Drive: Episode 103: Let the Games Begin

“Some of us are being forced to drive... Some of us are trying to put together our past... Some of us are trying to escape our past... It's my one chance to keep my husband alive... It's my chance to really live... It's my chance to protect my baby... And we'll do anything, betray anyone, to win."

Serenity has broken down on the roadside, allowing us to get some banter between the most entertaining team on the race, Tully and Corinna. It's about getting there fast, and the world's most obvious clue, the address on the ticket. In sheer frustration, Tully orders her back inside the car and she mistakenly believes it's to try and start it again. In reality, it's to prevent him from whacking her over the head with a wrench. Although, considering he took out Alan with a wrench in "The Starting Point," and she took out Alex with a laptop and Alan with a computer in "Partners," by my calculations, he has to knock out three people in this episode, just to keep ahead.

The pimptastic Impala pair laugh at Serenity's predicament but Sean isn't so confident about the road worthiness of their ride. Winston spouts off the car's genealogy like "it's royalty." Yes, and we all know how sturdy royalty is. Just look at the Windsors; they're poster children for sturdiness, or incest.

Winston's developed goldfish syndrome, where he's always distracted by something new and shiny and needs to follow it. In this case, he needs to follow a hot chick in a flash car. As they race in and out of traffic, it's clear what is really driving the pimptastic Impala, Winston's penis.

In the Taurus, John's finally feeling better, or, at least, well enough to be worried that Violet's doing 85 on the highway. She thinks he means she isn't going fast enough but that the Taurus "shakes worse than you do when I talk about birth control." With that, Violet takes the snark crown for this episode. Dad acquiesces with one small demand, Violet keep both hands on the wheel.

Back with Serenity, help's arrived, a cop offering assistance. Since I've seen "Out of Gas," penned by our very own Tim Minear, I know this isn't good. Ha! I'm right, as Tully is arrested, denied his rights and hit in the gut with a night stick. Could be worse, at least he's not going to run out of air.

Gavin Rossdale serenades us in the credits. "How deep is your love?" For Nathan Fillion, it's endless. Although, I’m curious, why are Susan and John not in the opening credits but on the Fox website?

Outside Valdosta, Georgia (304 Miles to checkpoint): Ivy Chitty isn't totally evil. Really, I'm not kidding. Why aren't you taking me seriously? Stop snickering.

During Katrina, Ivy Chitty made it on the news for helping carry patients at Susan's hospital, to higher ground. That's how Ivy Chitty, met her previous partners, Leigh and Susan, before ditching them for Wendy. Her good Samaritan act even got her on the news and she figures that was why she was invited to race. Somehow, I think there's more to the story.

Wendy puts on her I’m-slightly-less-than-sane stare and doesn't agree with Ivy Chitty's theory, as she's never been on the news. I'm not so sure about that either.

Tifton, Georgia (248 miles to the checkpoint): Ellie and Rob stop for gas, sure they're in the lead. Their good mood is tossed out the window like a losing roll up the rim to win cup, when Rob goes inside the station and the local news is carrying a story about the death of a man he knew in the army.

Speaking of the army, Rob gives the best damn description of it I’ve ever heard. They “point at something and tell you to run like hell for it.” I’m sure that’s about the extent of recent battle plans too.

Corinna ditches Serenity and hitches.

The pimptastic Impala Salazars are theorizing. For Sean, he thinks the "admit one" comment on the ticket is really a riddle. Perhaps Winston will have to admit to something? For Winston, he's finally figured out the race officials got him out of prison. After adeptly avoiding the question as to why he was in prison in the first place, we learn his back-story. He was born and raised in Miami, and although Sean never knew about him, he's always known about Sean. Winston's mother, who he makes sound like a saint, made young Winston go to church and pray for Sean the day he was born.

Shiny object -- or hot chick! Winston's ready to let little Winston drive again, but Sean reminds him that they need to stay focused.

