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Sunday 20 April 2014

Longmire 1.4 "The Cancer" Review

As a fisherman stands in the river his line catches hold of something which Walt (Robert Taylor) fishes (no pun) out of the river and cuts the rope to reveal two DBs.  Vic (Katee Sackhoff) takes photos and comments the gunshot wounds exit at the back so it's unlikely they'll find any bullets.  They like giving her the lines about bullets and exit wounds.  Once again the Ferg (Adam Bartley) tells Walt how he called in t he Ranger since Custer National Forest is across the way, thinking he might have done the wrong thing again, so why does he persist in jumping the gun, so to speak.  But Walt reassures him it's okay.  The Ranger, Ely (Diego Klattenhoff) is there when Walt places sagebrush on the DBs before they're wrapped back into the blanket.  The Ferg once again jumps in adding that the creek is only five clicks away, it's Army speak for miles.  Eli corrects him, it's kilometres.  Walt thinks Ferg should stop watching too many war movies.  Well, once again, the would be suspect in Ely, gives this away as soon as he arrives at the CS.  Flat Lip River, Vic adds runs through the Rez (Reservation) and so the DB's could be Cheyenne.

Vic has found a keycard on one of the DBs and Walt wonders whom owns the land between the forest and the Rez.  Obviously it had to be a woman, Lizzie Ambrose (Katherine La Nasa) has just arrived and she exclaims at "how tall" Walt is.  He shows her a photo of one of the men and she faints, right into Walt's arms, practically!  Yeah like she was really that fainthearted!  She doesn't know any of the men but Walt asks her for a list of contractors.  Lizzie is worried for her safety and places her hand on his arm.  Vic can't resist teasing him once more and points out how Lizzie was flirting with him.  He didn't notice and tells her to stop her nonsense and to find where the keycard belongs.  Of course we know Vic is right about the flirting but he's not really interested in anyone else, at least not for the moment.

Walt finds Henry (Lou Diamond Phillips) at his home and he's fixing it up for him, Walt thinks otherwise.  Henry recognizes one of the DB's as Freddie White Hawk and he threw him out of the bar when he found him dealing pot.  He wants to notify his grandmother of his death and has tears in his eyes.  Showing the men in this show aren't afraid to cry man tears and to express their emotions in this way, well not all of them naturally.

Vic finds where the keycard fits but the manager won't let her in without a warrant, so luckily Walt's able to get one cos the judge was at the Red Pony.  Having probably too much time on his hands.  Walt notices a statue of a man and Vic finds a suitcase full of money and ammo from under the bed.  Walt opens the case to reveal a .38 but it's missing.  At the station, Branch (Bailey Chase) breezes in and adds he wasn't really going anywhere cos 'they', him and his female companion, were arguing a lot, but he doesn't say who when Vic asks him.  The room was registered to an Octavio Mora from LA and Vic tries to find out more on the rental car.  The Ferg has a breakthrough for Walt by telling him the statue is that of Jesus Malverde the patron saint of smugglers, leading him to conclude that the Mexican Cartel is involved.

Henry asks Walt about a St Christoper which Freddie's grandmother wants back but none was found.  He also sees Mathias (Zahn McClarnon) the rez police there.  He's cagey until Henry tells him to put aside his personal feelings for Walt, or rather against Walt I should say, ha, and do it for Freddie's grandmother. Freddie wasn't part of the Cartel but he found marijuana growing on the rez and Walt is angry he wasn't told of this.  Mathias tells him he'll send out a smoke signal next time.  He recalls the statue was found at a shrine and thinks Freddie was probably a scout for the Cartel.

Walt waits for a pizza at the side of the road late night and Jamie (Robert Clendenin) drives up.  Walt thanks him for what he did for his wife, namely supplying her with pot to ease her pain and asks about Freddie. That's who he got his stash from.  Freddie mentioned El Lupo to him, but he fears for his life if the Mexican cCartel are involved.  referencing CNN and what he's seen they do to men.  Walt would rather read a good book I'm guessing, ha.  Branch and the Ferg wait outside a bar and Branch accuses Walt of not seeing what was under his nose, re the pot growing.  Ferg defends him since the rez police didn't tell him this was happening.  Branch coming up with any way to discredit Walt.  They question two of the Cheyenne boys and Branch calls them on buying beer, they're underage.  They don't recognize El Lupo but Branch lets them off, saying they should go for the cool beer next time.  The look on the Ferg's face says it all when he is shocked that Branch would let them off like that.  Pot calling kettle a minute ago wasn't it when he was dissing Walt!

