As we left last week, Freddy (Ntare Mwine) had lost control completely, and Dave (Taron Egerton) was rushing to the scene, charged by the idea of catching him.
That’s when the world fell away as he was hit by a drunk driver. How would the accident change things? That’s what we waited to find out as we got this season’s sixth episode, “Manhood.” Let’s dive into the happenings this week.
A feverish investigation
Turns out, Dave was OK. Sure, he’s a little beat up, but it could be much worse. But if his physical state was OK, his mental state takes a hit right away. Ashley (Hannah Emily Anderson) is at his bedside, but not out of concern. Quickly, she shares that her hope had been that he was gone. Instead, as he’s healthy and soon to be released, the call clarified her feelings. Their relationship is dead. Dave has hurt her and, worse, hurt her son. Their exchange brings out the worst in Dave, in the end, and she leaves him to focus on what’s next.
What’s next is finding the milk jug arsonists. He calls in sick to work and pursues some leads. At the scene of the latest big fire, he finds a link to the marked bags that Calderone (Jurnee Smollett) put into play. He tracks it back to the store and some footage that provides a lead. It isn’t long before he connects it all to Freddy, taking him on a journey where he learns something about Freddy’s tragic and violent past.
Freddy, meanwhile, has lost his tether to the present completely. He skips work, declaring to Lee (Dakota Daulby) he won’t be back. He heads to a closed amusement park to relive his favorite childhood memory. There, he burns all that tethers him to an adult life—including his money. It’s an ominous sign that the end is near. By the time Lee arrives to share a beer, Freddy is down the road.
Freddy gives away that he’s the one who started the fire that burned the Coop’s chicken executive. Lee is afraid, rightly so. But Freddy merely takes his phone and car keys before setting him loose to run home. Freddy has another target in mind.
As Dave breaks into Freddy’s apartment for a search, he finds proof of both Freddy’s sad life and the fires he’s created. He also finds a clue as to where he is. Freddy has gone to Brenda’s (Adina Porter) home. It’s covered in gas when she steps in. Freddy is not in his right mind, seeming to conflate her with the last of his foster parents and first of his victims. As he’s about to set them both ablaze, Dave arrives. He puts out the fire, which seems to excite him beyond what would be expected. But he’s got his man. He’s a hero—at least in his own mind.
Hunting Dave Gudsen
In our other major arc, Calderone is continuing to look into her partner. Ezra (John Leguizamo) arrives and quickly confronts Harvey (Greg Kinnear). He shares his accusations on Dave, not for the first time, and is rebuffed, not for the first time. But when Calderone agrees, Harvey is taken back. He doesn’t believe it—or doesn’t want to believe it. But he finally agrees to hear them out and let them prove their case. He even arranges a quiet, off-site place to work.
To this endeavor joins Burk (Rafe Spall), who brings ATF Agent Dawn Hudson (Anna Chlumsky). They are setting out to find the evidence, but what they find is thin. Harvey remains unconvinced. And after a day of chasing leads that don’t pan out and finding themselves with no tangible evidence, he’s ready to walk out. Calderone gives chase to plead her case, but it’s Dave’s own words that damn him.
As the dictation of Dave’s novel plays, Harvey hears something. He rewinds the tape to be sure. It’s a small note about a victim in the case, but it means everything to Harvey. It’s a fact only he knew as an investigator, meaning the only other person to find it out would be the arsonists who burned a little boy to death. With that, Harvey is convinced. Now, it’s a matter of finding the evidence.
Thoughts on this week’s episode
This was a very engaging episode. The task force is coming together, and the heat is on Dave, literally. Meanwhile, we got some resolution for our other plot. Dave has caught the milk jug arsonist, and he thinks he’s going to be greeted as the hero he’s always imagined himself to be. There is a reckoning coming, and it’s going to be fascinating. This was a very strong episode with some good dialogue and sequences. I can’t wait to see where we’re going next.
Smoke streams Fridays on Apple TV+. We are here each week recapping the action of the episodes. Check back next week as we see how the hunt to catch Dave Gudsen proceeds.