Episode five, "In the Palaces of Crowned Kings," is an emotional entry that examines Cal's final moments before his death. We also learn more about the fractured relationships among the Bradford men. Later, Xavier takes his first strike against the billionaire regime.
We opened with a flashback in 1997. A young Cal arrives at his father and oil tycoon Kane Bradford's home to inform him he wants out of the family business. Kane's aggressive response against Cal's loose ambitions superbly describes their fraught relationship. Kane is determined to make Cal a politician as he believes Bradford men must live " big lives."
In the present, everyone is preparing for Cal's funeral. Xavier and his family leave for the ceremony. He texts Billy but gets no response. As he leaves, he realizes James is next door at their neighbor Carl's house, playing with his pet dog. Xavier warns Carl to be careful as pets are prohibited.
The community gathers for the president's funeral service; tower control manipulates the artificial weather to create a cloudy, somber ambiance. In front of family, friends, and community members, Jeremy Bradford eulogizes his father, detailing how Cal was unraveling in those final days. Jeremy was cold toward Cal, accusing him of succumbing to the power of the billionaire board, allowing others to perish in the catastrophe. In addition to Jeremy's anger, Kane, now living with dementia, can no longer tell Cal and Jeremy apart. With an already fragile relationship, Cal struggles to care for his father, whose only sane thoughts come when he's reading poetry. Kane mentions something about a sniper at sea, confusing Cal, who finds solace in the bottle.
After the funeral, Robinson confronts Collins with the fact that DNA samples from the crime scene never made it to the lab. They both realize Sinatra is the only person with the power to enact such a defiant act. As Robinson gazes at a painted portrait of Cal, her mind reminisces about an encounter with him that fateful day. The two argued, with Cal walking out, dismissive of Robinson's feelings of love for him. We learn Cal's dad, Kane, handpicked Samantha and pushed him to run for president. And the city is gun-free, although Cal pours doubt into this truth, quipping, "Do you actually believe people this powerful would leave themselves defenseless?"
In the present day, Xavier asks Jane to accompany him to Billy's house, where they discover his body. Jane, the actress, falls into tears across his body as Xavier calls in the second murder within days of the first. An autopsy shows Billy died by suicide by ingesting fentanyl. Later, he meets Robinson at the bar. As they both mourn, they realize they have to take Sinatra down. Xavier questions how. Robinson responds that she knows where they keep the weapons and how to get them.
Later, Jeremy rendezvouses with Presley at Cal's virtual golf room, the activity Cal wanted to enjoy with Jeremy that final day. Their semi-date is interrupted by Kane, who accosts Presley and says he saw her "that night." He may be mistaking her for Robinson and Jeremy for Cal.
Another set of flashbacks recounts Cal's actions before the night he was killed. Still stuck on his father's words about "a sniper at sea," Cal looks for answers on his confidential tablet. He notices a file named "Surface Expedition - First Transmission." He seeks to gain access but is denied. He sneaks to his father in the guest house, who is fast asleep. Using Kane's hand, he gains access to the files and discovers evidence of life above the surface. He also learns Billy killed the scientists on Sinatra's orders. Copying the information, he ventures to the library to make a mixtape and titles it "Jeremy."
Cal visits Gabriela for a brief session. He warns her about Billy Pace and says Xavier is the only person he trusts. Later, he texts Jeremy for their dinner date; we assume he plans to give his son the evidence, proving he hadn't given up. Finally, he approaches Samantha, who all but laughs in his face. This is the moment Xavier witnessed.
That evening, drunk and distraught, Cal texts Robinson. She comes over, still upset at their earlier disagreement. Tired of being his secret lover, she ends their affair, returning the earrings he gifted her. In an attempt to make nice, Cal tells her where the guns are hidden, as Robinson mentioned she missed holding one in her hand. The attempt fails, and she leaves.
Later, he meanders to his father's study. In a powerful scene, Cal asks if he's ever made his father proud, and Kane answers no, "You never did anything I didn't do for you." Back in his bedroom, Cal writes the mystery code on the cigarette.
The episode closes with a triumphant gesture and shocking reveal. Xavier comes home and tells Presley the bad news about Uncle Billy. He instructs her to pack a bag for James and her while putting her in charge. He then asks his neighbor, Carl, for a favor.
Jeremy goes to talk with his grandfather. With Kane mistaking him for Cal, they both apologize to their deceased son and father, respectively. Kane admits he was proud of Cal all along.
In the final scene, Carl quietly sneaks into a mainframe room, adjusting something on a computer. Meanwhile, Xavier stands in the street, eyeing a repaired lampost hiding a security camera. The camera's feed goes directly to Sinatra's computer. As he defiantly stares her down a red light illuminates the streets as the words "They're lying to you" glow across the artificial clouds. And Presley, packing her bag, reaches beneath her bed mattress to reveal Cal's tablet.
This episode was packed with powerful performances, taut writing and shocking revelations. The acting continues to shine across the board, with Gerald McRaney being the standout. His scenes with Cal and later, Jeremy, were exemplary. And the prose written to match his poetry were exquisite. After suspecting Cal's blood on someone else's hands, the Presley spoils any previous theories in this mysterious whodunit.
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