Pull The Trigger
It’s a race against time as episode 3 of Someone Has To Die begins. Lazaro and Gabino prepare to head off to Paris but they’re unfortunately stopped by a whole swarm of police officers. They beat Gabino down to the ground and take him away, while Lazaro manages to slip away undetected. Thanks to Amparo’s meddling, everything is coming unraveled. Mina and Amparo come to blows, with the former still holding the letter incriminating her. Only, Amparo is confident that won’t get Mina anywhere given Gabino is now classed as a criminal. This inevitably sees Gabino arrive at the detention centre Gregorio is working at. Gregorio speaks plainly to his son, checking the cuts across his face and asking who did it. Gabino doesn’t talk though, and instead listens as Gregorio tells him this rehabilitation is for the best. Despite Mina’s best attempts to see her son, Gregorio is fully in charge as he begins torturing Gabino for answers. Specifically, he wants to know where Lazaro is. “France, far away from here,” He repeats. Only, that’s not true as we see Lazaro still in Spain and nearby. Still, Gabino is thrown into a jail cell with the cockroach-eating man we saw last episode. Believing Gabino may get out yet, this man named Carlos tasks him with heading to a specific address – number 15 to be precise – and asking for David. This is the man he’s in love with. Meanwhile, Afonso visits Gabino in his jail cell. Gabino confesses he’s not said anything about their past affairs. In exchange, Afonso promises that he’s not the one who ratted him out. With everything looking bleak, Afonso hands over a gun and leaves it on the bed. Back at the house, Mina learns that Rosario has been talking to Amparo. She also has possession of the key to Mina’s locker at the pool. Inside, she finds a release letter stamped to the directorate-general of security. With this in hand, Amparo heads out and tasks Gregorio’s new employee to stamp it and make a copy. Mina receives a call, confirming that Lazaro is hiding out at the gun club. Only, things are obviously going to be difficult now, especially with the tournament taking place there. Back at the house, Gregorio is obviously conflicted over what to do. Struggling to hold back tears, he finds a folded shirt on his bed with a letter from Rosario. She’s gone, her room completely empty, leaving him confused over what this means. Out in the woods, Cayetana finds Mina and Lazaro making love. Unfortunately this brings the rest of the club out to see them in their shame. Lazaro is taken away and tied up with the pigeons. When Gregorio learns what’s happened between his wife and Lazaro, he snaps. He grabs Gabino, bundling him into the car and driving up to the gun club. Only, unbeknownst to him Gabino obviously has the gun Afonso gave him. Gregorio leaves Gabino alone in the car as he heads in to confront Amparo over everything that’s transpired. With Gregorio gone, it gives Afonso a chance to jump in the car with Gabino to discuss the past. Specifically, they talk about Gabino’s sexual encounter with a man in the past. Gabino encourages Afonso to open up and embrace these feelings, which leads Afonso to grab the gun and point it at his throat. Gabino manages to stop him though, but has bigger problems when he spots his Father outside. He heads out to the woods where he finds Mina and Lazaro at gunpoint. Gregorio forces his son to grab the shotgun and shoot them both. Only, Afonso arrives and shoots Gregorio in the head. This is followed up by Amparo shooting Afonso. As everything hits its most dramatic point, Amparo starts monologuing after shooing Lazaro in the chest. Gabino comes out of hiding though and shoots his grandmother in cold blood. As she falls, Mina and Gabino look upon the dead body of Lazaro.
The Episode Review
What a disappointing end. After 2 episodes of build-up, this period drama comes to a rushed conclusion that belies belief. Why would Lazaro and Mina just randomly make love outside in the open for everyone to find them? Given Lazaro worked so hard to try and remain undetected, this seems like a stupid idea, especially given they were both inside together. The big shoot-out ending feels rushed and a poor way to end this. On paper, it seems like a really dramatic crescendo to the bubbling tension but it undermines all the character work done up until that point. Gregorio’s potential redemptive arc comes to nothing, Afonso embracing his sexuality also comes to nothing and Lazaro is killed at the end too. That’s before even mentioning the fact Gabino was able to smuggle a gun out of the jail cell without guards checking him. This actually feels like an episode is missing, with very little wrapped up or resolved at the end. What happened to Cayetana? What will come of Mina and Gabino’s survival of this big conflict? And what repercussions will come their way now that Gregorio is dead? After several carefully constructed episodes, this one ends in a rather disappointing way. What a shame.
