TNT's grittiest vice-riden drama had a long awaited delay returning to original episodes following the pandemic. And the energy and adrenaline didn't lapse or fade. For newer viewers, please read with caution as this article contains spoilers to bring everyone back to page following a 2-year pause. Season 4 jolted viewers as it's delicious lead, Janine "Smurf" Cody (Ellen Barkin) met her ending with a bullet to the head. A bold move indeed, as Barkin's vicious, loving matriarch held the dysfunctional clan together with a unorthodox and seductive quality. Where writers eased the blow of losing Barkin was upgrading Leila George to contract status as she portrays the younger Smurf, etching in the backstory how a grifting single mother became the head of a a disorganized crime family.
Red Handed managed to successfully keep the momentum going following the long break as well as foreshadow a potential disintegration and downfall for the Cody clan. Showrunners geniusly cast Nick Stahl as one of "the cousins." Erratic and heartfelt, he created a welcome dynamic as being a kindred connection to Pope as the two connected regarding their murdered fathers. This vulnerable connection between the two made Stahl a standout among the boiler plate of "cousins," whom familiar viewers likely recognized were hired for target practice at the later end of the episode. His survival and capture at the end left viewers conflicted over should he live or die as he channeled emotions through the eyes, something many incapable actors cannot establish a connection to effectively act.
Stahl's performance prevailed without dialogue, one of his strengths he exhibited in early 2000's flicks Bully, Terminator: Rise Against the Machines and Sin City. His facial expressions and roughened demeanor could have made Stahl a welcome contender as a series regular. The greatest flaws showrunners committed was they failed to give Nick Stahl the one piece to make a memorable character: A NAME. Somehow, the other 3 forgettable cousins wound up with one of these simple novelties, and Stahl was left without one like a random goon to shoot at in a typical episode.
Red Handed managed to instill terror in the last half of the episode with two riveting developments that left even half-interested viewers jarred. An anticipated shootout which struck similar horrors like the ending of Poltergeist when the cast thinks the conflict is over, only to be shaken as the house is under siege. And a conflicting execution at the very end left viewers wondering should Stahl's no-named cousin should live or die played second by second anticipation. And between these aggressive violent moments, simpler beauty came from the opening episode of the final season. The remaining Cody's enjoying Smurf's last signature lasagna signified a harsh reality they were looking at major changes following her death.
Where viewers may enjoy proper attention is completing Craig's (Ben Robson) character development. Besides his initial fleshing of being the riskier family member with vice contrasted with occasional moral checks, Craig has little to no character development. 12 episodes remain as an opportunity to wrap this missing portion of the series' legacy, so let's hope showrunners handle this and let the series go out in style.
Grade: A-
