NTHLAW1 – Episode 3 starts with the series’ first big flashback. Going back to 2002, the memory is one of a young Agent Stones. However, Agent Stone (Thomas Haden Church) is a Topeka Lawman at the time. Patrolling the mall, he confronts two underage girls Bianca (Emma Frances Burge) and (Brooklyn Nelson) as they attempt to sneak a smoke. When the young Stone confronts the two girls and quips that he understands how two young beautiful girls would want to smoke to pretend to be older than they are, they rip into him, calling him a pervert and reminding him that he is old enough to be their date. That also mockingly refers to him as a “Mall Cop” with no real authority, but he’s quick to point out that he is an actual Topeka Law Enforcement Officer.

On top of that, they are old enough to know the law. The blonde (Brooklyn Nelson) threatens to call her mom, who happens to be a lawyer and that’s when the world goes to crap. All the electronics start crashing, ATMS are spitting out money, and mere seconds later when planes start falling from the sky.

Hoover Dam Headquarters- Back in the present day, Mike (Thaj Vaughans) and Stu (Mike Mitchell) continue to hit John Doe (Anthony Mackie) and Quiet (Stephanie Beatriz) with volts of electricity from their Tasers while verbally berating them. Quiet has a split-second flashback of Loud (Richard Cabral) splayed out on the ground with his brains leaking out of his head. Agent Shepard (Jared Bankens) is ready to move things along, as he orders his new officers to “strip and zip ‘em.) Stu handles John with the utmost courtesy and respect, using pleases and thank yous, while Mike tries to remind him they are in charge. It isn’t just Quiet that makes the connection. Shepard also remembers the young lady and checks out his handiwork on his earlier branding handiwork before ordering his men to take the prisoners down the “purple line.”

The Purple Line – As they are led through the purple line, it is Quiet that recognizes the place as a makeshift DMV. While being shuffled through the building, it becomes clear that the punishment for disobeying the road rules is a trip down the “red line.” Being the inquisitive he is, John is the first to ask what the red line is. It is a literal red line that leads to screams. Handing the prisoners off to two other officers, Mike and Stu taunt the arrested duo with thumb and index finger “L’s” on their foreheads. Seconds later they’ve got their grubby hands all over Evelyn. Mike attempts to pry open her rear while Stu invades her interiors.

Stu is almost ashamed of himself when he uncovers John’s family photo under the visor. He even puts it back without saying a word. They two then share a conversation about Agent Stone. Mike claims that Shepard told him Stone is a hometown hero that saved his neighborhood from terrorists. Just as Mike manages to get Evelyn’s rear popped, Shepard is on the scene. He and Mike share a bit of teenaged humor before the agent turns his attention to Stu, who has discovered John’s map.

Interrogation Room – As John struggles to free himself from his plastic cuffs, Quiet sits quietly as deadpan as possible. John becomes frustrated with the silence and eventually launches into a repetitive rant that all but forces Quiet to speak to him. Before he can learn more about the girl and Shepard’s connection, Stone and Shepard have arrived to question their suspects. Stone starts by pointing out the mysteries of their continued meeting. Although she remains quiet, Stone is shocked to learn from his men that Quiet does, in fact, speak.

Despite what has been revealed of Stone thus far, he doesn’t prove to be too inhospitable as he offers the prisoners water. Even with the straws, John has a hard time wetting his chops. Speaking of water, Stone feels moved enough to share a bit of history about the headquarters with the two. He tells them that exactly where they are sitting a powerful river once flowed. The modern marvel that they are now sitting in was built to act as a dam. With the roads all becoming wild flowing rivers, Stone wants to virtually do the same. Of course, it will be a much, much larger scale that extends from Arizona to the Great Canadian Wastes. John can’t help but admire the story and chalk it up as cool, but it has nothing to do with him.

