Snowfall – Rubicon

By starrymag | September 13, 2017

By: Jessica Wolff

 

Robert Volpe (Taylor Kowalski) drops off Franklin Saint (Damson Idris) at Jerome Saint’s (Amin Joseph) house.  Franklin thanks him for letting him crash at his place, and Robert tells him that he’s there for him before asking for more crack.  Inside, Franklin finds Jerome counting his earnings and enjoying the profits of their business.  Jerome asks where he’s going to cook the next batch, and rejects the idea of using his kitchen.  He suggests that they buy a place and gives Aunt Louie (Angela Lewis) money to look for one.

 

Jerome then asks to increase his profit, since Franklin initially offered him a 50/50 split.  Franklin argues that he deserves more since he does the heavy lifting, but Jerome argues that he needs a business partner.  Franklin refuses and offers them 10%, but agrees to 25% after back and forth negotiation.  When Jerome leaves the room, Franklin and Louie talk about the deal they made and Franklin’s offer to Ray Ray (Markice Moore).

 

Teddy McDonald (Carter Hudson) shows Alejandro Usteves (Juan Javier Cardenas) the posters that Victoria (Justine Lupe) made asking for information about him.  He promises to make the problem go away, but requests that Alejandro leave the city for a couple months.  Alejandro argues that he needs to stay in town, but Teddy warns him that his face is going to be everywhere.  He reminds him that he’s going to be making a deal with the Columbians in two days, but Teddy tells him that he can deal with the Columbians from out of town.  Alejandro suggests that he take care of the girl himself, but Teddy tells him that Victoria going missing will make things worse.  Teddy assures him that he will take care of it and asks him to help him do his job.

 

Mauricio (Carlos Linares) is laid to rest and Ramiro (Jose Zuñiga) approaches Lucia Villanueva (Emily Rios).  Ramiro asks Lucia to call her cousin about looking at their books for the business, but Lucia is annoyed that he’s talking business at the funeral.  She assures him that she’s handling the books and she’ll let him know when she’s ready to bring someone on.  Their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of Lucia’s mother (Saundra Santiago), who enters the house to look at the open casket.  Ramiro, Pedro Nava (Filipe Valle Costa), and Lucia greet her and she embraces her daughter.

 

Franklin comes home to find Cissy Saint (Michael Hyatt) crying.  He apologizes for lying to her and asks her what is wrong.  She tells him that she was fired after confronting her boss over his unfulfilled promises.  Franklin tells her that her boss was horrible and that this is a good thing.  Cissy reminds him that she lost her job, but Franklin tells her that she’ll get another one.  She doesn’t believe that and worries about her bills.  Franklin gives her money, but she refuses to take his drug money.  He packs a bag and leaves the money on the table as he walks out.

 

Teddy realizes something is off and calls Victoria.  When she doesn’t answer, he grabs a gun and goes to check on her.  Stomper (Tony Sancho) tells Gustavo ‘El Oso’ Zapata (Sergio Peris-Mencheta) that the death of Lucia’s father does not impact their attack on her and her family.  In fact, having the family in one place makes their plan easier to execute.  Gustavo is not happy, but Stomper tells him to check the location out and tells him not to back out now that they are so close.

 

When Victoria doesn’t answer, Teddy lets himself into her apartment and finds the television is blaring.  He finds Alejandro planning to cut up Victoria’s dead body in the bathroom.  Alejandro tells him to leave, but Teddy points his gun at him and tells him he can’t.  He tells Teddy how easy it is to walk away, but Teddy tells him that this isn’t right.  Alejandro justifies his actions, telling him that this is a war and he’s doing what he has to do.  Teddy agonizes over what to do and leaves the bathroom.  However, he comes back and shoots Alejandro, killing him.

 

Franklin brings Jerome and Kevin Hamilton (Malcolm M. Mays) to see Avi Drexler (Alon Aboutboul), and Drexler talks about how he likes Franklin.  He asks Franklin why he brought his friends there, and he tells him that he might not always be the one coming up for the product.  Drexler tells her that only he can come to his house since he only trusts him.  Drexler orders his man to bring Franklin more supply, and Jerome tries to haggle the price with him.  He is not happy and raises the price of the product and threatens to increase it more if Franklin protests.  Franklin accepts the price and Drexler hands him the kilos before telling them to leave.

 

Outside, Franklin yells at them for ruining things and asks them where else they can get the product at a decent price.  Jerome suggests that they stake out the house to see who supplies Drexler with the product.  Franklin points out that they would be arrested in this neighborhood, and Kevin points out that he knows someone that can do it.  Still shaken by what happened, Teddy goes back to his apartment and washes up while listening to a message from Jules (Peta Sergeant).

 

Lucia drinks with her mother, who asks what she’s going to do with her father’s house.  She asks her to stay, but her mother tells her that she’s leaving after the service.  Her mother asks her to go to Mexico with her, but Lucia asks what she’s going to do there.  Her mother tells her that she can clear her mind and let Ramiro handle the business.  Lucia gets frustrated and rants that she isn’t respected to lead the business because she is a woman.  Her mother tells her that they’ll talk more in the morning and leaves her.

