Summary
ZeroZeroZero Season 1, Episode 2 racks up the tension, giving us insight into the brokers and the intentions of the military.
This recap of Amazon Prime Series ZeroZeroZero season 1, episode 2 contains significant spoilers.
- Read the Season 1 review.
- Read the recap of Episode 3.
- Read the recap of the previous episode (1)
- Access the archive of all the episode recaps.
The story doesn’t look to be settling and ZeroZeroZero Season 1, Episode 2 proves that. It begins in Aspromonte, Calabria. A sleeping Don Minu hears his radio go off in his bunker, and tries to alert Michele. He sees that the military is approaching from the outside; they’ve found his bunker. He opens a secret passageway and as he starts escaping he falls and breaks his hand. The military breach but he gets out. Giovanni sorts out his mangled hand with no anesthetic.
But ZeroZeroZero Episode 2 is more about Emma and Edward and the military than Don Minu. We are shown the restaurant scene again — Edward is alive, but barely; they enter an SUV and are driven away. Eventually, they hop on a plane and arrive home. Emma carries her father into the house, repeatedly shouting Chris, but he isn’t around — he dies.
In the next scene, Emma and Chris lay next to their dead father on the bed. Emma lies to Chris and states his last words were for Chris to join the family business and stop living for his sickness – the audience knows Edward did not want Chris to be part of the business.
After Edward’s funeral, Stefano visits their home, claiming to be a friend of their father and offers his condolences. Stefano states he wants to deal with the shipment directly and meet the Mexicans. Emma tries to resist, claiming that brokers do not introduce buyers and sellers. Stefano gets aggressive and threatens them both.
After his assault on Emma, Stefano reveals he is taking the shipment himself and looking for a new broker; he also claims he is not worried about his grandpa. This man is the worst family member ever.
But Stefano does not have as much leverage as he thought as Emma sparks into action and holds another meeting with him; she reveals she got in touch with his grandpa. Emma has found a way to continue the business relationship and as part of the deal, Chris has to travel on the cargo as the heir of the family. While Chris enjoys his journey on the ship, the military clambers on via helicopter and knocks him unconscious.
And this is where the military is brought back into proceedings. Sergeant Manuel meets Captain Varas. Varas is concerned and points to a photo of his children — he says he does not want his children growing up in a cesspool, referring to the previous episode where the young girl was accidentally killed. Varas asks Manuel if the cartel were warned and thinks someone is playing dirty; he wants the mole flushed out — Manuel does not suspect anyone but vows to find them anyway.
Manuel is asked to get in a car after his meeting, dressed normally and out of uniform. He’s given intel about a shipment route. Later that day, he enters a club and starts shooting three men, one of the men is from the military who he felt close to and who is expecting a baby. The military men throw the dead men off the bridge, hanging them by chains to show that they are traitors — two of the men were cartel and the other was a soldier working with the cartel as a mole.
ZeroZeroZero Season 1, Episode 2 ends with the military gathering more intel after an intense interrogation and they head out again. They land the shipment by helicopter and knock Chris unconscious. They start clearing the ship and holding the crew at gunpoint. One of the military men opens one of the containers and checks the cans as ordered by Captain Varas; there are drugs inside the cans. Varas gets impatient and asks Manuel what he is waiting for as he has not “called it in”. Manuel stares intensely before delivering an exciting twist. He says the ship should maintain its current course as they will be well compensated and kills the captain with a dagger. No-one else reacts, showing he has loyal members within the military. Manuel uses his radio and says they need back up as they have been attacked — essentially starting a cover-up.
Additional Notes
- Chris performs an emotional speech at his father’s funeral. He always thought his father would outlive him.
- Special ops find Leyra’s bodyguards and lawyers dead in the car they were chasing down.
- Turns out the special ops team that has tracked down the drug lords are military from Mexico.
