The cabler announced today it has canceled the drama after three seasons.

Series creator Jeff Eastin, the man behind White Collar, shared the sad news with fans Thursday via Twitter:

"Just got the word, there will be no more #GracelandTV. Thank you to the best cast, crew and fans in television," he wrote.

Graceland earned strong reviews for its first season, which averaged over 2 million viewers per week.

But the third season barely garnered half that audience on a weekly basis, with the recent finale drawing only 900,000 total households.

2015-2016 Renewal Scorecard

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Among USA Network programs:

• Satisfaction kicks off Season 2 on October 16.
• Mr. Robot, Suits and Royal Pains have all been renewed for Seasons 2, 6 and 8, respectively.
• The Jason O'Mara-anchored drama Complications also got the axe after one season.

The post Graceland: Canceled by USA After 3 Seasons appeared first on TV Fanatic.

For one glorious moment, Briggs was talking sense. He and Mike discuss the side effects of sarin gas (you don't want to know). Briggs decides they need to inform the Bureau and Homeland Security. It's time to bring in the big dogs. Team Graceland is in way over their heads.

Cheers for Briggs! Enthusiastic thumbs up fella. Logic is your friend. Embrace the reason. Until Mike says (and I'm paraphrasing), "But Briggs, my birds led us to this case. I have to follow it through. Because of the birds. And the clock. Did I mention the birds?"

At which point, Briggs says, "Okay!" (and no I'm not paraphrasing). Mike proceeds to investigate SARIN GAS. I realize this show is fictional, and thank heavens for small favors, but speaking as an American citizen I would like any and all law enforcement to immediately contact the FBI and Homeland Security if you happen upon sarin gas in the back of some fool's trunk. Please and thank you. My tax dollars should at least guarantee that much competence.

As a side note, to any and all law enforcement now investigating my home computer because I had to Google how to spell "sarin gas," I am but a lowly television reviewer and mother. That's right, I don't even know how to spell it! No evil plots cooking here. Move it along.

Mike does make progress with Gusti. Johnny arrests Gusti and Mike for a shakedown. Johnny tries to get Mike to flip on Gusti, which he refuses. This convinces Gusti of Mike's loyalty. He offers Mike some real intel.

Gusti made a deal online — the deal Mike found. He sent a photo to a PO box and in exchange received a prepaid cell. The shipment arrived at port and Gusti put it in his trunk. He had no idea it is sarin gas. He only knew there was a $50,000 pay out upon delivery.

Unfortunately, during lock up he missed the phone call. Mike is staying glued to Gusti's side for the next call. There is something completely adorable about Gusti. He's a sarin gas toting moron, but a lovable one.

This was some nice detective work on Mike's part. He's putting the pieces of his bird puzzle together. He's at the top of his game, too. Especially since nothing ever goes wrong on Graceland.

HA! Nice try. Mike is popping, and apparently smoking, oxy pills. Yes, our dear Mike is higher than a kite while investigating SARIN GAS. I'm going to capitalize that until these agents give it the gravity it deserves.

Did you not hear the side effects, Mike? They are all kinds of gross and unpleasant. The American public would like to avoid it. Put the pills down, buddy. Step away, go to rehab and CALL HOMELAND SECURITY. Screw the birds. Rock crushes scissors.

Mike is busted anyway. House Mama, that's Charlie to any new Graceland fans, finds the twenty missing oxy pills. Not only is Mike a junkie, he's a stupid junkie. Quite frankly, I'm surprised it took Charlie this long to notice the missing pills.

Paige: So you like it rough?

_{🔗 permalink: So you like it rough?}

In happier news, Paige didn't screw up this week. Yeah! She's in deep with the Sarkissians now — Torros has a crush on her. Great. The upside is Paige beat the snot out of him. This is Graceland, okay? We take our upside where we can get it.

Ari: Jesus Christ Guy, I’m gonna get you a bicycle. I promise. I always keep my promises.

_{🔗 permalink: Jesus Christ Guy, I’m gonna get you a bicycle. I promise. I always keep my promises.}

I know he's a serial killer and evil, but Ari had the line of the night. I was cracking up. Then I felt bad because he's a serial killer and evil. I suppose everyone has layers. Right?

Even Dale saw some action in "Sidewinder." He killed an alligator with an AK 47. Or what I think is an AK 47. I don't know my guns. (To any and all law enforcement officials, I just Googled AK 47. Totally innocent.)

Given what happened to Cecil the lion, it was cringe worthy, but the alligator did not die in vain. Dale made a deal carrying a life sentence if they bust the swamp drug dealers. Please Graceland, let Charlie and Dale bust the swamp drug dealers.

Do you think Briggs and Mike have lost their minds more than usual? Does Paige's help with the Sarkissians help redeem her? Share your thoughts below! If you missed the episode and need to catch up you can watch Graceland online.

