Pot O’Gold – As the episode opens, a truck pulls into the parking lot of the Holiday Motel. The driver, Hub Halloran (Kevin Bacon), parks across from a room with a light on, looks at a wanted poster for Jeb Tucker, puts on a gun belt, puffs a cigarette, and cocks his rifle. He puts his ear to the door, tosses his cigarette on the ground, bangs on the door, and yells bail enforcement. He orders Tucker to come out with his hands up. The room goes dark. Halloran warns there is nowhere to run. Tucker curses at him. Halloran removes a vent cover, unzips a bag with a bee nest, blows cigarette smoke into the bag, utilizes a catcher pole to put the nest inside the vent, and positions himself next to the door. Tucker complains about being stung and runs out the door. Halloran wraps the cable around his neck, sending him to the ground. Managing to get free, Tucker swings at the bees. Halloran hits him with the catcher pole before realizing he has the wrong man. Laughing, Billy Earle (Daniel Norris) admits to being the tipster. Clyde Earle (Charles Barden) emerges from the room, shoots Halloran in the back, and cuts his throat.
A deceased Halloran comes back to life and finds himself trapped inside a wall. With a gurgled voice, he yells for help and calls Tucker and Billy foul names. He breaks through the wall and lands face-down on the floor next to the bee nest. Getting to his feet, he looks in the mirror at his slashed throat, Hearing a man’s voice, Halloran checks for his gun in his holster when the door swings open. Shocked, Tater/Tommy Dean (Mike Kaye) screams. Halloran punches and charges him, draws his gun, and orders him to hand over his cigarettes. Tater tosses him the pack and claims the Earles paid him to burn down the motel. Halloran lights a cigarette and takes a puff. The smoke emits from his slashed throat. Tater recalls he was dead. Halloran handcuffs him, forces him into the trunk of a car, tapes his mouth shut, says to warn the Earles that he is coming, and slams the trunk shut. Pulling a piece of duct tape off the bumper, Halloran wraps it around his slashed throat. He notices strange markings on his arm and tries to wipe it off to no avail. He gets in the car, speeds down the road, passes a semi, and barely misses an oncoming car. As Halloran speeds past a cemetery, a black raven takes flight. Stopped at a railroad crossing, he removes the duct tape to reveal a partially healed throat and wraps it back around his neck. The train passes.
Upon arriving at Halloran Bail Bonds, Halloran unlocks the door when his mother, Kitty Halloran (Beth Grant) yells at him from a second-floor window. He promises to visit shortly and pulls the car into the garage. He receives a Pot O’Gold call. He threatens to cut off Tater’s penis if he doesn’t remain quiet, goes into the bathroom, and removes the tape to reveal a healed throat. A short time later, Halloran finds Kitty entertaining Pastor Ron (Dave Macomber), who banned her from his church. She says Ron has agreed to let her return to church if he promises to stop detaining people during Sunday services. Halloran agrees to consider it. After Ron leaves, Halloran tells Kitty about the Earles taking her truck. She claims Lucky Callahan (Damon Herriman) paid Billy’s bail and urges him not to get bent out of shape because he will move on when he makes up with Maryanne Dice (Jennifer Nettles). As he returns to his office, she expresses her disapproval of her grandson being a Red Sox fan. Halloran white-outs a name on an Arrest Affidavit and types in Callahan’s name. When Pot O’Gold calls again, he unplugs the answering machine. A drawer full of mobile phones rings in unison, all from Pot O’Gold. He puts a shovel and bag of lye in the trunk. A restrained Tater becomes agitated.
Halloran drives past Cheryl Dawson’s missing person’s poster, attached to an electric pole. He pulls up outside The Boxcar, gets out, lights a cigarette, and looks up to see a man on the phone via an upper-floor window. Callahan’s car is parked in a reserved spot for Boston Red Sox fans. He flicks his cigarette into the sign and enters the pub as Maryanne takes the stage. Halloran pursues Callahan into the kitchen. The line cook (Brandon Alston) greets him. Halloran puts his finger to his lips, draws his gun, and reveals himself to Callahan, who appears shocked to see him. Halloran asks him to go outside when Cade Halloran (Maxwell Jenkins) approaches and brags about Cheryl’s new backup band. She approaches and embraces Cade. Callahan compliments her. She embraces him. Halloran tells her that he is there to serve a warrant on her boyfriend but will wait. As Cade and Cheryl leave, Halloran orders Callahan to return Kitty’s truck. He enters her dressing room and insists she is too good for that “empty ten-gallon hat.” He says Callahan paid some guys to slit his throat. She examines it to find it perfectly okay. He warns her that Callahan is dangerous and compliments her appearance. She informs him of her plan to make Cade her stagehand when she auditions in Nashville. Cade barges in and says he received an urgent call from Pot O’Gold and Callahan went over to the Earles for poker night. Halloran compliments Cade’s work with the band before leaving.
Halloran is driving down the road when he sees Ron with evil eyes. Ron walks toward him. Upon arriving at the Earle house, he utilizes his binoculars to see Tiny Earle (Gunner Willis) smoking outside. He opens the trunk and asks Tater if Callahan hired the Earle Brothers and they hired him. Tater gives a muffled confirmation. Halloran asks if Callahan plays poker with the Earle. Tater shakes his head no. They briefly discuss Tater’s uncle, Eddie Dean. Halloran gives him a toke from his cigarette, replaces the tape over his mouth, and shuts the trunk. Tiny finishes urinating when Halloran approaches and holds him at gunpoint. He suggests Callahan lured him there for them to kill him. He forces him inside, kicks him through the door, shoots Billy in the hand, and holds them at gunpoint. The brothers turn on each other. Halloran orders them to send Lucky a text and demand double the pay or they will release him. At The Boxcar, Callahan tells Cheryl that he returned to watch her next performance but may need to go deal with a Foodco issue.
Halloran eats the Earle brothers’ chips. The lights start blinking when Ron arrives. Halloran unties Clyde to deal with Ron. Peeping through a crack, he watches Ron attack Clyde on a wall and send Billy in a chair crashing into a door. Tiny screams in terror. With evil eyes, Ron looks through the crack. Halloran blows several holes in the door with his rifle and runs to the road. A driver picks him up and drops him off at his office. Pot O’Gold calls. He grabs a beer and joins Midge (Jolene Purdy) and Kitty in the other room. Midge says he died, went to hell, and they temporarily brought him back. She describes it as a work release, and she is his parole officer. Kitty refuses to allow such blasphemy on her property. Midge asks if he agrees with Kitty. He denies being a churchgoer. She assures him they don’t discriminate. She says he is the devil’s demon hunter.
The Bondsman Review
The pilot episode presents a compelling opening for what will hopefully be a good series. Kevin Bacon’s performance is as strong as ever. The plot is filled with suspense and action with a touch of humor. It’s engaging from beginning to end and easy to watch.
The camerawork is decent but gets a bit unsteady during action scenes. The show is one of the best I’ve seen on Amazon MGM Studios in quite some time. It deserves 6.2 out of 10.
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