Snowfall - S1E7 - Cracking

Previously on Snowfall, “A Long Time Coming”

This week it’s less intercontinental arms dealing and  and more introspective drama: Franklin ventured north to get rid of a couple keys like they’re going stale, but discovered with the power of science that his powder is worth more as rock. There was also serious trouble in paradise between Pedro, Lucia and Oso, along with Alejandro and Teddy for good measure (but c’mon… those guys never have a good day). The only difference than their usual tiffs is lethal consequences may be in store for more than one character.

The writing has been on the wall since day one for Pedro, Lucia and Oso. For all their bluster and bravado, the cousins eventually realized they bit off more than they could chew. After a few growing pains like Gustavo’s bungling of a simple snatch and grab, and their traumatic encounter with Ramiro’s main enforcer, nothing has turned out as expected nor are they the people they believed themselves to be.

At least things are faring well between Oso and Lucia, who discovered they’ve plenty in common, although it took the latter to nearly have the life choked out of her (off-camera) in “Trauma” to see Gustavo in another light. Fast forward a few weeks, and he’s become a huge part of Lucia’s personal and professional life, to Pedro’s chagrin. Cousin Cokey isn’t holding up his end of the bargain and becoming increasingly paranoid about everything, especially Lucia and Oso’s newfound love connection. It was obvious from the beginning that Pedro was the weak link among the group because the loudest person typically has the weakest bite in the pack. Now that his cousin and the washed-up luchador turned badass have no use for him, Pedro is readying to drop the hammer on Lucia and Oso by admitting their designs to start a new cartel.

One problem: Ramiro (José Zúñiga) certainly won’t take this news kindly even if it’s coming from his own son. Pedro did attempt to start a business under dad’s nose and killed two of his lieutenants in the process. No way papi is gonna let that slide… sorry, kids.

Speaking of embattled pushers, in spite of not holding down his own turf, earning the respect of the Mexicans or even knowing jackshit about the coke business, Franklin made the best out of a bad trip to Oakland. Kevin’s familial connected turned out to be a complete wash, Saint’s decision to take a random stroll through memory lane - still carrying that damn backpack with two keys, mind you - provides him a new opportunity to double his profits with half the product.

Thanks to a chance encounter with a kindly basehead (Abby Miller) and her equally pleasant dealer Reg (Johnny Ray Gill), Franklin became acquainted with Swim (RZA), the alleged genius that bought crack cocaine to the States and perfected upon the recipe. At this point in the episode, it’s almost too fantastical how Saint continues to find himself in the presence of every major distributor and ingratiates them just to enough to witness another watershed moment in the drug trade.

Who in their right mind would allow some random-ass kid in off the street in the middle of your swanky lair, listen to him state matter-of-factly that he wants to turn the two bricks of coke in his Jansport (WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN HELLA SUSPECT) into the rocks he just bought off your top candyman, and learn your recipe to bring it back to Los Angeles so he can make all the cheddar in a vastly expanding market? Answer: No one, that’s who! But hey, Swim is better than most men and decided Franklin needed a 5-minute father figure to dole out life lessons about Chilean slang and advanced chemistry. All right then.

Back in reality, Alejandro and Teddy watched Cloak and Dagger too many times and have began an elaborate side-op to discover all they can about Kristi’s sister Victoria (Justine Lupe) and how much she may know about that fateful night when Ale basically murdered three women to cover up the CIA’s mess. For the past couple weeks, the show’s odd couple has been featured less and less and it appears the writers are attempting to give their angle more of a draw, however their personal story lines just aren’t as enthralling. Which is a shame because theirs is the more believable and factual element in this ambitious take on the drug trade.

In any case, everyone but Franklin is pretty much doomed in the foreseeable future; except he does have a brutal reprisal on the horizon from Lenny after Saint regrettably introduced Karvel into a relatively manageable situation.