Crashing
Episode 5 of Dom Season 1 begins in the Hillside slum of Tabajaras in 2000. Rubbish is strewn across the ground and the aftermath of the night’s events hang heavy over Pedro Dom. Loci is dead. The very same drug he got him addicted to has now taken his life. The fragments at the end of the previous episode bleed through, as Dom starts snorting lines. He forces the others out the apartment, demanding he be left alone for the time being. In the 70’s, Victor returns to Nerinho and the others. His bad trip on drugs hasn’t severed his ties with Riberio and the men just yet – although he is encouraged to continue snorting lines. While he does, the rain beats down as lightning strobes overhead. This is no ordinary storm though, and with the threat of a flash flood imminent, the group scarper and reconvene at higher ground. This time though Victor is given another job – it’s the exact same delivery as before and this time he’s better prepared. Or so he thinks. When Victor shows up at Marcio’s estate, he’s introduced to Mae. She happens to be Marcio’s Mother and she reveals sadly that he’s been stealing items around the house on account of his addiction. It’s a story eerily close to what Pedro is going through right now; a wickedly deceptive and destructive downward spiral. In the 90s, this spiral continues as Victor regrets striking his son in the last episode. After seeing a therapist, they send Pedro on to rehab which only further exemplifies the rift growing between Victor and Marisa. For now though, they stand united as it seems like Pedro is on the mend. At Laura’s birthday he turns his back on the family. Pedro winds up back on the downward spiral of drugs again thanks to a girl called Garota giving his cocaine. With Adagio For Strings playing in the background, this cycle of rehab and addiction continues through the years. In fact, it gets so bad that Pedro brandishes a knife and threatens to destroy the entire family when he’s forced back in a tenth time. Still, that doesn’t stop him from taking drugs and stealing valuables. This is one step too far for Victor who decides he should go to a juvenile center to try and instill some responsibility into him. This is 2 years before the events at the hillside slum, and Victor drives his son up to the gates himself. He hopes this is enough to change Pedro. Although it does, the result is anything but the outcome he’s expecting. Back in the present, Arcanjo returns to Victor after reading his report on the General. He’s in, and he tasks Victor with making sure the weapons are definitely being exchanged. With Paloma on the case already, the details are interrupted by Laura showing up with big news. She too reveals that Lico is dead. This new has hit Pedro hard. He eventually heads outside topless, wandering through the streets before collapsing on the ground. When Victor finds out, he’s called away mid-operation. Worryingly, he’s forced to keep Jessika behind with the General. She recklessly snaps photos of the gun shipments but she’s caught red-handed by the General and eventually suffocated with a plastic bag. Back in the hospital, Victor defies the doctors and grabs his son, desperate to take him back home rather than keeping him locked up like an animal. Having come down from his high, Pedro whispers to his father that he killed Lico. Only, Victor himself worries that he’s to blame. As we cut back to the moments at the prison, we see Pedro leaving a hardened and changed man. Prison has stripped Dom of the thin slivers of innocence he had left.
The Episode Review
Wow, what a powerful and incredibly well-edited episode. The horrors of drug addiction ring through in devastating fashion as these timelines complement one another beautifully. The rehab montages and the suitably sombre and poignant music choices perfectly work in tandem to show this. Dom has been far more than a simple crime drama. It’s an unflinching examination of how bad addiction can get and the estranged relationship between a Father and son that’s been torn apart by this drug. It’s also a complicated bond though, one with an undeniable sense of love at its core. This has been brilliantly showcased across the episode, thanks in part to the excellent acting from both Gabriel Leone and Flávio Tolezani. The entire 50 minute chapter is a real showstopper and easily the best episode of the whole season so far.