21 TV Characters Sporting Sexy Swimsuits

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The post Graceland Season 3 Episode 6 Review: Sidewinder appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Johnny slept with Hector's Tacos daughter, Jenny. Paige and Charlie are furious, but she's making tacos so they won't kick Jenny out. Jenny believes they are pornographers. Briggs tells her they are CIA agents, but she doesn't believe him.

Mike is suppose to fly out with Charlie, but he can't because of Gusti. Dale offers to go instead.

Clear Line shipping is Ari's domain, but Torros is muscling in. There's a shipment stuck in transit. The middle man wants Ari to get rid of the new hire — Paige.  

Ari recognizes Paige, but he can't place her. Ari and Briggs threaten Paige. She convinces Torros she has connections with Brazilian customs. She gets the stuck shipment through customs. Torros is impressed.

Mike is visiting Gusti when Johnny busts in with the FBI and arrests them. Gusti tells Mike it's just a shake down and to be quiet.

Ari, Briggs, Torros and Paige meet at the airline hanger. The middle man is furious Paige is staying. He threatens to alert customs. Ari is about to kill him. Briggs burns his face against the airplane, but saves his life.

Charlie and Dale meet with the swamp drug dealers. As Charlie predicted, they don't like Dale's suit and tease him about it.

Mike is suffering withdrawal in prison. He tells Gusti he's on the run from a previous charge. He asks Gusti to tell him if he's involved in anything else.

Mike informs Johnny Gusti isn't budging. He knows it's a shakedown. Mike slips into the bathroom to get high.

Mike visits with Gusti's wife while in lockup. She lost her leg in car accident. Gusti is the only one who didn't treat her differently. He gave her a place to live in exchange for a green card.

Torros is removing Ari from Clear Lines. He wants to work with Paige alone. Briggs isn't comfortable with that and is going to push Ari to stand his ground. Paige wants to listen in with a translator.

Dale tries to make a deal while the drug dealers hunt for an alligator. They want assurances he won't turn on them. One of the drug dealers falls into the water and Dale saves him by shooting the alligator. The drug dealers make a deal with Dale. 

Johnny interrogates Mike. Johnny tries to play Mike and Gusti against each other. Gusti listens in as Mike refuses to turn on him. After they are released, Gusti is convinced he can trust Mike. He tells him about an important call he missed.

Torros, Ari and Briggs discuss Clear Lines. Briggs oversteps and Torros decides to kill him. Paige interrupts to protect Briggs. Briggs and Ari leave.

Torros and Paige start fooling around. Torros likes it rough and Paige breaks his nose punching him. It ruins the mood. Torros goes to the hospital and Paige leaves.

Mike calls Briggs from Gusti's bathroom and leaves a message. He's pieced it together. Gusti made the deal online that Mike found. He sent in a photograph and in return received a prepaid cell phone. The shipment arrived and Gusti put it in his trunk. Gusti doesn't know it's sarin gas. He only knows it's a $50,000 pay out upon delivery. Gusti missed the phone call in prison. Mike is staying by Gusti's side until he receives another call.

Charlie discovers the missing oxy pills. The team knows it is Mike who stole them.

Mike gets high with Gusti's wife on the roof. She smokes the oxy and blows the smoke into Mike's mouth for a contact high.

The post Graceland Season 3 Episode 6 Recap: Sidewinder appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Briggs' crazy plans seldom work out. Or at least they haven't lately. When Briggs teams with the Casa cartel to help Johnny extricate Lucita, it's a forgone conclusion something will go wrong.

The Casa cartel storms the Solano home and Johnny gets Lucita out. However, Carlito holds Johnny at gunpoint. Carlito forces Johnny to sneak him out as well. See? Told you. Why doesn't Johnny ever have a gun around this guy? So frustrating.

During yet another one of Carlito's crazy monologues, Johnny decides to roll the car. Carlito is injured badly. Johnny has the chance to kill him, but arrests him instead. That's right! A Graceland agent arrested a criminal tonight! For a moment, I thought I was watching the wrong show.

Lucita decides she's too much like her family and can't be with Johnny. It's a bummer. I hoped those crazy kids would give it a shot, especially after all this insanity. Sadly, long term relationships aren't Graceland's thing.

Thus ends the Solano story. The truth is, the team and the audience needed a win. Badly. Briggs informs the team about Colby's death and they are fed up. So am I.

Mike: Justice? When do we ever have justice? Everything we do ends up with a body.

_{🔗 permalink: Justice? When do we ever have justice? Everything we do ends up with a body.}

The frustration is warranted. The agents seldom win. They never arrest anyone. Death like Colby's are more the norm. Most episodes it's difficult to distinguish them from the bad guys. Somewhere along the way, the pursuit of justice was lost.

