and his naivite, Maddie quickly pegs Raphael as Nervous. Nash and Luke sum up the rest of the episode while watching them from across the street.
NASH: We're going to ruin this guy's life, right?
LUKE: Oh. Oh yeah.
Oleg leaves Raphael a flash drive catalog of his 'merchandise'. When Raphael uploads it to his phone, Mac hacks it and clones Raphael's phone. Luke approaches Raphael and makes a counter-offer, playing up the superiority of his product. Luke reveals his Grifting speciality - Heroically Sleazy. Elba reminds me a lot of Jim Garner in The Rockford Files here - this guy does a good job of making you think he'll sell his own mother for a buck and give back change, but in the end he makes the right choice.
He gives Raphael a smartphone with his contact info and own catalog, with pictures of Danya and Maddie mixed in with random girls off the Internet. During his sales pitch, Raphael is clearly smitten by Maddie, and she easily aids Luke via earbud into making sure Raphael is Just That Into Her. They agree to meet at a club that evening and make sure that Oleg is watching as Luke steals his client.
That evening, Oleg is partying it up in the disco with a pair of Bullethead Russians guarding the entrance to the VIP. Danya and Maddie are dancing to some ABBA. Mac, who has been playing Luke's uber-efficient assistant - Seriously, she makes Kato look like a bumbling intern - grumbles about her role in the con.
MAC: Someday I'm going to get to dance.
Nash is brought in to play Luke's enforcer, and there's a great bit of business here where Danya uses subtle hand signals to help him stand where he looks the most intimidating. She also has a little fun with him over the comms.
DANYA: That chick across the bar is totally checking you out.
NASH: Really? (beat) I can't look over there, can I?
Of course, she gets a little payback from Mac when Luke sells her skills in 'playing rough' to Raphael.
DANYA: I'll show you playing rough.
MAC: You already have.
Luke calls the girls over and Maddie, taking the name Zahra, plays poor Raphael like a fiddle. He shows her his dorky love of travel by taking pictures of every airport he's even been to. Between telling Raphael she's always wanted to see Lebanon, her specialty in Religions, and Raphael's Nervous trait coughing up Complications, he barely notices the spiked drink he sips.
While "Zahra" works her magic, Luke decides to have a talk with Oleg. He takes the Direct approach, naturally, and leaves the goons on the floor. It's not a perfect run - he spills his Scotch. Luckily, Mac has one at Oleg's table just as he sits down. Oleg and Luke have a fun little confrontation. I really like how Luke doesn't need to work the grift here - he confronts the Mark and figures he can take the heat while the rest of his crew handle fleecing the Mark. It's a dangerous way to run, but who doesn't like a good "Badasses talking smack to each other scene"? It sets up Luke's crew as the Distinguished Competition.
Luke sends Danya and Maddie off with Raphael and waits for Oleg's inevitable counter-attack.Sizing up the thugs that Oleg has been surrounded by, he knows that there's An Element of Surprise because Oleg has a better class of thug somewhere. He knows Oleg has some girls in town, so it's Danya's turn to take a dive so she can get brought back to Oleg's HQ. Except there's a problem - during the brawl where Danya leaves one thug standing to overpower her, a thug gives her a Crushed Earbud. Without her in radio contact, Luke sends Nash to follow Danya.
Nash tracks Danya to a stockyard. Oleg has the girls stashed inside the refrigeration units and Danya spends some time in one herself. Oleg and her have a bit of a conversation. Before he can do anything too sleazy to her, Luke crashed through the doors in his car and directly challenges the thugs hanging out. Luke brings out a Baseball Bat to help him in the fight. But once Danya puts her hands on their boss (and his belt around his throat), two of the thugs peel off, pull out guns and Empty the Clip. Even using Oleg as a shield, Danya Got Hit, and the thugs take a moment to reload.
Nash uses the battle to sneak in and let the girls out. He's boosted one of those party bus type vehicles and ushers the girls inside. But something is wrong. One of the girls wasn't bound at the hands. Nash realizes a moment too late that Oleg's top enforcer isn't a goon - it's a girl. Ninotchka, Oleg's blond enforcer, kicks Nash in the face and takes off with the bus. Of course, he tries to cover by being Overconfident.
