Hightown – Season 1 Episode 4 Recap & Review

Learning Nothing From The Past

Starz latest crime drama Hightown returns this week and with it, another mundane slice of investigative action. It’s a problem the entire series has had in truth and right now the show is struggling to maintain its relevance as all eyes turn toward Jackie capturing Krista and learning the truth – a truth we already know.

Episode 4 of Hightown begins with Jackie driving up to the construction yard but failing to find anything. Instead, she gets a threat from Anthony which leads her to make a hasty exit. However, on the way back she gets a call from the Chief offering her a chance to prove herself and become part of the force again. Contemplating what to do next, she phones Junior and decides against his suggestion of going back to therapy. Instead, she follows Anthony’s truck and demands he tells her where Krista is. After some convincing, she manages to get the address.

Heading to the motel room, she starts sifting through Krista’s belongings and piecing together what part she has to play in this but partway through, receives a call to head back to work. Before she leaves, she drops off a receipt for Krista with a number incase she wants help. When Krista returns, she phones through to Anthony but he severs ties with her given how close Jackie is to the truth.

Ray meanwhile heads to the strip club where Renee continues to seduce and use him before heading to the station and interviewing Ethan over Osito. He then goes on to coerce the kid and try to convince him to wear a wire. Eventually he agrees and heads out to meet Kizzle. Things quickly go sideways when he asks about Osito and as the erratic dealer beats him down to the ground, Ray convinces Alan not to interject until its too late. At the last minute, Kizzle is arrested while Ethan is left to lick his own wounds.

On the back of arresting Kizzle, Alan takes offence to Ray’s inappropriate manner of dealing with the situation and it eventually leads to Ray leaving and deciding to visit Renee. After sleeping together one more time, she tells him what they have is over – especially given he knows about Osito. After Renee spills details surrounding Osito’s address, Ray slips out to meet him while she phones Frankie.

At the same time, Jackie is briefed on her operation with the officers and decides to pull a late shift on the sea with them. Once there, she manage to hit another successful gig and in the aftermath of this, she drinks at the bar and asks the Chief if she can work again. Despite them not legally able to do it (if what the chief says is anything to go by) he decides to let her do just that.

Junior meanwhile, finds himself caught in a difficult position when Osito arrives and asks questions about Krista and Jackie. When Osito heads back to the garage, he finds Ray sniffing around and his facade of being a customer is immediately shattered when Osito gives him his car reg and type of car; a cocky challenge to try and track him down.

As the episode closes out, Jackie rings Junior and tells him she’s getting closer to Krista. On the back of this, she heads back to the bar and does a shot of alcohol to celebrate.

Why should you care about these characters? There’s such a lackadaisical amount of character work and depth to this one that makes it incredibly difficult to warm to any of these players. Even worse, Jackie has learnt nothing from her previous ordeal, continuing to feel like an unsympathetic and difficult protagonist. Even worse, she ends up going back to drinking at the end so really, all that time in rehab has taught her nothing.

Ray isn’t much better either and his police tactics are less than admirable to be honest. On top of that, the amount of sex in this series is really off-putting, especially given the lack of substance to back this up. It’s a shame but unfortunately Hightown is not one to remember.

Published: 07 June 2020 at 10:54am on TheReviewGeek.com