Hap and Leonard - S3E4 - Señorita Mambo

Previously on Hap and Leonard, “T-Bone Mambo”

It’s been a trying season for Collins and Pine… we’ve been receiving small drips of what they endured in Grovetown and how their turbulent style of uncovering the ugly truth resulted in a soul-crushing beatdown that gravely affected their confidence and hope in finding Florida alive. After recalling Hap and Leonard’s sombering journey through Grovetown in the first half of the season, “Señorita Mambo” illuminated us about Florida repeated unsuccessful attempts to trace Bobby Jo’s activities with Grovetown’s luminaries. Though most of them shut her out, viewers observed early on the event that likely resulted in Bobby Joe’s death.

While James Purefoy and Michael Kenneth Williams decisively provide the perfect chemistry needed to make a show like Hap and Leonard work, “Señorita Mambo” gave most of the supporting cast and guest stars their time in the spotlight, confirming the show has solid depth all around. Though the episode was primarily Tiffany Mack’s moment to shine, a good deal could be written about Evan Gamble and his deceptively affable portrayal of Deputy Sneed. Once an impulsive, borderline corrupt officer that tried to beat a confession out of Leonard, Sneed honestly feels like a person attempting to turn his life around, which is slightly difficult to accept given his past transgressions. However Sneed has given the impression that he’s taken his job more seriously than before, enough that it rankles the feathers of his superior, Officer Reynolds (Laura Allen).

Knowing Reynolds’ thrives on exercising her power absolutely on Grovetown’s Black community, Sneed has been inflexible in regards to upholding the law and following procedure. His fastidiousness (along with his desire to prove to himself he can be a good cop?) gave Bobby Joe a reprieve from the backwoods justice Reynolds was readying to give him. It also didn’t hurt that Belinda (Sydney Wease) stayed mum as usual; however her silence and Sneed’s by-the-book attitude only postponed Bobby Joe’s certain death as Reynold’s was itching to make an example out of Soothe, despite knowing her Klan associates did mean to harm Belinda.

After Bobby Joe’s body was discovered hanging from the bridge, Florida put in some work and proved to us just how capable she is as a lawyer and a woman who’s capable to standing her ground anyone. Be it her casual deflection of Sonny Knox’s hapless flirtations or Chief Cantuck’s dismissiveness, Mack handily exudes the guile and confidence needed for a character like Florida. Her client may have passed but that won’t stop her from fighting tooth and nail for his missing property but more importantly, the justice Bobby Joe deserves.

For the most part, “Señorita Mambo” only created more question than answers. Florida’s whereabouts weren’t narrowed down by any means, Bobby Joe’s murderer remains a mystery yet there are plenty of suspects in Grovetown that could benefit from acquiring Soothe’s lost tapes. In spite of the traps and snares that litter Grovetown, Florida persists. Unfortunately for Grange, her tenacity to uncover the truth could spell doom for all involved in her disappearance.