Starz
As we reach the penultimate episode of Magic City‘s second season Bellend Jaffe bemoans the size of the barrel he has to stuff Nicky Grillo‘s dismembered body into. It’s a real squeeze as he shoves the final limb in. But wait, he’s forgotten something. Oh there it is. Nick’s severed penis. He drops it in. “Nick the prick” he says “Rest in peace you piece of shit”. And a good day to you too, sir. Bel’s associate welds the barrel shut and one rowboat fishing trip later and Nicky Grillo is dumped into the ocean. We won’t be seeing him again – I mean unless things take an unfortunate turn for the morbidly comic.
We could do with the relief. These are dark times in Miami. After that unfortunate business of the drug rape at the deejay convention the exiled Stevie is now in partnershit with Ben Diamond at the under construction Maison Derriere establishment of Madame Renée (Sherilyn Fenn). Ben couldn’t be more proud. “The son I never had” he tells his wife who he watches Stevie fuck on the regular. Lovely surrogate family setup they have, just when Stevie needs it most.
But wait, he’s forgotten something. Oh there it is. Nick’s severed penis. He drops it in. “Nick the prick” he says “Rest in peace you piece of shit”. And a good day to you too, sir.
Back at the Miramar, Ike tells Vic that Ben has been his partner all along. Unsurprisingly he’s not crazy about this and even more pissed about the Castro partnership. Victor wants Castro dead. “You’re helping the guy who killed my wife” he tells Ike and with that he’s out of the Miramar for good. Ike’s lost his son and now his best friend. But you know, as long as the hotel is going fine that’s the main thing.
Meanwhile the other Evans boy finds himself fucking the living shit out of Judi Silver. I can think of worse outcomes but it’s a major buzz kill when Stevie walks in and asks Danny “did she give you the Evans family discount?” which to be fair is a pretty good line. Stevie needs Judi to replace the blond kraut who hit the bricks from the Renée’s brothel and while Stevie isn’t exactly her number one boo at the moment she’s not in a position to turn down a $150 an hour.
It does make things awkward with Danny though and to help smooth things over she tells him the assistant state’s attorney Doug Feehan works for Ben Diamond. Danny tells Klein about the mole in his operation and he’s out for blood. Having his daughter drug raped in Ike’s hotel has made him even less forgiving.
More conciliatory is Vera who reaches out to Stevie hoping to make things right between Ike and he. Stevie points out that, push comes to shove, he’d probably choose the hotel over her. Then he tells about the time he saw her naked on the balcony and how he’d totally hit that. She takes that as her cue to leave but she realises he’s quite likely right about Ike and the hotel which has got to sting a little.
Stevie points out that, push comes to shove, he’d probably choose the hotel over her. Then he tells about the time he saw her naked on the balcony and how he’d totally hit that.
While Mrs Evans secretly visits Stevie, Mrs Diamond secretly visits Ike. They both made the same deal with the devil, she tells him and now it needs to end. She hands him the book filled with the evidence needed to bring that about. “Kill the bastard.” she tells him in case she stuttered or somehow made her meaning unclear “Kill them all”. Well, if you insist chuck.
“Kill the bastard.” she tells him in case she stuttered or somehow made her meaning unclear “Kill them all”. Well, if you insist chuck.
Hey, guess who’s visiting from Chicago? Sy. In a whistle-stop tour he tells Ike that if the gambling bill goes through then Ben will stay at the Miramar and tells Ben that if he’s touched one hair on the head of Nicky Grillo then he’s in the deepest of shit. We finish with Nicky Grillo’s barrelled up body washing ashore. Even in death Nick the prick turns up exactly when you don’t want him to.
All of a sudden things look pretty bad for Ben Diamond, no? Ike taking the fight to The Butcher has turned a watchable but shallow tale into one of the better shows on TV. The season finale comes next week. I’d get about half a dozen barrels ready.
The verdict: Diamond life. Lover boy.
Marks out of 10: 7.5