NASH: SOME of the girls are plants!
Meanwhile, Raphael recovers from his drugging. It doesn't take much convincing from Maddie that they should flee Paris on his private jet.
RAPHAEL:Yes, yes my darling! We'll have breakfast in Lebanon!
Mac arrives as Raphel's driver and we get a flashback about how she's been working her hack magic while she's been shuttling rich folks around Paris and racking up a nice set of tips. As she, Maddie and Raphael head for the airport, they notice a pair of Oleg's thugs peel off to follow them.
Even though there is Cow's Blood On The Floor, Luke handles the other thugs easily. He realizes the thugs are using Cheap Russian Guns so he is able to take out one thug while the other one's gun jams. They dash outside to help Nash.
Mac weaves through the streets of Paris. It's clear that Oleg's men aren't just going to follow them, so Maddie offers some guidance through Paris's twisting street. Except she makes a mistake and a Complication springs up. Maddie says "I Meant Right" and they end up in a dead-end alleyway with Oleg's thugs boxing them in.
Nash had enough foresight to set up a spike strip thanks to his Speciality in Contingencies, which causes Ninotchka to crash the bus. She hops out to survey the damage, Nash jumps onto the bus and wins the Chinese fire drill. Except Ninotchka isn't stopped. She jumps onto the back of the moving van and busts in through the back window. Nash sees her coming and comes up with a clever plan. He'll hit the brakes and she'll go through the front bus window. Except he gets a Complication and she grabs him as he dives forward. They both go through the window. Looks like a tough fight for Danya and Luke, since Nash has been Taken Out and Ninotchka has "She Hit You With the Bus Window?" as a Complication.
Mac lets Luke know they have a situation. But he's got his Hacker's back. He knew the thugs were going to come after her. He deploys their final Asset, Luke's Lemon.
LUKE: Is it a black sedan with an air freshener?
(CUT TO: A flashback. The thugs are arguing with each other over who goes to get lunch. The camera pans down past the car door to see Luke underneath, pulling something out of the underbody.)
MAC: Yeah. Hod did you...
LUKE: It's already done.
MAC: (cuts a sharp smirk) Good job, Padawan.
Mac hacks the sedan's doors to lock shut. The thugs shirt gears and floor it. Except Luke's preperations mean the car slips gears and the thugs go full speed...into reverse. The sedan hits the street and a bakery truck takes care of the problem.
Dany runs at Ninotchka full charge. But before she gets drop some pain on the enforcer, Luke uses The Bigger They Are and turns Ninotchka from a Complication into an Asset. He says four words that stops both Danya and Ninotchka in their tracks.
LUKE: What happened little bird?
Cue a flashback featuring a little blond Russian girl being rescued by a special forces team. She gets scooped up in a soldiers arms and once she's pulled to safety, the solider pulls his mask. It's Luke and he tells the girl
LUKE:You're safe now, little bird.
They share a Meaningful Glance and a nod. Ninotchka gets her only line of dialog in Russian before she walks away.
NINOTCHKA: Your friend is cute...but stupid.
The police pick up Oleg and we hit the Wrap-Up.Danya left Oleg in the freezer in a semi-nude state.
Danya plants the thumb drive back on Oleg. But he realizes it when he comes to and disposes it the only way he knows how - by swallowing it.
Maddie takes Raphael for as much as she can, including her mother's diamond necklace. He's no match for all three of her Distinctions. He gives her his mother's necklace which she immediately puts on so she can send a picture of her wearing it to Raphael's father the oil baron.
Mac is left alone with Raphael's computer and she easily cleans him out. She does it while she busily prepares the private jet for takeoff.
As she does, she flashes back to Nash asking her to send Oleg's financials and his catalog to Agent Poston, who shows up to taunt poor Oleg in the interrigation room.
The Plan Comes Together in a bittersweet scene. Raphael is taking a picture of the airport sign and looks confused. We see what he sees soon enough - his own private plane is taking off over the sign as the chorus of "All By Myself" surges.
