ThisHap and Leonardreview contains spoilers.

Or both, in the case of The Bottoms.

This is a busy episode that covers a lot of ground, literally and figuratively.

Yes, we know Hap and Leonard still have a bridge to find.

If they locate the old iron bridge, theyll find the river.

And if they find the river, theyre one step closer to locating the sunken treasure.

This all seems easy enough in theory how hard could it be to find a river?

But memory and logic dont always go hand in hand.

But more on Hap in a bit.

As I said, Hap and Leonard have a bridge to find.

Theyre committed to the task, albeit it on their own terms, and in their own company.

But its one for all and all for one, as far as Howards concerned.

To him, decent though they may well be, Hap and Leonard are still an unknown quantity.

Which is why Howard doesnt want them running off on their own into the wetlands.

If theres treasure to be found, he wants Paco and Chub to be at Hap and Leonards side.

But not just any memberhe was their leader and their bomb-maker.

His presence brings a bit more danger to Howards otherwise peaceful enclave.

We get a glimpse of this from his passive-aggressive asides to Hap about his own doomed marriage to Trudy.

They are members of an exclusive club, these two men, but thats where their similarities end.

Howard has an eye toward a future brimming with hope.

Still, thereissome good news to be had in this episode.

After a trip down memory lane, Hap and Trudy manage to find the sunken getaway car.

They find an angry gator, tooor does it find them?

Either way, this near-death encounter drives them together in a way that mends old Haps broken heart.

I have to wonder, though, how long such happiness can last for these two.

Like Hap and Trudy, its happenstance that reunites these old lovers.

One gets the sense, though, that Leonard isnt interested in rekindling their romance.

If anything, with Trudy back in the picture, Leonard is feeling adrift and alone.

But its easy to see why he and Hap are so close.

Their friendship isnt about grand gesturesits about reading between the lines, about reading the small tells.

In many ways, Leonard understands Hap better than anyone else.

Understands what makes him tick, and cares for him more deeply than Trudy might.

Hap may be prone to pessimism, but at his core, hes a decent human being.

Does Bill Sage remind anyone else of a young Tom Skerritt?

Rating:

4 out of 5