The sixth episode of Prime’s Neagley, “Rocked,” cultivates an increasingly interwoven plot, seemingly straying away from the few character-driven plots earlier within the season.
The episode begins with a threat Neagley and Hudson levy upon Pierce, as he wakes up in a chair, abandoned, with a note that states “I can get to you too and now your boss knows.” Frantically, Pierce calls his boss (whom we still do not know the identity of) and though he tries to deny it, his boss knows Neagley has gotten to him, and assures that Pierce would be killed before he ever even got to prison. Before the call ends, his boss says he doesn’t want a “repeat of Hamilton,” giving Neagley and Hudson the only lead they have to go off of.
Meanwhile, Renee meets with Keno at the Echo Canyon Farm farmer’s market, where Keno tells Renee that he cannot leave, as Mandy is still trapped in the bunker at the compound. Reluctantly, Renee says she will guide Keno in through the air vents, as she possesses a blueprint of the missile silo the bunker is housed in.
On the farm itself, Lawrence seems to be growing drunk with power, going so far as to sleep with his members’ wives with their knowledge and just a door between them. This unpredictability disturbs Janet, who tells Pierce that she is willing to take over Lawrence’s position, should need be.
Neagley and Hudson meet with the sister of “Dottie,” a woman who published the only known article found regarding the mysteriously mentioned “Hamilton.” Dottie, who was writing about Pinnacle Therapeutics’s clinic and thier string of related suicides, was consequently murdered following her discoveries in an act of arson, and her sister is unable to provide them with any information pertaining to her work.
Despite this, the two go to Dottie’s house anyway, and in the car Neagley confides in Hudson what she saw during her psychedelic trip – the murder her father enacted. Hudson then admits that he had been warned to stay away from her by another policeman, with the claim that her dad was dirty and had “disappeared someone.” They arrive at the house and find a secret compartment hiding her research within the burned ruins. Returning to their car, they stumble upon three men wielding baseball bats, members of the town financed by Pierce and told to hurt anybody who came asking any questions. Neagley and Hudson beat them, and find within the files a photo of Hudson’s dad’s old boat. Neagley insists they find and talk to him but, hypocritically, Hudson refuses.
On the farm, Lawrence calls an early community, gathering the members in the town square to make a pronouncement. He begins a sermon on loyalty and, in a shocking twist, wheels Janet out who (evidently) had been overheard planning her betrayal. As punishment, Lawrence has his acolytes throw stones at Janet, which they all do, albeit hesitantly.
During this, Keno has (guided by Renee) made his way through the air vents of the bunker in Echo Canyon Farm, seeing multiple armed guards along the way. When he finds Mandy he attempts to persuade her of her fate but, unbeknownst to him, she alerts the guards, and Keno is taken into the custody of the Echo Canyon Farm bunker.
Though the plot is skillfully written and planned in such a way that is evidently complex and well thought, the dialogue within this episode is a stark contrast to that of the earlier ones. Where the earlier season’s episodes (notably one, two, and three) hold distinctly natural dialogue, the dialogue within “Rocked” feels particularly stunted, with characters revealing information in off-handed, unnatural ways. It feels more as if they are trying to solidify the fact of the character within reality, rather than naturally shape who a character is.
Despite this, the episode manages. Though occasionally stunted by the dialogue, the acting itself is typically pleasant and the plot unveils itself in a way which is natural – no unrealistic leaps in logic or magical discoveries. Although the circumstances surrounding this story are almost supernatural, the way the characters respond to them stay grounded in reality, a fact worthy of appreciation.
Rating: 7/10