Written by Ned Martel & Charlie Carver & Manny Coto
Directed by Max Winkler
Adam: "I want to start a fire."
Gino: "You'd be putting a target on your back."
Adam: "I already have one."
With this season for some odd reason taking the double bill format, it's good to see that the storyline showed signs of moving forward as this one both began and ended on equally interesting notes. Is it too early to hope this season has it's shit together?
Anyways the episode started with a bound and gagged Gino getting drugged up by the mystery killer, who I think at this point might not be Big Daddy (though more on that guy in a bit). The killer was about to do Gino but upon seeing a service tattoo on the reporter changed his mind but not before gloating that the police will do nothing to help Gino or any other potential victim out there.
Sadly for Gino, that turned out to be spot on as the police were unhelpful when he sought their assistance and later they were quite openly hostile to Adam's own efforts to help the community protect one another. Also in two episodes, Patrick seriously needs to step up and start helping better too.
One minute, he's berating Adam for taking the law into his own hands and then he's evasive when Gino confronted him over his bullshit and faux naivety about the handkerchief code. We've had dodgy detectives on this show too many times and it's looking like Patrick will also fall into this category. Even Gino was largely questioning his motives here.
As for the killer himself, yes, he spared Gino but he made a point of publicly killing someone at the Ditch while Gino and Patrick were arguing and Alana (Rebecca Dayan) was trying to keep her place of work out of the public eye. Yes, there was also a noticeable pattern involving a certain alcoholic beverage and leaving behind an umbrella cocktail.
However going by the subplot with Sam and Big Daddy because obviously those two are involved, it seems that this killer is someone else. We didn't see his face but heard his voice twice in this episode. Chances are the character will get revealed at the halfway point of the season but more than likely it'll be someone we've already met.
As for Sam, well, it seems like he might have a certain disease but he's too occupied kidnapping random blokes and keeping them caged instead of concentrating on his health. Big Daddy also was revealed to be his muscle and while Sam was keeping poor Stewart prisoner, Theo and Adam were getting closer, proving that this season isn't wasting too much times. Not to mention both Patrick and Mac witnessing some gory body parts to end this one too in a direct reference to Cruising, like this season has been blatant about.
- Bandannas are definitely the order of the day here, with even Gino getting gagged with one at the start of the episode.
- The opening credits are less about the Big Apple and more focused on BDSM, deer and cells. They could've changed the theme music a little for this season.
- Hannah found herself briefly encountering Big Daddy before she bumped into Fran. The latter being convinced that the US government are targeting gay men with the disease.
- Gino's paper, The Native not only gave Adam a job (the hotline idea he had) but also Fran and her girls. It was also Barbara who showed Gino the secret box that Patrick had.
- Adam had at least two different people telling him that's 'something's coming'. Way to drive the point home though.
- Chronology: From where the previous episode left off.
Thank You For Your Service kept the pace going successfully. I know it's early, there are eight episodes left to air in the next four weeks but this season has gotten off to such a good start, that if the landing does stick, it could end up being a fan favourite. I'm cautiously optimistic. Also Charlie Carver clearly has some writing chops, given he co-wrote this one.
Rating: 8 out of 10
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