We then cut to the interrogation room. The door opens. Oleg reacts with surprise. A pair of silenced gunshots flash through the window. The door opens again and Ninotchka walks out of the room, dropping the pistol in the doorway.
The final scene sees Nash holding an icepack to his jaw, Maddie inspecting her new necklace, and Luke patching Danya up for once. Suddenly there's a scream from the cockpit. Mac's Fear of Heights kicked in.
MAC: Someone needs to get in here. I didn't realize how high we were!
Credits. Post-game after the jump.
Luke punching out the DJ
Nash surrounded by K-Rome's crew
Mac offering a cutting sideways glance
Danya leaning against the doorway before dealing with K-Rome's crew
Maddie admiring K-Rome's obnoxiously overblinged Desert Eagle
Man, "Sabotage" is an awesome theme song.
For most people, waking up naked in a cargo container might make things challenging. Luke Charles is not most people.
Luke already has a plan - Nash gets clothes, Danya gets wheels, Maddie handles anyone snooping around the container, and Mac uses the Red Smartphone to find a rich asshole with a private plane.
Danya uses the time-honored "naked lady by the roadside" technique to score the team an SUV. She also notes they are in Paris. The poor bastard she sleeper holds ends up naked in the container himself, but if I'm going to get carjacked, being choked out by a hot, wet, naked lady is probably one of the ways I want to go.
Nash finds Maddie a jumpsuit and a clipboard, which comes in handy when a dock guard comes up acting suspicious. She grifts up a modelling shoot at the drop of the hat and everybody gets into it. Even Mac -
MAC: Lori, I can't work in this light!
Mac finds a Mark quickly. Oleg Kuryakin deals in human traffic, selling girls to businessmen in bulk. They track him to a Parisian sidewalk cafe, where he has a meeting with Raphael Al-Fahid. As an Oil Baron's Scion with an Ivy-League Education, Raphael also fall into the "rich asshole with a private plane" category. He's meeting with Oleg to find some girls for one of his rigs. Between Oleg's intimidating presence and his naivite, Maddie quickly pegs Raphael as Nervous. Nash and Luke sum up the rest of the episode while watching them from across the street.
NASH: We're going to ruin this guy's life, right?
LUKE: Oh. Oh yeah.
Oleg leaves Raphael a flash drive catalog of his 'merchandise'. When Raphael uploads it to his phone, Mac hacks it and clones Raphael's phone. Luke approaches Raphael and makes a counter-offer, playing up the superiority of his product. Luke reveals his Grifting speciality - Heroically Sleazy. Elba reminds me a lot of Jim Garner in The Rockford Files here - this guy does a good job of making you think he'll sell his own mother for a buck and give back change, but in the end he makes the right choice.
He gives Raphael a smartphone with his contact info and own catalog, with pictures of Danya and Maddie mixed in with random girls off the Internet. During his sales pitch, Raphael is clearly smitten by Maddie, and she easily aids Luke via earbud into making sure Raphael is Just That Into Her. They agree to meet at a club that evening and make sure that Oleg is watching as Luke steals his client.
That evening, Oleg is partying it up in the disco with a pair of Bullethead Russians guarding the entrance to the VIP. Danya and Maddie are dancing to some ABBA. Mac, who has been playing Luke's uber-efficient assistant - Seriously, she makes Kato look like a bumbling intern - grumbles about her role in the con.
MAC: Someday I'm going to get to dance.
Nash is brought in to play Luke's enforcer, and there's a great bit of business here where Danya uses subtle hand signals to help him stand where he looks the most intimidating. She also has a little fun with him over the comms.
DANYA: That chick across the bar is totally checking you out.
NASH: Really? (beat) I can't look over there, can I?
Of course, she gets a little payback from Mac when Luke sells her skills in 'playing rough' to Raphael.
DANYA: I'll show you playing rough.
MAC: You already have.
Luke calls the girls over and Maddie, taking the name Zahra, plays poor Raphael like a fiddle. He shows her his dorky love of travel by taking pictures of every airport he's even been to. Between telling Raphael she's always wanted to see Lebanon, her specialty in Religions, and Raphael's Nervous trait coughing up Complications, he barely notices the spiked drink he sips.
