After what we’ve seen in this week’s Walker: Independence, I have a feeling it will be some time before “Pax Romana” comes to Independence.

This week’s episode is centered around the Founder’s Day celebration and all our plots mostly converge upon the same night, so I’ll be covering this week scene-by-scene.

Let’s start at the beginning, shall we?

We pick up where the last episode left off, in Kate and Abigail’s shared room. Abigail has Kate at gunpoint, and she has a lot of questions. She asks Kate why she has a gun; Kate explains that she’s simply a single woman living on the frontier. Most people keep sidearms on them in this town. Check anyone’s bedroom and you’ll be sure to find a gun or two.

Abigail doesn’t let it rest; there’s still something about Kate that doesn’t add up. Kate agrees that there are a lot of questions to be answered, but they should be able to do that without the threat of murder hanging over them. Abigail starts to lower the gun when Kate mentions that she’s also been acting suspicious ever since she got to town. Kate remembers how Abigail reacted when they brought Liam’s body into town. She’s already deduced that Liam was Abigail’s husband, but what’s interesting is that she’s gone to such lengths to hide it. It’s enough to make her wonder if Abigail was responsible for Liam’s death. Before Abigail can get to offended by that, Kate dismisses her own accusation. She can tell by the way Abigail holds her pistol that she’s not the killing type.

Abigail is more confused than ever. Kate acts like she’s some kind of detective. Kate then confesses that she’s actually a Pinkerton agent.

This is the best news Abigail has heard since her husband was murdered. With a Pinkerton agent on their side, they might actually be able to do something about Tom Davidson. She invites Kate to meet the rest of the group, much to Kate’s confusion. Abigail promises to explain everything, if she promises to help.

The next morning, she introduces Kate to Hoyt and Calian, and none of them are pleased to be there. Calian and Hoyt are unsure that they can trust Kate and Kate is concerned about the liabilities associated with working with a known criminal and an Apache. Well, mostly Hoyt is giving her worry but that’s to be expected.

Abigail insists that they need to work together. Calian saved her life, Hoyt has proven himself valuable, and Kate has the connections they need to actually make a move on Tom. If they hurry, they can take care of this before he tries to hurt anyone else.

This gives Kate some pause. First of all, she only agreed to help Abigail, not the other two (especially Hoyt). Secondly, they can’t rush into this. Going after a man with as much power and connections as Tom Davidson won’t be easy. They need to be able to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that he’s responsible for Liam’s death. If they move too quickly and don’t have enough evidence, he will walk, and Kate will lose her chance to see what else is going on in town. They need to be patient and they need to be careful.

Oh, and try not to get arrested before Tom Davidson, okay Hoyt?

The day goes on and the Founder’s Day celebrations are in full swing. Hagan announces to a large crowd that his hotel is putting on a dazzling show that they won’t want to miss. Meanwhile, there are plenty of booths, games, and salesman up and about, waiting to make a dime.

We see Augustus and Tom strolling through town and enjoying the festivities. Augustus mentions that it wasn’t all that long ago that the town’s founders made the charter for Independence and officially put them on the map and boy does he have stories he could tell about those men. Tom admires Augustus’s fascination with history. Gus says it’s only natural; he’s named after a Roman emperor, after all. Tom is a bit confused to he explains that Augustus was the emperor that brought about Pax Romana (Roman Peace) after a long period of bloody war. Tom says the name is fitting; Augustus the deputy keeps the peace just as well as Augustus the emperor. But, he warns, change is coming and there’s bound to be a few more bullets flying before they have their own Pax Romana.

Tom then takes off his jacket, the one with the bullet hole in it, and hands it off to Kai to be fixed. Augustus is confused now; he thought Tom wanted to keep the hole as a reminder to be careful. Tom says he no longer needs it and they walk on.

Elsewhere, Hoyt is very unimpressed with a man doing slight-of-hand tricks and pleasing the local children. He knows all the moves and it’s a bit boring. But his day gets better when he sees Lucia and he steps out to greet her. If only she was as happy to see him….

Lucia isn’t falling for Hoyt’s regular charm. She wants to have an honest talk with him about their relationship. Unfortunately, their talk is cut off by the arrival of Lucia’s parents.

They pull her aside and tell her that they’ve heard she’s been singing at Hagan’s hotel. She confirms that she has and that nothing bad has happened. They warn her that it may not always be that way; her mother seems to speak from experience. Francis insists that she goes home right away; she will not be singing at Hagan’s tonight. When he sees Calian down the street, he calls out to him and drags Lucia in that direction.

