Deadly Class season 1 episode 5, “Saudade,” aired 13 February 2019.
“He can’t stop himself. He just keeps digging himself a deeper hole. The good guy inside lost the battle.”
A trip for drugs (and death)
Driving in a convertible, Saya, Marcus, Maria, Willie, and Billy all head to Vegas for drugs and a good time (well, that’s what some think). Only Billy and Marcus know the true meaning of the trip: to kill Billy’s dad. Maria’s left Chico, who without them knowing, is following behind with a case of weapons.
They make a short stop at a camp of hippies, Saya leading to get some good drugs. Marcus, ever so confident in his ability to see through bulls**t, goes off with Willie to do the same. He ends up with fake drugs, well Maria and Saya are snorting coke in the bathroom. Billy spots a hot hippie nearby and tries to sweet talk her into sex. It only half works.
When all, save Billy who’s preoccupied, are hanging out, a man comes up offering them ten hits of acid, free of charge. Marcus, too proud to admit defeat, puts seven hits in his mouth, claiming “I am the acid king.” Well, he’s certainly going to be in a fantasy world for a while now.
Experiencing the full spectrum of animation
By the time Billy catches up with them, they are all tripping. Marcus is hiding under the car scared of the “digital mountains” coming for him. They manage to make it all the way to the Big Top Big Top hotel, where Billy’s dad is staying.
On the way, Marcus is seriously tripping. The show shows the acid trip through a beautiful series of transitioning animations. Watch the clip above to see. As the episode goes on, more visual tricks continue to reflect Marcus’ addled brain.
Helping a friend in need
Marcus getting as high as a kite really screws with Billy’s plans, but he decides to still go through with it. Billy’s become my favorite character, and besides Maria, he definitely has the deepest story so far.
As Marcus tries to ride out his high, the visual effects continue. My favorite moment of this is when Marcus is watching Billy look out the window as he talks. We only see Billy’s reflection talking, while he stands still. It’s like Marcus’ mind is creating two dimensions.
Billy goes next door, and soon Marcus is drawn over by the banging noises. He comes into the room to see Billy attempting to strangle his father, who quickly gains the upper hand and starts beating him up. Marcus’ instincts kick in and he hits him with a chair.
Billy’s father goes after him and Marcus grabs whatever’s closest to him, in this case a glass ashtray, and slams it into Mr. Bennett’s head. He falls, hitting his head on the dresser and dying.
It definitely makes it easier on Billy that it happened this way, but now that the job is done, Billy begins to grieve. He knew he had to do it to save his mother and brother, but that doesn’t make it hurt any less.
After, Billy and Marcus hide the body and go look for the others because the door locked when Marcus left the room. Marcus quickly loses Billy and gets distracted by an Ice T machine.
He wins big and gets brought to security at the casino. Marcus gets his winnings and fake ID taken away, but is thankfully let go. The hallucinations are getting more realistic now, with Marcus imagining blood on his hands and Master Lin bailing him out of jail.
Is Chester real, or not?
He heads back to the room, and on the elevator ride up, we finally meet his old roommate, Chester (aka F***face), who’s come to kill him. But now that he’s caught up with Marcus, he decides that he’s going to make his death a spectacle. F***face leaves, warning that they’ll see each other again soon.
Given everything he’s been experience, Marcus has to be questioning if it’s a hallucination or not. Hopefully he’ll take it seriously, because F***face is even scarier than Chico, and he has a serious vendetta against our favorite killer orphan.
Caught in the act
When Marcus gets back to the room, thankfully Maria’s there, and she’s in only her underwear. She calms him down, then he sees her passport. Maria opens up, telling him about why she’s running away, and they start hooking up.
The door opens abruptly and it’s Chico, who’s finally caught up with them, and he’s very angry. Maria responds like the badass she is and attacks him, holding him off long enough for Marcus to get a head start. Chico quickly catches up and starts beating Marcus up in a convenience store.
When the owner tries to defend his store, Chico kills him. Weak and bleeding, Marcus crawls to the alley behind and jumps into a dumpster to hide. Chico finds him and drags him out, and the rest of the crew arrives, pleading for Chico to leave them alone.
RIP Chico
Chico’s anger is uncontrollable, and nothing they do is going to stop him. Billy tries to reason with him and it gets him a knife in the gut. When Wille takes the gun and threatens to shoot him, Chico doesn’t care, as he knows about Willie’s pacifism.
And he’s right, Willie can’t do it. Left to either watch Marcus die or do something, Maria does what she must. She takes her bladed fan and swipes it across Chico’s throat, killing him.
Is it horrible to say good riddance? Chico was destructive and controlling, and now Maria can start trying to be her own person, though it’s sure to be difficult. They have to get help for Billy quickly, so they’re forced to leave Chico’s body.
F***face apparently was hanging around and comes out, taking Chico’s body for whatever he has planned.
What now?
Maria saved Marcus’ life, and now there’s a strange new factor in their relationship. They’re two lonely, messed up people finding comfort in each other. But as Maria faces the emotional fallout from murdering Chico, Marcus starts feeling forced to take care of her, believing she’ll fall apart if he’s not there.
One problem gone, two more appear. We’ll see the aftermath next week.
Season one of Deadly Class airs on SYFY, Wednesdays at 10PM.
(Featured Image: SYFY)
