‘Graceland’ Recap: Connects

After Mike’s less than expected return to Graceland last week, the house has gotten a little more welcoming. It seems Briggs is back to his normal hell raising self, because within the first five minutes of the episode he is on his way to Mexico to find out who actually ordered a hit on Mike. However, not everybody is convinced that this is really in Mike’s best interest, specifically Mike, who is almost certain Briggs is really just attempting to bring down the Caza Cartel. Nonetheless he doesn’t interfere with Briggs plan, and he is off to face the men who nearly destroyed his life all those years ago.
Obviously the Caza can’t risk their location being found out, so they blindfold Briggs and bring him to a house. Coincidentally the same house where he was held captive, made drug addict, and then sent out to find his friends burned to death—but of course Briggs isn’t fazed. After waiting for a bit and making friends with a lovely pet goat tied to the porch, Briggs starts to lose patience. At just the right time a truck pulls up and out steps a man with two bags of groceries. He hands the bags to Briggs, to which Briggs replies, “Senor Armas,” with a knowing look. This man then proceeds to slash the throat of the pet goat, and neither men seem fazed by his heinous action.
Back in the house, the rest of the team is working on debriefing for the mission, except Jakes, who is watching the news. The news story is about the leader of the Caza Cartel: Alfredo Armas—who happens to be the same man Briggs is meeting with. Charlie is also not debriefing, but instead running around trying to find out where Briggs is. Mike finally relents and tells her he is in Mexico, and of course she’s pissed. In order for them to all run this mission they first need to finish up their other cases, or pass them off—which doesn’t prove so easy for Paige.
Johnny on the other hand is more focused on figuring out what is up with Jakes. Like why he stopped labeling his food and has started taking down some of his room décor. Jakes finally admits that he is moving out to be with his son, whom Johnny had no idea about, and makes Johnny promise not to tell anyone until he is officially out. Jakes may have sworn Johnny to secrecy, but he forgets there is one person he can’t hide anything from: Briggs.
Jakes can’t rest easy for the time being because Briggs has bigger fish to fry. As soon as he returns to town he goes to find Charlie, who he finds working undercover in a tattoo shop. Charlie confronts him about not telling her, to which Briggs responds with calling her out and asking what she sneaks off to do every night. She slaps an investigation folder in his hands and walks out.
Briggs goes to see Jakes, but they both have bigger problems than simply Jakes moving out of Graceland. Charlie’s investigation was actually into Kelly Badillo, wife of Juan Badillo. The man Briggs killed and Jakes helped him hide. Jakes, who is obviously on the verge of a major life transition, tells him to fix it because he can’t go down with him. Briggs takes his advice and sets out to find Charlie and figure out what the real deal is with her and this investigation. Charlie reveals that she feels guilty for Juan’s death because she was tricked by Jangles and if she had been smarter, Juan would still be alive. Now Juan’s wife, a recovered alcoholic, has slipped into her old ways since his death and she is the one to blame. Briggs tells her to let it go, and for his sake hopefully she listens.
Paige is frustrated with life as well, because she has been working on a case for four months and is on the cusp of making an arrest, but with this new case with Mike, she may not be able to finish it. Mike helps her figure out the time for her dealer and she lets him help her with the case. Paige is able to make the arrest and finish her case.
However, Briggs may soon have another issue to worry about. The only piece of evidence that could link him to the crime, a recording Juan made in his car before going to confront Briggs, may have resurfaced. Some kids bought it at a thrift store, but they lose interest and leave it for their dad, who puts it in the glove box of his car. This tape is sure to cause some trouble for Briggs in the future. For right now he is doing some good in the world, first by taking Juan’s widows drinking problem into his own hands. He finds her in a store and pretends to notice her from an Alcoholics anonymous meeting, and convinces her not to drink, by tricking her into convincing him not to drink. They both decide to stay sober for another day and go grab some coffee instead.
The team gets together to assign tasks and Mike tells Polansky he can go because they don’t need him, but then Johnny informs the house that Jakes moved out. Although, that may be a temporary fix, since Jakes shows up to his sons house to find out he is not welcome in Daniels life. In fact, his wife went so far as to have the police ready to hand him a restraining order, but he gets a little rowdy and has to be handcuffed and restrained by two cops on the front lawn. At this moment, Daniel comes riding up on his bike, gets scared, and starts yelling “Dad! Dad,” and runs towards the house. However, it turns out the yelling was not for Jakes, but instead for the man who his mother is now with. If that doesn't break your heart enough, he then precedes to ask his mom, “Who is that man?” So now Jakes has no Graceland and no son, and his response is to go home and destroy the son’s room he built with a baseball bat.
At Graceland, Charlie agrees to help Mike and Johnny with the first part of their investigation and seduce Carlos Solanos, but at the last minute she chickens out. So Johnny is left to continue the mission, and who knows what lengths he is willing to go to get this guy. However, with no other option he precedes anyways. The night ends with Mike on the phone with his girlfriend, who apparently is no rival to Paige’s good looks and charms, because the episode ends with Mike going into her room after she takes her towel off and closing the door. Graceland is just heating up.