From Dusk Till Dawn - S01E03 Mistress (2014)

Review

The Gecko brothers and their hostage, who will learn is named Monica, pull into the Dew Drop Inn and take a room, clearly needing some time before trying for the border. Seth leaves to get burgers and such but has an ulterior motive, though I must admit I was somewhat sceptical about leaving Richie alone with the hostage. Meanwhile in Coahuila Mexico Carlos has to discipline two workmen, and you really don't won't to piss Carlos off. Ranger Freddie meets a Professor in the The Rattler tavern and gets the low down on the knife he found in the bathroom of Benny's World of Liquor. And to round out our crew the Fuller family are having RV problems, looks like the radiator blew. Thankfully they have broken down just outside The Rattler.

Seems Carlos has arranged for the Geckos to cross the border at 10pm and head into the Del Rio safe zone, which no doubt contains an ancient pyramid building. We learn that Jacob Fuller has a drinking problem, and more problematically Kate founds a court document that alleges that he had a blood alcohol reading that contributed to vehicular manslaughter, Jacob like the Geckos is on the run. Seth visits Big Kahuna Burgers, orders, and then takes time to visit with his wife! Vaguely remember she was mentioned in the movie. Anyways Seth tries to buy her off which leads directly to a confrontation with local law enforcement, women! Meanwhile back at the Dew Drop Inn Richie is being all freaking, knowing stuff, and getting his vision on, much to Monica's cost. Oh and before I forget Jacob does have a drinking problem and is knocking back the shots with the dude who helped him fix the RV.

Surprisingly a lot to get through this episode, first up the Professor's chat to Ranger Freddie about the knife that Richie was carrying. Apparently it's an ancient weapon over 3,000 years old that was used in ritual sacrifice to the visual serpent. The ancient God granted followers two gifts, the ability to see what others can't and more importantly the ability to take action on what they see. Further we learn that the chick that was thrown into the pit of snakes in the first episode's prologue piece has been transformed by the serpent God into an entity called the Mistress. The Professor warns Freddie that he isn't just dealing with a Cartel, he is also confronting a blood cult whose patent saint is the demi God Mistress. The person who is using the knife isn't looking for blood he is trying to see something you or me can't see, the other side, which explains Richie I guess. The Professor further warns Freddie that he will also have to deal with the Lords of the Night, nine Mayan demonic entities. And to round out the festivities there is a legend of the Brothers, who will be summoned to the underworld only to trick the Gods and beat them at their own game. You can draw the same parallels I did. It also explains why Carlos could tell Seth that he wasn't Mexican.

This show simply puts the cool back into television

Meanwhile over at Big Kahuna Burgers Seth is getting some nourishment for Richie but is also meeting his wife, who we learn spent three weeks casing the bank for the Brothers prior to the robbery. Seems Seth wants to give her four million and get her out of the danger the Geckos are surrounded by. She has other plans which involve crossing the border with the Geckos, she isn't interested in the money she is interested in Seth. We learn Seth isn't going to abandon Richie due to his brother having run interference when they were kids, shielding Seth from their abusive father. Seems Richie could always read people and was able to deflect their father's anger. Things came to a head when Dad fell asleep on the sofa with a lit cigarette, Richie saved Seth from the resulting fire though to be honest I reckon there's a bit more to the story than Seth knows. It takes the intervention of the law to separate Seth from his wife, but I would imagine we haven't finished with the matrimonial issues just yet.

So the RV blows a radiator hose and Jacob hasn't packed a tool box, and is very quickly dissuading Kate from looking for tools in the luggage. Jacob heads into the Rattler bar to get help, and in one of those cool scenes eyes up a shot glass. One of the locals is able to help him fix the faulty hose and the pair head into the bar where Jacob starts throwing back shots with his new buddy. Meanwhile Kate checks the luggage and finds a police report that indicates Jacob was drunk on the night of the accident that killed her Mother. Seems Jacob is trying to flee south of the border just like the Geckos! With Jacob pretty much plastered, Kate drags him out of the bar and insists on driving. Scott Fuller remains blissfully unaware of the new currents in the family relationships but no doubt Kate will have a few words to impart to Jacob when he sobers up.

Interestingly, and a bit of plot foreshadowing I think, Freddie was already in the bar discussing mythology with the Professor when Jacob walked in asking for assistance. Freddie tells the Professor that Jacob can sort the problem himself, which is blatantly not true. Later Kate runs into the Professor when she enters the bar looking for Jacob. Ships in the night perhaps, Ranger Freddie will no doubt be called on to assist the Fullers at some later date this season.

Which brings us to Richie, who is all sorts of weird as the visions get stronger and stranger, he tells Monica that he can see things others can't. Apparently the night is coming and today is different, though in what way Richie isn't saying. While he has been dealing with visions of eyeballs in the hole in his hand that resulted from the gunshot wound he suffered at Benny's World of Liquor, today for added spice a snake crawls out of the hole and down his throat, is Richie seeing what happened to the Mayan check 3,000 years ago? I get the feeling she is calling him to come end her reign, but I might be reading slightly too much into the plot, though it does tie into the legend the Professor told Freddie. Anyways Monica gets the drop on Richie, who at best presents as unbalanced, but unfortunately the gun she has isn't loaded, Seth took the bullets from the gun which in a neat piece of tie in are the bullets he drops on the Kahuna burger counter that draws the attention of a local law officer. Richie decides enough is enough, the voices in his head are demanding a release, and he ceremonially carves up Monica.

Think that about brings us up to the current play, though I should mention Seth being handed his arse in a prison yard fight by a big dude in a flashback. Seth only gets the upper hand when his assailant insults Richie, but it doesn't last and his sparring partner tells Seth that Richie will be the cause of his death, which just might be another plot foreshadow. Oh and before I forget the lighting is awesome thus far, there's a real Aussie quality to it that makes some of the scenes seem almost surreal.

From Dusk Till Dawn is really rolling now and episode three certainly had me glued to the screen. We get more details on the Gecko brothers, a possible supernatural quest sort of a thing, and the revelation that Jacob Fuller like the Geckos is on the run. Mistress is tightly scripted, intertwines the four major story lines expertly, and dare I say it, has a Tarantino vibe going down where you can pretty much expect the unexpected. If you haven't caught up to this show yet then I would suggest you need some urgent television remedial action, I can't wait till the next episode.