FHP Sproull Sub-Station: First of all – let me say this sub-station doesn’t exist, as I googled it. So if it’s a shout out too clever for me to pick up, please let me know. Corinna has gone to bail out Tully and report that some cop, named Poole, is abusing his authority. Considering the fact they have a little over 5 hours to make it 400 miles, she’s looking a little anxious.

Interrogation Room: Our Alex Tully may not be all he seems as Officer Poole is convinced that on July 12, 2003, Tully was in Ashland, Kentucky. Why does officer Poole know this? He tosses pictures to three dead people onto the table in front of Tully and declares Tully the killer. WTF? I’m confused. Hiding secrets is one thing but hiding multiple murders? Even my love for all things Nathan Fillion may not be able to withstand this character assassination.

Hastings, Nebraska: Jubal Early, Detective Ehrle is questioning Tully’s sister about his whereabouts. He’s suspecting Alex is running.

Interrogation: Poole tells us the story that four armed men robbed the First National Credit Union and left three corpses. While Alex wasn’t technically in the bank, as the wheel man, he’s just as culpable. Changing tactics, Poole talks about his murdered partner’s children and how they’ll never really know their father. It’s all very dramatic but I’d like some proof please. Poole doesn’t agree with me as he says Alex will be there until he admits who he really is.

Firebird: Rob is wigging out that no one called to tell him about the attack he heard about on the news. As his unit and the dead soldier’s unit served together, usually someone would call with tragic news like that. Desperate to hide what she’s been doing, Ellie refuses to hand over the cell phone to let him call into the base. At first she says it’s because he’s driving. Next she’s upset he orders her around. Finally, she tosses it out the window in frustration. It would be an entirely believable course of events if we didn’t already know she had a hidden agenda. To her surprise, he pulls over to find the phone.

Taurus: Violet’s mother is calling and John panics as it’s supposed to be her weekend. Dismissing his concern, Violet is very blasé about her mother’s so-called love for their time together. Her mother has a new family and has moved on. It’s not the typical “woe is me, let me listen to Simple Plan” angst, thank the almight Flying Spaghetti Monster. Violet says it with the same level of acceptance for a kid who has known this for years. It’s refreshing and realistic.

John’s more concerned about lying to Violet’s mother about what they’re doing and Violet agrees. Although, not for the reason John thinks, it’s because, according to Violet, he can’t lie but he could be taught. I don’t know, as she didn’t see through that clever “I have a cold coming on” ruse. Maybe she needs to give her father a bit more credit.

Tifton, Georgia: The pimptastic Impala pulls in for a fill-up and munchies run at the same gas station Ellie and Rob were at earlier. Considering how well things went for them, I’m not expecting sunshine and rainbows for the Salazars. While Sean’s getting the munchies, the hot chick and flash car pull up and Winston is oh so ready to see if he can be of assistance. Her name’s Dupree and she’s been trying to keep up with Winston as she likes “to have something pretty to look at.” I’m sorry, did she say Dupree, or Annie?

The curse of the gas station continues, as Dupree is really a bounty hunter, I mean “Fugitive Recovery Agent” there to capture Winston. In a great big brother moment, Winston insists Sean not do anything heroic, just take the pimptastic Impala and continue the race. He’s entrusting his most precious possession to someone he’s only known for a few days. Methinks they’ve bonded.

Hastings, Nebraska: Alex’s sister gives us a different view from either the innocent gardener, or the brutal getaway man. He was a semi-professional racer and his first love was a 1972 Dodge Challenger. He’d put that life behind him, them met Kathryn and somehow, she made him “Alex again.” Detective Ehrle echoes the audience’s sentiment and asks, “Who is he really?” Apparently he’s a bank-robbing, racecar driving man who wields a mean shovel. Not exactly your typical hero now, is he?

