Never Say Die (4 Apr. 2010)

Ben feels all is lost after the 200 t-shirts were stolen in the Jamaican power drinks van, resigning to odd jobs. Partner Cam however confronts uncle Rene Calderon, whom he suspects rightly... See full summary »

Director:

Julian Farino

Writers:

Ian Edelman (creator), Ian Edelman,

Stars:

Bryan Greenberg, Victor Rasuk, Lake Bell

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Bryan Greenberg	...	Ben Epstein
Victor Rasuk	...	Cameron 'Cam' Calderon
Lake Bell	...	Rachel Chapman
Eddie Kaye Thomas	...	David 'Kappo' Kaplan
Shannyn Sossamon	...	Gingy Wu (credit only)
Kid Cudi	...	Domingo Brown (as Scott 'Kid' Mescudi)
Luis Guzmán	...	Rene Calderon (as Luis Guzman)
Martha Plimpton	...	Edie Weitz
Jason Pendergraft	...	Darren Hall
Margarita Levieva	...	Julie
Nick Sandow	...	Father Dan
Miriam Colon	...	Cam's Grandma
Javier Nunez	...	Wilfredo Gomez
Tuffy Questell	...	Jabar
Denise Vasi	...	Alisa

Storyline

Ben feels all is lost after the 200 t-shirts were stolen in the Jamaican power drinks van, resigning to odd jobs. Partner Cam however confronts uncle Rene Calderon, whom he suspects rightly of staging the theft. After secretly recovering their load while the van is burnt for insurance fraud, the boys deliver to Hiroshi's agent, who enthusiastically orders jeans too, but insists on 'customs evasion'. Lover Darren and boss Edie are startled when Rachel chooses to resign, dumping both of them and Ben to start over elsewhere.

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Plot Keywords:

church | hotel | scheme | bar | police station | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 April 2010 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Broadway Stages, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Leverage Management, Closest to the Hole Productions, Big Meyer

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Soundtracks

"Crystal Blue Persuasion"
Performed by Tommy James & The Shondells

User Reviews

Never say 'never'

The last installment of the season comes with a bang, literally.

Ben wakes up in bed with Rachel. It is clear she is confused, not because she has no feelings for Ben, but because she finds herself examining her life. As she starts to get ready, Rachel calls Edie, asking her to meet her at the hotel con the Bowery where they had gone for the interview.

Meantime, Cam and Ben have been frustrated in their search for the missing truck. It is amazing no trace has been found, anywhere. The police offer no help to the partners. Cam must report to work at Rene's headquarters. When Cam brings the breakfast order to his cousin, Rene questions him about bringing him the wrong thing. Cam calls Haraki to inform him the goods will be delivered to him, as planned.

Rachel, shows up at the hotel in a rare mood. She confronts Darren and Edie by telling her to count her out of the project, as she is quitting her job. She must do something with her life; she has to move on, but she recommends Edie to do the interior decorating. Rachel then meets with Ben at a coffee shop. She is honest about how she felt about what happened the previous night. Ben appreciates her sincerity. Ben must tell Julie he is not going with her to Baltimore, something that she accepts, because evidently she was not sure was going to happen.

Ben has a meeting with Domingo at a park where they exchange idea about the missing merchandise. Later on, on his way home Ben runs into Wilfredo Gomez. Something said by Wilfredo makes Ben think about the situation he is facing. He is trying to get Cam to face the reality they are facing; he figures they must come clean to Haraki.

Cam has a brilliant idea about the van's disappearance, after talking to Jabar. It appears the robbery was an inside job to fool the insurance company. Rene has been seen meeting with the friendly priest, who has told him before doing something drastic, to take a deep breath, and think about what he is going to do. When Cam comes charging to his office, Rene, deeply upset, does exactly that. Rene brings his cousin Cam and his posse to a remote place where the Rasta Monsta is brought out of its hiding place. Rene, lighter in hand, passes it to Cam and instructs the young man to burn the evidence. Cam hesitates, knowing fully well the tee shirts are inside the vehicle.

The last moments of the episode show Cam and Ben delivering the tee shirts to a group of people that are putting them in regular bags in order to take them to Tokyo, instead of sending them as cargo. Cam and Ben get their payment. They are seen walking happily along Canal Street, thinking about their future.

The final chapter of the 2010 season keeps the viewer hoping Cam and Ben will make it after all what they have experienced. Julian Farino directed the screenplay by the creator of the show, Ian Edelsman, and Rob Weiss. One can only hope the next season will be as good, or even better than this one was. The best thing about the series is the way aspiring young people are trying to make it in one of the toughest cities in the world, New York City.

The acting is another reason the show works. Victor Rusak and Bryan Greenberg bring their high energy that is so appealing. The best thing though, in our humble opinion is the incredible Luis Guzman, an actor that has always been cool and who delivers all the time. His Rene is one of the best things in his career. Lake Bell, Kid Cudi, Matha Plimpton, and Jason Pendergraft all add to the enjoyment.