The Puppet Master
Episode 5 of Trese begins in the past, with the War Council joined together. They different clans decide to form a union and remain in balance while worrying about the God Of War’s return. Anton decides to go one step further and teach the brothers the true meaning of family. That comes from using the masks we’ve seen before. In the present, we cut to the prison where Mayor Santamaria has found new life. He’s the head honcho here and he’s rebuilding the prison in an image he sees fit. Unfortunately he’s declared war on the Underworld in doing so, and the accords from before will no longer be honoured. Maliski meets Trese and tells her that it’s now every tribe for themselves; if she has any favours to call in then now’s the time. That spells bad news for Trese and her gang. Amang Paso sacrificed himself to save Hank, who’s recovering in the hospital. This black magic, and the deals with the Aswang, seem to hint that the Mayor is not the puppet master but in fact just another puppet. It seems like there’s a higher power pulling the strings here… but who? Trese heads to the prison and tries to convince General Villar to allow her inside to speak to the Mayor. Another explosion rocks the prison though, as the Mayor heads out with his men and sets off more bombings. Unfortunately all the soldiers have had their food contaminated with whatever the Mayor’s Body is made of, turning all the guards against one another. Trese eventually confronts the Mayor though, who confirms the new ties he’s managed to gain – including Nuno. He’s the one who’s been instrumental in the bombings, and that extends back to the past too. He originally asked to be part of the War Council but was laughed off in humiliation. This is his long-form game of revenge. As Team Trese square off against the Mayor and Nuno’s rock golems, Trese comes out on top and uses her fiery Santelmo once more to thwart the threat. However, that’s not the end of it. General Villar suddenly appears from behind, promising Trese that she’ll face her true destiny now. And just like that, the God of War appears, ready for the final conflict to come.
The Episode Review
Trese comes roaring out the gates with its latest episode, delivering an enthralling chapter of action, drama and solid reveals. Learning that Nuno has been playing both sides of the conflict is a nice reveal, while this chapter’s zombified suicide bombers manages to tie the start and end of this drama together nicely. All of this looks set to explode in dramatic fashion during the finale though, which is the longest episode of the show from the looks of it too. Will everything be resolved or will we be left with the dreaded Netflix cliffhanger? We’ll have to wait and see!