At some point, the agents' badges must stand for something. Or else why root for the characters? It's why Carlito's arrest is so important. Nobody died. An arrest was made. Justice was served. 

Graceland Season 3 is slowly closing out the old cases from last year and bringing in some new. I thought Colby's death blew Briggs' cover, but it didn't. Colby didn't give Briggs up, not even after being tortured in battery acid. Martun believes Colby wanted Layla for himself. Martun also knows about Ari and Layla, which means he's out.

If Ari is out, then so is Briggs. Briggs isn't giving up and I admire his tenacity. The crazy face-offs with Ari are getting a bit stale, however. Hopefully, by bringing in Paige to double down on whoever ascends to the Sarkissian throne, Briggs will accomplish some actual police work.

I know, I know. The excitement of Carlito's arrest may be going to my head. Believing Briggs will arrest Ari and the Sarkissians may be pure insanity. However, I'm willing to live dangerously for awhile.

Briggs: Do you ever wonder if maybe, just maybe, the bird your chasing is a wild goose?

Mike: Yes, of course. But I’m staying on the path. I’m gonna see where this thing ends.

_{🔗 permalink: Yes of course. But I’m staying on the path. I’m gonna see where this thing ends.}

The most interesting case is Mike's. It was impressive watching Mike pull together all the pieces of his vision into one potential case. All the elements of the vision were present – the birds, clock, time and the number 47. It all fit. Unfortunately, as Mike set up his undercover operation with Gustie the case looked like another dead end. 

Until Mike found a weapon of mass destruction in the trunk of Gustie's car. Whoa! Seriously, who drives around with a WMD in the trunk of their car? Gustie is either a moron or insane. I'm leaning towards the former. The good news is, Mike finally found a case with some real teeth.

Now, let's hope the Graceland team doesn't screw it up.

If you missed any of the action, you can watch Graceland online to catch up!

Quotables from Week Ending June 16, 2015

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The post Graceland Season 3 Episode 5 Review: Piñon Tree appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Briggs sets his daring plan into motion in Graceland Season 3 Episode 4 and the whole team is in on the ruse. The questions is, will Briggs' plan succeed?

Briggs is setting Ari Adamain up for Layla Sarkissian's murder. Why? So Martun Sarkissian, Layla's father, will kill him. It's a simple case of two birds and one stone. If Martun kills Ari, it means Briggs doesn't have to. If Ari is dead, then Briggs is out from under Logan's boot.

Ari battles a serious case of memory loss and tries to piece together the previous night's activities. Briggs leads Ari along like a confused puppy on a leash through each step of his carefully constructed plan. 

Meanwhile, the audience is given backstage access with a series of flashbacks. We watched as Team Graceland set Ari up for murder. The flashbacks set a new tone. The episode feels like a classic caper.

The flashbacks are even filmed in black and white, giving an almost noir like feel to the entire episode. The black and white flashbacks serve a symbolic purpose, as well. For too long, Team Graceland has languished in the grey, blurring the moral lines. The grey tone of the flashbacks is a physical manifestation of their struggle. 

The lines seem less blurred tonight. In "Aha," there is a clear delineation between the good guys and bad guys. For once, the agents are the good guys. They may continue to straddle the moral line, but it's leaning more towards white versus black. 

Johnny is uncomfortable with Briggs putting a plan in motion which will ultimately cost Ari his life. Dale isn't overly impressed with Johnny's crisis of conscience because he killed a man less than 48 hours earlier. 

I understood Johnny's point. He didn't plan for Sid to die. It just happened. Ari's death is premeditated. Briggs may not be pulling the trigger, but he's loading the gun.

Dale disagrees. He believes Logan backed Briggs into a corner. He's simply boxing his way out. But that reason is secondary. For Dale, Ari Adamain set this all into motion.

Dale: This might not be the best way to get justice, but these are the cards we’ve been dealt man. I think we all can agree– Ari Adamain has got to go.

_{🔗 permalink: This might not be the best way to get justice, but these are the cards we’ve been dealt man….}

Dale isn't confused about the moral lines this time. Except for Johnny, nobody on the team is. For Team Graceland, Ari is evil. This may not be their preferred brand of justice, but it is justice nonetheless.

The real fun is watching the agents work together as a team. Can you remember the last time Team Graceland worked a case together? As a unit? It's been a very long time. 

As the ruse unfolded, the agents pop up in various places to play their roles. Mike as the convenience clerk, Dale as the bartender, Charlie as the maid and Paige posing as Layla. The team works seamlessly together. Toss in some GHB, Layla's ring Briggs stole, a few monkey bones and a whole bunch of animal blood, you have the ingredients for a perfect frame job.

