As the episode opens, a KLD delivery man (Patrick Shane) drops a package off at the McKenna house. Liam McKenna (Andrew William Smith) retrieves the package and shuts the door before it explodes. Del Harris (Jeff Daniels) is in bed when he receives a call.

Grace Poe (Maura Tierney), Billy Poe (Alex Neustaedter), and Virgil Poe (Mark Pellegrino) meet with Fayette County District Attorney Sue Herlitz (Emily Davis), Assistant State Attorney General Beau Davis (Chris Newman), and Assistant D.A. Ramona Paltz (Melissa Rakiro). Grace accuses Sue of sending Billy to prison without solid evidence. She says Billy was beaten into a coma. Grace promises to make sure Sue isn’t reelected if she fails to do right by Billy. Virgil claps but declines to make a statement. Sue offers compensation for Billy’s medical expenses and $28,400 for pain and suffering. Grace and Virgil verbally assault Beau and Sue until Billy accepts the deal.

Harris and Detective Angela Burgos (Luna Lauren Velez) arrive at the scene of the recent bombing. Elsewhere, Billy informs Grace and Virgil of his decision to stay at Isaac’s place. Grace confronts Sue as she is getting into her car. Sue records the confrontation until Grace slaps her phone out of her hand. Virgil grabs Grace, giving Sue time to speed away.

At the police station, Angela tells the supervisor that Liam’s wife, Nell, a professor at Carnegie Mellon, has not been located. Ramon Fisher (Kyle Beltran) calls Harris into his office to show him new evidence in the Chuck Costellanos’ case. Fisher gives him a photo captured by a yoga studio surveillance camera within a three-mile radius of the diner where Chuck died. Harris claims the passenger in Chuck’s vehicle is not clearly visible in the photo. Fisher reminds him of the Catholic school teacher who had his child sexual assault charges dropped only to end up shot to death in Wisconsin that same year. He offers Harris immunity for his testimony that will convict Chuck of the teacher’s murder. Harris walks out of the meeting.

Grace is shooting her gun when Chief Steve Park (Rob Yang) approaches. She warns him against approaching someone from behind and admits to having a gun. He tells her that Harris was at the Main Street Bar in West Virginia on the night of Jackson Berg’s murder. He says Chloe Tatlock (Jamie Neumann) said Harris received a call from someone named Steve but his phone records show the call came from her. She claims Harris came home after the call. Elsewhere, Isaac gives Billy the wrench utilized in the assault. Sticking it in his pocket, Billy tells him to forget about it.

The KLD delivery driver denies any connection to the package bomb, other than delivering it to the McKenna house. Angela offers to let him off the hook if he gives the name of the person who hired him to deliver it. Later, Grace tells Harris about Park’s visit. He assures her that it will go nowhere before ending the call. Elsewhere, Isaac shows Billy his room with exercise equipment. Billy embraces him.

Angela’s friends throw her a birthday party. She later leaves Harris at the bar. Vic Walker (Marc Menchaca) and Mike Orr (Nick Sandow) complain about Harris’ by-the-book attitude. After Harris agrees to rejoin the brotherhood, Mike provides the details of his first assignment to take out a “bad man” tomorrow night. Elsewhere, Billy and Isaac are goofing around when Lee arrives home. She briefly speaks to Billy before going to take a shower.

During a phone call, Harris tells Grace that he confiscated weed and released the driver. She asks him to spend the weekend with her. He claims to have something planned for tomorrow night. When she asks if he is getting mixed up with those guys again, he declines to answer.

Harris pulls up beside a dumpster where he finds an unregistered handgun concealed in a paper bag. He receives a call from Angela informing him that Lily is in Highland Park. Elsewhere, Park explains his theory of Chuck’s death to Sue. Frank Deluca (Namir Smallwood) argues that there is no evidence of Harris removing the gun and flak jacket from the gun locker. Park says all five officers with a key to the gun locker deny accessing it in months. Frank urges him to accept Harris’ resignation from the Buell police force as a win and move on. After Frank leaves, Sue claims to have gotten approval to access Harris’ cabin in West Virginia and vows to go after him once she is reelected.

Nell claims to have attended a conference in Morgantown that required her to keep her phone off and forgot to turn it back on. Angela questions why she left her phone off with her daughter in Pittsburgh. Nell says she was with her parents to give Liam a break. She denies meeting anyone at the conference. Harris asks if Liam has any enemies. Nell suggests some of his students did not take kindly to his strictness.

Grace gives Virgil divorce papers to sign. While he scans the documents, she receives a call from Billy. Realizing he does not have enough money to cover his tab, he asks the waitress, Marisa to join him. A short time later, Billy gives Grace a deed to her property. He tells her that he utilized his settlement to clear her debt. She says this is the first time she ever owned anything.

Rinna gives Lee several boxes of files for Landwill Enery Co. Elsewhere, Harris is in his locker when Dale says everything is good to go for tonight. Angela informs Harris that the principal claims Liam believed Nell was having an affair. Elsewhere, Billy convinces Isaac to meet the preppy college guy (Jason Diers).

Main Street Bar – Virgil is having a drink with Dennis (Brendan Burke) when Grace approaches and finds the divorce papers a mess. Grace accuses Chloe of talking to Park and threatens her if she does not keep her mouth shut before leaving. Elsewhere, Isaac gets intimate with Russell Wolfe (Christopher Denham) in the pub restroom.

Armed with the unregistered handgun, Harris makes his way through an apartment building. He loosens a light bulb and enters an apartment where he finds Mike waiting for him. Mike congratulates him for passing his test when Fisher, Vic, and the other guys appear from around the corner. Later, Harris drives to a building where he meets FBI Agent Joe Dordt (Ben Cain). Another agent removes his wire. Lee snugs up to Billy in bed. Elsewhere, Grace finds Harris on the steps of the cabin.

Main Street Bar – The beer delivery driver (Brett Sullivan Santry) finds Chloe unconscious on the floor. The episode ends.

 

American Rust Review

Story progression is initially slow but becomes hardly noticeable. The cast is oversaturated with a lot of irrelevant characters. The acting is a mixture of trying too hard and not trying at all.

As someone who is closely related to Rust Belt Pennsylvania and West Virginia, the setting doesn’t fit the bill. The series is an insult to all of small-town America. The scenery is grossly drab and depressing.

The cinematography is the worst. Dark, grainy video quality makes visibility nearly impossible.

After watching the first episode of season 2, I’m left with the question, why did Amazon save this tripe? It’s questionable why people continue to subscribe to Amazon Prime for its movie selection.

The episode deserves a 4.5 out of 10. Get more American Rust recaps here. Support Reel Mockery by donating. Learn how advertising with us can build your brand awareness. Join our newly established forum to discuss the latest TV series, movies, crimes, and much more.