Michael Suarez
The following recap contains spoilers for Lucky S1E6, “Wherever You Go, There You Are” (written by Jonathan Tropper & Kevin Rosen and directed by Jonathan Van Tulleken)
Timothy Olyphant’s John Armstrong opens the episode with a story about the moment he became cynical. It involves how he lost respect for his own father, whom he calls a “sucker.” It’s a great scene, not only for the character but because it’s great to see John not in prison and not in a flashback. Still, it’s telling that even though he’s out of prison and in the present, the episode opens with John focused on the past and in the hands of the FBI.
This is important, because John feels more like an antagonist than he has in Lucky’s previous five episodes. I still like him, mainly because Olyphant is so charming, but also because Agent Rand, though pretty much just doing her job, isn’t as likeable. This is, of course, not a requisite to character. No one in a story has to be likeable, and sometimes, the likeable characters are the bad ones, the ones I should have no business liking, but I do.
Agent Rand is upset because she was nearly killed. She puts the blame on Lucky, even though we know she was driving and it was Cary who took shots at the feds at the end of Episode 4. Still, I can see where she’s coming from, because from her point of view, she’s on the right side of things. Lucky, John, and everyone associated with them are criminals. Rand, Gates, and the FBI are the heroes. Having said that, because I’m on Lucky’s side (most likely because she’s the show’s protagonist but also because she’s played by Anya Taylor-Joy), I didn’t like Rand’s treatment of her. As for John, I get the feeling he deserves what he gets.
After Lucky’s made the deal with Rand to bring her Priscilla and Wayne for her and her father’s freedom, she and John end up in a hotel room, and this is when things begin to truly crystallize for Lucky. When the show began, I wasn’t sure if Lucky was a criminal, an agent, or some combination of both. Now that I know her backstory, it’s clear that Lucky is a girl who was dealt this life and wanted nothing to do with it. The only reason she’s in the mess she’s in is because of her father, and he seems perfectly fine with it.
John has the assumption that Lucky has a grand plan to walk away with the nearly $10 million the FBI and Priscilla are after, and to be fair, I thought so too last week. However, my assumption didn’t come from the same place as John’s, because after everything, he still wants the money he stole. This is the same money that’s put them where they are, with Lucky, well, being lucky to be alive and Cary dead. It’s heartbreaking for Lucky to see who her father truly is, a man who is out for himself.
This isn’t some shocking twist, but it still hurt to see it. She deserves better than John. At this point, she’s reckoned with her own past and seems willing to fully walk away from her past life to find something better. Now, here’s her father, the person she would do anything for, and all he’s concerned about is the money. I’m holding out hope that Lucky finds the strength to walk away from her father in next week’s finale. I want better for her, something John clearly doesn’t. He’s someone who made his life choice a long time ago and sees no reason to change course.
As for Rand, I’m hoping she gets what she’s after next week, though I doubt she’ll be satiated. After six episodes, I’m confident that she is, to me, someone who is a workaholic, much more comfortable finding the bad guys than she is in a domestic setting. What she’s doing in Lucky, despite her frustrations throughout the show so far, is the life she wants, in my opinion. Risking her life aside, I don’t think she’d have it any other way. I don’t see Rand sitting behind a desk day after day once she has Priscilla and Wayne, but we’ll see.
Speaking of Priscilla, it’s interesting to see her tolerate Lucky’s presence when the latter goes to talk to her about meeting Wayne. At this point, she needs to set this up so that the FBI can finally nab Priscilla and Wayne. It’s easy enough. Lucky has the money, and she tells Priscilla she wants to hand it over personally to Wayne to ensure her and her father’s safety. I buy that Priscilla buys it, and it sets up next week’s confrontation. Wayne is a scary guy, but he’s also hurt Priscilla in a way that I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s the one who ultimately takes him down. If that happens, what does that do to Lucky’s deal with the FBI? How does Rand handle it? Again, we’ll see.
I’m looking forward to next week’s finale. Lucky has reminded me why I love limited series so much. Not every show gets the pacing right, and the first few episodes weren’t perfect in that regard, but ever since Episode 4, I can say that I’ve fallen for this show. Yes, I’ve made a lot of assumptions that turned out wrong, but that’s okay with me. That’s part of the fun when it comes to serialized storytelling. The important thing for me is when a story works, and Lucky works for me.
In addition, the performances have ultimately made this show as gripping as it is, and here’s hoping there are awards for the cast in the future. It’s easy to take Anya Taylor-Joy, Olyphant, and Annette Bening for granted since they always give great work, but they have been in top form all season. I’ve also loved the supporting cast, and I’m looking forward to what they bring as everything climaxes next week.
I think Lucky has been well plotted, with sprinklings of flashbacks here and there to give context whenever necessary, as well as just the right amount of time devoted to characters other than Lucky. And although it’s not the deepest series I’ve ever seen, I appreciate what it has to say about both family and what it means to betray. Lucky and Cary betrayed people they loved because it felt like the right thing to do. Rand betrayed Lucky because it felt like the right thing to do. Who will betray and be betrayed next week?
There’s one thing that needs to happen, though. Lucky has to walk away, with or without the money. She needs a happy ending. Will I be upset, or dare I say “betrayed,” if that doesn’t happen? No, because I trust the show to tell the story as best it can. Bring it on.
