Episode Recap: The Clampdown

It’s really hard when you think your best friend is macking on your boyfriend. It’s even harder when you think your best friend is trying to kill you because the head of her cartel thinks you killed his son. I mean, hormones are one thing, right? But having members of your clan whisper to you about your friend’s betrayal while urging you to kill them… that makes things way more real. And let’s not forget that in Maria’s case, bipolar disorder is in play. So yeah. Things are tense between Saya and Maria.

When Master Lin finds out that another student (Yukio) was killed, he puts the school on lockdown to find the truth. He has a conversation with Madam Gao, who had a change of heart regarding her brother’s relatively soft approach to discipline after she saw him with his young daughter. She’ll do everything she can to protect the girl, but that means Lin MUST find Chico and Yukio’s killers – otherwise the Guild will descend on Kings like hungry locusts. Marcus now knows that Maria killed Yukio and is determined to ensure a gang war doesn’t break out between the Sotos and the Kuroki.

Willie, though fuming that he won’t be able to meet up with his girl like he promised he would, spares a thought for Marcus and tells him he’ll get the living crap kicked out of him by Lin if he tries to escape a lockdown. Marcus does it anyway. And Lin kicks the crap out of him.

Maria got shoved into a room with Juan, one of Chico’s closest friends, who incidentally tried to kill Saya just moments before lockdown. Maria is still (nominally) in charge of the Soto Vatos and gives Juan hell for his dicey move, but he insists she had it coming. Not to mention, El Diablo ordered it. He knew Maria wouldn’t be able to do the deed. Brandy’s in the room, too, with all kinds of helpful tips about when to trust a friend like Saya (hint: never). “Who, me?” Brandy asks. “Just stoking this lil fire so’s I can get these gals to kill each other.”

Saya also got locked in with one of her underlings, who demands that Yukio’s death be
avenged. Saya is suspicious of Maria and wonders if Maria tried to distract her so that Juan could make his attempt on her life? Even so, Saya is unwilling to go for her friend’s throat. Shabnam is there, too, and knows an awful lot about Maria and Saya’s friendship… Oh, did we not mention that he offered up Marcus’s journal to Madam Gao? Yeah, that kid is a straight snitch.

Gao is merciful and allows the children to eat, but warns that if anyone so much as touches another student, blood will flow. That doesn’t stop Saya from packing a shiv in her sleeve and lunging for Juan – only to be blocked by a hyped-up, anxious, undermedicated Maria, who’s convinced Saya was aiming for her jugular. Their championship match is broken up by Gao, who almost gleefully leads Maria down a cold hallway, straps her to a chair, and unleashes Saya’s underling on her.

Saya by this point has learned that Maria killed Yukio, but it’s a testament to her friendship that she busts down the door, fights her own clan member, and releases Maria from her bindings.

Maria says that killing Yukio took the heat off of all of them for Chico’s killing, plus, he betrayed Saya, so it was a good thing, see? Saya might’ve agreed if Maria had talked to her before icing Yukio. Instead, this day and everything leading up to it might be the final nail in the friendship coffin.

Marcus meanwhile has been spending some quality time with Lin, sitting around, watching home movies of Marcus’ parents, like ya do with your head teacher while he beats you with his cane. No telling how Lin came to possess these home movies, but they crack Marcus wide open and he spills everything about Vegas, Chico, the boys’ home – all of it.

Lin, satisfied that his errant protégé is on the right path, tells Diablo that Yukio was a drug addict who owed a huge debt to Chico that he couldn’t repay, so he killed him instead. Diablo is probably not buying it, but since Chico was selling drugs on campus, he’s stalled for the moment on further revenge. For now, he sees Yukio’s death as justice. “For now” being a crucial phrase, there.

All of this is way too much drama, so why don’t we take a peek and see what’s happening – or not happening – with Petra, Billy, and Lex. We know Billy is sprung on Petra, but did you know Lex is, too? Petra sees this as an opportunity to cross “threesome” off her bucket list, but the guys can’t get over their gay panic and just sit around in their tighty whities while Petra virtuall steams with sexual frustration. Finally, lockdown is over and Petra jets outta that room as fast as she can, leaving the perplexed, sexually stunted, half-naked boys in her wake.

This whole day has been a little too much for Marcus to bear. He finds Maria and they share a sweet kiss before he decides to break the seal of secrecy all around. He tells the whole gang – Petra, Billy, all of ‘em – about Chester and his deadline. He’s going to need their help.