Calian initially tries to apologize for failing to be at his own meeting but Francis doesn’t have time to listen. He says all will be forgiven if Calian will deliver Lucia home. Calian agrees and the two of them set off on their own adventure, much to Hoyt’s displeasure.

Abby approaches him in the street and he, once again, voices his annoyance at having to work with Kate. Abby just doesn’t see another way around it.

Their conversation is cut short when they see Tom Davidson speaking with a woman who just rode into town. Her name is Teresa Davidson, and she’s Tom’s aunt. She’s also very not happy to see that Hagan’s hotel still bears his name. Tom says that he’s working on it but that does little to persuade her.

Abby decides she and Hoyt should take a walk over in that direction. You know, take in all the sights and sounds. He couldn’t agree more.

They arrive just in time to hear Teresa berating Tom for not getting the lavender soap she asked for. He insists that he just didn’t have time to go up to Austin to get the soap but that’s hardly what she wants to hear.

Abigail jumps into the conversation and takes responsibility. She introduces herself to Teresa and apologizes for the mistake. She claims that it had actually been her job to get the soap, but she hadn’t. But she can go get some right now and have it back before the end of the day. Teresa is pleased with this and tells Tom that she’s a keeper.

Side note: Oh, the irony….

Abigail drags Hoyt along and he’s not happy about having to run their errand. He asks what the hell Abby is thinking. She explains that they’re just going up to Austin to get some soap. And perhaps stop in Hay’s County along the way. Hoyt is against that idea too; he was arrested there about a year ago and he has no intention of going back. But Abigail has her reasons; she found out that the judge that appointed Tom works in that courthouse. Perhaps they can find some time to find out why Tom got appointed sheriff overnight. So, off they go.

Back at the hotel, Kate is helping Teresa get settled into her room by bringing her bags up. She’s trying to make conversation with the new Davidson but she’s not having much luck. Teresa isn’t giving her an inch and eventually ditches her guide to look at some of the artwork, much to Kate’s annoyance.

Meanwhile, Hoyt and Abigail are off on the trail to Austin. It’s a hot day out on the Texas plains and Abigail is feeling it. Hoyt gives her the canteen but reminds her not to let it backwash. After an annoyed look, they hit a bump in the road and Abigail nearly spits water all over herself. She accuses Hoyt of doing it on purpose, but, as funny as that would be, that’s not the case. He also says she could stand to lighten up a bit. After all, if chasing after Tom Davidson just turns her into a bitter husk of a human being, wouldn’t that mean he won?

While Abigail thinks over that, Hagan is speaking with a medical salesman. He wants some medicine that doesn’t taste foul. The salesman offers him some tincture from the elderflower. Hagan gives it a try. He prefers whiskey but he’ll take it, especially if it’s on sale.

Teresa interrupts their transaction and says she uses the same medicine for her own needs. The salesman excuses herself and Hagan reluctantly welcomes Teresa into his office. She has some very important business to discuss with him: his stubbornness in not selling the hotel. She says he must either be the richest man in Texas or the stupidest because she’s made several generous offers, all of which he’s turned down. She’s decided that enough is enough and came down with a sale contract herself to get him to sign. He’s resistant, as one would expect, but now Kate has inserted herself into the conversation.

She just popped into Hagan’s office to tell Teresa that she’s left all the trunks in her room. Teresa, unimpressed, asks if that isn’t just Kate’s job. Hagan steps in to Kate’s defense; she does so much more around the hotel beyond handling luggage. She also handles the performances, among many other things. Teresa isn’t amused. She leaves the office to get settled in but reminds Hagan that she would like an answer before the show tonight. Once she’s gone, Hagan tells Kate that she’d better make tonight’s performance a good one.

Kate then heads downstairs to lead the rehearsals and is surprised to see that none of her dancers are in costume for the dress rehearsals. When she asks why, she’s informed that they can hardly dress in costumes that are eaten by rats. Kate checks the trunk and sees that the dresses have been shredded to bits; a rat indeed. They need new costumes and they need them fast. Luckily, Kate knows who to ask.

She heads into Kai’s laundry and asks him for a favor. She needs a bunch of new costumes for her and her girls for the performance tonight and also she can’t pay him. Kai takes the job, saying it will be good advertising. He already has some ideas on the kind of fabric he will use and designs for the costumes. Kate is impressed by the sketch he shows her, saying she’s never seen anything like it. Kai agrees. He then says that while the restaurant and laundry are just jobs, this is his passion. Kate thanks him for doing this for her and kisses his cheek before leaving.

