The Mosquito Coast – Season 2 Episode 4 “A Rag, a Bon, a Hank of Hair” Recap & Review

A Rag, a Bon, a Hank of Hair

Episode 4 of Mosquito Coast Season 2 starts with Margot contemplating her next move with the kids. With their boat gone and their options limited, it of course falls to Charlie to mess everything up for the group. Despite being told not to interfere, he tries to free a monkey from a cage, with poachers lurking about. He’s lucky not to be spotted, especially with a camera attached to a tree, and with their guns swinging about, Charlie lies in wait from afar, trying to keep out of sight. It seems it’s only a matter of time before he’s spotted.

Meanwhile, Dina and Margot discuss the trawler, dismayed at their father for sinking it. They believe that he knows what their plan was but is keeping it secret. That’s all but confirmed when Allie speaks to Margot about her plan, pointing out he’s trying to keep them together and make a home. Margot lashes out and tells him that this place is like a detention center and isn’t a proper home.

Margot has a plan. Dina calls her a victim (although she’s actually a terrorist, given she killed someone with a bomb, let’s not forget that). It’s dangerous but she uses Dina to help her. Part of this includes Margot getting onboard a boat unseen.

Of course, that decision is made all the more difficult by Charlie… again. Charlie messes everything up for the family… again. He’s chased by poachers but he thankfully manages to get away, where he feeds back to Allie what’s happened. Charlie points out the camera and the two men after him, but Allie is confident that he’ll be okay.

Margot eventually makes it to the boat when the trawler returns, and immediately gets on the phone, contacting Washington DC, and specifically JJ Raban, asking for assistance. She wants full immunity for her and the children in exchange for handing over Allie. She’ll get her life back, before she was a terrorist presumably.

While this is going on, Dina distracts Alfonso, where they head out to a cave together to watch a projected old movie. One thing leads to another and the pair end up kissing. As day turns to night, all the family turn in, with plenty of secrets between them all and Margot on the verge of selling out Allie.

The Episode Review

Aside from the phone call to the US, there’s absolutely no plot progression here whatsoever. There’s a tepid romance between Alfonso and Dina alongside yet more idiocy from Charlie, who continues to show what a liability he is to the family.

It’s good that JJ called out Margot’s hypocrisy though because I’m failing to see exactly how she’s the heroine in all of this. She’s basically a terrorist at this point and partly the reason the whole family is on the run. She straight up killed someone and while she wasn’t directly responsible and it ended up as an accident, anyone could have been walking past that building when it blew.

Either way though, Mosquito Coast coasts through its latest episode; hopefully the upcoming chapters can improve as this felt like a bit of a redundant chapter.