‘Hightown’ Recap: ‘Big Fish’

3/9/2024

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Monica Raymund as Jackie Quiñones in Episode 307 of ‘Hightown’ – ‘Big Fish’. (Photo Courtesy of STARZ.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the Series Finale of ‘Hightown’. To revisit the show’s Penultimate episode, click here.

When we are young, we are taught that the world is a just and fine place. Where we will have all the support we need when times are tough because of family and friends, and where good guys and bad guys are easy to spot, and the bad ones are dealt with swiftly and justly, and we are told such lies… simply because our parents hope… we will be the one to mold the world in that image, where they failed. For the world is none of those things, it is brutal, cruel, and intense. Where sometimes we are on our own whether we like it or not and where justice and good and bad are as grey as it gets. Which shocks us and leaves us wondering… how then do we find what our parents promised us could exist?

Well as it turns out, there is no easy answer. Some of it involves fundamental changes to society that will take generations to impact, and a sense that change needs to come to our entire world and society at a time where everyone is digging into their respective sides and citing their ideology as the only way. But in the interim, there are things perhaps we can do. Such as, be the hero in our world, the good person that inspires change and impacts it somehow, someway, and all of this is top of mind today, because this is the central concept that the series finale of Hightown on STARZ opted to explore. A feat that ‘Big Fish’ accomplished by having Jackie Quiñones take the center stage in this story and explore those concepts in detail.

Which makes sense, for it was her journey that brought us into the world of the Cape to begin with, and everyone else’s journey followed suit and well… now that she was sober and managed to put away Dolan after his attempt to kill her, Jackie began to have new perspective on the world and her career choice. Simply because, it was discovered that Dolan and the entire Fall Brook police force were dirty and corrupt, and that there was little chance they would face accountability for making Swayzee the town’s unofficial pimp liaison for the city, despite enabling crime and taking part in crime often, and that shocked Jackie to no end. Because that wasn’t how this was supposed to go, and that shock was further compounded by the dawning realization that Ray Abruzzo… was a dirty cop as well.

In fact, Ray went all out here to really commit to the dark side. For he and Renee and Osito joined forces in this story, all to keep Renee in Ray’s stead, and their efforts paid off in spades. Since Renee was able to pay off the cleaner and get her out of town so there was no case against Renee for killing Jorge, and of course… when Frankie finally flexed up on Renee… even darker acts came into play. Because it meant that Frankie had to be dealt with, and that Ray had to handle it, so he carefully watched from afar as Frankie and Osito and Shane put together a powerful drug dealing alliance. All so the blame could be shifted to either of them when Ray stepped in to handle business and handle it he did. Putting an end to Frankie Cuevas, and that act, oddly helped Jackie to finally see what Ray was all about. For despite his best efforts to cover up what he had done, she knew. She absolutely knew.

James Badge Dale as Ray Abruzzo in Episode 307 of ‘Hightown’ – ‘Big Fish’. (Photo Courtesy of STARZ.)

Which allowed for that central theme to come into play. Because the case against Frankie’s murder would go nice and slow, and no one would care about putting resources forth for that because Frankie was a criminal. And of course, the bad eggs in Fall Brook would continue to rot the system and bend it to their will, and that left Jackie in a dark place mentally, and that was shared by Alan. Since he too was aware of the rot within his own building, and well… for a time they both dangerously drifted. With Alan firing back at last and with Jackie, risking another relapse over this hard truth.

But support, and a surprise run in with Leslie, helped Jackie to realize… she wasn’t helpless, and if she was able to take control of her life and her addiction, she could take control of the ugliness in front of her. She could be the hero; she could impact change and do the right thing and be what we want the world to be. So, with Alan at her side… they marched into Internal Affairs and opened up a new chapter in their lives and in their careers.

Where real good took place and where punishment would indeed come for the wicked, the kind that would be further enhanced… by the miserable path that Ray had now created for himself… since Osito had work for Ray. Which brought about an ending that some may seem as imperfect, since we don’t see Ray walk out in cuffs, nor do we see Jackie enjoy accolades for her bravery. But that’s just it… that really is the perfect ending to this series. Because Hightown has always been about the flaws and the wonder of the human condition. Of its imperfect nature and how we strive for otherwise, and fail and succeed, sometimes at once.

But of course, it was more so about Jackie’s journey to her potential, since Ray was always dirty, and everyone else was in their own unique orbit when she entered into them and well… the mission was accomplished. She healed, she found agency and potential and did heroic things along the way and that’s a complete story. One where justice was doled out in an imperfect manner and where the world still tetters upon the brink as it always has, and well… it doesn’t get much realer than that, and there really is no better way to bid farewell to the Cape and the incredible journey this story took us upon.

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