Side note: I am shipping them so hard right now y’all have no idea….

Back on the road, Abigail is really feeling the heat. But, the water needs to last them for a little while longer. Hoyt then asks if she misses Boston; he’s sure these plains have nothing on the coastal line. Abigail admits that she does miss Boston but that the Texas frontier has it’s own beauty. She wishes she could paint it. Hoyt asks what she likes to paint. She says she doesn’t have a preference in the subject of her paintings, but she enjoys the act itself. She recounts a memory of painting on the balcony of their home in Boston with her husband. She looks of into the distance and they share a quiet moment.

Suddenly, she asks Hoyt to pull over and goes running into a field. Hoyt follows her, wondering what’s gotten into her now, and finds her stripping down to her underthings near a lake. He asks what she thinks she’s doing and she says she’s going for a swim. She was inspired by Hoyt and her husband, who used to go swimming in the rivers back home. She’s going to take a plunge and enjoy herself for once. Now, is he going to join her or not? He smirks and gets undressed as well before following her into the water.

We have a short break from the action with Abigail and Hoyt playing in the water. It’s over almost as suddenly as it began. While they’re putting their clothes back on, she asks him to help with her corset. He comments that he has more experience taking them off than putting them on, but gets to work anyway. Once her corset is righted, she turns around to thank him and they share another quiet moment, looking at each other with a mix of emotions neither they nor the audience fully understand. The moment is broken when Hoyt awkwardly suggests that they bring the rest of the gang out to the lake. Now, it’s time to get back to work.

Side note: My live reaction to this: “NO! NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!” Seriously?! Liam’s been dead for two days and Hoyt has a GIRLFRIEND! DO NOT DO THIS! I WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS!

We’re taken back to the Reyes property, where Lucia has brought Calian out to inspect the fence. It’s torn down along the edges of the property. Lucia says this has been happening more and more lately. They can keep mending the fence but more things will be broken. She also comments that they’re not the only victims of the Davidson’s greed. She wishes the Davidsons would leave them all alone and quit trying to take something that doesn’t belong to them. Calian relates to that feeling. He’s been there before with other Outsiders, who just take and take and take. Lucia apologizes but he insists it’s not necessary and offers to help her fix the fence.

While they work on that, the salesman from earlier has entered Kai’s shop for a cup of tea. Kai serves him as any other customer and comments that the salesman’s shoes look well-traveled before asking where he’s from. The salesman seems surprised that Kai doesn’t remember him, then says that it was some time ago that they were in San Francisco together. Kai becomes very tense and claims he’s not sure what the salesman is getting at.

The salesman mentions a girl named Lily, who Kai tried to help escape from a brothel. Apparently, he killed two men in the process. The salesman tells Kai that he’ll blow the whistle on his secret if he doesn’t pay up with the money he stole. Kai quickly goes back to get the money hidden in his sewing machine and hands it off to the salesman. He asks how he can be sure that the salesman won’t just tell his secret anyway. The salesman says Kai really can’t be sure, but he’s not looking to get anyone killed. Not today at least. Kai is left shaken as the salesman leaves his shop.

Back in Hay’s County, Hoyt is talking to and sharing a snack with his horse while Abigail tries her luck with the judge. Unfortunately, she comes back empty handed. The judge is extremely busy and won’t see anyone without a court date. Hoyt remembers that he was arrested there about a year ago after an incident in a saloon. He never did face the charges for that; seems like a pretty easy way to get a court date. Abigail asks if he’s sure he’s willing to do that and he simply says that it’s about time he started owning up to the consequences of his actions.

We cut to Hoyt in the courthouse in front of the honorable judge as he reads off Hoyt’s charges. He’s got quite a list, ranging from simple theft to attempted nuptials with farm animals in a church. Looks like the moonshine really got to Hoyt’s head on that one. The judge commends Hoyt on being willing to face these charges, but he has questions about his lawyer. Abigail steps into the office as Hoyt’s legal advisor and takes over the conversation. She suggests a compromise in which Hoyt faces a lighter sentence if he returns the stolen items and has the fine reduced to no more than 25 dollars. The judge is impressed with Abby’s legal knowledge and says that she could be the next woman to graduate from a legal college.

