This Fool follows the misadventures of cousins Julio and Luis. Julio works at a non-profit rehabilitation center called Hugs Not Thugs, which Luis attends as an ex-con hoping to get his life back on track. These childish, selfish individuals are constantly bickering with one another and find themselves in unfortunate situations due to their immature life choices. Over the course of season 1, they get into many inconvenient escapades. Here’s what happened in each episode of This Fool Season 1 in an easy-to-consume recap.
This Fool Season 1 Recap
Episode 1 – “A Storm is Coming”
Julio still lives at home with his mother, grandmother and other siblings. He works at the Hugs Not Thugs program, which helps rehabilitate criminals. Whilst showing a newbie around the facility his ex-girlfriend Maggie steals his car. Julio must now collect his cousin Luis from prison via the bus. Luis moves in with Julio and the family, where he bullies his younger cousin. Julio in return, aggravates Luis at work and their childish rivalry catches the attention of Julio’s boss Minister Payne. Julio is forced to apologize to Luis, who admits he only bullies Julio for a feeling of normality. On their return home, Julio stands up to some gangsters outside his house and it rains, just like his grandma predicted.
Episode 2 – “Putazos”
Hugs Not Thugs make their money by baking and selling cupcakes. Luis, Julio and chef Percy take a batch of cupcakes to the local grocery store. Here, Luis bumps into an old rival, Devante, and they decide to meet up later for a fight. Luis rounds up his old gang members for the battle, but they are either dead or incapacitated. He ends up with a gangster’s twelve-year-old son and a cardboard cut-out of a deceased member. Devante doesn’t do much better himself, appearing with his grandpa and a corgi. They bond over their dead friends and decide to watch a younger crowd having a fight instead.
Episode 3 – “Emotional Timothy”
Julio says he’s over his ex-girlfriend Maggie and receives relationship advice from Luis. Julio gets a date off a dating app. Luis tells group therapy that he was engaged when he went into prison and resents his ex, who still has his engagement ring. Minister Payne tells him to meet up with his ex, so he can find closure and move on with his life. Julio’s date goes well, although he lies about absolutely everything. Maggie calls him saying it is an emergency and he ditches his date for her. Maggie has lost her pet rabbit and Julio helps her look for it. Minister Payne and Luis track down Luis’s ex. He wants his ring back and she is happy to return it if she can kick Luis and Payne in the groin as payment. They both wearily accept the deal. Luis tries to sell the ring afterwards, but it is worthless. Payne tells Luis he has serious money woes. Maggie finds her rabbit.
Episode 4 – “Y Tu Julio Tambien”
Julio hates his birthday with a passion and tries to sneak out the morning of his own. He organizes a dentist appointment for the same day and the dentist thinks it’s a sick prank. Minister Payne manages to trick Julio into coming to work, but he escapes. Luis and his friends kidnap Julio and take him to the local bowling alley. He tries to leave, but bumps into Maggie on a date. Julio gets rather competitive and beats Maggie’s date at a bowling game. Julio embarrasses himself by face planting his own cake. In the toilet Maggie asks if he wants a kiss, but then rejects him when he tries to kiss her.
Episode 5 – “Sandy Says”
This week, Julio is leading Group Hugs, but Luis ruins each session. Luis bullies the other group members and disrespects Julio’s authority. The group despise Luis and suggest he meets with their voluntary psychologist instead. Luis talks to Sandy, who brings up his father issues and how he uses comedy to hide his trauma. Luis adores Sandy and uses his own self-reflection as a way to target Julio. He tells the group that Julio won’t engage in therapy himself, so Julio joins the next therapy session with Luis and Sandy. She suggests that Julio stops being Luis’ case manager and Julio agrees. Luis hates his new case manager and with Julio’s help they decide to work against Sandy. They subsequently revert back to their old ways.
Episode 6 – “Los Botes”
Julio’s mother Esperanza works as a cleaner at a wealthy office block, where she steals their stationery, recycling and reams of toilet paper. Luis can’t stand the cheap toilet paper and formulates a deal with the Grandma, soft toilet roll in exchange for cigarettes. Julio helps a homeless man take their house’s recycling and is called a good guy. Luis and Grandma go out at night for a secret McDonalds and she confesses to killing a man once. On the way home, Grandma asks to drive and crashes into the homeless man’s trolleys of recycling. Julio return’s items to his sister’s ex, who calls him a good guy and they then smoke drugs together.
Episode 7 – “Sh*t or Get Off the Pot”
Julio goes on a hiking date with Maggie, who wants to kick start their relationship after they nearly kissed at his birthday party. Luis is left looking after his two nephews and lets them do whatever they want. The nephews talk about a school bully and Luis agrees to talk with the bully’s father. Julio and Maggie get lost in the forest. Julio feels unwell after eating cookies that were baked with butter. Maggie and Julio kiss in a rather unromantic scenario. Luis meets with the bully’s father, who is a lot bigger than Luis. The dad reveals that he was bullied by Luis as a kid and threatens Luis with a knife. The man falls over though and chops off his fingers. Maggie and Julio are now back together as a couple, but Julio doesn’t seem that excited.
Episode 8 – “The Devil Made Me Do It”
As part of the program, Luis must make amends with those he has wronged. He apologizes to a man, but the individual says it wasn’t his fault, the devil made him do it. Luis decides to use this phrase as a way of escaping all apologies. Julio’s sister makes Maggie and Julio her son’s godparents. Julio doesn’t like what this implies about his relationship and he tries to get out of the responsibility. Luis ends up being the nephew’s godfather. At communion, a priest forgives Luis of his sins. A man from Luis’ past wants an apology, but Luis refuses. They nearly fight. Minister Payne becomes the third godfather and tells Luis that the devil is all in his head. Luis apologizes to everyone at the party.
Episode 9 – “F*ck the Rich”
Luis and Julio find Minister Payne sleeping in the Hugs Not Thugs van. He explains how he was evicted from his home and how the program is in serious debt, even though he pours his own money into the business. Julio suggests giving a billionaire couple a tour of the place as a way of asking for a donation from them. Minister Payne is against the idea, but Julio makes it work. The billionaires are impressed, but Minister Payne ruins the atmosphere by slating the couple to their faces. They want to make the donation anyway and offer to sign a cheque for fifteen million dollars on one condition. The wife wants to sleep with Minister Payne, which he happily agrees to.
Episode 10 – “A Fresh Start”
Grandma thinks the house is haunted and cleanses Luis of the curse. Julio refuses the spiritual cleansing and subsequently twists his ankle. The Hugs Not Thugs’ oven explodes and Minister Payne goes to buy a new one. He then tries to steal an oven, which rolls down the hill and crashes into their van. At graduation, Julio makes a speech to the ex-convicts and thanks Minister Payne for his contribution. Minister Payne admits that they are closing the non-profit. Julio worries about affording a new apartment with Maggie. She offers to help him out financially and asks him to move into her flat until Julio finds a new job. He says he doesn’t want to move into her apartment and they argue. Luis gets himself a new job and a new home. Julio stays with Luis at this new place, which is actually just a garage next door to Julio’s mother’s house.
That’s the full story recap of what happened in This Fool season 1. What are your thoughts on the story? Please comment below.
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