Interrogation: It looks as if Alex and Poole have gone over the same ground, repeatedly and Tully’s had enough. He wants a Lawyer. Poole gleefully tells him that he can’t have one. No one saw him enter. He hasn’t been booked. As far as the Florida Highway Patrol is concerned, Alex Tully doesn’t exist. Oh, circumventing the law for their own purposes? Now I know for sure we’re in Florida!

Corinna doesn’t believe that the FHP isn’t holding Tully either. She also doesn’t believe the FHP is doing their utmost to find him.

Gas Station: For what is probably the first time in his life, Sean’s alone. He’s got to fix things, without the help of his father or allowing Winston to make the suggestions. I get the impression Sean’s decided very little in his life but when it counts, he proves that somewhere between the tennis lessons and prep school, he grew a pair. He calls his father’s lawyer and gives him an ultimatum: meet him at the bad luck gas station in 40 minutes or there’s going to be a problem.

Firebird: Or, more accurately, out of the Firebird, Rob is still searching for the phone, and Ellie’s still worried she’ll get caught. She’s having an attack of army envy and Rob doesn’t make it any better by giving one of those “my brothers in arms” speeches. Just watch any war b-movie and you’ll get the drift. Rob loves his brothers and won’t apologize. That’s fine but just don’t tell the army you love them.

Ellie works her reasoning for doing what she did without actually confessing to anything. She loves him so much, and he’s so good and he’d never betray his unit but she doesn’t want him to die. So let me get this straight. She loves him because he’s so loyal to the army but doesn’t want him in the army? Huh? Out of all the people in this race, she rings the most false. Although, I’m starting to develop a serious crush on Riley Smith, so if I have to tolerate her to look at him, I will.

At least she has the good sense to realize it’s a matter of time before she’s caught, and suggests looking for a payphone so he can call the base. He figures there’ll be one in Rome.

FHP Sproull Sub-Station: Corinna gets a couple of pieces of shocking news. The first is that Serenity has disappeared and the second is that the real officer Poole, isn’t the middle aged white guy from earlier.

Taurus: Violet is giving John lessons in teenage lying. When are television writers going to learn a simple truth – most teenagers who lie, aren’t half as adept at it as the media makes them out to be.

After running him thought a practice exercise, Violet confesses to lying to her father about attending a “teenage girls considering celibacy” meeting. Somehow, I don’t think this is the greatest example of Violet’s ability to lie as her father must be the biggest sucker ever. Who believes this shit?

Gas Station: Is it a rule that all racers must stop at the same Gas Station of Bad Luck? I mean really, is this place sitting on a hellmouth? Did witches curse the place? Now Ivy Chitty and Wendy have pulled up. Ivy Chitty scams Wendy out of her credit card, and I’m expecting Ivy Chitty to steal the van mere seconds after the new mother goes into the restaurant for food.

As Wendy goes into the restaurant, everyone else exists at the rare sight of a helicopter landing. I’m guessing it’s the lawyer as Sean is sitting there stoically drinking coffee. He doesn’t give a crap about his father’s reputation or his mother’s worry. He’s so angry about the inequity of his situation and Winston’s as well has the fact everyone in his life lied to him, that he’s going to side with his brother. He’s realized that the bounty hunter Fugitive Recovery Agent found them through Sean’s credit cards. The lawyer has 20 minutes to get Winston released or Sean cuts himself off from the family for good. The tone in Sean’s voice proves he knows it isn’t really going to break his father’s heart, but it will hurt him politically. He drops his credit cards on the table and stiffs the lawyer for the check. Looks like Sean just broke the spell of the bad luck hanging about the place.

Interrogation: With time rapidly ticking away, Alex decides to make a full confession. I cringe that I might have to dislike Tully on moral principle from now on. What he confesses to is that he’ll confess to anything to help save his wife. (I think that statement is going to come back to haunt him later.) He can’t say why, but he needs to keep going, and that’s the only truth that matters. The fangirl in me squees with delight.

