Perpetual Grace, LTD season 1, episode 7 recap: Bull Face

Perpetual Grace, LTD gives us a lesson in life with “Bull Face.” New Leaf, Pa, and James face terrible truths. DeLosch plays Cash Cab. We’ve got the recap!

One of the most important truths in life can be traced back to Kenny Rogers. “You gotta know when to hold ’em. Know when to fold ’em. Know when to walk away. And when to run.” The song seems to be sung to someone who repeatedly runs towards trouble. It’s purpose is to help people understand the concept of picking and choosing your battles. When you become capable of this, you’re focused, ready, and dangerous. We see several characters face this reality in “Bull Face.” Perpetual Grace, LTD continues to force its narrative inwards. These are some sad, dark, and totally relatable characters.

A Barrel Full of New Leaf

This week’s stinger is a flashback to three years ago. New Leaf (Chris Conrad) is a rodeo clown on barrel duty. A bird lands on the lip of the barrel. New Leaf tells it that it’s in a bad spot. But the bird can already see that. It flies away as the bull barrels down on the barrel. New Leaf takes several solid hits. The last hit knocks him airborne. As he explains that sometimes you have to just dig deep into a problem, New Leaf is thrown from the barrel. He has a standoff with the bull. Is he going to fight it? The score gets very similar to Wang Chung’s music for To Live and Die in LA. It looks like he just might. But, reality sets in and New Leaf turns around and runs.

light. More. Perpetual Grace, LTD season 1, episode 6 recap: When Doves Cry

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After the opening credits, we flashback more recently to see the moment that James (Jimmi Simpson) conned New Leaf into wearing his ankle bracelet after the rattle snake side quest. On the ride back to Half Acre with Wesley Walker, Texas Ranger (Terry O’Quinn), New Leaf remains silent. He does see a picture that he correctly suspects is the real Paul Allen (Damon Herriman) with Ma (Jackie Weaver).

As Walker Texas Ranger interrogates New Leaf at his personal black-site, a newspapered-up barber shop, a lopsided version of the truth comes out. New Leaf, who has a state ID that legit says NEW LEAF, explains that the ankle business was attached to him on accident. He proceeded to go to Mexico because there was a conference of licensed Lens Crafters franchise owners. He was looking to off load some hard inventory, but couldn’t. As the Chili’s pager continues to signal his parent’s death, as it did last week, New Leaf goes multilingual. He commands Wesley Walker, Texas Ranger to release him. And, he does. It wasn’t a total loss. Wesley now knows there’s a solid Mexican connection to this caper.

New Leaf goes to Pirdoo’s Pawn Shop. Everly (Michael Chernus) tells New Leaf that he’s going to take a bath on the 72 Lens Crafters frames he’s trying to offload. New Leaf is well aware, but he needs to buy a firearm to hunt and kill James. The last image we see is not of a running New Leaf, but a marching New Leaf. He’s cutting through the New Mexican tundra with a gun. Not just any gun. A gun with the stars and stripes on the barrel. Full circle. Hard core.

Perpetual Grace, LTD-Courtesy of Epix

Coffee, Orange Juice, and a Mickey’s

Jimmi Simpson rules. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone be more present in a scene on television. He’s always in the moment. The things that are revealed to James are revealed to him. You can see the natural bewilderment as James realizes he’s in a spot that he might be stuck in. This week, James finally cracks as he has a heart to heart with Glenn (Dash Williams).

Dash Williams has been killing it, as well. Glenn is an honest, sheltered kid. It would be easy to Hollywood the role, but Williams plays Glenn straight up to perfection. In the scene, James starts to crack as Glenn basically professes his love for him. James has been the best friend he’s ever had and has looked out for him more than anyone else. With an earnest smile, Glenn offers James the fresh sombrero that he bought for his dad in the Marisol bank account side quest. It’s an offer of being a father figure.

James melts and most of his secrets come out. He confesses that he’s not really Paul Allen Brown. He’s James. James and Glenn share daddy issues. Glenn’s is the town drunk while James’ dad went to space and came back deeply affected. He walks around Houston in a full space suit. That’s right. James’ dad is the guy walking through the opening credits.

Perpetual Grace, LTD-Courtesy of Epix

Glenn destroys James when he shrugs all those knowledge bombs off and asserts that all people are messed up. What’s important is their friendship. James stops short of admitting that he’s the guy who clubbed him and caused most of his maladies. Would James even care about Glenn this much if he hadn’t clubbed him? I think he might have.

All of this is put on hold when Glenn lets James know that his dad, Everly, is sitting at the bar just off to their left. James insists that Glenn lets his dad know that he’s ok. And, give him that sombrero. The hug they share is awesome. It’s a sweet moment that gets tempered later on when Everly tells an interested Walker, Texas Ranger that his missing son was in Mexico. At the same time as New Leaf. Oops.

Meanwhile, Back at the Car Jacking

Ma and Pa (Sir Ben Kingsley) are confident and apologetic towards the three cartel assassins who have been dispatched to exact blood revenge for the death of their brother at his hands. Ma and Pa don’t know this, but they find out when the assassins take Ma and Pa to their place of employment. This is so that Pa can use a computer to freeze his assets. Of course, when he walks in to the Cartel-front holding members at gunpoint, they get met with many guns pointed at them.

Also, Donald DeLosch (Timothy Spall) is in country and on a bus to Half Acre. But, first, he plays Cash Cab with the real Ben Bailey. Only on Perpetual Grace, LTD. Donny plays along because he flat out explains he needs to buy a firearm. He doesn’t know the pop culture, but kills the harder, history based question. Everything is cool until the final question. He gets it right. But, the question was who was the youngest person ever convicted of first degree murder. Donny answers Donald DeLosch. Ben Bailey congratulates him and asks him for his name. When Donny says Donny DeLosch, you could hear the brakes screech.

Scotty (Hana Mae Lee) has a moment of introspection. Last week was her episode and she owned it. We saw someone who was trying to get clean, stay clean, and be part of society. But that conformity caused a lot of loneliness and emotional neglect. It sucked. So, after she recounts her lengthy rap sheet to James and Paul Allen Brown, she asks for $65,000 in exchange for freezing the third and fourth quarter assets for Perpetual Grace, LTD. That would cut the time to get the money back down to fourteen days. And thus, Scotty Sholes became a member of the Special Boys.

Virtually everyone in the show is trying to kill Pa and/or James. It looks like every single principal in Paul Allen Brown Caper is meeting next week in a barn. Because where else would you hold a meeting like that?!

Did you enjoy “Bull Face?” Has Perpetual Grace, LTD made you subscribe to Epix? Let’s discuss in the comments!

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