It is going so well. Ari believes he killed Layla. The evidence is building and pointing directly to him. Martun will be hot on his heels soon. The agents are winning. It has been so long since any of them got the best of the bad guys.

Then the other shoe drops. Paige makes a mistake. She burns the wrong fingers. Seriously? The girl doesn't have enough red ink in her ledger? We couldn't let her burn the right fingers?

Ari: I’ve always been a lucky man. Gypsy woman once told me, something to do with my stars. Today, my stars are in line.

_{🔗 permalink: I’ve always been a lucky man. Gypsy woman once told me, something to do with my stars. Today,…}

When Ari figured it out, I audibly groaned and then yelled, "COME ON!" There may have been a pillow thrown in the general vicinity of my television as well. Is it too much to ask for Team Graceland to win once?

Apparently so. Martun finds Colby keeping a drugged Layla safe in a hotel room. Ari leads Briggs to the hotel. He opens the bathroom and there lies Colby in the bathtub – skinned. It's a horrific death. 

It's so horrific, Briggs drops his cover immediately. He falls to the ground completely overwhelmed in grief. The agent he pulled into his grand plan is now dead. 

Keep in mind, Colby was out. He came back to help Briggs. If Briggs never asked, or if Colby said no, he'd still be alive. It will haunt Briggs for the rest of his life.

Graceland Season 3 Episode 5 will be a life and death race to save Briggs or he'll end up like Colby or worse. It's a frustrating end to an overall great episode. No matter how hard the agents try to do the right thing, it seems the odds are always stacked against them.

You can watch Graceland online and catch up on the agents' soaring successes and devastating losses.

Quotables from Week Ending July 9, 2015

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The post Graceland Season 3 Episode 4 Review: Aha appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Briggs meets with Logan. If Ari isn't second in line anymore, he's worthless to Logan. Logan wants to arrest Ari and gives Briggs an out. Briggs refuses. He wants Martun Sarkissian arrested.

Briggs returns to Graceland and informs the team about Colby's death. The team is fed up. They are tired of people dying. They never arrest anyone anymore. They are out. Paige is the only one who agrees to help Briggs arrest Sarkissian.

Briggs visits Mike's room. Mike refuses to give Briggs absolution. Briggs admits he made a mistake and is looking for enlightenment. Briggs and Mike discuss his vision again. Mike still doesn't know what it means. Briggs encourages Mike to stay on the path.

Mike searches for a relationship between the clock hands, birds and 47.  He researches day and night, while taking Oxy. After ten days, he finds a case with all the elements of his vision.

Mike has been tracking an undisclosed parcel pick up between two parties: Vin XXX and Huma9. V is the shape the clocks make at 10:10. X is the roman numeral for ten. Huma9 is a mythological creature equivalent to the phoenix. When the bird rises from the ashes it's red. The parcel pick up number is 11-47-11. The team is uncertain, but Briggs is impressed. Mike asks for Briggs' help staking out the exchange.

Johnny wants to discuss Lucita with Briggs. Briggs promised to help Johnny get Lucita out. Johnny is frustrated by the lack of results. Briggs tells Johnny he's working on it.

Mike and Briggs stake out the exchange. Vin XXX, a young kid, shows up and loads something into his trunk. Then, they follow him to a bowling alley. Mike decides to go undercover to find out what's in the trunk. 

Briggs and Mike research Vin XXX. His name is Gustie, a Polynesian repeat offender with aspirations to be a stunt man. Briggs suggests Dale help Mike go undercover.

Briggs visits Ari. He threatens to kills Briggs. Briggs dares Ari to pull the trigger. He challenges Ari to take what is his. Either trust him or kill him. Ari agrees to work with Briggs again.

Mike and Dale pretend to do a deal. Gustie warns Mike that Dale is a cop. Mike refuses Dale's deal.  Dale tries to arrest Mike and they struggle. Mike escapes and Gustie offers him a job.

Charlie is running late for a flight. She's moving a shipment of Oxy in hopes it will lead her to Germaine. Mike steals some Oxy from the drug safe.

Mike meets Gustie at his apartment. He meets his wife Madison. Gustie is boiling dynamite to make nitroglycerine. Mike warns Gustie how unstable it is. Gustie asks Mike to help pour, which he does reluctantly.

Gustie wants to blow up a dentist office. The dentist treats illegal immigrants. He charges little, but steals his patients' gold teeth. They blow up the safe  with the nitroglycerine and steal the gold teeth.

Briggs and Johnny discuss the plan. Briggs is using the Casa cartel to help extricate Lucita from Carlito. If Johnny straps a white flag to his car the Casa Cartel will let him go.

The Casa cartel attacks the Solano compound. Johnny gets Lucita and puts a white flag under the hood of his car. Carlito holds a gun to Johnny's head. Carlito forces Johnny to sneak him out too.  