Abigail takes the compliment with grace and mentions that she’s been working with the sheriff in Independence, Tom Davidson. The judge remembers him, and Abigail asks how long he’s known Tom. The judge confesses that he’s not actually met Tom, but he knows that Tom was a good lawman in Texarkana. He also mentions that the Davidsons hold a lot of influence in that area. When he heard that the original sheriff had gone missing, he put Tom in the position. Abigail asks how he knew Liam had gone missing and the judge said he heard from Teresa Davidson soon after it happened.

Side note: $25 fine for all that?! Inflation has ruined this country.

Abby and Hoyt leave the office. Hoyt thanks her for paying the fine for him, even though it wiped a lot of the money she had on her. She says it’s no trouble, but Hoyt offers her a down payment anyway. He shows her a visitor book that he swiped from the judge’s office. The page he dog-eared has Teresa Davidson’s name in it. Abigail notices that the date she signed in was nearly a week before she and Liam were even set to arrive in Independence. On top of that, that’s the only time her name is in the book all year. They need to tell Kate about this, immediately.

Back at Hagan’s, the girls don’t have costumes, but they still have rehearsals. Hagan steps out to survey the show and Kate congratulates him on finally picking a hat. Hagan says the hat picked him more than anything else, then he starts to sway. Kate immediately grows concerned and she doesn’t feel much better when Hagan collapses at her feet and starts coughing up blood.

They take Hagan up to his room and get him comfortable. Kai is there and he asks questions about Hagan’s diet; perhaps something he ate caused this. Kate goes through his regular diet (which seems to consist mostly of meat and whiskey) and then mentions he started drinking a new medicine that day. Kai goes over to inspect the bottle sitting on the nightstand while Hagan tries to dismiss Kate’s worries. He always gets sick before a show, he claims. Kate’s not buying it.

But Abigail and Hoyt are there with some big news so she doesn’t have much time to think about that. They tell her what they learned in Hay’s county. Kate shares what she knows about Teresa trying to buy the hotel and now Hagan’s sudden illness. Hoyt and Abby are at a loss for how this could all be connected but Kate puts it together: they want to get Tom onto the Town Council.

Side note: “Tom may have pulled the trigger but Aunt Teresa pulled the strings” is a line that will haunt me for some time.

The Council is a body of individuals who have stock in the town who get together to decide where things go and how funds are spent, among other things. If Tom could be both a lawman and a lawmaker, then the Davidsons would be virtually untouchable. This is not what they want; they need to figure out how to stop this.

Back in Hagan’s room, Kate inspects the bottle of medicine and smells cyanide in the bottle; Hagan was poisoned. The dancers want to put the show on hold until Hagan is feeling better but Kate’s not having it. The show must go on and she has a plan. If the Davidsons are willing to poison Hagan to reach their goal, then she’s going to poison the town against Tom and she’s going to use the show to do it. Hoyt doesn’t believe that would work but Kate is confident. She asks Abby and Hoyt if they can learn music quickly. Abigail says she can sight read music and Hoyt says he’s down for just about anything.

Back at the Reyes property, Lucia and Calian are still fixing the fence. While they work, Lucia bemoans the fact that her parents are so unwilling to let her live her own life. Even after all the trouble they’re experiencing in their “safe path”, they want her to live this same life. Calian encourages her to seek her own path in life. The women in his tribe don’t wait for someone else’s permission to live their life and she shouldn’t either. Lucia asks if the same rule applies to him in terms of being allowed to come into town. Calian says that “They don’t see what I see. They’re scared of change.” Lucia asks if they’re afraid of the change from the town or the changes in him.

Calian doesn’t answer her question but admits that he’s worried that he’s lost the trust of his elders. Lucia says that she has too. At least that’s something they have in common.

Back in town, Kai has finished the dresses for the show and Kate couldn’t be happier. But she does have one more favor to ask of Kai. He asks if she needs another costume and she makes a vague comment about armor while eyeing Tom’s jacket.

We cut to Tom and Teresa. Tom is trying to tie his tie for the Founder’s Day party at Hagans and Teresa insists on doing it for him. While she gets him ready, she recalls the way he looked and acted when she first found him in the asylum. He was weak and unkempt and didn’t even look at her for the first hour. But look at him now. He’s grown up into the kind of man she raised him to be. He may have made some mistakes along the way, but she knows what he’s capable of. All the while, Tom looks at her with the affection a son might have for his mother and allows her to style him to her liking.

He says that it’s time for him to go to the show now. She lets him go, but she won’t be joining him. He’s the face of their little operation, but she’s his backup. Always.

Side note: I was absolutely not expecting this kind of twist for Tom but I am absolutely here for it! It’s my favorite thing that I never even knew I wanted!

