TV REVIEW: Mike is Large and In Charge in Graceland’s “Los Malos”

“Los Malos” (the bad ones) gives us exactly what we love and expect from USA’s Graceland – fast paced action, strong performances, and our agents going so shady you have to squint your eyes a little to believe what you’re seeing. The story-line has amped up over the past couple of weeks, escalating from the boring bus transporting drugs investigation to sex trafficking young women from foreign countries. Tonight offered the best episode of the season showing us a badass Mike Warren, Briggs back in the forefront where we like him, Johnny getting a little girl action (no Carlito in sight), a new villain rising to the top, and a silly bank robbing scheme being planned.

This installment opens with Sid Markham, the shady head of the Gang Task Force, talking to someone about going after Warren being a bad idea. Mike Warren himself struts in and says, “This is a courtesy call. I know you’re working with Carlos Solano.” Markham denies it. Mike answers with, “Get your affairs in order.” Mike is large and in charge. I actually bought it tonight and didn’t miss the insecure, sweet Mike from season one.

“Los Malos” used a dramatic technique not utilized much in Graceland – a flashback to show us what actually went down last week. It was an effective way to give us a little glance into how Carlito got away and how Lawrence ended up dead.

First, we flashback to 72 hours earlier:

Markham is getting home, hugging his son, chatting with wifey, oh yeah, then warning Carlito that he’s heading to a set up. So that’s how Solano knew about the Mike Warren sting.

Next, we flashback to 24 hours earlier:

Lawrence, the bus depot guy, is hastily packing at his house, ready to get out of town. Markham shows up knowing he talked to the cops. Lawrence says he didn’t say anything. Markham shoots him dead. What happened to the Carmine Giovinazzo from CSI: NY? First, Don Flack went dark under the Dome this week, now Danny Messer shoots people in cold blood?

Briggs is Back

It’s been too long since we’ve seen Paul Briggs front and center in Graceland. You shouldn’t keep a good Odin down. Tonight he’s back. He volunteers to go undercover with the downtown police, trying to infiltrate the Gang Unit. Unbelievably, he goes in as a fresh from El Paso cop who’s eager to see some action. Markham smells a rat, or a cop, and has one of his guys look into new guy. Jakes fields the call posing as his El Paso boss complete with Texas drawl. Hilarious.

A set up almost falls through when a gang member refuses to go to a meet because Markham wants him to wear an ancient wire from 1979. Briggs eager beavers it up and says he’ll go in. The deal goes south when the throwback wire (they’re calling it vintage) is discovered and Briggs has to duke it out with the bad guy. They karate kick fight before Paul eventually takes down the thug.

Now if we can get a little more Charlie in the picture, things will be back to the magic of season one. I guess asking for a return Bello visit would be pushing it.

Johnny Turns that Frown Upside Down 

JT starts the episode getting his face used as a punching bag, but ends up with a kiss, and this time not from a dude. Johnny heads over to Carlito’s to hook up, I mean meet up with Solano sister, Lucia. He knocks at the front door, getting dragged inside by two bad guys when they hear he’s a friend of Carlito’s. These two are looking for some guns that are supposed to be delivered any minute. Boy, they’re going to be disappointed when they find out the guns went kaboom.

They make the time go by faster with a little game of hit Johnny in the face, then take a hit of cocaine from the Solano safe. Things are deteriorating quickly when Carlito friend “Simone from Mexico” shows up. He says he has the guns, but makes the pair untie Johnny and Lucia first. He shows off the guns by shooting both bad guys dead, but takes a fatal shot to the chest in the process. JT needs to safely tuck Lucia away from all this evil and takes her to mom’s house. This does not seem like the smart thing to do Johnny, but then I have to remember that this is the guy who rented out a bouncy house for a grown up party and put the thing inside Graceland. Mom is less than thrilled at first, but ends up having a great time with son and bad Solano’s sister. Jakes reads him the riot act for bringing danger to mom’s house adding “Get rid of her.” Johnny thought he said, “Kiss her” and promptly does so. Good job turning that bad day into a happy one, JT.

Pictured: Vanessa Ferlito as Charlie DeMarco — (Photo by: Jeff Daly/USA Network)

Resident Badass Mike

Mike and Charlie do their best Mulder and Scully imitation by going into a Solano used bank to investigate a counterfeit $100 bill floating around that Warren may have planted there. Charlie comments, “You used to be such a good Boy Scout.” No more, Chuck. Mike’s once strong ethics are becoming as questionable as Briggs’.

He comes up with a harebrained scheme at episode’s end to rob the bank, or get some ‘people they know’ to rob the bank. Why? Because if Solano’s nest egg is gone, he’ll come out of hiding. This sounds a little illegal, Warren. I guess that Eagle Scout Award is out.

Meanwhile, Paige and Jakes stake out the sex trafficking operation, even tailing a buyer and saving one of the girls. Mike won’t let them shut it down because he needs Carlito to “reopen the pipeline.” Paige is not having it saying they’re not just dealing with drugs, these are human beings, young girls. Mike isn’t backing down.

Next week promises that the bank robbing will indeed go down with Charlie garnering more screen time organizing the shenanigans. The line between the bad ones and our heroes seems to be blurring with each passing week. What did you think about “Los Malos” and our new bad cop, Sid Markham?

Graceland airs Wednesdays on USA Network at 10 pm.