Hap and Leonard has been a delightful and unexpected series from SundanceTV, based on the East Texas-set novels of Joe R. Lansdale. The story is grounded, quickly, chaotic, sleepy, and much more, and stars James Purefoy (Hap) and Michael K. Williams (Leonard) as two friends looking to make a quick buck, but who end up in a heap of trouble. That trouble stars with the return of Hap’s ex-wife Trudy (Christina Hendricks), who has a plan to find some long-buried cash that will give them all a chance to do something different with their lives.
One of the things that Hap and Leonard captures so well is the quiet (and sometimes not so quiet) desperation of the working poor, people who can just barely make ends meet even though they’re doing honest labor. Like most series that air on SundanceTV, its also deeply atmospheric and wonderfully southern in a way that never feels like it’s trying too hard. I watched the first three episodes for review at the end of last month, and couldn’t wait to round the corner after the cliffhanger of episode three. Now, in this new clip from the upcoming episode “Trudy,” we get a glimpse of some of the fallout from the deal Hap and Leonard made with Trudy and her other ex-husband’s crew. Check it out below:
I can’t fully believe that Trudy will allow Leonard and Hap to remain tied up to a glider, remaining at the mercy of her formerly peacenik cohorts, but we’ll see. There’s also that bizarre subplot about the murderous duo that has to come back around at some point, and I have a feeling we’re getting to close to that moment, given the episode’s synopsis:
Hap and Leonard – “Trudy”
After counting the money, the gang discovers there’s not enough for their cause. Paco suggests buying cocaine in bulk to flip so they set off to meet Paco’s drug dealer, which leads them to an abandoned office where an unexpected duo await.
Stay safe, guys! “Trudy” will mark the fourth episode in this short, six-episode season, so we are just about to turn the corner into some interesting territory to wrap things up. Make sure you’re stocked up on Nilla Wafers!
Hap and Leonard airs Wednesday nights on SundanceTV.
