"You're the boy in the basement."
Now, THIS is a finale! It's no secret I have some concerns with the writing at times, but the show is never not entertaining, especially when the whole focus is the family dynamics, and boy did they deliver here. I've learned at least one of the writers sees this as a soap, and though this offends me to the chore, at least I understand where the issue is and why they are okay with some things making no sense.
Speaking of which, the episode begins with TJ and Dani talking to Malcolm as if he was innocent but yet they don't seem to think so. Luckily, Jessica gets him on house arrest from which he, of course, swiftly escapes. He immediately goes to Edrissa who's very upset about anyone doubting him (as am I), and they figure out the lab that runs the tests and found the DNA to be Malcolm's might be connected to Endicott.
The link is Sterling, "The Devil" as Jessica calls him, he confirms what Malcolm already knows and says Martin's the only one who can help him get the files Sophie stole, as he's saying this, he gets shot in front of him. After that, Gil and the team come to check on him and he confesses to breaking house arrest so they'll take him to the precinct where he explains he never even talked to the assassin, he saw what his father had done to him and left the room without even getting closer, which means he could've been dead before that.
Now, I have a hard time with the fact that they believed that and they didn't believe him before, but alas. They decide to let him go on lack of evidence (?) and he goes to see Martin who's now on Rikers (with a bounty on his head as punishment from Endicott). But it turns out Martin never had any files, he just used a bluff to get the deal with Nicholas and says now the only way to save their family is to kill Endicott. This is where Ainsley starts fully showing off her dark side, she says Malcolm's not a killer in a way that almost seems disappointed and tells Martin in no uncertain terms that he's the smartest person in the room and should start acting like it, almost berating him for being such a scaredy-cat.
Gil tells Malcolm to run before he's charged and sent to jail, but he hears something on Eve's message and decides to ask Dani to track the call. Again, why it took them so long to do that we'll never know. In any case, he goes to the address from which she made the call and finds Sophie who admits to killing Eve's murderer. She says they had four days together, but I'm not sure it makes sense that Endicott had Eve killed and not Sophie. Still, this is a huge moment of closure for Malcolm, he says he's sorry for what his father did, and that he couldn't save her then, but he decides to save her now and go down for the crime she committed if necessary.
Endicott is still trying to get into Jessica's lovely dress and offers her all the power she could want, including a way to save her son, but then Gil gets there to save her at Malcolm's request. Things get heated and Endicott tasks one of his men with getting rid of him but Jessica decides to go all superhero and saves him, which also helps Dani and TJ get a warrant for Endicott. Gil ends the season in surgery but the writers have made it pretty clear they wouldn't get rid of Lou Pillips Diamond in a million years.
Speaking of the devil (not Sterling), he summons Malcolm to the family home where he has Ainsley, and Malcolm tries to bluff his way out of it saying they have warrants for him, but Endicott says he owns the system, there's no way anything will amount to much. Malcolm points a gun at him, thinking about what Martin said, that it was the only way to save the family. But he clearly can't do it, Endicott even teases him saying he's clearly his mother's son. But Ainsley is definitely his father's daughter because she coldly slits his throat, then she stabs him a couple of times, probably to make it seem emotional, but there was no emotion in that face. I think it's the first time I actually like her character.
Martin decides to get the prison leader on his side which creates chaos and a riot ensues. In the middle of it, he decides to call Malcolm to say thi8nks are looking up since he took Ainsley's advice and Malcolm replies she took his. And Martin couldn't be prouder. This is one of the times some things make no sense but they're so satisfying it makes it all worth it. That final scene was amazing. Not only it makes it clear that Endicott's death can be chalked off as self-defense, but it leaves a whole side of Ainsley to explore if the show is renewed. As cliffhangers go, I'm okay with this one, but I really want another season.
"She took yours."
What did you think about the finale? What would you want from a second season? I look forward to your comments.
