Perpetual Grace, LTD season 1 finale recap

“A Sheriff in the Era of the Cartel” is the wildest episode of Perpetual Grace, LTD. Who Lives? Who dies? What is New Leaf’s name? We’ve got the recap!

Hi! This is a recap of the season finale of Perpetual Grace, LTD. And this is your spoiler alert. Specific plot points will be discussed in this recap. After all, it’s a recap. Yay!

“A Sheriff in the Era of the Cartel” pays off on a fear I had from “The Elements of an Epiphany.” Hector (Luis Guzman) gets drawn back into the Paul Allen Brown caper. But he refuses to become one of the Special Boys. He gets involved because of a bond he formed with Pa (Sir Ben Kingsley). It’s a bond that he did not understand.

But, first thing first. The stinger involves James (Jimmi Simpson), Paul Allen (Damon Herriman), New Leaf (Chris Conrad), Glenn (Dash Williams), and Scotty (Hana Ma Lee) discussing the final stages of the caper in the Byron’s barn. James and Paul Allen still have to convince New Leaf to run over his dead parents with an auto carrier. New Leaf has to make that decision. And, everyone must work together in order to get Wesley Walker, Texas Ranger (Terry O’Quinn) to go back to Texas. Even Everly (Michael Chernus) plays an elemental role in that part of the plan.

It’s Handled

The season finale felt like a season two episode of Scandal. Things were falling apart left and right. But, the twist was that a lot of those collapses were planned. Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) had it handled. It was all to make a truth seem more believable than it really was. James took a page from her book. But the way the episode lays things out is awesome. We get to feel the failure until the plan is revealed just in time to let us enjoy the last couple of beats.

In “The Elements of an Epiphany,” Wesley Walker, Texas Ranger is told that James had been fishing with Everly while his ankle bracelet was on New Leaf. The audience sees Wesley Walker, Texas Ranger explain that he will look for one of the eleven signs of lying when he verifies this info with Everly. Those signs include coughing, scratching, removal of hats, etc. Everly displays every single one of them, in order. When he leaves the barbershop, James is waiting. Everly gives him a low five. A comical overestimation of his performance. Right?

Scotty tells Wesley Walker, Texas Ranger that Everly is lying. James was actually with her having an extramarital affair. When she leaves, she also low fives James in the parking lot. There is a follow-up interview with Everly where he contritely confesses that he made up the fishing story to cover James. He then explains that this barbershop was actually a hair salon before it was Wesley Walker, Texas Ranger’s personal interrogation room. It was owned by the Byrons. But, they lost everything in an investment. Mrs. Pirdoo lost her salon. That was her place in Half Acre. And now she, and the hair salon, are gone.

After Wesley Walker, Texas Ranger lets Everly go, he once again low fives James in the alley. This is one elaborate plot. Except, back at the pawnshop, Everly tells Glenn that they’re actually going to steal the money from the caper. That bad investment that the Byrons made was the same loss New Leaf suffered at the hands of Paul Allen. Uh oh. Glenn seems to go along with the double-cross. But he’s also keeping James’ dad in a room so he can surprise James at his big moment.

The Silent Benefactor, The Small Tornado, and Mr. Success

James, Paul Allen, and New Leaf talk about what they’re going to do with the money. James restates that he will use all of his shares to be a silent benefactor for the 11 daughters of the firefighter who lost his life picking up James’ line. Paul Allen says that he’ll give everything to Theresa’s dad except for $100,000. Then he’s going to turn himself into the authorities. New Leaf tells Paul Allen that he can go to jail for free.

Paul Allen clarifies that he’ll turn himself in to the authorities after he masters all 11 of the martial arts. So. Like, never? Well, Paul Allen already knows Kung-Fu. Plus, Valerie (Dana DeLorenzo), is afraid that he’ll get killed in jail. Paul Allen would like to just spend his time with her, but he has to atone for his part in Theresa’s death. I never put together that Paul Allen and Valerie were a thing. I just thought they were partners in crime.

James and Paul Allen work on New Leaf. James tells him to imagine his parents like rain falling down the window of his brand new Lens Crafters franchise. Paul Allen tells him that he can then change his name to Mr. Success. And his parents would cosmically know everything worked out. New Leaf finally agrees to allow his parents to be defiled beyond recognition in order to look like the Byrons. But first, he wants Paul Allen to show him some Kung-Fu.

Where the Heart Is

As New Leaf gets on the vehicle carrying truck, James looks at the new front window of Valerie’s car dealership. This is where the whole caper started. How far had he come. No. Really. How far has James come? He’s more coherent and driven, but just as lost as ever. New Leaf admits it was weird having to shave his dad’s head to look like Pa’s. But, it did not compare to running over their bodies, which were propped up in deck chairs while holding hands in the middle of the interstate.

Now, they just need the death certificates to be refiled post haste. Felipe G. Usted (Efren Ramirez) is excitedly looking at a nursery full of babies. Is one of these his? No. These are babies born with drug addictions. He holds them near to his chest so they have human bonding contact. This is his shift. But, Valerie shows up and tells Felipe that he needs to refile. When he timidly asks if he can hold one baby for three minutes, Valerie takes a beat staring directly into his eyes, tells him that he can’t, and turns away. She’s powerful.

Everything worked out great. But, what about the real Pa? Well, Hector informs everyone who wasn’t clear last week that Pa is going to be killed by the Cartel. James and the Special Boys want no death. James won’t allow it and threatens to send Marisol the compromising selfies. Hector agrees to go for Pa. On his way, he narrates his life in the third person as Luke Steel. He finds Ma (Jackie Weaver) on the side of the road. The Cartel only wants Pa dead. They have him dig his own grave. Hector and Ma arrive just in time. He begs the old Cartel hitman to back off, but he won’t. So, Hector kills him.

Man, alive! Hector just killed a member of the Cartel. There are going to be repercussions for this. For him. Maybe even for his family. And they come quick. Pa picks up the dead Cartel hitman’s gun and promptly shoots Hector in the chest. When Hector asks why, Pa says because that is where the heart is. Ma is as shocked as I was. The two drive off. They are literally headed to their own funeral. Hector collapses and narrates his own death. RIP you awesome angel, you.

Imagine the Audience was Naked

It finally happened. Wesley Walker, Texas Ranger saw the selfie under his passenger seat that reveals what the Real Paul Allen Brown looks like. The only person who knew before that was Uncle Dave (Kurtwood Smith). He wasn’t going to be allowed at the Byron funeral per the last few days of his work release terms. But Wesley Walker, Texas Ranger decided to escort him. This is when he sees the picture.

At the funeral, James is getting ready to speak. Everly is excited because he’s about to steal the money. Glenn is excited because it’s James’ special day. But James starts to get confused. Who is this older man? Why, that’s deadly Donny (Tony Spall). And how did James’ dad get there? Why is Wesley Walker, Texas Ranger there and smiling? Perhaps the most confused person of them all is Uncle Dave. When James goes up as Paul Allen, the look on his face is pure confusion. Plus, the real Byrons are on their way unbeknownst to anyone. What’s going to happen? Well. We have to wait till next season because that’s exactly where this episode ends.

With no renewal announced, this is a mammoth cliffhanger for Perpetual Grace, LTD. But, this is show is like taking driver’s ed with Hunter S. Thompson as the instructor. Expect the unexpected. And buy the ticket, take the ride.

Did you enjoy Perpetual Grace, LTD? Were you sad to see Hector’s death? Do you think he’s really dead? Let’s discuss in the comments!