Their beef with Quiet is none of his concern and he’s a mere “Milkman” making a delivery. That’s when Stone reveals the map and how it shows routes to especially evade his outposts. Stone wants to know who made the map. John’s pleas of finding the map and his lack of knowledge about the outpost avoidance are completely unbelievable yet he does offer to apply for a license. Quiet makes her presence known for the first time by spitting in Stone’s face. She even opts to speak for the man, when he steps away and lets Shepard smack some sense into her. “Can’t you do it yourself,” she asks. He promises to revisit her attitude in a few hours before ordering Shepard to get the name of the mapmaker.

Stone’s Flashback – The world is still going awry in Stone’s flashback and there is no sign of things slowing. In a typical suburban neighborhood, Stone unloads supplies from the back of his car while neighbors and associates run about. With his hands full and walking towards his home, Margie (Taylor Shurte) appears from around the corner, offering assistance. Stone, is, however, more concerned with how she and her husband Rick are doing. Margie immediately launches in on a tirade about getting looted and going to the station to only find there was no relief there. Stone points out that the station burned and it’s everyone for themselves now. At this, the pregnant lady pulls her pistol and orders the apprehensive, Rick to collect Stone’s weapons. Rick not only confiscates Stone’s best porn mag and his weapons, but he also leaves the man with a nasty gash from the butt of his own rifle. Margie chalks it up to Stone always being kind of a butthole.

Interrogation Room – Once alone, John can’t help but admire Quiet’s velocity and precision with his saliva, although it wasn’t an amendable thing to do at the time. She returns the scathing mark by asking why he didn’t reveal his mapmaker. When John points out that the conversation is none of her business, she notes how the man sometimes answers his own questions. Elsewhere outside, Mike and Stu are carrying a large case to the interrogation room. Mike takes the time to remind Stu how important it is for them to not like Stone and Shepard down with uncovering the name of the mapmaker. Stu is nearly affronted and feels that Mike is inviting his screw-up. Returning to the interrogation room, and opening the case, it is revealed to a bunch of forms they are forced to fill out.

If that isn’t punishing enough, they are soon exposed to loud music, eye chart reading, and even a bit of waterboarding. Stone and Shepard have joined in on the fun now and continued failure results in threats of sending them down the red line. As they are ushered off, Stone tells Shepard that he’s headed to HQ to look for more compromised maps.

Stone’s Flashback – The flashback seemingly picks back up right after the events of the last. Young Stone is now sitting at the foot of his couch, nearly the bottom of a fifth of vodka, and bawling his eyes out. Barging in and interrupting Stone’s breakdown, an older neighbor (Mike Hickman) claims to have seen his patrol car in the driveway and suspected the man to be home. Before the older gentleman even asks or says anything, Stone makes it to his feet and reveals that he can’t help. Not deterred, the man continues with claims that terrorists can into his restaurant and threw him out. With claims that the world is over, the old man points out that’s exactly why they need him. Before rushing out in frustration, the old man claims to have thought that Stone was an officer of the law. With the man gone and taking a final swig of his beverage, Stone is suddenly overwhelmed with inspiration and goes for one last hidden weapon that Rick and Margie didn’t manage to take.

Present Day – John and Quiet find themselves in a DMV-style waiting room, as a wall counter calls out the next victims. “Now serving B67.” A hooded man is carted out of the room and seconds later screaming follows. Looking at the stamp on his hand, John realizes that he is B68 and up next. He throws a bit of a tantrum before turning to Quiet and asking if Stone killed her brother. She reveals that Stone made her brother kill himself, which is worse. John talks about what little he can remember of his family and tells the lady that she was lucky just to get to remember spending time with her brother. He doesn’t even remember his family. As his number is called and the trio of Mike, Stu, and Shepard arrive, John asks Quiet if she wants to try to kill each other one final time for old-time sake. She hits him with a smile.

Shepard stops Mike’s attempts to step in and deliver them to the red line and issues the order to Stu. Seconds later, Stu is behind the shackled John and Quiet, forcing them down the red line. John attempts a bit of quick wit and humor that only proves fatal. In fact, it makes Stu mad when he refers to the obese man as a “big guy.” Stu launches into a tirade about understanding the subliminal meaning. Just as he finishes, the trio has arrived at the end of the red line, which is revealed to be a door and a huge drop-off to a canyon below. With the door open, Quiet and John make a final plea. John attempts to appeal to Stu’s good nature. Mike might be cold-hearted, but Stu isn’t. Both John and Quiet tell Stu they aren’t going to make this easy for him, especially Quiet. Stone played this power game with her brother and she isn’t going to give him the satisfaction.

