Fool Me Twice
Does Frankie stay behind bars?
Episode 10 of Hightown Season 2 begins with Jackie assisting the forensic team as they investigate Frankie’s pad. The place is awash with blood stains, especially under the UV light, as the department realize they have enough to incriminate Frankie. Christmas has come early for the police and with Frankie behind bars, it seems the Cape is on the up. Renee heads in to visit Frankie, who’s not exactly thrilled to see her. She actually came to tell him that she’s in love with Ray and moving in with him. She’ll still let him see Frankie Jr. of course, organizing meets and keeping him as a father. Frankie though is seething, trying to get under Renee’s skin and telling her that Ray is using her. He also promises that she’ll be looking over her shoulder for the rest of her life.
Does Ray get his job back again?
Heading back to Ray’s, she asks him about kids. He’s enthused about this but interrupts Renee, telling her he needs to get his job back…just before she’s about to reveal she’s pregnant. However, that would mean retracting her statement against him originally. Renee’s not exactly happy about it but eventually does agree to do just that. In front of the board in Massachusetts, Renee admits that Frankie is to blame for what happened with Ray and embellishes, claiming she had no choice but to lie in order to stop Frankie from killing her. She puts on a big show, complete with tears and a quavering voice, as she admits that Ray is completely innocent.
What is Osito’s plan?
Osito’s intel gains him a swanky suit… and not much else. Alan hasn’t followed through with the hearing and he’s stuck in his cell with Vernon. To make matters worse, Vernon has tested positive on a drug test. Osito senses an opportunity though and decides to expand his operation from behind bars. With Vernon being moved to Frankie’s wing, Osito tasks him with getting close and making a big play to claim his throne. The actual specifics of this make a whole lot more sense later on! Osito won’t be there to see things through though. He’s made bail but Alan is there to see him. He promises this isn’t over and will do his best to keep an eye on him. If Osito messes up again, he’s putting the smug guy behind bars right next to Charmaine. Osito simply laughs and walks away, threatening him as he does. In the morning, Osito’s threats push Alan into action. He tasks Leslie and Jackie (who have now buried the hatchet and are on kissing terms again) with moving Charmaine on Thursday. Unfortunately, with Ray now back as Sergeant, there’s a big problem.
Does Ray learn the truth about Renee?
Ray is given the unenviable task of breaking the news to Alan that he’s out of a job. Understandably, he doesn’t take it well. Alan has worked his way up from the bottom and when he finds out how Ray has managed to weasel his way back to this position, he’s absolutely livid. Off the back of this, Ray heads in to see Frankie. He tries to get under Ray’s skin, pointing out that Renee has killed before (Jorge) and he doesn’t know her. Not really. Frankie scoffs as he walks away, “She played you for a chump…again!” Ray next approaches Jackie and asks her to be part of his New York taskforce. He also asks about Jorge’s death. She spills all the details about the inconclusive crime scene and how Frankie swears he didn’t kill Jorge. As Ray searches, he heads to the gunshop and learns Renee came in and bought a bullet. He puts two and two together, figuring out that Renee actually killed Jorge. Instead of admitting to it though when Ray asks, she reveals instead that she’s pregnant. Ray is caught off-guard but he’s obviously happy. When he presses her on more truths, she outright lies and claims there’s not.
How does Charmaine get away?
Meanwhile, Jackie and Leslie head out to transport Charmaine. En-route though, she ends up getting her period, staining the front of her trousers. Unfortunately Jackie lets her guard down, uncuffing Char who headbutts the officer and rushes into the woods. The result of her leaving sees Leslie throw Alan and Jackie both under the bus when she’s questioned over her actions. She blames Jackie and puts her career ahead of the shell-shocked woman, pointing out she was hired by Ray and is a loose cannon. There’s going to be an investigation and given Jackie was the one who took off her handcuffs, that’s not going to go well for her. The thing is, it’s also the night of Ed’s retirement party. Jackie clearly isn’t in the right headspace but thankfully still shows up. While together, Jackie opens up and laments how everything is changing, wishing things could go back to how they was before.
How does Hightown Season 2 end?
In the midst of this though, Jackie relapses, drinking again and sending herself into a spiraling depression. She rings Ray, asking for help, but he simply tells her to go inside, assuring her that everything always works out. With Jackie’s life out of control, she heads back to her father’s dealer and is invited in to take drugs… and potentially more. That same night, Alan receives a call from Boston PD. They’ve received intel about the Jamaican cleaning ladies burying a body – a body by the name of Jorge Cuevas. The man involved in this brawl happens to work at Bayside Cleaners, which sees Alan immediately get to work gathering information.
Does Frankie actually die?
While this is going on, Vernon heads into Frankie’s wing with a makeshift shiv. He stabs the guy multiple times, leaving him a bloody mess on the floor before he’s eventually taken away. Does he survive though? As we don’t actually see him dead, the blows to Frankie’s kidney and/or liver do seem to hint that they’re not completely fatal, and officers did arrive at the scene pretty quickly to break things up. While it’s left on an ambiguous note (like most of the storylines this season) it would hint that Frankie is still alive. When Vernon messages Osito and tells him “It’s done”, Osito believes he’s in the clear. Personally I don’t think he’s dead and if Starz renews this for season 3, he’ll be back with a vengeance.
What happens to Charmaine?
After getting away in the woods, we catch up with Charmaine late on, hitchhiking and slipping away from the Cape. She’s been desperate for a fresh start since Aileen died and it appears she’s now got her wish. It seems unlikely that we’ll see her again if this show is renewed.
The Episode Review
Well that was an awful ending to the season, wasn’t it? There’s absolutely nothing resolved, there’s no repercussions for any of our characters and everything is left wide open for a potential third season. Whether this one will actually be renewed though remains to be seen – especially at the time of writing this recap. Ray is back as sergeant, with Alan’s career hanging in the balance. At the same time, Jackie’s hearing, Renee’s potential arrest, Frankie’s wellbeing and the future for both Osito and Charmaine are left wide open and unresolved. More annoying than all of this though is Jackie’s relapse… again. It puts a massive downer on the whole affair, especially given how well she’s been doing. Hightown’s second season has been an improvement over the first but it still suffers from some of the same issues, namely that involving its characters. Jackie is a tough character to root for, especially as she keeps pushing everyone away, while the supporting players like Ray and Renee are difficult to warm toward. In fact, Alan is probably the most likable character here and he gets the most unlucky ending! The season ends with many questions left unanswered; a frustrating way to end what’s otherwise been a pretty good season of drama.