Johnny rolls the car. Carlito is injured badly. Lucita tells Johnny to kill Carlito, but he arrests him instead. Lucita realizes she would've killed her own brother. She's believes she's just like her brother and father. She breaks up with Johnny because they'll never work in the long run.

Mike and Gustie split the gold teeth. Gustie changes his shirt and Mike notices a scar on his side. Mike checks the trunk and immediately begins taking pictures.

The team meets at the bar to celebrate Johnny's arrest. Paige agrees to go undercover with Briggs to bring down the Sarkissians.

Mike shows Briggs the photos. Gustie has Soviet CW unit, containing a weapon of mass destruction, in the trunk of his car. Mike and Briggs need to find out what kind of WMD Gustie has, why he has it and who he's delivering it to. 

The post Graceland Season 3 Episode 5 Recap: Piñon Tree appeared first on TV Fanatic.

No more lone wolfs. The agents rely on one another and finally make some headway out of the dark.

The Graceland team has worked as separate entities for far too long. This is the first episode where the team begins to solidify. Where they feel like a team again.

After discovering Sid Markham is dead, Mike decides to close the case. Johnny is furious of course. A closed case on Carlito means he cannot help Lucia. 

Bonded in their newfound forgiveness, Paige and Mike decide to end the case together. They arrest Carlito's men in a middle of a shipment. Unfortunately, someone warned Carlito. Instead of drugs they find chickens.

Mike is in a trance at the sight of the birds. He's so distracted he's almost shot. Paige saves his life. We knew this would happen eventually. My guess is Paige will save Mike repeatedly this season — on ops and from his spiraling drug abuse. 

Paige will save Mike's life so frequently eventually we'll just forget she tried to kill him in the first place. Significant memory loss is doubtful, but I'll keep my fingers crossed. Worst case scenario, if I can't forget what Paige did then I can at least accept her atonement.  

Briggs expresses concern over Mike's behavior. Mike reveals to Briggs what he saw on the other side. It boils down to 47 birds and a clock reading 10:10. 

MIke: I have answers. I just don’t know what the questions are.

_{🔗 permalink: I have answers. I just don’t know what the questions are.}

Birds can symbolize a variety of meanings. Calm or a portent of death, life, or even embody the spirits of the dead. Supposedly, when a number appears randomly, more often than not, the number is 47. 

The meaning behind the birds and clock is a mystery, but color me intrigued. At this point, Mike opening up to Briggs is more important than what he revealed.

Now, if he'd only open up about his serious drug problem. Really Mike? Scoring Vicodin? This will end badly. Get help. Paige…you're up!

Jakes: This is beyond Johnny! This is beyond! It’s like you are trying to invent new ways to be incompetent.

_{🔗 permalink: This is beyond Johnny! This is beyond! It’s like you are trying to invent new ways to be…}

Jakes follows Johnny and finds him on a boat with Carlito's missing drugs. Jakes realizes Johnny is in way over his head. Together they run the drugs down to Mexico. At the end of the day, these men are like brothers. Jakes won't abandon Johnny.

It's why Johnny confesses to Sid's murder. He knows no matter what Jakes' has his back. Johnny finally realizes he needs help to end the war with Carlito and to save Lucia. Not just from Jakes, but from Briggs and the entire Graceland team.

Johnny: I’m not Briggs.

_{🔗 permalink: I’m not Briggs.}

No, Johnny isn't Briggs, but Briggs isn't Briggs. Briggs didn't kidnap Layla. He simply stole her phone to find Colby Moore's number. He was the FBI agent previously assigned to Ari's case. Colby doesn't have cancer. He quit because Ari is insane.

The point is, Briggs is thinking strategically and non violently for once. Whatever Briggs' plan is to stop Ari it's within the confines of the law. Otherwise he wouldn't involve the entire Graceland team. Briggs isn't operating like a lone wolf anymore, so neither should Johnny.  Briggs is turning over a new leaf and showing the team how.

Charlie and Amber face yet another near death experience together because that's what happens when you work with Amber. Despite getting the name wrong, Amber did lead Charlie to "Reggie", who's real name is Rodney. The operation was a success.

Charlie is in with Rodney's gang and hopefully it will lead to Germaine. Even though she was exhausted, Charlie still agrees to help Briggs with his Ari operation. She's part of a team, a family, and that's what family does. They have each other's backs. 

The key is nobody is working alone this episode. Each character leaned on another for help. If the Graceland team can continue to rely on one another and be honest, they might have a chance at being saved. 

You can watch Graceland online to see when the team is at their best — when they are working together.

Quotables from Week Ending June 25, 2015

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The post Graceland Season 3 Episode 3 Review: Sense Memory appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Briggs explains they went out for drinks and he left to do laundry. Ari pulls the trigger, but it's empty. He doesn't know where the bullets are. He also found a different brand of cigarettes in his pocket, one he doesn't smoke.

