Summary
Memory of a Killer raises the stakes in “Ferryman”, developing several threads while building on the tension established in the premiere.
Memory of a Killer has one of those premises that just resonates, which is probably why it has been adapted and remade so many times. The premiere could afford to be pretty laidback on this basis, knowing that the hook of a mob assassin with two lives and early-onset Alzheimer’s would be enough to keep audiences engaged while the stage was set. Episode 2, “Ferryman”, takes that build-up and runs with it, honing in on Angelo’s worsening mental issues and the legal case that is building around him.
It’s better, in other words. And it’s better in a logical, reassuring way, retaining the same core elements but just ratcheting up the tension and complexity in every area. The presence of Gina Torres provides a nice counterpoint to Angelo and his inner circle, fleshing the world out a little more. It’s all good stuff.
Remember the cliffhanger we left things on? Well, Maria and the baby are fine – too fine, if anything, since Maria is pretty peppy about being in the wrong place at the wrong time and just wanting to get on with her life as normal. Angelo has to tiptoe the line between reassuring her and also making it clear that she might have been targeted deliberately. He can’t tell her about Mosher, since he can’t tell her he’s secretly a hitman, but he does tell her that Earl Hancock, the drunk driver who killed Maria’s mother and swore vengeance against Maria for testifying against him, has been released from prison.
Dave hauls Earl in, and Angelo watches from behind the glass – do other cops not get suspicious about the photocopier salesman watching interrogations? – but he seems to have a pretty watertight alibi. He does, however, mention the name “The Ferryman”, which ignites something in Angelo, who realizes he needs to go into off-the-books protective dad mode to figure out what’s going on without alerting Dutch, who’s already furious about him killing Mosher, to his secret family life.
We get a bit more of Angelo and Dutch in this episode, which is worthwhile, even if it doesn’t answer too many lingering questions about how Dutch hasn’t caught Angelo in a lie before this point, given their long-standing relationship. We also get more of Angelo trying to get through his day-to-day murder job with a variety of competing issues, from his worsening memory to Dutch forcing him to work with useless intern relatives who don’t follow instructions and make every mission messy.
But this is, in itself, a reminder. Memory of a Killer Episode 2 does a better job than the premiere of reminding us that Angelo’s default state is that of a cold-blooded assassin. He has a vague code that determines who he kills and who he doesn’t, but this isn’t just a guy trying to avenge an attack on his daughter – it’s a guy who kills people for work. There’s a nice edginess to Angelo as a character that is welcome in a show like this, because it’s more interesting than some kind of dull caveat that absolves Angelo of any moral responsibility.
This is the worst time, then, for Angelo to have met his match, but that’s largely what FBI agent Linda Grant represents. She looks into the case for all of five minutes before realising that there’s something amiss about the photocopier salesman who ran into the street to confront a sniper without a second thought. Maria, still none the wiser, cites his military service as an explanation. But Linda knows better. It’ll be fun to see Patrick Dempsey spar with Gina Torres, though “Ferryman” holds off for now, allowing them to circle one another before the inevitable confrontation.
But confrontations are coming, there’s no doubt about that. Towards the end of the episode, Angelo learns that the elusive Ferryman did indeed order the hit on Maria, and he isn’t likely to stop at the assassin that Angelo catches. There’ll be another, and presumably another, until Angelo figures out who the Ferryman is and goes after him directly (could it be Dutch, with his own secret life to rival Angelo’s?).
But there are also more personal fights waiting in the wings. Maria, for instance, is starting to realise that her father might not be who he claims to be. Where does he keep going, even in times of crisis? How can he afford his tailored designer jacket? Did Linda have a point about how uncharacteristic it was for a salesman to rush right into danger?
Either way, Memory of a Killer is working pretty well, with the crime plot compelling on its own terms and Angelo’s worsening mental state providing an effective, novel ticking clock. Hopefully, there’s more good stuff to come.
