Bennie cleans up a mess. Evans briefs Jett on a new job for Bestic.
In 2018, there were 495 scripted shows airing amongst the linear channels and streaming services. The way people are consuming content now is so different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, there is less necessity to provide ample coverage of each specific episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site is making the move to shorter episodic reviews in order to cover as many shows as possible. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the next episode of Cinemax's Jett.
"Bennie" was written by Sebastian Gutierrez and directed by Sebastian Gutierrez
Things were always going to end in disaster for Bennie and Rosalie. He was stalking her ever since the kidnapping at the start of the season that allowed Quinn to break out of prison. Quinn is dead but consequences from that job are still being felt. Bennie is actively pursuing it. He is warned that it's not smart at all. People call him out for being a stalker. He views himself as a romantic though. Someone who can come in and rescue Rosalie during her time of need. Sure, he doesn't know everything that is happening within the walls of her apartment. He watches from afar. And yet, he comes running the moment he hears a gunshot. That sound was her killing her husband after he broke in and tried to rape her. It's in that moment where it's clear that Bennie is just as manipulative and monstrous as the other men who had invaded her personal space. Rosalie has lost so much and she was treated as collateral damage. Her life was forever changed because Jett needed to get Quinn out of prison to pull off the job in Cuba. That didn't work out for Jett or Quinn. Jett is now indebted to Bestic while Quinn is dead. And now, Rosalie is terrified of even more tragedy happening to her. It does and she responds with violence. The show always wants the audience to see all of these characters as powerful. It doesn't want us to fall into the illusion that perhaps everything will work out for Bennie and Rosalie. That's not romantic. It's twisted and would only occur through some version of Stockholm Syndrome. Rosalie may not always have her bearings in the aftermath of killing her husband. But she is certainly aware enough that Bennie can't be trusted. What she does with him after knocking him out is bound to only complicate things further especially since Charlie is debating whether he has the resources to retaliate on Salas for trying to take him out. Bennie has always been seen as the crucial protector Charlie needs at any given moment. He is always outside the door or close by. Charlie understands that he's getting old and he must project strength now. He can't be seen as vulnerable in a world full of criminals trying to exert their own power. Junior is susceptible to that appeal. He may be reckless and dangerous. But he too understands that the tides may be changing. His father is under attack and the police may be closing in. That's scary for these people. They are always fighting to stay alive and in control for as long as possible. They believe they have the loyalty of the people around them. But that can change at a moment's notice. Bennie may be held up by Rosalie. Bobby didn't know that Josie and Jackie were cops. And Josie tells Jackie that she can no longer see him because their personal relationship has gotten too complicated. All of this has the potential of motivating actions that could have a lasting impact elsewhere. Jett just wants to collect the information on Bestic and get out of this arrangement as soon as possible. She learns that Evans is Bestic's former brother-in-law. That's not all that useful or damning. More importantly, she is given the latest job she is asked to do for Bestic. She is informed on how many more jobs she has to do for him. But it's also just as crucial to see how Jett has already fallen on her sword once before to protect a powerful man. She may not be willing to do so again considering how much she has to lose. She had to carefully plot out a way for Maria to get custody of Alice from the moment she was born. And now, Maria may be dying and Phoenix has to step up as the responsible caretaker. That too may be difficult because her brother seems unlikely to stay out of her life for a long time.