In the showroom at Hagan’s, it’s time for the show to begin. Everyone is here, from the Sullivan sisters to the Reyes family and even our beloved sheriff and deputy. Abby gets on stage to announce the start of the 35^th Annual Founder’s Day Show!

To kick of the celebration, Hoyt Rawlins comes out to do some gun tricks. He shows off his gunslinging chops and impresses the crowd with his quickdraws and balance while Abby plays piano in the background. Then, to finish off the act, he points his guns toward the audience, makes eye contact with Tom, and mimics pulling the trigger with a “Bang Bang”. Tom and Augustus are a bit unsettled but Hoyt receives everyone else’s applause.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Teresa is in Hagan’s room. She’s brought the sale contract with her and she’d like for him to sign it. He’s appalled at her audacity. The nerve this woman ahs to try and kill him to get him to sign. She scoffs at the idea. If she wanted to kill him, she would’ve already done so. But she doesn’t want him dead. She just wants to encourage him to sell the hotel.

Back downstairs, it’s time for the dancing girls to take the stage. All dolled up in their new costumes, they take the stage and start their routine. This involves them stepping aside to reveal Kate Carver in her best Tom Davidson cosplay. Kate then starts singing a song about Tom. This song calls attention to Tom’s mysterious nature, how he has big plans for this place, but no one knows what they are, how he can’t really be trusted.

Side note: I would give my right arm to have this song available in any format. I’ll take a cassette tape if I need to.

Tom is, obviously, not a big fan of the song but there’s very little he can do about it. Everyone else is having a good time, even Augustus. For now, he’s just going to stew in silence.

Back upstairs, Teresa and Hagan speak about classic literature. Hagan says eh prefers the story of Medea and compares her to Teresa. They both like to use poison to get their way and are generally just evil. He says he hopes that Teresa meets the same violent end that Medea suffered.

Teresa says that she prefers the story of Achilles and his tragic heel. Everyone has that one weakness. She admits that hers is Tom, the boy she loves like her own son. But she knows that Kate is Hagan’s. It sure would be a shame if something were to happen to Kate because of Hagan’s stubbornness, wouldn’t it? She presses the contract into Hagan’s hands. Looks like he’s got some thinking to do.

Back downstairs, Kate is singing and dancing with her girls and working the crowd like a pro. Tom finally gets tired of the public insult and gets up to leave. Augustus tries to calm him down, saying it’s just all in good fun, but Tom is tired of it. An insult is an insult, no matter how it’s dressed up. Augustus reminds him of Pax Romana, but Tom isn’t really listening.

Later, Kate, Hoyt, and Abigail are toasting to their perceived victory. There’s no way that Tom will be allowed onto the Town Council after that performance. Riding on cloud 9, Kate decides to go tell Hagan the good news, but finds Tom waiting for her instead. He informs her that there’s been a change in ownership. She doesn’t believe him. There’s no way that Hagan would sign that signed sale contract that Tom is holding.

Tom lords it over her that they’ll be working together now. He’s not on the Town Council yet; he still needs to meet with Francis Reyes and have his character tested. But he knows that he can be a charming devil, which she’ll get to know very soon. Kate says that there’s no way in Hell that she’ll work with him. Tom corrects that she’ll be running things around here for him, and that he knows she won’t be running away from the hotel anytime soon. She cares too much, has too much to lose.

Kate keeps a good poker face but she’s boiling under the surface, which comes spilling out when she sees Hagan out in the hallway. She’s positively furious with him for this. How could he? How could he be so spineless, so cowardly? How could he care so little about what matters?

Hagan doesn’t defend himself by telling her the truth. He simply says that he’s gotten tired of running things. It was fun when he was younger but now, he just wants to rest. Not a word of that is true, but Kate isn’t having it anyway and she storms off to her room. Behind her, Hagan is struggling to hold back his own emotions.

Side note: Well, my heart is broken now. Thanks for that.

Back in Kate’s room, she finds the hat that Hagan was going to wear earlier. In the band is a note that says it fits her better. She inspects it, then puts it on, and looks at herself in the mirror. The hat does fit her well and as she looks at herself, she has the barest of smiles on her face. I think that hat is going to fit her quite well, both figuratively and literally.

Back at the Reyes property, Lucia and Calian have finished mending the fence and are having a little picnic. Calian asks if she missed singing at Hagans that night and she says she’s thinking about it now that he’s brought it up. He smiles and asks if she would still like to perform. She still has an audience of one, many more if she counts the stars. She giggles and gets up to give him a show, dancing in the grass in honor of Hagan.