While "Zahra" works her magic, Luke decides to have a talk with Oleg. He takes the Direct approach, naturally, and leaves the goons on the floor. It's not a perfect run - he spills his Scotch. Luckily, Mac has one at Oleg's table just as he sits down. Oleg and Luke have a fun little confrontation. I really like how Luke doesn't need to work the grift here - he confronts the Mark and figures he can take the heat while the rest of his crew handle fleecing the Mark. It's a dangerous way to run, but who doesn't like a good "Badasses talking smack to each other scene"? It sets up Luke's crew as the Distinguished Competition.
Luke sends Danya and Maddie off with Raphael and waits for Oleg's inevitable counter-attack.Sizing up the thugs that Oleg has been surrounded by, he knows that there's An Element of Surprise because Oleg has a better class of thug somewhere. He knows Oleg has some girls in town, so it's Danya's turn to take a dive so she can get brought back to Oleg's HQ. Except there's a problem - during the brawl where Danya leaves one thug standing to overpower her, a thug gives her a Crushed Earbud. Without her in radio contact, Luke sends Nash to follow Danya.
Nash tracks Danya to a stockyard. Oleg has the girls stashed inside the refrigeration units and Danya spends some time in one herself. Oleg and her have a bit of a conversation. Before he can do anything too sleazy to her, Luke crashed through the doors in his car and directly challenges the thugs hanging out. Luke brings out a Baseball Bat to help him in the fight. But once Danya puts her hands on their boss (and his belt around his throat), two of the thugs peel off, pull out guns and Empty the Clip. Even using Oleg as a shield, Danya Got Hit, and the thugs take a moment to reload.
Nash uses the battle to sneak in and let the girls out. He's boosted one of those party bus type vehicles and ushers the girls inside. But something is wrong. One of the girls wasn't bound at the hands. Nash realizes a moment too late that Oleg's top enforcer isn't a goon - it's a girl. Ninotchka, Oleg's blond enforcer, kicks Nash in the face and takes off with the bus. Of course, he tries to cover by being Overconfident.
NASH: SOME of the girls are plants!
Meanwhile, Raphael recovers from his drugging. It doesn't take much convincing from Maddie that they should flee Paris on his private jet.
RAPHAEL:Yes, yes my darling! We'll have breakfast in Lebanon!
Mac arrives as Raphel's driver and we get a flashback about how she's been working her hack magic while she's been shuttling rich folks around Paris and racking up a nice set of tips. As she, Maddie and Raphael head for the airport, they notice a pair of Oleg's thugs peel off to follow them.
Even though there is Cow's Blood On The Floor, Luke handles the other thugs easily. He realizes the thugs are using Cheap Russian Guns so he is able to take out one thug while the other one's gun jams. They dash outside to help Nash.
Mac weaves through the streets of Paris. It's clear that Oleg's men aren't just going to follow them, so Maddie offers some guidance through Paris's twisting street. Except she makes a mistake and a Complication springs up. Maddie says "I Meant Right" and they end up in a dead-end alleyway with Oleg's thugs boxing them in.
Nash had enough foresight to set up a spike strip thanks to his Speciality in Contingencies, which causes Ninotchka to crash the bus. She hops out to survey the damage, Nash jumps onto the bus and wins the Chinese fire drill. Except Ninotchka isn't stopped. She jumps onto the back of the moving van and busts in through the back window. Nash sees her coming and comes up with a clever plan. He'll hit the brakes and she'll go through the front bus window. Except he gets a Complication and she grabs him as he dives forward. They both go through the window. Looks like a tough fight for Danya and Luke, since Nash has been Taken Out and Ninotchka has "She Hit You With the Bus Window?" as a Complication.
Mac lets Luke know they have a situation. But he's got his Hacker's back. He knew the thugs were going to come after her. He deploys their final Asset, Luke's Lemon.
LUKE: Is it a black sedan with an air freshener?
(CUT TO: A flashback. The thugs are arguing with each other over who goes to get lunch. The camera pans down past the car door to see Luke underneath, pulling something out of the underbody.)
