Episode 6 saw Irene cross a line, endangering Joe’s wife, Emma. Episode 7 picks up immediately after this close call with Sonny dead and the assassin escaping once again.
After the plan to arrest Irene fails, Agent Shaw agrees to assist Joe off the books. Joe’s determined to remain by Emma’s side to ensure she’s safe, but she rather he dedicate the time to find the true victim, Billie.
Meanwhile, in a twist of events, we follow Irene with her grandfather. With his worsening mental state, she silences his WWII delusions with truth, and takes him to his new permanent residence at a senior home. Udo Kier powerfully portrays a confused sense of betrayal and loss as Irene walks away. When he aimlessly returns to their hidden abode, Irene kills him out of mercy.
Later, Billie and Leroy’s girlfriend arrive at his grandmother’s home. Instead of finding Leroy, Billie comes face-to-face with her birth mother. It’s revealed her mother left because she was an addict, incapable of caring for Billie. But, she’s been sober for three years and works as a waitress. She convinces Billie to stay for the night and they will talk when she returns from her shift. As her mother drives away, Irene arrives on the property.
Alone in the house, Billie realizes Irene has broken in. Billie escapes to the basement to evade capture just as Agent Shaw arrives with Joe and Bernadette. Tension rises as the three attempt the rescue mission, but Irene bests the trio and kidnaps Billie.
Back at the hospital, Jim finally comes clean to Bernadette, stating how he had been sick long before the “death hogan.” He reveals the hidden shame he carries for not fulfilling his dying mother’s wish to spend her final days on the reservation. Instead, she died while he attended college. He had never forgiven himself. This confession allows him to begin the healing process.
After failing to rescue Billie, Joe finally has a break in the case. He realizes a witness they previously interviewed was Leroy hiding on the reservation in plain sight; Upchurch arranged to keep him safe until the trial. Joe convinces him to return to Los Angeles. But a slight mistake exposes the truth: Leroy’s been dead and this man — Phillip Grayson — will testify in his place and free McNair. Irene and Phillip wrestle Joe unconscious.
Incredible pacing paired with powerful performances delivered a breathtaking penultimate episode, with great stakes for the finale. Once again, Kiowa Gordon is captivating as Chee, finally unburdening his guilt over his mother’s death. We also catch a sentimental scene with Franka Potente’s Irene as she gruesomely puts her grandfather out of his misery. Half of her regrets the choice, but the other half knows he’s better off, not being the man he used to be. Nothing quite matches the moment Leaphorn realizes he’s been duped. Has he finally met his match? We will have to see in episode 8.
Rating: 8.5/10