FilmSpectator

The episode Counterpoint has both Kate and Doug experiencing stress and doubts about career choices. The main focus is Kate, who is trying to earn a degree in music but is struggling with a rude and difficult professor.

While Kate feels overwhelmed by the difficult music course, Doug is distraught over a close friend experiencing a heart attack. Fears about his own mortality cloud Doug's thoughts.

The most dramatic part of this episode is when Kate's professor tells her she is not the type of student he wants in his class and recommends that she quit. Tongue tied and angered, Kate abruptly departs class, creating even more stress and doubts.

Willy and Buddy play supportive roles in Counterpoint as they ponder how to deal with two distressed parents. I like the episode because it shows how the Lawrence family dealt with difficult-to solve problems in a mature and thoughtful manner.

Episode 5 of Gangland Undercover is the most intense show so far in this mini-series about Charles Falco. Earlier episodes focused on Charlie being arrested for dealing crystal meth. In place of going to prison, Charlie struck a deal with the Feds to help infiltrate the Vagos Motorcycle Club and obtain evidence of criminal wrongdoing. Ironically, Charlie ends up in prison anyway.

In this episode several Vagos, including Charlie (Damon Runyan), are in prison awaiting a hearing after a huge bar fight involving Vagos chapter president Schizo (Paulino Nunes). Now Charlie lives in fear that his role as an informant on the Vagos could lead to a violent end. Charlie must also navigate the hazardous prison culture where everyone self-segregates by race and a white supremacist gang exerts tremendous influence over white inmates like Charlie.

Using the skills he has developed while under cover, Charlie learns the ropes from his lunatic cell mate Thor. He soon finds out that his association with the Vagos is an asset behind bars. However, when ATF agent Koz visits Charlie, he's informed he'll be locked up longer than expected, and he will have to deal with a former drug associate.

This episode has some important flashbacks where Charlie's former life is covered. Most important is his past association with Bernard, who helped Charlie become a huge meth dealer, but now wants payback for messing-up their operation.

As in other episodes, each scene packs a lot of action into it. While the show undoubtedly skips over a lot of events that occurred to Charles Falco, it conveys enough to give viewers a good idea about what he endured. Although Damon Runyon continues to portray Charlie as low-key and unafraid, his occasional narration reveals how frightened Charlie actual was as an undercover infiltrator surrounded by hardened criminals.