Back in town, Teresa is getting ready to head out. Tom asks her if she’s sure they can trust Kate to run the hotel for them. She brushes off his concerns; she knows Kate is wily but she’s not stupid. Besides, they’re both very busy people and have lots to do “for the family”. Tom doesn’t seem as confident but he’s not going to argue with her. Teresa also tells Tom that she thinks Abby would be good for him. Tom seems even less sure about that but, instead of arguing, gives his aunt the soap she requested. She leaves feeling awfully proud of her boy.

Side note: Once again, the sheer irony of Teresa pointing Tom toward Abigail.

Back at Kai’s shop, the salesman from earlier has returned. He wants more out of Kai now. He needs a place to lay low and he wants the remainder of the money that Kai allegedly stole from the tongs. Kai claims he has no extra money, that he used most of it to open his shop. But the salesman doesn’t believe him. He tells Kai that he can either hand over the money or he’ll go right back to San Francisco and tell all those dangerous people where to find him.

Left with no choice, Kai goes searching through his shop for the money. As he’s bagging it up to take it to the salesman, he sees the knives in his kitchen and makes a choice.

When Kai hands over the money, he holds one of the knives behind his back. As the salesman counts the cash, the sound distorts as Kai comes closer to making an irreversible choice. The salesman asks him: “You ever wish you could go back and change the past? Do things differently? So that you’re not always looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life?”

Before this can go any further, Tom appears in the doorway. He asks what’s going on and the salesman says it’s just friendly business. Tom says what he heard didn’t sound too friendly and he goes on the attack. He grabs the salesman and slams his face into the wooden table. He accuses the salesman of trying to shake down “his” citizens and forces him out of the shop. Tom threatens to shoot him if he ever comes around again (not that he’s worth the bullet). The shop falls quiet after all the commotion.

Tom then asks Kai if he made the costumes for the show. Kai stutters around an answer but Tom compliments him on his work. He just might be a returning customer. Then, as Tom turns to leave, he warns Kai to not forget what happened tonight. Something tells me Tom will be back to ask for a favor or two of his own.

Back at Hagan’s, Calian has returned from the Reyes’s ranch. He’s not taken two steps into the building before Hoyt approaches him. “Did you have fun with my girlfriend?” he asks. Calian tells him they talked about Hoyt too much for that. He also warns Hoyt that he and Lucia need to talk and make some decisions. If he waits too long, Lucia just might start making those choices without him. Hoyt is left looking surprised as they walk over to meet with Kate and Abigail.

Side note: Oh now Hoyt is concerned about Lucia. Nice. Good to see that. Excellent boyfriend-ing, Hoyt.

Now that the gang’s all here, Kate informs them that she’s going to reach out to her Pinkerton contacts about the Davidsons. Yes, it’s a bit soon and they don’t have all the evidence they need. But he had one relative visit for one day and they managed to poison someone and get away with it. She can already tell that much worse is on the way. Now is the time to act.

As the camera pans out to an empty hotel, the episode ends.

Once again, there is far more episode in the episode than there should reasonably be time for. I feel like every review I make is getting longer and longer and I’m not entirely sure how I feel about that.

This episode shared some very interesting reveals about Kai’s and Tom’s backstories. I did not expect to hear that Tom was rescued from an asylum. I have to wonder what he did to get admitted to one and when, exactly, Teresa got him out. Learning that Kai has killed and stolen in the name of a woman he loved also thew me for a loop. I wonder how much this history is going to come back to bite him.

I was honestly not expecting to get my heart broken by Mark Sheppard (again) but I’m glad I was here for it. I hope we see Hagan again in a future episode, perhaps to clear his name with Kate, but I’m not holding my breath.

And, as usual, I’m left with more questions than I started with going into the next episode. Will Kate be able to contact her fellow Pinkerton agents in time? Will Teresa continue to pull the strings? And how? What will Tom do on the Town Council? Will Calian ever find an equilibrium between his tribe and his friends? Is Augustus really Tom’s best friend? How will Kate manage the hotel with all her other duties? And, the most burning one I have, will Hoyt be able to reconcile with Lucia or will he be a step too late?

So, what did y’all think? Do you have as many questions as I do? How did you like Kate’s performance? What do we think of Teresa and her hold on Tom? Does Kai’s past influence how you see him? And did you also disagree with the Moment Abby and Hoyt shared at the lake? Let me know what you think in the comments! I’m so curious to see your thoughts!

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