Snowfall - S1E8 - Baby Teeth

Previously on Snowfall, “Cracking”

For the past few weeks, Snowfall experienced a hitch in its giddy-up as one or two of its narratives suffered at the expense of another’s progress. When focus was given to Franklin’s familial strife and obsessiveness to make a name for himself in South Central LA, either the Cousins or (generally) Terry and Alejandro would be in a lull. A balance has finally been struck as each party must contend with similar dilemmas that may result in a potentially fatal conclusion.

For a moment it appeared Lucia and Gustavo had finally reached an impasse, and by that I mean a pair of unceremonious executions in the middle of the desert. Thanks to his cocaine-fueled paranoia, Pedro revealed everything to his father/competition Ramiro (José Zúñiga) for fear of a violent reprisal - as well as eerily sexual jealousy over his cousin and Oso’s growing intimacy. Everything is out in the open now, at least between family. Gustavo is the odd man out; Ramiro continued to exchange pleasantries with him during his visit to their ranch but it’s apparent he doesn’t trust Oso as far as he can throw him.

The trio’s gambit folded under the weight of their egos and Pedro’s insecurity, and now Ramiro has an entirely new operation under his control with access to an alternate supplier: Teddy and Alejandro. Lucia is pretty much locked in a vice and any sign of resistance will assuredly mean her end. Poor, dumb Pedro likely believes his papi will forgive him for his betrayal (cocaine is a helluva drug, after all) but how can a man like Ramiro ever trust his son, who co-conspired to eliminate key cartel members, used their stashes to fund his fledgling operation and poach his territory?

The answer is simple and unfair: bury the disappointment of Pedro and Lucia’s greedy intentions with the hulking body of Gustavo. Oso recieved subtle warning from his paramour and hadn’t been seen since that night at the ranch, for good reason. As viewers learned in “A Long Time Coming”, Oso’s past might be far complex and insidious than anyone other than his “amigo” Hernan may realize. No one should discount Gustavo based on his chosen profession; he had a taste of the good life and it’s a certainty he won’t give up on that dream anytime soon.

This resolve was also present in Victoria (Justine Lupe) as Teddy remained mostly unsuccessful in suppressing her amateur investigation. “Reed Thompson” learned very quickly nothing will stop Vicki from uncovering her sister Kristi’s whereabouts, and at the moment it appears the universe is totally on her side. After meeting a shady Brit seeking payment for intel (Billy Boyd), Victoria and Reed make their way to The Glitter Room, the last known location of Kristi and the girls before their fateful night with Logan and Alejandro. The night appeared to be a complete wash, until a waitress friend recalled seeing Kristi the night of her disappearance and had written down the address of Logan’s place. Naturally, Teddy’s brain imploded and he did his odd brand of tradecraft that involved tequila shots and cigarette ash to distract Victoria.

Still, his desperate moves weren’t enough to deter her and in short time, McDonald was able to call back-up so the pair of them were prevented from trepassing on CIA property. Victoria appeared defeated for the moment, but no one should bet against her. For Victoria she has nothing to lose in finding her baby sister; Teddy is trying his best to smooth things over but knowing how Alejandro reacts to annoying situations, McDonald may reluctantly take a page out of his impulsive partner’s playbook to save the operation.

Back in the hood, Franklin still had to deal with his friends who aren’t even close to taking the game seriously. Kevin (Malcolm M. Mays) instantly broke rule number one and had to sample their latest product and Leon pitched a fit with Saint after he couldn’t keep a situation under control after Kev got snatched. The three finally have something that could make them hella bank and it could all fall apart because a new pair of sneaks were ruined after a scrap. Cooler heads eventually prevailed, only Lenny - Franklin’s former rival in “Slow Hand” who was violated by Karvel - took the opportunity to eliminate the crew one by one, starting with Leon.

If things weren’t real for any of the players before, reality is crashing down on them hard now. The consequences of their questionable action have been made manifest and as we round the final turn of the wheel, it isn’t clear how many of them will survive beyond the summer of ‘84.