Florida Man – Season 1 Episode 4 Recap & Review

One More Day

At the beginning of Florida Man episode 4, we have a recap of what happened with Buzz and Steve. But before that, we see Iris having a flashback of the time she and Mike visited Atlantic City. Even then, Mike showed more interest in gambling than her. Iris’ flight landed in Orlando and Buzz was watching that very flight as it passed over their head. Steve demanded to talk to Sonny when he learned about the gold but he didn’t think Buzz was going to shoot. In his moment of clarity, he did.

Although we thought Delly might have opened a “door to the past” involving his father, it was actually Eric’s father, and he was cuffed to the bed. Eric explains that he has dementia and kept running away. Delly asks to use the washroom and enquires with Mike about the situation.

Sonny and Ray decide to put Steve’s body in the back of the Porsche, something that Buzz feels is a fair trade given he killed Steve. Mike goes back to Palm’s to fetch cleaning gear but Clara catches him and asks to take her to the mess. She is willing to clean and make extra cash.

Sonny, Ray, and Buzz dispose of Steve’s body. They find out that the police have arrived at the scene, responding to a possible elder abuse situation. Delly was the one who called the police on Eric and escaped through the window. The truck remains in its place – for now.

That night, Delly and Mike have passionate sex, indicating all might be well between them again. Moss also sends a friend of his father’s, Dutch, to locate Mike.

The next day, we see Andy thinking about Sonny’s harshness toward him in Mike’s case. His wife, Missy, tries to persuade Andy to drop the issue but he is insistent. Sonny proposes that they use airbags to bring the truck to the surface, offload the gold in the unguarded church, and push it back in. Also, Kaitlin sends Mike a veiled threat that she has found a “story in Mike’s life.”

Dutch catches Clara and Benny lying to him about Mike’s whereabouts but he doesn’t say anything. At the same time, Iris visits Patsy and they discuss Mike. She is reluctant to tell Iris about him once she learns Iris wants to serve her case. Dutch knocks at the door anyway and Delly answers. He doesn’t know her and asks to use the bathroom.

Ketcher borrows clothes from a laundry machine in a laundromat. He gets emotional discussing his predicament and how he made this expensive trip so that his children have a good memory of him. As Dutch is leaving, he sees Mike in his car and follows in pursuit.

Iris goes to the dock master’s office and requests to see the CCTV footage, while Mike goes over to Patsy’s house. She says as long as her family is safe, Mike is welcome in their lives. He also asks Patsy to convince Jason’s mother to give him up.

Kaitlin visits the police station and asks Meghan, her college friend, to trace Mike’s phone number. Mike informs Sonny he is being tailed and he gives the car’s plate number to Sonny. When Sonny asks Andy to run it for him, he rejects Sonny’s order.

Mike heads over to Sonny’s bar as Delly updates him on the Dutch situation. Sonny once again asks Delly and Mike to take his boat since the heat is on them and promises to give Mike his cut from the gold. Mike plainly rejects his offer, while Delly says Moss will learn of them and they must leave. Mike isn’t ready to though.

The sinkhole is now getting security cameras and that’s a new challenge for the group. Dutch follows Mike to the sinkhole all the same, where he handles the situation really well and even promises Dutch 5k to keep quiet until Mike reveals his findings to Moss.

Ray shows up at the sinkhole, where we learn he has been sent by Sonny to kill Dutch as he now knows where Patsy lives. However, Mike puts Dutch in a port-a-potty to prevent that from happening.

A fight ensues between Ray and Mike, leading to Dutch dropping his phone in the toilet. When he lights it, the whole thing blows up and Dutch dies. Iris sees Delly on the security footage, while Dutch’s phone ironically spits out of the toilet intact and we see Moss calling.

The Episode Review

What a twisted example of father-son bonding! Despite Sonny and Mike’s issues, the makers of Florida Man have done a great job to keep their relationship warm and edgy. Even though they have emotional complexities to resolve, they are still very interesting characters. The obsession with creating a narrative continuum and interconnecting all elements of the storytelling is quite evident in the series now.

The sense of humour this show plays with sports the perfect balance of keeping things on the lighter side without draining the dramatic potential of the story. It is modern while having the authenticity of the traditional taste popular on television before digital streaming.

Florida Man is on a very interesting path right now with no clear outcomes. Of course, we want our protagonists to walk unscathed and get the gold, but something tells us that might not be the case – entirely.