 

Gustavo sees Lucia pull up in front of his hotel room and they meet up inside.  In bed, Lucia offers him a cigarette and tells him about Ramiro’s plans for the business. She asks him why he’s still there, and he tells her that he has faith in her and offers that they run the business together.  Lucia is hesitant and tells him if she goes through with the plan, she’s not doing it for him.  He tells her that he knows and she tells him that she has to be there when the plan happens to prevent people from thinking she had anything to do with it.  Gustavo agrees and she asks him to call Stomper.

 

Franklin walks with Leon as he takes his first steps outside.  Leon can tell that Franklin is withholding something, and Franklin tells him about his deal with Ray Ray.  Leon wants to help, but Franklin tells him to sit this one out.  He reluctantly agrees, but tells Franklin to prioritize taking care of his own people.  Teddy listens to loud classical music in his underwear for hours and answers the door.  James Ballard (Nic Bishop) tells him that Jules was worried about him after not hearing from him for several days.  Teddy is unable to come with an excuse and Ballard tells him to get dressed.

 

At a bar, Teddy tells Ballard that he doesn’t think that he’s the guy for the operation.  Ballard reminds him that he advocated for him, and tells him that he needs to learn to let things go when things go wrong.  Teddy admits that he thought he would be relieved, but Ballard tells him that the plan is working and has gotten the attention of the president.  Ballard assures Teddy that he’s not manipulating him, and asks if he’s going to need to replace him as head of the operation.  Franklin, Jerome, Louie, and Kevin check out a possible place to use as a crack house.  Kevin is excited about the space, but Franklin goes straight to the kitchen and checks out the stove before getting a page from Ray Ray.  Gustavo brings Lucia to Stomper, and Lucia tells him that they need to talk in order to prevent a war.

 

In an abandoned construction site, Ray Ray drives to where Franklin and Jerome are waiting in their car.  After they get out of their cars, Ray Ray is uncomfortable that Jerome is there.  Ray Ray tells Franklin that what they did to Lenny (Craig Tate) messed him up.  Franklin assures him that he’s doing the right thing and Jerome helps Ray Ray drag Lenny out of the trunk.  Setting him in front of Franklin, Ray Ray asks if they’re done.  Franklin tells him that he has to kill Lenny so that he won’t tell anyone about what happened.  Ray Ray tells him that it wasn’t part of the deal, but Franklin throws him a knife and tells him that it’s part of the deal now.  Lenny pleads with Ray Ray and Franklin throws Ray Ray money to complete the job.  Ray Ray picks up the knife and Lenny begs for his life, warning Franklin that the blood will still be on his hands regardless.  Franklin puts a gun to Ray Ray’s head and he slashes Lenny’s throat.  Franklin watches him bleed out and declares that his death is for Leon before driving away.

 

Teddy goes to meet with the Columbians and gives one a file when they open the door to their hotel suite.  The man comes back and points a gun at Teddy before inviting him inside.  Diego (Wade Allain-Marcus) greets him and then attacks him.  Teddy asks them to listen to him while Diego argues with his associates in Spanish on whether to kill Teddy.  He yells out Alejandro’s name and the men stop bickering.  Teddy reminds them that they were in the process of making a deal with him, and tells them that Alejandro planned to set them up.  Teddy promises to keep them from getting arrested in exchange for pure cocaine.  Diego asks who he is, and Teddy tells him that it matters more who he represents: the United States government.  However, Diego still refuses the offer.

 

Lucia sees that her mother is leaving and approaches her.  Her mother pulls her aside and Lucia asks her to stay.  She tells Lucia that she can’t and explains that her father did not think less of her for being a woman, but was scared that her ambition would destroy the family.  Her mother assures her that she loves her as she embraces her.  Teddy observes from the porch as Kevin sells some crack.  The ice cream truck arrives, but the driver (Damon Standifer) refuses to give the kids ice cream without payment.  Franklin approaches the truck and pays for everyone.  Teddy calls Jules and tells her that he has bad news.

 

Pedro apologizes to Lucia and she asks Jabali (Albert A. Vega) to make sure he gets home safely.  She tells Ramiro that she’ll call her cousin tomorrow about the books.  Gustavo gets a call from Lucia and he informs Stomper and his men.  Robert watches Teddy walk out of Drexler’s house from his car.  Gustavo arrives at the party and tells Ramiro that he wants to express his condolences.  Ramiro threatens to kill him if he comes near his family again, but Gustavo asks to see Lucia one more time.  He lets him in and he goes into a room with Lucia as they hear gunshots ring out outside.  They go outside and observe the aftermath.  Franklin and Louie cook together in the new space while Leon and Kevin bag the crack.  Franklin and Jerome count the money while Cissy stands alone in Franklin’s room back at their home.