The midseason finale forces Ryan to make a life-changing decision
Are you a fighter?
Are you that animal?
Is it in you?
Credit: DirecTV
Are you one of the strong?
For each one of these characters, these are the questions they have to ask themselves.
And for Alvey, the answers seem to become more and more obvious over time.
Yes, hes a fighter.
He IS that animal.
Hes a fighter by nature but not by profession.
And he chases that every day.
He only stopped to throw a few punches, to cause a literal fight.
For him, his challenge is making life outside the cage as simple as life inside the cage.
And then youve got Ryan.
Is he no longer that animal?
The one who once tattooed Destroyer across his chest?
Its a fear he first voiced well before Alvey got him back in the cage last season.
But when it comes time for Ryan to put his struggle up against Alveys, he loses.
Alvey informs him that this, this is his moment.
Hes never going to have clarity of purpose that he has right now.
Alvey tells him to enjoy it, because it will end.
(Yeah, well see about that.)
Ryan wins by knockout in the first round, and just like that, a switch flips.
Hes no longer the guy who cant find it.
Now, hes the champ.
His ego has been fed.
Now hes talking a big game, even when it comes to Jay.
I heard you, bro.
Youre a brother, but its just fing business, baby, he tells him.
In this moment, Ryan Wheeler is not only that animal, but he gets lost in it.
Its this transition that makes it easy to understand how he got to where he is in life.
From the fight, we follow Alvey, Ryan, and Jay and Nate to three separate places.
First up, Alvey skips out on his post-fight interview to meet Chapas at a sketchy motel.
Armed with a gun and a more threatening weapon his fists Alvey gives Chapas a piece of his mind.
(Translation: He beats the crap out of him.)
But Chapas wouldnt have called if he didnt have something to give Alvey.
(Hes notthatstupid.)
Removing a bag from behind his mini-fridge, Chapas repays Alvey for his $30,000 investment.
Alvey tries to offer Chapas some money to get back on his feet, but he refuses.
He claims he has a plan.
The bad news it that said plan involves Alveys gun.
Grabbing it as Alvey turns to leave, Chapas shoots himself in the head.
Was it the last act of a desperate man?
Was it his final screw you to Alvey?
Well never really know.
All we do know is that Alvey attempts to clean his fingerprints off of everything he touched and runs.
But then again, its no longer her problem.
Shes simply dropping off her key.
Before she leaves, Alvey makes one final plea.
He wants to get married.
He begs her not to leave him.
This speech isnt about Lisa.
Its about Alvey and how Lisa and this baby can savehim.
But thats not Lisas job anymore.
Her exact words: Im not gonna let you f him up.
As for Alveys other sons, theyre already fed up, but thats what makes them great.
Returning home after the fight, Nate proposes a toast to his brother.
He tells his big brother that hes proud of him.
I know what youve done for me my whole fing life.
Youve taken a lot of s so I didnt have to.
I wont forget that.
But their night of bonding quickly takes a turn when Jay discovers that Christina has overdosed.
The thing I love most about this scene is the difference between Jays reaction and Nates reaction.
Meanwhile, innocent Nate simply cant process what hes seeing.
By the time hes really in the moment, Christina has woken up.
Out by the pool, Jay apologizes to Nate for letting him take that fight in Fresno.
Between Laura and the weight cut, Jay took his eyes off his brother when he shouldnt have.
And that speaks to the one constant in Nates life: the love of his brother.
And thats why, when Christina comes out to join the boys, Nates done cutting her slack.
Nate asks his mother, Can you think of one thing youve done for us today?
Can you think of one thing youve ever done for us?
We dont need you.
Now, its time for Christina to quit the drugs or leave.
Because Im not gonna lose my brother over you, Nate tells her.
At the end of the day, Jay is Nates priority.
And in that moment, remaining silent, perhaps Jay realizes that Nate should be his.
Were not going to live like this anymore.
And for now, she agrees.
Finally, we catch up with Ryan post-fight as he shows his father the recording on his phone.
But when he wakes up in the middle of the night in pain, he proposes another option.
He asks Ryan to kill him.
You and me, were good, he tells his son.
Do this for me, Ryan.
In this moment, he doesnt want to be alone.
So he quiets his sobs to call Jay.
He doesnt tell Jay whats going on.
They simply talk about their evenings as if nothing strange has happened to either of them.
They lean on each other without actually leaning on each other.
The next day, we catch up with everyone at the gym as Nate sees Lisa off.
Nate has agreed to take over her position at the gym, at least temporarily.
However, if Alvey has a say in it, Nates break from fighting might be more than temporary.
Finally having the talk, Alvey asks his youngest son what he wants to do with his life long-term.
Does he want to go to school?
What does his life look like once all this is over?
Of course, all Nate has ever known is fighting, so its all he can see.
But Alvey informs him that he should plan on fighting for three more years maximum.
Hes broke before hes 30?
Nates not that animal.
Alvey wants more for him.
He tells his son to do better than me.
Its why winning as a fighter is better than winning as a coach.
Its the difference between experience and observation.
Alvey wants to be in the pocket.
Once that cage door closes, thats when instinct and flow takes over.
You overcome the panic of anxiety.
And your mind goes really, really quiet.
Not still…just quiet.
I chase that every fing day.
But thats the very thing that makes this show great.
But by inviting viewers into a world this rich and intoxicating, watchingKingdomis more than observation.
