Take Three: Sneaky Pete

Sneaky Pete: Season 1, Episode 3 “Mr. Success” (B+)

The way that I watch streaming shows, characters first appear a few episodes into a season and I notice their introductions in a way that I don’t think those that binge-watch really do. The casting of Malcolm –Jamal Warner as parole officer James Bagwell is fantastic, and he made quite an impression. Hunting his parolees down and kicking down their doors makes him a force to be reckoned with, and giving Marius another chance when he called to reschedule his appointment seemed like an awfully lenient gesture. Showing up at the address Pete gave him demonstrated his resolve, and I was impressed that Pete managed to get there and establish a credible excuse for not going into the city to meet with him. What happened after with Brad William Henke’s Brendon demonstrated that while Pete is capable of talking his way out of just about any situation, he’s not going to stand for it. He also does make some mistakes, like saying Vince’s name while he was in Taylor’s trunk and then realizing that his license with Marius’ name on it was still in there. Lifting what Carly stole from him also showed her that she has reason to suspect him, and at this point it’s only Julia who doesn’t think there’s anything to worry about with him. I was shocked that Pete was able to appraise a $22,000 clock on the spot, and I thought it was a con. But it’s something that Audrey would definitely have checked, and Pete does have a lot of knowledge that helps him to get away with everything he does.