Wow ... just wow.

Ranking right up there with last year's mind-bending mid-season (turned season) finale for Life, this episode certainly packed a lot of goodness in one hour of television. We already knew that Roman (played by the great Garrett Dillahunt) was coming back and that we were finally going to meet his father, but so much more went down that I found myself repeatedly picking my jaw up off the ground. I can't believe we have to wait until February 4 to see the next episode.

You don't have to drive around with a car full of bullet holes - Rachel
Yeah, I do. Maybe just a little while longer. - Charlie
This was the second time Charlie Crews is confronted about the significance of his bullet hole-riddled car, and Crews's relationship to his car(s) is a running theme in the series. Here it seems to serve as a reminder of where he's been, carrying the scars as a badge of sorts. It can be said that having Rachel in the house also serves that purpose.

Rachel seems to have that effect on Detective Reese as well; when they're introduced, Dani is reminded of something in her past, which -- along with what Roman whispered in her ear -- sends her off the wagon. "How long have you been drinking?" Charlie asks her. "Since I was twelve," is her response, which is significant in that we already know she was twelve when the L.A. shootout happened ("A Civil War"). It seems Reese has been repressing memories of her father's involvement, so the second half of this season, besides revealing "who shot C.C.," will undoubtedly fill in some of the blanks in Dani's past. (Do we really have to wait until February?)

The Buddha said each mistake is a rebirth ... don't you wanna get reborn, Special Agent Bodner? I know I wanna get reborn.
When Charlie gets shot we're shown a sort of Zen limbo state, where he sees Tins, who a few episodes back tells Charlie he'll meet him in the afterlife. Thankfully, we see the Detective come out of to the sound of Dani's voice, with the familiar "Crews, are you here?" ("I'm here," the usual reply.) Is it a rebirth? And who do you think shot C.C.? Is it a messenger from Roman? He knows an awful lot -- if they can pull the right information from him in barter, the conspiracy might start unravel like a bad sweater. So maybe Roman's just as likely to get a bullet to the chest as Crews is. Jack Reese? Special Agent Bodner? Or maybe it's just Karmic retribution for shooting his father earlier? He's got to be related to this through more than just familial blood.

Musically, since we're in the club of a Russian gangster, it was nice hearing the Eastern European go-to band Gogol Bordello ("60 Revolutions") playing as they served the search warrant. That one was just for fun. The last visit to the club, however, is the important one, as that scene was backed by Low's powerful "Monkey." The chorus "Tonight you will be mine / Tonight the monkey dies" repeats as Crews unravels Roman's secret underground via Pavel's security trapdoor, all in the most thrilling fashion. To that end, Roman's threat to Rachel was chilling: "I could put a gun in her mouth, only it won't be my gun, and it won't be her mouth." It's exciting to think that Roman could be the key, as it means more of Dillahunt to come. But again, do we really have to wait until February?

Life - Episode 2.12
1. "Got It Bad" - The Broken West
2. "Sentimental" - Onoli
3. "60 Revolutions" - Gogol Bordello
4. "Monkey" - Low

It should be mentioned that it's become increasingly obvious that the networks have been cutting back on music licensing in general this year, and this mid-season finale for Life is a prime example. If armed with last year's budget, this episode would've been even more electrifying.

Previously: Life on the LAMoMaM (Episode 2.11)

drake lelane
curator of the music/soundtrack blog thus spake drake

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