Fightland is heading into its season finale with Duke Kilroy closer than ever to getting the revenge he has wanted since returning to London, while somehow being further away from actually accomplishing it. This week’s episode brings together Duke’s revenge mission, his complicated relationship with his father, his increasingly unstable relationship with Joy and the growing pressure from everyone trying to control his next move.
The episode picks up with Duke dealing with the publicity surrounding his return to boxing after Kingsley forced him back into the spotlight. While everyone else sees a former champion making his comeback, Duke has something much darker in mind. He has developed a plan to take Kingsley out with a sniper rifle, believing that finally killing the man he holds responsible for his brother’s death will bring everything to an end.
But as I know in pro wrestling terminology, “plans change.” Duke then learns that his father, Gazzer, is alive and has awakened in the hospital. His return forces Duke to confront a painful part of his past as the two discuss Duke’s mother dying when he was 12, Gazzer’s failed boxing career, his alcoholism and why Duke eventually left him. Duke explains that he needed to get away, which led him toward Kingsley and the life he now desperately wants to escape.
Gazzer is also unhappy about Duke returning to boxing, adding another layer of tension between them. Duke is already under enough pressure without having to deal with the father he spent years trying to leave behind.
Amado makes the situation even more urgent by giving Duke 48 hours to kill Kingsley or face the deaths of Gazzer, Joy and himself. Duke is no longer chasing revenge on his own schedule. He now has a deadline, and every decision could determine who survives.
Kim also learns more about Duke’s plans when she holds him at gunpoint. Duke tells her he has been using Lazaro as leverage against Kingsley and reveals that he believes his brother’s death was a hit. That information puts Kim in an increasingly difficult position, especially when the police attempt to capture Lazaro and the operation ends with the house exploding.
Meanwhile, Joy decides she has had enough and breaks things off with Duke. Duke immediately suspects Kingsley is behind the decision, but Joy tells him that she needs to put herself first. She later signs an agreement making her the head of Marshall Promotions, giving her a new position of power while the Marshall family continues to fall apart.
Cebella is also trying to move the business toward legitimacy, leading to an argument with Kingsley over the $2 million she took from him. Kingsley continues to see the money as part of his control, while Cebella wants to build something without relying on the criminal operation surrounding the family.
The episode eventually brings Duke’s revenge plan to its biggest moment. The Irish ambush Jackhammer during an interview on Duke’s orders, giving Duke the opening he needs to take his shot at Kingsley. After spending the entire season preparing for this moment, Duke finally has Kingsley in his sights.
Then everything goes wrong as Kingsley’s police men arrive and arrest Duke before he can take the shot. Kingsley tells Duke that he was not responsible for his brother’s death, but Duke refuses to believe him. With Amado having Lazaro killed and Kim being forced to identify Duke as her confidential informant, Duke’s options are disappearing quickly.
That leaves Fightland in a strong position heading into its season finale. Duke has lost Joy, his cover is beginning to collapse, his father is back in his life and Kingsley remains alive. More importantly, Duke now has to question whether his entire revenge mission has been built around the wrong person.
The next episode is the final round of Season 1, and after everything that happened here, Duke has almost nothing left to lose.
