Trust: John Chapter 11

The episode begins with no dialogue as a military man gives Gail the news that a body has been founded burned beyond recognition at the hostage house. She is asked to come in to identify the body. Well, the shoes on the body at least. She recognizes them as young Paul’s. We see her mind flashing back through all the memories of her life with her son. She’s convinced he his dead and so is Fletcher. But we all know this crispy corpse is not young Paul at all.

The news reaches old man Getty as it appears he is being measured for wax figure to be made of him and placed in Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in London. Penelope is beside herself over the news and sobbing hysterically. Old Man Getty is confused. This is not how negotiations work. It doesn’t fit the business transaction template he was operating under. This is not how the transaction is supposed to work. It seems kind of eerie to me that this episode is sponsored by Hilton, owned by another one of the worlds’ richest families who have a few young people in peril of their own. Penelope flees into the arms of her lover, the Pilot. Old Man Getty is left to bare his soul to his assistant. His parents lost a two year old girl before he was born. They never got over it and he was never good enough. He starts talking about young Paul and how fearless he was and how he was the only person that made him laugh and begins to sob as the assistant consoles him.

The middle Paul is losing his mind. He is furious that his father only offered $600 for the release of his son. He leaves his current bimbo alone in the house and goes to get high. Very high. He shoots up and does piles of coke and then parties for hours on end with a bunch of other very fucked up people. It’s no wonder young Paul was so fucked up. It totally runs in the family. As the night wears on, he tells the story of Timmy his half-brother from a previous wife. He was dying of a congenital heart defect and writes his father who was away asking him to come home and see him before he died. Old Man Getty just sent him a letter saying he was unable to travel. He didn’t even come back for the funeral. By the time Old Man Getty goes to confront his father, Old Man Getty has already found out Paul is alive.

Bullimore seeks solace with the gardener. He’s very sad, in a very British way. He’s infuriated with Old Man Getty. He tells the gardener he has worked for him for 22 years and he doesn’t even know his name He calls all of his butlers Bullimore. His name is Khan but I am going to keep calling him Bullimore. I am having enough problems with names on this show. He is named after a famous cricket player. Perhaps his father? These two bond over the fact that they are the black sheep of the family.

In Rome, Gail is in shock. She tells Fletcher that Paul was her favorite child. She says the number one rule of parenting is not to have favorites. Then, she says, “No, the number one rule of parenting is to keep your child alive.” Fletcher is babysitting Gail when she suddenly realizes that Paul never ties his shoes. It’s a family joke how often he trips over his shoelaces. That can’t be Paul. Gail suddenly has to go do something and Fletcher lets her go alone even though he is supposed to be with her at all times. She goes to the morgue. She looks for a scar on his right ankle. There is not one. She knows. She is covered with paparazzi on the way out. After an argument with a cab driver, she walks to the theater where she met with the lawyer to find out about the ransom. She screams at him for making her think her son was dead. Poor Fifty. This is not his fault. What the hell is Fletcher doing buying women drinks in a bar when all of this is going on?

Finally, we return to the farmhouse where Angelo’s brains are scattered everywhere, including young Paul’s face. We find out the second shot was for the old man farmer. That wife has a hell of a lot of cleanup to do all alone! Flash to Paul chained up in an underground tunnel. When a man brings him some food he tells him that it is his fault that Angelo and the farmer are dead.

Gail goes to tell Fletcher that Paul is alive. In case you are wondering about the title of this episode, that is the chapter of the Bible where Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. As soon as I hit play, Fletcher explains the title of the story to Gail. He’s drunk and with the girl he picked up at the bar.

Old Man Getty’s assistant goes screaming through Sutton Place for him as soon as she gets the news. At the same time,one of the harem finds out she is pregnant. Her first reaction is abortion. It seems Penelope is not the only one getting some on the side. Old Man Getty celebrates by singing and dancing and gloating to Penelope that he was right about the business of ransom. He asks Bullimore to pack him a bag. He’s going to Rome. He invites Penelope to come along for the weekend and she says she has other plans. She’s pissed at him. The knocked up girlfriend tells Old Man Getty the news and he tells her she is in breech of contract. Either get rid of it or go. She’s conflicted because she thought she was too old to have a baby and has no children. She wanted an abortion at first, but with a bit more time to think it seems like she may decide to go be a single mother.

Old Man Getty was so happy to be right that he gave Bullimore the day off! He fled to the gardener with both bits of good news dressed to impress in secret crush. Sadly, he’s not alone his aunt is there for a visit and they are drinking gin fizzes. Clearly, I am sadder about the aunt that he is. They are drinking and laughing and dancing and having a blast! The gardener wants to live like this forever. The aunt suggests that he come live with her and open a supper club. Bring Bullimore she says! He’d make a great front of the house manager. Bullimore loves this idea. And then the aunt says she will buy a new mattress for the two of them for that bed he diplomat died in. Bullimore is mortified that she knows he is gay. He freaks out and says he has to leave. Oh, Bullimore, stick a baby toe out of the closet. The gardener chases after him and kind of apologizes for his well-meaning but tactless aunt and begs him to come back. Bullimore is out of the mood and says,”I’m afraid that’s impossible.”This can’t be the end yet though. Bullimore has not solved the flower puzzle yet. At least I don’t think he has. Oh please don’t let Bullimore use the deadly flower tea on himself! My favorite characters on this show are all either getting killed off or chained up somewhere.

Old Man Getty and Fletcher go to meet the mafia, faccia a faccia. He and the Don take a walk alone. They are gone a long time. Primo shows Fletcher his gun. Primo wants to see his gun. Fletcher says he is not carrying one. Then a helicopter with a machine gun hovers over them. Fletcher waves him off. Too funny. After a very long business meeting, the Don and Old Man Getty settle on a five million dollar ransom. The Don tells him not to disown his sons or give up on them. They need to carry on his empire and his heart is full of sorrow that he has no sons of his own. As Old Man Getty and Fletcher get back on the plane to fly home, he tells Fletcher to get in touch with Paul. He’s done the difficult part, now all Paul has to do is pay.

I’m going to be worried about Bullimore more than Paul for the next week.