Critic’s Rating: 5 / 5.0
5
After spending most of the season in the shadows, Kingsley Marshall is finally back, and he wastes very little time reminding everyone exactly who he is.
We have spent five episodes in Fightland hearing about the Marshall patriarch and watching people make moves, many bad, because of him. Now that he is actually here, his return changes the entire temperature of the series. Things are heating up!
The long-awaited first face-to-face between Duke and Kingsley is admittedly a little lackluster. I wasn’t expecting them to start throwing punches, but after all that buildup, I expected more. Thankfully, that disappointment doesn’t last long.
(Courtesy of Starz)
Daddy Dearest
Within five minutes of Kingsley reuniting with his children, it becomes clear that he’ll never win the Father of the Year title.
Zeke and Cece are genuinely happy to see him, but Kingsley seems far more interested in assessing the damage done in his absence than catching up with his kids.
If you’ve been watching since Fightland Season 1 Episode 1, you already know Zeke is going to come up short.
Nothing he does is ever good enough for his father, and Kingsley cuts him down with one brutal line: “I left you a castle. You turned it into a house of cards.”
(Courtesy of Starz)
Zeke has spent the entire season chasing his father’s approval, which makes the contempt and rejection especially hard to watch. Kingsley is cold-blooded, so when Zeke admits to Duke that he dreams about killing his father, who can blame him?
There Is a War Coming does an excellent job of showing how Kingsley creates enemies, even within his own family.
Kingsley Hands Over the Keys to the Castle
Kingsley’s next move may be even more interesting than the way he handles his children.
He wants to give Joy the majority stake in the Marshall family empire and make her its public face. He frames it as a move for her, Aiden, and the future, but my suspicions were instantly raised.
(Courtesy of Starz)
On the surface, it sounds empowering. Joy’s attorney immediately raises the better question: Is Kingsley giving her more control, or more culpability?
That question sticks because Kingsley is far too calculating for this to feel like a simple act of generosity. While he was away, he was clearly plotting, and I have a hard time believing he came home ready to hand over everything he built without a larger plan.
Then he starts showing Joy what it actually means to be closer to the business.
He has the man who failed to protect her and Aiden killed, then makes her watch as his body is carried away, all under the guise of doing it for her.
The keys to the castle may come with more power, but they may also come with a price Joy does not fully understand yet.
(Courtesy of Starz)
The Kingpin Cleans House
Mr. Marshall does not waste time once he decides who needs to go. Nikolai and the Russians are wiped out, and the message is clear: if he sees you as a threat, there is very little room for negotiation.
Even his longtime allies, the Albanians, aren’t safe. Kingsley shoots one of them simply to make it clear that whatever partnership they once had is over.
They work for him now, and judging by how quickly everyone starts spilling the beans, the message lands.
The Albanians reveal that a Mexican cartel was behind the order to hit Kingsley. Finally, another piece of the puzzle falls into place. Every move this man makes is calculated and cold, and violence is just another tool he uses to keep everyone around him in line.
The fallout for Cece is devastating.
(Courtesy of Starz)
She convinced Nikolai to face her father because she believed Kingsley wouldn’t kill him, and now she has to live with knowing her actions helped lead the man she loved straight to his death.
Kingsley talks a lot about protecting his family, but killing your daughter’s boyfriend is a hell of a way to show it.
Lazaro Goes Rogue
Kingsley isn’t the only man becoming more dangerous. The difference is that while Kingsley calculates every move, Lazaro seems to be losing whatever restraint he had left.
Revenge once united Lazaro and Duke, but it is quickly becoming what drives them apart.
Lazaro is so laser-focused on taking down Kingsley that anyone who complicates that mission becomes a problem, including Kim and, increasingly, Duke himself.
(Courtesy of Starz)
Kim has become the clearest dividing line between the two men. Duke cares about her and wants to protect her, while Lazaro is willing to eliminate her.
When he goes as far as breaking into Duke’s home looking for Kim, it becomes obvious that the trust between these two is disappearing fast.
Duke warning Jay not to answer Lazaro’s calls says even more. He is no longer simply disagreeing with his friend’s methods; he sees Lazaro as someone Jay may need protection from.
And Kim’s revelation that she believes Kingsley killed her sister gives Duke even more reason to understand her. They are both carrying the grief of losing a sibling because of the same man, which makes their growing connection feel much deeper than simple attraction.
Duke and Lazaro may still want Kingsley to pay, but they are no longer fighting the same fight. At this rate, Kingsley may not be the only showdown Duke needs to prepare for.
(Courtesy Starz)
Duke Gets Played
Kingsley saves his slickest move for last when he takes Duke to an empty stadium with a duffel bag in hand.
Considering this man has been dropping bodies all episode, Duke has every reason to wonder if he is about to become the next one.
Instead, Kingsley opens the bag and pulls out the gloves Duke wore the night he won the heavyweight championship.
He straps them onto Duke’s hands and starts selling him the dream: his title, his crown, fame, fortune, and Kingsley back in his corner like old times.
(Courtesy of Starz)
For a moment, it almost feels sentimental. Then the stadium lights come on, the media comes rushing in, and Duke realizes he has been played.
Kingsley has publicly pulled him back into Marshall Promotions. It is one more Kingsley blindside in an episode full of them.
With only two episodes left, can Fightland possibly untangle everything Kingsley has set in motion, or are we headed for one massive cliffhanger?
Let’s discuss it.
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You can view the original article HERE.
