“Do you wanna talk about it?” asks Jordan Semyon, as she watches her husband, Frank, down a drink. “Maybe tomorrow,” he replies wearily. He’s just pulled the teeth out of a gangster who unknowingly drew a comparison between Vince Vaughn and the character of Frank.
The gangster calls Frank “old” and insinuates that he has been forgotten about, whatever potential Frank had shown when he was younger has now faded. In many ways Vaughn is in the same position; once a comedic force to be reckoned with, Vaughn has seen his star fade as he relied on lazy comedies to get by, SWINGERS and WEDDING CRASHERS are evidence of Vaughn’s potential, but those days appear to be long gone, just look at the critical and financial mauling his latest film, UNFINISHED BUSINESS, received. People don’t take Vaughn or Frank seriously as a gangster. After finding one of his associates murdered, in a similar way to Caspere, it appears that someone is out to get Frank Semyon.
While the writing and acting for Frank still needs to improve and Vaughn doesn’t fully convince still, there are hints of a good performance in there. Frank appears to be an ordinary guy who just happened to stumble into being a gangster, think if Vaughn’s character Trent from SWINGERS had moved into a life of crime. He’s tied with poor Paul Woodrugh as the least interesting character on the show but he’s very slowly improving.
Casperes murder has pushed our characters into facing some uncomfortable truths about themselves, mainly Woodrugh’s suppression of his own sexuality, Velcoros masculinity crisis and Ani’s sexual fetishes.
Firstly, the episode is quick to settle the cliffhanger from last episode; Velcoro isn’t dead, but he is pretty beaten up and it seems that the riot shells he was shot with have knocked some sense into him. He’s looking to change, starting with his health and his job. He skips drinking alcohol so he can “stay angry” and tries to wrangle his way out of the case. Velcoro has spent this season so far as an uncontrollable force of rage, unstoppable by anyone, so when he gets knocked down by a shotgun it’s a reality check for him. Colin Farrell has been doing some stellar work so far and watching him reveal the cracks in Velcoros tough exterior this episode was great. The old Velcoro is dead, as Frank Semyon puts it; “He was murdered”.Â
Paul Woodrugh continues to be the black sheep of the cast, his characters material amounting to nothing more than hints at the characters sexual preferences. It’s obvious by now that Paul is gay but the show doesn’t do itself or Paul any favours by that being his only contribution to the show. His story by now has been all filler and his continued separation from the rest of the cast leaves Taylor Kitsch with no one to act against. Rachel McAdam’s and Colin Farrell’s pairing is enjoyable to watch, both the characters and actors bounce off each other so well that it’s a dull affair when we have to spend time with lonely Woodrugh. Still, McAdams remains a force to be reckoned with, quickly emerging as the highlight of the show. Watching her switch from relaxed to threatening when breaking up with her boyfriend was a particular highlight.
We all know how mesmerizing this show can be, so it’s frustrating to see it be so… average. Next episode marks the halfway point of this season and the show is still planting seeds for the second half of the season but we end this episode with the promise of further advancements. Someone is watching Woodrugh and photographing him, while Ani and Velcoros respective departments are pushing the two against each other, both wanting to get the other off the case.
When Velcoro has the chance to let Ani get hit by a truck he doesn’t take it and instead saves her and the two seem to have reached an understanding at the end. The old Velcoro might not have been so kind, but this is a man willing to change; Frank on the other hand fights change. “Maybe tomorrow,” he says, brushing off his wife and avoiding the issues they are facing. “Maybe tomorrow”.Â