Ari leads Briggs to the trunk of his car. The key is broken in the lock, so they open it with a crowbar. They find two gallons of gasoline and a receipt to a gas station.

They drive to the gas station. Once inside, the clerk immediately opens fire on them. Ari fires back. Briggs tells Ari to put the gun down and approaches the clerk — it's Mike.

Flashback: Charlie preps Mike with makeup. She's concerned he isn't ready. Mike admits he's not ready. Charlie jokes about an entire lock box of oxy, but Mike is done with pain killers. 

Briggs takes the gun from Mike. Ari and Briggs interrogate him. There's no security footage, but Mike tells Ari he was drunk and bought two gallons of gas. Ari became angry when they didn't have his brand of cigarettes and hit him. Mike tells Ari he paid with Layla's credit card.

Martun Sarkissian pulls up in a black SUV.

Flashback: Dale and Johnny call Martun and inform him about Layla's credit activity. It is data Martun requested. Dale and Johnny text Briggs that Martun is on the way. Briggs plants the gas station receipt in Ari's trunk.

Ari tells Mike to pretend he doesn't know anything or he'll kill him. Ari and Briggs meet Martun outside and he informs them Layla is missing. The clerk (Mike) tells Martun's nephew he knows nothing. Martun believes Layla is at the family cabin. 

Ari and Briggs follow Martun to the cabin. As they drive, Martun has another memory from last night.

Flashback: Ari doesn't remember how much he drank, but he does remember Layla came to the bar wearing a red dress. She whispered in his ear, "Do me in the desert."

Martun searches the cabin, but it's empty. They discover footprints and signs of a dragged body.

Flashback: Johnny drags Dale in a tarp. They put monkey bones, Layla's ring and a Desert Hotel key in a barrel. Johnny is uncomfortable with setting Ari's death into motion. Dale argues Ari set everything into motion. It might not be the best way to get justice, but it is justice. Ari has to go. Dale lights the barrel on fire. 

Martun and Ari find the burned bones and ring. Martun believes Layla is dead. They notice the cigarette butt. Briggs believes the killer hesitated.

Martun loses it and attacks Briggs. He's about to kill him for speaking Layla's name. Briggs apologizes and offers to help find the killer.

They find the hotel key. Martun's nephew suggests they call "their guy" in the police department, but Ari wants to keep it in the family. Martun doesn't care how they find the killer as long as he tortures him when they do.

Ari is impressed Briggs didn't offer up his name to Martun. They go to the Desert Hotel. Ari tells Briggs if he burns – they both do.

Flashback: Charlie and Mike prep the room and discuss which case Mike wants to take on next. They stage the murder scene while they discuss Mike's vision. Charlie asks for Mike's help on one of her cases and Mike agrees.

Ari and Briggs find the bloody hotel room.

Briggs is convinced Ari didn't kill Layla. Ari wouldn't have been so sloppy. They clean the hotel room, but Ari decides to burn it down. When Ari lights the match, it triggers another memory.

Flashback: Ari burns his fingers lighting his cigarette. The bartender (Dale) offers him another drink. He laces it with GHB. Layla comes into the bar. It's Paige in a red dress and wig. She's wearing Layla's ring. She whispers, "Do me in the desert." Ari passes out and Dale loads Ari into the car.

The flashback continues as Paige meets Charlie and Mike at Ari's office. Johnny and Dale arrive soon after and the team stages the car scene. Paige crashes Ari's car. Johnny plants the gasoline and breaks the key in the ignition. Charlie leaves a lipstick stain on Ari's collar. Mike smears Ari in blood and plants the cigarettes. Paige burns Ari's fingers with a match.

Ari remembers something. He makes a call to Martun. Then pulls a gun on Briggs and forces him back into the hotel room. 

Charlie is posing as a maid at the hotel. She's worried. Briggs and Ari have been in the hotel room for an hour. Dale tells her to stay calm.

Ari receives a phone call. Then he forces Briggs into his car by gun point. Dale tells Charlie to call back up. She chases after Ari and Briggs, but they pull away too quickly.

Ari tells Briggs he realizes someone very clever is pulling the strings. He realized the wrong fingertips were burned. There's only one man who could pull this all together — Briggs.

Flashback: Layla pulls into a hotel. She's meeting Colby. Colby tells Layla Ari wants to elope. He tells Layla to make herself comfortable and take a bath. He laces her drink with GHB. Once Layla passes out, Colby gives Layla's ring, dress and shoes to Paige. The next morning, Layla is still passed out. Colby handcuffs her to the bed post. He goes to the vending machine for a soda. When he returns the door is ajar. Martun has found him.

