‘Hightown’ Recap: ‘Fool Me Twice’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the season two finale of ‘Hightown’.
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Normally, crime dramas that are made for television or film, come to a quick close when the bad guy or gal is put into handcuffs, and it makes sense as to why. After all, the audience is here to see a bad person be brought to justice and once they are pushed into the back of a squad car… following a tense and epic showdown, of course… that’s it. Justice has been served and the time has come to bid the story farewell since good triumphed over evil and it will spend the rest of its days behind bars and well, while that is indeed a genuinely satisfying way to end a gritty story about such matters, it is also a formula that provides quite the disservice to the audience. 
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Because it’s not realistic in the slightest and it romanticizes what law enforcement does and gives us a false sense of justice. For in reality, the arrest of the criminal in question, is merely the beginning of a new journey. One where evil might win. Because one misstep on law enforcement’s part or the intervention of a quality and powerful lawyer and just like that… the villain is on the streets and potentially able to strike again. Plus, we often forget there is fallout following an arrest and even the trial, since the victims and those surrounding the bad person in question… have to  deal with what happened and the mess left behind is sometimes vast, and that harsh and lasting reality, might be why so many storytellers shy away from it. Since it hammers home the dark and stark reality of crime’s impact and that could scare an audience.

But it is a necessary conversation to have in storytelling, one that quite frankly, only a few shows are willing to and thankfully, Hightown on STARZ is one of those shows and for proof… look no further than the show’s season two finale. For ‘Fool Me Twice’ picks up shortly after what would have been the happy ending in a more traditional crime story, since when we last swung by the cape, Frankie Cuevas was in handcuffs and Charmaine was in jail and Ray got the girl and probably his job back. But thankfully, this story dug into the grey area that exists after a crime has been committed and explored two of the elements, we briefly mentioned a moment ago, by way of two key characters, Ray and Jackie. 

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Ray for instance, dealt with the tougher aspects of putting the pieces back together, and it accomplished that by having Ray deal with the fallout of his return to the Massachusetts State Police. Because Renee recanted her testimony at Ray’s request and in doing so, Ray Abruzzo was made Sergeant of the drug division once again and that return forced him to tell Sergeant Alan Saintelle that he was being transferred to Homicide immediately. A move that infuriated Alan since it felt as though Ray pulled an end around on him and outright ruined his quality of life since every death would need to be investigated day or night. Which meant it was up to Ray to figure out how to peacefully handle the transition of power going forward and this was of course… the easy side of this exploration.
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For while Ray put his team back together and worked to earn their trust, especially Leslie, since she would be reporting to him once again… there was a bigger problem brewing for him. In that, it was finally revealed to Ray (and Alan... in a way, more on that later) that Renee was Jorge’s killer. Leaving him to ponder upon how he wanted to handle his relationship with her going forward, knowing full well that bringing her to justice as well… could cost him his stripes since her honesty and integrity would come into question. Plus, to complicate matters further, she finally admitted she was carrying his child, and that motivated Ray… to sit on this one for a bit. Simply because… there was no easy answer here. Sure, Renee screwed up, but Ray genuinely believes for the moment that she did what she had to in order to survive and that ambiguous end to their journey this year, really does hammer home how much mess and cleanup there is when a major crime comes to a close. 

As for Jackie, well her journey explored how a single mistake can change so much for a case. Because she was once again on cloud nine in this tale and thought the worst of this was behind her and understandably so. After all, she was admired in the department for her work, Leslie made up with her and the evidence was piling up against Frankie and she felt so invincible that she made a rookie mistake when Alan asked her and Leslie to try and get Charmaine to talk while they transferred her to another facility. For shortly after Jackie granted Charmaine a little kindness and class by un-cuffing her so she could deal with her menstrual cycle, she attacked Jackie and managed to escape, blowing up the case and blowing up Jackie’s life as well. Because not only did the Lieutenant come down hard on her and Leslie… but Leslie decided to shake things up in the process.

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Because she pointed the finger at Alan and Jackie when the opportunity was right to save her own skin and her career and well, being betrayed by the woman she loved and facing the real possibility that she was headed back to the boats for screwing this up… not only spoke volumes to how a single mistake can change so much… but it also set the stage for another grand exploration into addiction. Specifically, how hard it is to steer clear of it during times of strife since Jackie once again went on a bender. One as bad as her last one, since season two ended with Jackie Quiñones staring down her dad’s dealer, eager to get whatever drugs she needed to ease the pain that she is still struggling to deal with. But while those two journeys would have been enough to carry this episode, it still had more to offer us as well.
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Since there were plenty of side stories that also made it clear that sometimes, bringing down one bad guy isn’t enough to put an end to crime and that the truth will always come to light. As evidenced by the fact that Osito made some power plays in this tale, the kind that might get him to the top, courtesy of a forthcoming meeting with Charmaine’s supplier in New York, and he was able to make these moves without fear of reprisal... thanks to a gracious bail payment and because it seems as though Frankie Cuevas might be dead, per Osito's orders. Plus, Alan stumbled upon a hot lead regarding Jorge's death, something that will lead to more trouble for Ray down the line and well… in the end, all this finale does, is leave us starving for more.

So, we can see if Ray and Renee can reconcile the choices, they made to enjoy peace for the time being or if Jackie will ever face her pain and be honest with herself about her addiction, and of course… we simply must know what will become of a determined and re-energized Osito and Alan’s investigation. Which means this series needs a third season and hopefully STARZ green lights that soon. Because this really is a brilliant series through and through, one that is brave and bold and intense, and it deserves to see this story through to its realistic and powerful end. Until next time.

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