Shotgun
After last week’s dramatic episode, Wu-Tang: An American Saga returns with an intimate look at Shotgun and his past. Although not quite as dramatic as the shocking climax last time out, Wu-Tang does enough to keep you coming back as we finally begin to see the origins for this group. As classical music changes to pulsating hip-hop, we begin with a flashback into the past as we jump back and forth between a lacrosse game and Shotgun at home. Back in the present, Divine and Bobby help their Mum move out of her house, leaving it for the boys to look after. Walking by, Shotgun drops in to see what’s happening while Dennis arrives too, helping to move boxes. The neighbourhood is still reeling over Haze’s death and it’s something that’s hit Shotgun particularly hard here. As Bobby sits outside and reflects on how surreal the entire experience is, Bobby, Divine and Dennis stay behind as they watch Shurrie and her Mum drive away, now fully packed up. Divine is successful in a job interview and prepares to start his new role while Bobby’s tape finds its way into some influential hands, prompting him to feed this back to Shotgun. The producer wants to meet them both and this could be their claim to fame. Back at his house, Dennis walks in to find Shotgun on Bobby’s couch, prompting hostilities to rise immediately. In the kitchen, and with hushed voices, Dennis confronts Bobby about the drug game and how he only got this deep for Bobby’s family’s sake. Heading out, Shotgun and Bobby walk back to the club where Bobby performs live. Seeing more of his past, and having some context for his lyrics, Shotgun pours his heart and soul into his words as we flash back to his championship Lacrosse game, where Anthony shows up drunk. After the rap, Bobby is introduced to Spring Records while Shotgun is presented with a deal of his own. Unfortunately, he takes offence to his offer and is made to leave after smashing up the area. Back home, Divine greets Bobby and they talk about his new job. He tells Bobby that life is about doing things you don’t want to do and, with his words still ringing in his ears, Bobby is offered studio time and the beginnings of a lucrative deal but at the expensive of Shotgun, who’s not invited. After breaking the news to him, and seeing a flashback to when Anthony is arrested for being on drugs, he picks out a record from the store as a backing track for his eventual single. It’s here we cut to Shurrie, who finds a folded up love letter from Dennis. As she smiles, we cut forward one month where Shotgun finds Bobby’s record in the store. With a much more direct link to the music this time around and plenty of intriguing hints to the future of the group, after 7 episodes we finally see the beginnings of the Wu-Tang Clan being formed and a little more drama surrounding the tensions bubbling up in the neighbourhood. Although a little overlong in its set-up, Wu-Tang delivers the goods with another strong episode here. I’ll admit, I’m not wholly clued up on the story behind this group but the last 7 episodes have done enough to make me interested in finding out more about their history. Quite where this one will go next remains to be seen, but for now Wu-Tang bows out with another strong episode here.
