Episode 6 is the strongest yet as our heroes plot a trap for their adversary. But the hastily made plan comes at a lethal cost, and places a loved one in danger. Again, we receive great performances from Kiowa Gordon and supporting cast members.
After discovering Irene bugged his hotel room, Joe deduces that she’s spiraling, looking for answers. He and Bernadette set out to rendezvous with Jim Chee at Leroy’s apartment. Upon their arrival there’s no sign of Chee. They grow suspicious and notice blood on the ground outside the door.
Inside the apartment, Sonny’s caught Chee in his lie. Holding him at gunpoint, Chee confesses his true identity and why he’s in LA. Before things escalate, Joe and Bernadette disarm Sonny and convince him of the truth: McNair, his boss, called the hits on Albert and his grandfather, and will do the same to him. Joe persuades Sonny to act as bait to draw Irene in for the FBI to arrest.
Meanwhile, Bern takes a feverish Chee to the hospital. He’s happy to see a familiar face in Emma, who tends to his wounds. That night, Chee experiences another hallucination. The sound of a woman gasping for breath leads him to the parking lot. He finds his mother, coughing up blood. As he weeps, she dies. Bernadette finds him and leads him back to his room.
Later, Joe and Sonny have partnered with Agents Shaw and Wells to lay the bait for Irene. Despite doubts, Irene takes Sonny’s call for assistance after mentioning a particular Navajo police officer was in Leroy’s apartment. Without haste, she agrees to meet. Sonny and Joe arrive to find her green van empty as the FBI mounts on a nearby roof. As soon as Sonny advises they leave, Joe spots Irene’s sniper scope in the sky. Before he can react, bullets shatter the silence. Two pierce Sonny, killing him. As the agents return fire, Joe runs to the adjacent building’s roof. Irene is already gone.
Back at the hospital, Emma advises Chee to seek their traditional ceremonies to heal what he’s experiencing spiritually — the “death hogan.” The grief he endured witnessing his mother’s death is haunting him and won’t cease until properly exorcised. He ignores her advice, and leaves Bernadette’s questions of their relationship hanging in the balance.
Joe blames himself for Sonny’s death as the two teams attempt to regroup. Reviewing the crime scene, they find photos of a residential house in Irene’s van. They discover its Leroy’s grandmother’s home. Afterward, Joe finds another photo in the hospital: a photo of him and Emma Irene stole.
The closing scene finds Emma walking to her car when Irene surprises her from behind. Emma shows no fear, hitting the assassin in her face. Irene oddly admonishes Emma for abandoning Joe. By the time Joe figures something is wrong, he finds Emma crying alone, unharmed.
Episode 6 elevates the drama and tension to grand results. The cat-and-mouse game between Leaphorn and Irene is palpable. The excellent editing in the hotel room displays the two as evenly matched foes. Unfortunately, the game led to unforeseen causalities. Sonny’s demise, while predictable, managed to remain heartbreaking, all due to Chaske Spencer’s shinning performance. And Irene’s threatening of Emma makes it ever more personal. Deanna Allison’s bold stance against the adversary was a sight to see, proving she’s always been Joe’s equal and his abominable strength. Again, Kiowa Gordon’s Chee remains masterful, exuding a vulnerability his character has not shown prior.
Rating: 9/10