At the station, Lizzie arrives with the list of contractors and wants to speak with Walt in private.  She writes him a cheque for his campaign and they should meet for dinner or drinks so she can be kept up to date on the issues.  He takes Vic with him to the forest and has a go at her for letting Lizzie come down in person and continue with the flirting.  Adding that she thinks the entire world is flirting but it's just her.  She doesn't get a chance to defend herself.  Showing how vocal Walt can be when it concerns his private life but also how he doesn't let anyone get a word in when he's so sure he's right.  He's only human after all.

Vic finds out the rental car had GPS and at the forest they find it abandoned.  Inside is the St Christoper medal attached to the keys and a file with photos.  The Cartel was surveilling and they have a photo of Mathias too.  Vic finally has a chance to tell Walt she didn't ask Lizzie to come down and that Walt only got angry cos he's attracted to her.  Mathias thinks Walt is accusing him of dealing pot and later he mentions this to Henry, who hopes he's not involved.  He also states that everyone can kill under the right circumstances. Walt could count the number of murders on one hand in this county at one time and it came to two.    Seems like the county's going to pot, ha.  Walt likens the increase like a cancer and when you find it, it's too late, maybe an allusion to his wife in the process.  She is mentioned this ep.

A man checks into the motel under the name of Octavia (Lobo Sebastian) carrying something which isn't fishing tackle.  Ely's found pot in the woods and they come to an abandoned camp with marijuana growing. Ely comments on how he came home from Afghanistan to get away from AK 47's and such camps.  Another reference to him being a suspect.  Fertilizer is also found which can be used to grow crops or for bombs and this leads back to a landscape gardener. Seems Freddie paid him to order it by the sack loads.  Henry finds from Internet research it takes thee months for the plant to grow as big as it has and he can check out its origins at the agricultural school.  Walt warns him he can't go around carrying that plant, he'll be arrested, so he tells Walt to deputize him.

The landscaper directs them to where he left the fertilizer and this leads to the forest again.  Ely also shows up and the three of them follow a water pipeline.  Henry calls Ely cos he has a phone and tells Walt the plant is grown in the foothills and is called Khyber Kush, so would be of no interest to the Mexicans.  So who do we know has made several references to the army and Afghanistan, why Ely.  Walt manages to cuff him but then they're shot at by Octavia and Ely is released to help.  Walt manages to shoot Octavia after he shoots Ely and he is told to drop his gun by Vic.  Ely was Freddie's partner and friend and he wanted the Mexicans in on their operation but Ely refused and he shot Freddie.

As Walt arrives home, Jamie is out of hiding, Branch found him and questioned him on how he knew Walt. Well he is the pizza delivery guy for starters.  Jamie adds he told him they were in a band together.  Branch would be curious and asking questions like that just in the hope of digging some dirt on Walt that he could use against him in the election.  Henry reads the note on the pizza box from Lizzie, how Walt owes her dinner now.  Walt calls her a registered voter.  Yeah like Walt would use her, sorry string her along, just for her voting capabilities.

Another ep which involves outsiders being the main culprits, which makes you wonder if the locals are capable of committing serious crimes, aside from Ely, but then he seems to be an outsider too.  probably why Walt mentioned counting the number of murders on one hand.  Some funny moments hitting the right amount of seriousness too and plenty of misunderstandings as well.  Though Vic is very vocal about her thoughts and has no qualms about sharing.  Which I have to say is also the case with Branch who just appears to be looking for any way to win the election.  Wonder what the argument between him and Cady was about, assuming it was her he was talking of.

It was strange for Walt to be calling the drug trade 'a cancer' when he called upon Jamie's 'dealing services' so he could get it for his wife.  There must have a slight incling or indication of where he might obtain it from, if not locally.  Although he and Jamie have an 'understanding' that he won't get into trouble for dealing. It is also conceivable Walt would turn a blind eye to this, anything to help his ailing wife and ease her pain.  It's something Branch demonstrates in this ep too, though it's only not doing anything about underage drinking, he doesn't see that as serious, would he feel that way if they were drink/driving and killed someone.  So in its roundabout way it is more dangerous than dealing or using pot, not that I'm advocating the use or dealing of pot! Ha.

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