I was prepared for—nay, expecting—this week’s episode of Luck to crawl toward its conclusion. It was going to be a photo finish shot with one of those Civil War-era cameras that required you (not you, personally, but people who were alive 150 years ago) to stand motionless for five minutes to complete the exposure. That’s how slow Luck had been moving. But then Michael Gambon—dear, sweet, gentle Michael Gambon—gave us the first truly astounding “holy shit” moment of the series when he crowned young Nathan Israel with a glass ashtray.
For hours on end, the cruel minds behind Luck had left its violence-starved audience (me) fiending for a hit of brutality. Gambon’s Michael Smythe mercifully opened the spigot, much to the dismay of his business associates, and the drama should only escalate exponentially henceforth. Israel was Ace’s protégé, and it’s clear that he both cared for the (probably) deceased and can be quite ruthless when the need arises.
Elsewhere, characters make decisions purposefully against their hearts’ wishes. Rosie, still unsure of her standing with Walter, hires Joey Rathburn to represent her despite the protestations of her Cajun boy toy, Leon. Walter, in response to pressure from Rathburn to start use Rosie for his big horse, opts to use the newly on-the-wagon (but not for long!) Ronnie Jenkins instead. Cool-Guy Jerry and the considerably less cool Lonnie both break away from the Four Amigos in favor of poker and solo horse investment, respectively.
The onslaught of rifts present in this episode present an artificial warm-up to the penultimate and final episodes of the season, which promise to pack more heat than the first two thirds of the show’s initial run. To be sure, Luck has turned a corner, but it is unclear whether the impending excitement will represent a sufficient return on time investment for the first part of the season. There is a fine line between subtle storytelling and stagnation, and, for the first five episodes, Luck was dancing in Stagnationville. That appears to be changing, but it isn’t certain how long this string of good Luck will hold out.
Character Power Rankings
1. Jerry – No Change
Jerry stays on top by default again, but his return to gambling will likely end poorly for him.
2. Renzo – Up 2
He continued to show his loyalty to the guys when he offered to join Jerry’s cheering section at the poker tournament. He’s the only purely likable character remaining.