Joe takes John and Reinke on a road trip for a surprise visit to Big Cat Rescue. Carole builds a case to bring down an abusive tiger owner. Joe and John take their relationship a step further.
Joe and Carole see each other as the personification of evil. Joe's entire livelihood has been destroyed by Carole falsely claiming he's abusing his animals. It's the latest in a long line of discrimination he has faced. He has long been prevented from living as his true self in a wide open space. Meanwhile, Carole receives dozens of threatening phone calls from Joe, he harasses her daughter at work, and he causes a lion to have a seizure by flying a helicopter over the Big Cat Sanctuary. All of this details the stark differences between them. Throughout his journey to Florida, Joe insists there isn't some big difference between them. They both love big cats. That can create a meaningful friendship. They simply got off on the wrong foot. Their disagreements are only over small details. He sees the benefits of cub petting. He truly believes he creates more animal lovers if they have them in their arms from a young age. He sees only the good that can come from those opportunities. He refuses to kill off the old animals at his zoo. He refuses to make that sacrifice even though he can barely afford to keep the whole thing operational. And yet, he is driven by a massive ego. He needs to destroy Carole's life because she has done the exact same to him for no reason whatsoever. He doesn't comprehend how anyone could hate him for how he treats his animals. They saved his life. They brought him back after a car accident where he tried to take his own life. The freedom of petting a tiger brought a renewed vigor and sense of purpose. He could return to Texas stronger and more confident. He used the tiger as an extension of himself. It was a way for him to attract people. That resulted in a relationship that lasted for over a decade. It wasn't enough. He needed more. A pet store wasn't him achieving his full potential. He had to dream much bigger. He could create a land of misfits that celebrated one another. They could find unity amongst the animals. It can result in a nice profit as well. Meanwhile, Carole is driven solely by her concern for the animals. She won't allow anything to jeopardize their well-being. People can criticize her business model and how it's not all that different than what Joe is doing. However, her hatred towards Joe is driven solely by what he has done to animals. It's not part of an elaborate personal vendetta. It may ultimately get to that point. This does culminate in a hitman being hired after all.
The past certainly helps inform the present. It's a notable backstory for Joe. It explains how he built his career. However, the forces that were once so prominent are now gone. That's noticeable too. In fact, he can't even rely on his family to be supportive no matter what. His mother will give money to help the animals. He quickly blows through that pursuing his own interests. His niece knows that he's a conman. He doesn't deserve their charity. That's all that he wants from them. He sees that as a personal attack. Again, that's the only way he has ever been told to process hatred or criticism directed towards him. It's part of learned behavior. He couldn't be shamed back into the closet. The world was never fully accepting of him even though he stood proudly as his true self in Texas. He found an opportunity to thrive. That's being threatened. He isn't the only owner of big cats to be targeted by Carole. She has a map of people abusing their animals. She simply needs the evidence to prove it. She condones bribery in order to retrieve that proof. The authorities act quickly once she is armed with that information. Of course, that too pivots to a parallel in Joe's crusade. He posts a tirade online asking for any disparaging details about Carole. He receives a reply instantly because Carole fires the person who let Joe in the zoo in the first place. It presents as nothing more than a flash drive that was in her computer at the time of his firing. It may not result in much. It lights a fire within Joe. He sees that as confirmation that something damning does loom in Carole's past. He can exploit it just like she has done to his greatest ambition. Again, it's a back-and-forth of equal jabs between them. That's how Joe understands the conflict. It isn't that simple. Carole thinks much bigger than he can. She realizes the laws have to change for the entire country. That would have the biggest impact on monitoring abuse of big cats by private owners. That's her life's work. And now, she's under fire by Joe. Howard is so concerned that he's willing to quit his job to work for her. They are united. Joe seemingly has that love too. He is so scared of losing it. He is jealous whenever John is seen talking with a women. As such, he equates basic human decency as true romance. John doesn't want Joe to die when he steps out of the helicopter to flip off Carole. Anyone would react that way. But it's used as evidence that the feelings run much deeper in this relationship and they must act on it.