And in the twist I didn’t see coming, even though Officer Poole is really a hot young man, and not the old annoying dude on my screen, is that Fake Poole is in on it, the race that is. He promises Tully that the only way to save his wife is to win the race and that the really questions isn’t who he is, but who Tully really is. I don’t know, but if he’s anything like Malcolm Reynolds, this guy is so screwed later on in the series.

Fake Poole points at the pictures and cryptically says Alex need to be that guy “again.” Meaning, what? Alex really was in on the robbery? Tully will need to be prepared for the worst, implying the only way to do that is to be his worst possible self. Echoing what Corinna said about the race, “Just driving fast, is the least of it.”

Dramatically smashing a window, Fake Poole reunites Tully with his first love, a shiny black 1972 Dodge Challenger.

Gas Station: It’s Wendy’s moment to grow a spine, as she emerges from the restaurant with a huge supply of candy. She’s even considered that Ivy Chitty might be allergic to nuts and has purchased accordingly but is stopped in her tracks watching all of Sam’s baby gear being systematically removed from the Caravan. In a great moment of restrained fury, Wendy tells Ivy Chitty to put all of Sam’s things back, and then never touch it again.

Seeing the look in Wendy’s eye, Ivy Chitty, a woman who shot out her supposed friends’ tires and lived through Katrina, is intimidated.

“I hope you like caramel,” Wendy chirps. Now both Ivy Chitty and I are not only intimidated but seriously creeped out.

Taurus: Proving how good a teacher Violet really is, John weaves a tale about a conference in Seattle and how good it is to have Violet travel with him. Adding details like the Space Needle and Puget Sound, only make the lie more convincing. Violet is completely impressed.

Except, John wasn’t talking to his ex-wife, he was talking to his very anxious doctor. The doctor’s concerned that the medication he’s taking is the only thing giving him extra time, and he may not have enough while he’s on the trip. It hits me. John never needed lessons in lying. It wasn’t his ex-wife on the phone the first time either, and he’s been lying to his own daughter for years when it comes to her mother’s love for her. It makes me wonder what else this man is lying about.

Interrogation: The whole set-up was just to find out who Alex really is. The real racecar driving Tully would have already been in Rome, Fake Poole insists. The arrest was just a way to inspire him in the future. Fake Poole goes on to add that Tully should ditch Corinna and let the race masters look after her.

Getting into the car, Tully asks for a “police” escort, but then is surprised to learn that the Challenger isn’t really his first love. It’s an imposter.

Ha! Fake Poole is a chump! This car is definitely the real Serenity, as it’s even got hidden compartments, one with a knife. Proving that although he can be bad, Alex Tully refuses to be his worst possible self, “The real Alex Tully never left his partners behind. You don’t want to meet the real Alex Tully.”

No, I don’t but I’d love to see the real Alex Tully in a stand off with Wendy Patrakas.

Moments before Corinna is picked up by race officials, Alex collects her in the new, the real Serenity.

On the roadside, Sean picks up his own race partner from Dupree. Winston’s probably learned his lesson about getting distracted by hot chicks in Flash cars.

Before leaving, Dupree warns the Salazars that she isn’t the only Bounty Hunter Fugitive Recovery Agent looking for him. Annoyed that he’s lost face in front of Sean, Winston not only will not thank him, but also won’t let him drive the pimptastic Impala.

On the road, Alex, leaving behind the façade of the kindly gardener, only tells Corinna that everything happened to some other guy, as he drives with a new determination.

To the strains of Lunatic Calm (a good description of Alex, if not just an awesome band name) the other racers all stare at Alex like they did the space shuttle in the last episode, except with more trepidation and less wonder, as he zooms by them.

Let The Games Begin 19

He’s the first to arrive at a drive-in theatre “After Sunset,” which totally clears up my confusion in the last episode, of the drivers in the opening credits. THerefore, he's first with all the people who count.

All turn to watch the screen as, according to the disembodied voice of Mr. Bright, it’s something they “Don’t want to miss.”

Absolutely!