Either Stu kills them and pushes them out or they stay put. Stu can’t do it but declares that he’ll be dead if he doesn’t. John points out that he won’t be if he butt is in the car with them speeding away from the place. Stu relents are the three make their escape from the Hoover Dam. Entering the gift shop, it is revealed to be much more than the traditional collections of tokens and mementos. As John searches for the keys to Evelyn, Quiet spots Loud’s jacket, and the next thing John and Stu notice is that she’s gone. Realizing it, they decide they can’t go back for her and proceed to make their escape.

 

Stone’s Flashback – In full Topeka regalia and joined by the older neighbor, Stone arrives at the Jungle Lodge & Grill. Confirming that the terrorists are inside, he orders the older gentlemen to stay outside while he handles business. Once inside, the place is revealed to be an actual replica of a jungle, replete with humidity, flora, and fake beasts. It doesn’t take Stone long to find the terrorist yet is completely shocked at what he discovers. He’s so shocked that he uncocks his weapons and asks the three men if they are the supposed terrorist his older neighbor has been talking about. They confirm they are and describe how they fell on hard times. After a bit of back-and-forth, one of the men recognizes Stone as a mall cop. He, once again, points out that he is with the Topeka PD. The mall just happens to be part of his regular patrol. The trio finds this humorous. They begin to mock and poke fun at him, forcing him into a complete rage as he guns them down violently. He screams at their bodies and blames their deaths on them. They are the ones that broke the law, not him.

Modern-Day Hoover Dam –Quiet has made her way to Agent Stone’s office and creeps in. What she discovers is a large leather chair with its back to her and what appears to be rhythmic squeaking and panting, almost as if the occupant is doing something naughty in the chair. She discovers that it is Shepard and he is pleasuring himself. As he turns around and bursts into immediate apologies, he realizes that it is Quiet and not Stone. With his pants around his ankles, she pistol whips him relentlessly until his brains are splattered everywhere. Elsewhere outside the gift shop, Mike is disturbed to find the remnants of the plastic cuffs and already knows that Stu had a hand to play. Although he appears troubled to do so, he makes the call over the radio, announcing the prisoners to be free.

John and Stu have quickly made their way to Evelyn and John can’t help but spend a few seconds stewing over her violated state. Unfortunately, the battery is dead and John realizes that the dome light was left on. Fortunately, Evelyn has a manual transmission so they can pop the clutch and possibly get enough juice to engage the starter. As they get out to push the vehicle to speed, Quiet joins them. In the escape, Stu gets hit with the jimmied trunk lid and gets left behind. John debates going back to get the big man, but Quiet quickly talks him out of it, although it doesn’t take me convincing. When discovered, Stu makes claims that he was overpowered, but it’s unclear if he believes him, as he and several officers train weapons on him.

With no cocoa butter and no weapons, John isn’t going to have an easy ride to Chicago. It doesn’t help that he nearly lost 2 days. Trying to devise a plan to make up for lost time, he asks if there is anywhere between here and Chicago that he can drop Quiet. Although she entices him with the mention of a sanctuary city without walls, he has a strict schedule to keep. When she declares the city to be Topeka, it’s unclear whether she is telling the truth or not.  

 

 

Twisted Metal Review

 

With each episode, I fear that the show series will drop in quality, but the episode blew the others out of the water. Maybe it was the big reveal at the end or perhaps it was the taut escape. It could have been Stone’s intriguing backstory. Whatever the case might be, I’d have to give episode 3 a 6.3 out of 10. I like the fact that John kind of seems like a typical wisecracking guy without Evelyn. Although he is now reunited, she is bare and his deadline only continues to tick away. I’m extremely interested in seeing where this goes from here, and that means a lot with today’s oversaturated lineups of drivel.

 

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