HOUSTON – Well, if you're not going to rock my world with some awesome, mind-bending, reality-questioning, schizophrenic-style psychological thriller stuff, you might as well give me some mostly-naked Jason Isaacs. Touchè, Awake. Touchè.
This week was about Michael's relationship with Hannah more than anything else, including the lame Russian-mob-boss-is-going-to-kill-our-key-witness storyline. But here's a breakdown, in the name of complete episode recaps:
In the green reality, Markus, a Russian accountant working for the Bratva (Russian mafia?), led by Basayev (Russian Tony Soprano?) narrowly avoids getting blown to pieces when an explosive in his car malfunctions just enough to let him get away. Apparently, when Basayev is done with your services, instead of a pension plan and retirement party he serves you C4 and a one-way ticket to Deadville. Detectives Britten and Bird want Markus to testify against Basayev and offer witness protection for him and his wife, Alina. But Alina is upset (to put it lightly) about leaving her life/home/friends/HD flat-screen-TV, telling Britten he'll never understand her pain.
But wait! Cut to the red reality where Hannah is packing up their home for the big move to Portland, getting rid of many old and/or sentimental items that Michael wants to hold onto (see, Alina? Michael totes understands). On a seemingly unrelated note, Michael hands over one of his CIs (confidential informants for those of us not in the police biz) to Vega, since, ya know, he's leaving and all. The informant gives the boys a tip about a "crew" that will be "pulling a job" that night at Palace Electronics. They wait, no one shows up, blah blah blah, the important piece here is Palace Electronics.
Back to green. Markus is freaking out because Alina bailed on the whole new-identity-because-otherwise-I'll-get-killed thing and runs away. He says he won't testify against Basayev until he knows she's safe, so Britten and Bird have to find this lady but quick. Using his keen detective skillz (and unfair double reality edge), Michael sees that her last credit card transaction was at the Palace Hotel. Get it? Palace and Palace? CONNECTIONS! Britten and Bird go to the hotel, do some detective stuff, and find out Alina was with a dude. Unfortunately for said dude, the Russians get there first and rough him up a bit, but Britten and Bird aren't far behind and save him from what would have been a painful and torture-filled death. The whole point of this guy's existence is to tell Michael that Alina and Markus aren't the happiest of couples, which we could have deduced from the way they fought earlier. Sigh.
Michael eventually finds Alina by encouraging Markus to remember the good ole days, a lesson he'll take back to the red reality, because… why not? He does some couple's counseling with the wifey, she comes back, Markus is happy and will testify, and all is well.
Back in the red reality, Michael applies what he has learned from the other couple and takes Hannah on a date to a swimming pool which symbolizes their happiness pre-marriage, pre-kids, pre-devastating-car-accident. They get nakey and go skinny dipping. The end.
Not a whole lot of plot movement, but like I said, I don't mind a snapshot of a pseudo-naked Michael Britten so I'll bide my time and hope next week moves things along a bit.
Thanks for reading, and as always, thanks for watching KPRC Local 2!