Ari leads Briggs to the bathroom of Colby's hotel room. Martun and Layla are gone, but Colby is dead in the bathtub — skinned. Ari tells Briggs they need to talk.

The post Graceland Season 3 Episode 4 Recap: Aha appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Mike takes some pills and gets a phone call. The team is eating breakfast while Briggs tries to triangulate Colby's location based on his cell phone number. Mike informs the team Sid Markham is dead. Mike decides to close Carlito's case. Johnny is furious.

Amber and Charlie begin searching for Reggie. Charlie tells the team to provide support if needed, but to stay back otherwise.

An airplane drops a shipment of Carlito's drugs. The FBI arrives and opens fire on Carlito's men. Paige and Mike open the crate. Instead of drugs they find chickens.

Mike is in a trance like state when he sees the birds. One of Carlito's men opens fire on Mike. Paige screams for him to get down, but Mike doesn't move. Paige shoots the drug dealer and saves Mike's life.

Briggs finds Colby in a trailer park. Colby was the agent previous assigned to Ari's case. Colby doesn't have cancer. He quit because Ari forced him to chain a man to his car and drag him to his death. Colby agrees to help Briggs with his plan.

Amber and Charlie can't find Reggie. Charlie is ready to shut the operation down, but Amber tells her about a doctor dealing drugs in Havana who is connected to Reggie. Charlie believes she can track the doctor down.

Paige gives Mike the form to close the Carlito case. She wants to discuss what happened, but Mike brushes her off.

Mike meets Colby and agrees to help Briggs with his plan.

Jakes follows Johnny to a marina. Johnny is on a boat filled with Carlito's missing drugs. He warned Carlito about the FBI. Johnny confesses to Jakes that Carlito knows everything and will kill Lucia. Jakes agrees to help deliver the drugs to Mexico.

Paige and Briggs argue. Briggs wants her out of the house for what she did to Charlie. Paige refuses to leave , but tells him she's worried about Mike. Briggs agrees to talk to Mike.

Mike scores some Vicodin, but gets into a fight with a dealer. The dealer is ripping Mike off and they argue. 

Ari asks Briggs to look into Layla's attack. Briggs agrees and offers to take Ari to a bar later. 

Johnny confesses to Jakes he killed Sid. He never loses sleep over taking a life, if it's necessary, but Sid's death is bothering him. It felt like an execution.

Charlie and Amber find the Havana doctor at a coffee shop. The doctor doesn't know who Reggie is and Amber spooks him when she presses for information. Charlie is furious and decides to end the operation.

A trooper arrests Charlie and Amber for hassling the doctor. The trooper brings them to a house instead of the police station. He's working with the doctor.

The trooper and his partners threaten to kill to kill Amber and Charlie unless they tell them who Reggie is. Just as he's about to shoot them, Reggie appears. He recognizes Amber. Except his name isn't Reggie– it's Rodney. 

Briggs is worried about Mike. He tells Mike he touched the "other world". Briggs believes Mike was given answers. Mike agrees, but he doesn't know the questions.

Mike tells Briggs what he saw after he died. He was at the foothills of the ​Adirondacks. He saw a tree line and was running towards it when a flock of red birds took off. Mike didn't have to count the birds. He knew there was 47.

When he arrived at the tree line there was a tunnel. At the mouth of the tunnel was a grandfather clock which read 10:10. Then Mike saw Briggs and the doctors. He was back. Mike believes the birds and numbers mean something and he was sent back to find out what.

Charlie makes a drug deal with Rodney's crew. She'll sell their drugs for double the money. Charlie has a direct connection to Germaine now.

Briggs and Colby reviews the Ari plan with the Graceland team. Everyone is in.

Briggs and Ari drink at the bar while discussing Layla. Briggs tells Ari to break up with Layla like an adult. Ari considers it. Briggs leaves the bar.

Ari wakes up the next morning in his car, covered in blood. His car is totaled. He calls Briggs and asks for help.

Briggs is at a laundry station when Ari calls. He's visibly pleased Ari asked for help. The plan is working.

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To accomplish good the team allows for some bad, but do the cosmic scales ever balance in their favor? Can sinners be heroes?

Director: I think we should insist upon measuring a person by their deeds. By the goodness or badness of their self determined actions.

_{🔗 permalink: I think we should insist upon measuring a person by their deeds. By the goodness or badness…}

Breathe a sigh of relief Graceland viewers. Johnny is still Johnny. He's only helping Sid to get Lucia out of Carlito's compound. Did we know this all along? Yes, of course. We believe in Johnny's ultimate goodness. Still, it's nice to have our belief reaffirmed.

Is his plan 100% crazy pants? You bet. But that's our Johnny. I'm not sure what end result he expects. Johnny arrives at Carlito's army with Sid – two guns against an army.

