Yes, I know. Indulge me and let me finish what I started. Besides, the last time I saw this, Hayes was seized by Saxton’s henchman, Billy. Her identity is blown, and our crazed cop Groomes knows that she has been rendezvousing with Ellis, so a whole lot of shit is about to go down.
We open up with Hayes having childhood memories of her listening in on Saxton giving her Daddy a verbal beatdown back in South Philly in 1954. She might have just saved his life that day. We know in the long run that she ultimately didn’t save him, but that’s the past. Right now she has to save herself because Billy is about to waterboard her. Oh, Lord. Is this the end? Well, yeah, I know!
We see Ellis bringing Luna back home after her little escapade in Las Vegas. Something good for Izzy came out of it, if you remember. Luna, Ellis, and Saxton talked and agreed that a little blackmail of Templeton would set things right. So, Ellis hands over to Izzy some of those compromising pictures of Templeton. Ellis also learns, from Tom, that Groomes is awake, which means he’s talking. Which means he has to warn Awan that Hayes’ cover and his are blown.
Then, Saxton has a sitdown with Hayes. Huh, she doesn’t look too worse for wear for just being waterboarded. I mean, her hair is still teased and her clothes look good. But, she is covered in sweat and rage, as Saxton learns who she is by looking at the picture of her father placed in the locket around her neck. She has nothing to lose and lays it all out and stalls Saxton enough to allow her knight in shining armor to arrive. Not buying that? All right, how about arriving in a red, dusty Duster?
Luckily for Ellis, Saxton wants to hear what he has to say for himself. But Ellis saw to a bit of protection before he just walked onto the scene. His Dad, Wade, is with Genesis at her Lounge, and he is packing a gun – a 66 Reno Split. Saxton calls to talk to him there, just hoping Wade didn’t do anything drastic. But Saxton might have a bigger problem than dealing with Hayes and saving Genesis, when he gets a call from Howard Hughes, who drops the news that Greek Sal has the incriminating Nixon audiotapes in hand. Whooo, you are in a pickle, boy!
Since Saxton doesn’t want the blood of an agent on his hands, Agent Grant is called back in the handle it by the mystery DC guy that Awan is closer to tracking down due to the phone records of Baker’s that were being traced. Got all that? A lot of bartering and bickering goes on as Saxton offers Sal Ellis in exchange for the audiotape. It is Ellis, after all, that botched the big Greek’s wedding. So, Saxton is behind the wheel of the Duster to deliver Ellis to Greek Sal, and Billy has Hayes in his trunk to deliver her to Agent Grant to take care of her. So, how are we getting out of this? Well, Billy just leaves Hayes at the designated spot for Grant, but he’s not there yet. So, Hayes has some time to figure out what she’s going to do. We know Awan was tailing Grant. Hayes puts up a good tussle with Grant, but Awan does arrive just in time.
Ellis might not be so lucky, because no one is riding in to save him as he is turned over to Greek Sal. The exchange is made, but Ellis plants in Saxton’s mind that Genesis might be lost in all this. Wade might just carry out his end of the plan, even though Saxton has doubted he had it in him. It all boils down to how much love Saxton has for his daughter. He couldn’t risk it, and he takes out Sal, and a gunfight ensues with Ellis and Saxton in the middle. Then Hayes arrives, then Billy dies, then Hayes guns down Sal’s thugs to save Saxton. Then Saxton jumps in front of a bullet to save Royce’s life, and we were all in the midst of it. Wow!
And the aftermath? Ellis arrives at Genesis’s lounge in time to prevent Wade from killing her and gives her the bad news. He goes over to Izzy’s to hear the good news that Templeton backed down, only to receive the bad news that Izzy has aggressive cancer. So, his plans for buggin’ out fall flat. Hayes’ plans to leave the office also fall flat when Abbot wants her to stay onboard because the conspiracy angle she was working out is the truth, and Abbot knew it all along, but was sworn to secrecy. It involves the elusive character of Xavier!
The series ends with Hayes, Ellis, and the Duster watching the sunset. She tells Ellis she is staying on to find Xavier. Joey Ellis is Xavier, and Saxton staged his death to help him disappear. Plus, the Nixon tapes are still out there.
Thanks for the ride in that red, dusty Duster!