MAC: Yeah. Hod did you...
LUKE: It's already done.
MAC: (cuts a sharp smirk) Good job, Padawan.
Mac hacks the sedan's doors to lock shut. The thugs shirt gears and floor it. Except Luke's preperations mean the car slips gears and the thugs go full speed...into reverse. The sedan hits the street and a bakery truck takes care of the problem.
Dany runs at Ninotchka full charge. But before she gets drop some pain on the enforcer, Luke uses The Bigger They Are and turns Ninotchka from a Complication into an Asset. He says four words that stops both Danya and Ninotchka in their tracks.
LUKE: What happened little bird?
Cue a flashback featuring a little blond Russian girl being rescued by a special forces team. She gets scooped up in a soldiers arms and once she's pulled to safety, the solider pulls his mask. It's Luke and he tells the girl
LUKE:You're safe now, little bird.
They share a Meaningful Glance and a nod. Ninotchka gets her only line of dialog in Russian before she walks away.
NINOTCHKA: Your friend is cute...but stupid.
The police pick up Oleg and we hit the Wrap-Up.Danya left Oleg in the freezer in a semi-nude state.
Danya plants the thumb drive back on Oleg. But he realizes it when he comes to and disposes it the only way he knows how - by swallowing it.
Maddie takes Raphael for as much as she can, including her mother's diamond necklace. He's no match for all three of her Distinctions. He gives her his mother's necklace which she immediately puts on so she can send a picture of her wearing it to Raphael's father the oil baron.
Mac is left alone with Raphael's computer and she easily cleans him out. She does it while she busily prepares the private jet for takeoff.
As she does, she flashes back to Nash asking her to send Oleg's financials and his catalog to Agent Poston, who shows up to taunt poor Oleg in the interrigation room.
The Plan Comes Together in a bittersweet scene. Raphael is taking a picture of the airport sign and looks confused. We see what he sees soon enough - his own private plane is taking off over the sign as the chorus of "All By Myself" surges.
We then cut to the interrogation room. The door opens. Oleg reacts with surprise. A pair of silenced gunshots flash through the window. The door opens again and Ninotchka walks out of the room, dropping the pistol in the doorway.
The final scene sees Nash holding an icepack to his jaw, Maddie inspecting her new necklace, and Luke patching Danya up for once. Suddenly there's a scream from the cockpit. Mac's Fear of Heights kicked in.
MAC: Someone needs to get in here. I didn't realize how high we were!
Credits. Post-game after the jump.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Mark - Oleg Kuryakin
 | |
| "You have already cost me fifty-thousand American. If you ruin my suit with your blood you'll be worth even less to me." |
Ex-KGB -d12- Oleg spent most of the 1980's as a recruiter for the KGB. He turned other agents, tortured the ones that wouldn't flip, got people in compromising positions, and looked for the worst people in the world to work for the Soviet government. The haircut is a dead giveaway.
Money is No Object -d4- Perhaps because of the sparse years of his youth, Oleg lives lavishly. He makes a lot of money for his bratvas, but he spends a lot of money as well. Criminal organizations aren't known for their 401k programs. Oleg always figured that he would be killed before he had a chance to retire.
Sharp Dressed Man -d8- It doesn't matter if he's in a boardroom or showing his goons how they used to extract info in the old days. Oleg dresses in three piece suits and hand-crafted Italian shoes. Even if someone has just cost him a ship full of talent, he will take time out of pulling fingernails out to compliment someone on their taste in clothes.
Thieves in Law -d12- After the fall of the Soviet Union, Oleg brought his talents to the various criminal organizations that sprung up in the provinces. He's not connected to a specific gang, preferring to bring in talent wherever young, pretty girls are needed to whoever is willing to pay top dollar. But as long as he has the girls, he has the backing of the Vory.
Primae Noctis -d4- The girls Oleg acquires for his clients run all races and tastes. He likes the young ones and prefers to "sample the goods for quality". He is smart enough to leave the looking untouched. That doesn't account for starvation, forced drug addiction, or hauling out some of the KGB's Greatest Hits to break the girl's will to escape.
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