I love you Johnny, but do the math my friend. Somebody was always going to end up dead. Quite frankly, Johnny is lucky it wasn't him. 

Shooting Sid to save Carlito so Lucia isn't killed basically erases the heroic effort. If anything, Johnny is in deeper with Carlito now. I'm not seeing a clear way out of this spider web unless Johnny starts enlisting the help of the Graceland team.

It's a new day new plan for Briggs. If Logan won't let him arrest Ari, then he'll just kill him. Good grief. Anyone else want to smack Briggs sometimes? Raise your hand if you agree.

Robbing Peter to pay Paul is a horrible plan. How did murder work out for you the last time, Briggs? The whole reason you are in this mess with Ari and Logan is because you were trigger happy in a drunken stupor. 

Briggs: You can’t control a psychopath anymore than the break of a swell. For now, I’m surfing.

_{🔗 permalink: You can’t control a psychopath anymore than the break of a swell. For now, I’m surfing.}

This plan has more holes than Swiss cheese, but Warren points out the most obvious. Logan will immediately suspect Briggs. If Logan can't arrest Briggs for Ari's murder, then he'll just use the Badillo tape. At least someone on the Graceland team is using logic. 

Mike's words of warning hit their mark with Briggs…eventually. Just as he's about to shoot Ari, in the back, Briggs changes his mind. Instead of murdering Ari, he kidnaps his girlfriend – who happens to be Martun Sarkissian's daughter.

Kidnapping is a step up from murder. What can I say? Paul Briggs is a work in progress. His cosmic balance is going to take some time. A lot of time.

Speaking of Mike, he's working very hard at tipping those scales in his favor. He confronts Logan and attempts to extricate Briggs from the Sarkissian mess. It fails miserably, but A for effort.

Mike is determined to be cleared for duty too. What's the rush? Warren doesn't handle failure well, and nearly all of his investigations were epic ones. He needs to balance his record with a few wins – i.e., arrests. 

Problem is, Mike can barely walk. Seriously, what kind of doctor is he seeing? I don't understand how he was cleared for duty and that was before Mike started popping Oxycontin like candy.

I appreciate Mike's need to do good, especially after his near death experience. As with Briggs, balancing the cosmic scales takes time. Mike needs to be Oxy free. Otherwise, the dark path of addiction will eradicate any good he attempts.

Mike doesn't need to arrest bad guys to even the cosmic scale. He's forgiven Paige freely and without equivocation. Mike's forgiveness can only be described as grace. Mike didn't forgive Paige to benefit from it. He forgave her because he loves her. 

Finally explaining what happened to Lena was a necessary confession. Part of the frustration with last season was a simple explanation would have eliminated 90% of Paige and Mike's issues. He didn't kill Lena. In fact, he tried to save her. Burning the body and lying about her whereabouts was bad. It was selfish and more than a little disturbing. However, it was not murder.

Paige. Sigh. I'm trying with her, but it's difficult. Graceland Season 2 wrote themselves into a corner with Paige and they are trying to box their way out of it, but it's not entirely successful. The cold shoulder routine with Mike left me cold.

It's not until Mike confesses what happened to Lena that Paige acknowledges what she did to him. Telling Mike he's a painful reminder of her sin because he survived isn't exactly a heart warming apology. It seems Graceland's position is Mike's sins against Lena are worse than Paige's sins against Mike. I can't get behind that no matter how hard they sell it. 

Still, I'm taking a page from Warren. Is Paige a lost cause? No. The medal is for saving those girls and she earned it. If Mike can forgive her can I do any less? Graceland Season 3 is asking us to focus on the good. I'll try mostly because, in the immortal words of Izzie Stevens, "It's what Jesus would freaking do!"

"Two roads diverge in the woods" for Charlie. One path is being an FBI agent. The other is motherhood. Charlie believes it's one or the other. She makes the painful decision to end her pregnancy.

Except she didn't. Charlie wants Briggs to think she did.

I understand how this plan works in the interim. It gets Briggs off her back about the operation with Amber. By the time Charlie is showing, the op will be over. This is a whopper of a lie to accomplish some good. How the cosmic scales will balance in the end is anybody's guess.

Director: For undercover agents in the field, deeds are currency and action is the state of play. They are foot soldiers who fight for justice. The best of them are what we see when we imagine heroes.

_{🔗 permalink: For undercover agents in the field, deeds are currency and action is the state of play. They…}

The Graceland team is in a constant battle of give and take. They sell pieces of their souls to save them. In the end, perhaps balancing the cosmic scales is less important than the valiant attempt.

The agents are on the front lines in the battle between good and evil. You can watch Graceland online to see which side, if any, wins.

Quotables from Week Ending June 25, 2015

Open List

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