The episode begins with Elaine (Monette Lee) and Trent (Joe Davidson) discovering Brooke Phelps (Sara West) while poaching gators at night.

Together just a few doors down, Amanda Pharrell (Nicole Chamoun) and Sergeant Sweeney (Zindzi Okenyo) learn about this when Officer Hench (Long Cooper Tang) shows up with backup to question and search Colin Finch’s (Brett Tucker) room. While Colin is completely open about his account with Brooke, Amanda becomes affronted when Sweeney doesn’t want her seen leaving her room. It is only a minute later that Sweeney learns Amanda was Brooke’s last contact.

Ted Conkaffey (Thomas Jane) briefly relishes waking to discover Kelly (Radha Mitchell) making breakfast. Those good feelings die the moment he realizes Lilly (Chloe Delle-Vedovee) is outside with Ezra/Twist (Simon Lyndon). Just as quickly as Ted loads his revolver and rushes out, he discovers that Twist is only there to make sure no one, including Raph/Raphael (Ethan Lwin), learns the truth about him being Raph’s father. Things don’t get much further thanks to a call from Doctor Val (Angela Punch McGregor) that leads Ted and Amanda to the morgue/hospital, where Brooke is revealed to be alive.

While Val quickly updates them on Brooke’s condition, Hench and Milbee (Lucas Linehan) arrive to take Amanda in for questioning. Ted isn’t allowed anywhere near the inside of the station while Amanda is questioned but the context of the interrogation is revealed when Sweeney shows up. Nothing of real importance is revealed due to Amanda and Hench trading insults. Sweeney eventually hears enough and calls Hench outside to reveal the truth about being with Amanda. She even offers to put the statement on the record. Amanda is not at all happy about the rescue.

Ted and Amanda are debating the reasons that Brooke would text her when Wayne (Cramer Cain) interrupts.  It doesn’t take Amanda and Ted long to suspect that he wants to get something off his chest. According to Wayne, he caught Brooke selling Corkwood Leaf in the bar and gave her a job if she promised to stop.  Although he did notice her hanging around Nathan (John Lacy), he claims he honestly thought she stopped. This was until last night when he received a text from her cousin, Tegan, claiming that he had seen Brooke with Twist, replenishing her supply.

The discovery leads Amanda and Ted to question Trent which does not go well for him the instant he tries to attack Amanda. They eventually trade knowledge of Nathan’s dealer with a trip to where he and Elaine discovered Brooke’s body. Once there, it becomes clear that she entered the marsh from the downriver which ultimately leads them to a regular dumping point. Trent is not at all happy when Brooke is identified as the dealer but a call from Val reveals that he won’t have a chance to hash it out with her.

After briefly viewing Brooke’s body at the morgue, Amanda frantically races to Family Tree to question Twist. He doesn’t deny being with Brooke but claims he took her home. He not only jokes about Amanda being jealous but he also says that no one would ever find someone he tried to kill alive. Amanda returns his snake before leaving.

Amanda returns to the bar to share her discovery with Ted. They also share a brief conversation about forgiveness and their time in prison. Amanda appears to be most upset by the fact that she will never be able to forgive Brooke. Ted leaves her with the question if it is Brooke that she really needs to forgive.

While Twist burns the tattoo off his back with a heated knife blade, Ted returns home where Kelly appears to be fast asleep. When he gathers his things to sleep on the couch, she tells him not to. The scene ends with them in bed together.

Ted’s much-improved mood is apparent the following morning when he shows up early at the offices to discuss the Claire Bingley (Jessi Robertson) case with Amanda. While he was focused on this, Amanda learned quite a bit about Sharon/George (Fletcher Humphrys) and Linda/Reggie (Meyne Wyatt), the two ‘coffee traders’ who were harassing both Brooke and Taylah/Tayla (Miah Madden).

While processing the leaf, Raph and Tayla discuss the odds of Twist being involved in Brooke’s death. Raph appears to think it wouldn’t be a smart play for him while Tayla is on the fence. Twist soon shows up to collect Tayla for a delivery. This delivery turns out to be to Linda and Sharon where Ted and Amanda have just arrived. When Amanda makes special note of the tires on Linda and Sharon’s vehicle, they make plans to return later that night and break in.

While Ronnie (Ursula Yovich) confronts Twist about involving Tayla in the delivery, Ted readies his weapon for the break-in at Sharon and Linda’s. Before Amanda joins him, she learns that the cops misidentified the dog in Claire’s case as a Maltese Terrier when it was actually a Bichon Frise.

After returning to the warehouse it doesn’t take Amanda and Ted long to pick the lock and get inside where they discover the UTE with 4 new tires. At the same time they discover it also has a GPS device, Sharon and Linda return. Amanda is too stubborn to pass up taking a look at the device, which nearly leads to them getting caught. They not only get away by the skin of their teeth but also get coordinates that later lead them to a forest.

The episode ends with Ted and Amanda discovering a small ‘Devil’s Breath’ plantation. Upon noticing the security system in place, Amanda takes a magic marker and writes a message to the potential watchers.

 

Troppo Review

Not a bad episode at all but entirely too long. As I’ve said before and will continually say, these episodes are too long. You could tell this story in half the time and it would likely be all the better. I must admit that the devil’s breath aspect of the story is extremely interesting, being that I am a big proponent of natural teas and Kratom. Colin is looking guiltier by the minute but I seriously doubt he will end up being the killer. I seriously doubt it is Twist either. Anyway, I’d give the episode a 5.6 out of 10.

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