The Kingdom (El Reino) – Episode 3 “Atonement” Recap & Review

Atonement

Episode 3 of The Kingdom Season 1 begins with another flash to the past. Julio lays a stack of cash and a gun on the table as a group of kids play Russian roulette. As one may expect, it all goes horribly wrong and a death rattles the group.

With Julio in police custody, his Mother shows and pleads with him to think of the family and forget about his friend. Julio though wants to atone for his sins properly. His Mother is not happy though and walks away, too busy thinking about the election and his Father’s reputation.

In prison, Julio is attacked and left for dead in the showers. He’s shaking, with blood stained over him. Of all people, Remigio shows and helps him out, taking the boy into his care and helping to patch him up.

This care continues outside prison too, as Julio is released and introduced to Tadeo – and in turn Emilio and the family.

Back in the present, Emilio learns that Remigio’s real target was actually him. When Elena learns this too, she calls it a transcended sign from God and that Christ has made him immortal. Well, the police don’t see it that way. In fact, they’ve made Emilio a key part of this investigation.

Julio however, has deeper ties to all this. After what happened in prison and the way his family turned their back on him, Julio has no love lost for his Father… who just so happens to be Armando’s opposition. Julio even heads over to confront him, believing his Dad could well be behind the assassination. For now, he doesn’t give much away but Julio’s Father certainly seems taken aback by this accusation.

One member of the family that Julio still has a soft spot for though is his sister, Delfi. She wants him back home but it seems those bridges have been burned beyond repair.

Candia may be a step behind everyone but it doesn’t take her long to find out about Julio’s stint in prion. Given Remigio is asking for Julio to be his lawyer, Candia decides to allow it, hoping to get through to our killer.

When Julio shows up, Remigio admits he only called the guy in to pass on a message to Tadro. That message? “Jon 2:10” It’s not much to go on but it’s something that’s overshadowed by Emilio stepping up as the new President to take over after Armando.

As he starts rallying the people in his church congregation together, Elena steps up and claims to be controlled by Jesus himself, reciting that he evil ones are the politicians. While on the floor “passed out”, she gives a knowing smile to Emilio. He does not look pleased.

The Episode Review

With more flashbacks to the past, The Kingdom slows down slightly to show us more of this dysfunctional family unit and some of the issues befalling them in the past.

It seems like Remigio and Julio have close ties dating back to prison while the latter was originally a wild-child until finding religion. His estranged family ties and involvement with Emilio makes for an interesting dynamic that widens the pool of possible suspects.

With religion and politics tied together, it leaves lots of potential questions on the table around the motive and reason for killing Armando. Was this really the wrong candidate? Or is this all a smokescreen for a more elaborate ploy to put Emilio in the driving seat for these elections?