‘Snowfall’ Season 6 Episode 5 Synopsis: The Biggest Takeaways

(WARNING: Spoilers for this week’s episode of snowfall see below.)

Even without looking into the storylines of the sixth season of snowfall, it was pretty obvious that the fall of Franklin’s empire would happen sometime during the season. For one thing, the historical record on which this story is loosely based says so, since we know how the United States eventually reversed and dealt with the crack epidemic. Second, with the disappearance of Franklin’s $73 million at the end of season five, it was clear that Franklin wasn’t as invincible as we’d perceived him to be throughout the series. By the sixth season, Franklin has managed not only to stay afloat, but also to recover somewhat. However, with the events taking place after episode four of the new season, it is clear that we have reached the turning point in season six.

In the fifth episode “Ebony And Ivory” four of the main characters of the series reach their breaking point in the new season. Franklin, more frustrated than ever by Teddy’s refusal to return his $73 million, devises a plan with Veronique and Cassandra to track down Teddy’s father and use him as a ransom to get the money back. When it doesn’t work, we see Franklin (who has already burned a worker’s face and later shot him) bring a knife to McDonald and kill him – while Teddy is on the phone. This moment also serves as a breaking point for Teddy. Elsewhere in the episode we see old Leon return after successfully winning a battle with Deon to regain control of the projects. This leads to Deon confronting Jerome, and although he is unsuccessful in getting Jerome on his side, the conversation leads to Jerome’s break-up, which is brought about by a narrowly avoided gunfight and a later moment in which he finds himself in frustration while drinking alcohol wallows, is shown.

Here are some of the biggest takeaways we have after Season 6 Episode 5, “Ebony And Ivory”:

Franklin will always find a way, but has he gone too far?

In the second half of this week’s episode, we see Franklin, Veronique, and Cassandra begin their quest to get Franklin’s $73 million back from Teddy. It begins with Veronique and Cassandra heading to Kansas City to find out who Teddy’s father, Colonel McDonald, is. In a grand plan, the mother-daughter duo break Teddy’s father out of the nursing home he was staying in and bring him home with him. Franklin eventually joins them and calls Teddy to let him know he is currently with McDonald. Franklin warns Teddy that if his money isn’t returned his father will be killed, and when Teddy says he can’t, Franklin puts a knife to McDonald’s neck and kills him. This scene proves one thing about Franklin: he will always find a way. But has he gone too far this time? If there’s anyone on this show who is just as, if not more, powerful than Franklin, it’s Teddy. We can certainly expect Teddy to retaliate, especially when Franklin’s own family is close by. On the other hand, there is a suspicion – one that Franklin believes – that Teddy killed his father, Alton. Either way, the worst is yet to come between Franklin and Teddy.

Leon’s move was unexpected – and a bit daunting

The look in Wanda’s eyes said it all. After cursing the people within the projects who he believed had a problem with him, Leon – gun in hand – declared himself the new leader of the projects and dared anyone to shoot him. It’s quite a twist from the man we watched as he left Ghana to return to Los Angeles in hopes of making a difference in his community. Now it seems like the plans for change he had burst out the window. Old Leon is back and maybe only maybe, he still has his eye on the change he wanted to push through. However, after battling Deon and violently reclaiming the Project throne, Leon needs to know that it will bring back the fighting spirit we saw in him in previous seasons snowfall. That’s probably why we get this look from Wanda after Leon’s bold appeal to the projects’ roommates. You’ve worked so hard to grow and improve from your past, is it all going to be thrown away now?

Jerome is at his breaking point

Things weren’t going well in Jerome’s world, but in Ebony & Ivory things are about to get a whole lot worse than before. In short, he is confronted by Deon, who has also made sure that he disrespects Louie on a number of occasions. Next, Jerome almost guns down some he suspects are following him, and he ends it by wallowing in frustration and drinking away his life while sitting on his newly repaired car. In Jerome’s world, the fight he fights usually produces results, but in this case, especially in his fight with Franklin, he hasn’t made the progress he would have liked. Franklin has yet to return the money he stole from Jerome and Louie, and now Leon is back in the picture, having taken on the projects that saw Jerome and Louie selling products. The latter is less of an issue for him as he told Deon there are no plans to stop selling to the projects as Leon is in charge. However, it seems that it is part of a larger feeling that Jerome has that he expresses to Deon during their conversation as his club. “These young idiots have no respect, no code, no honor. They are not us.” It remains to be seen whether upholding these values ​​in their current war is futile, or whether they will be worth it in the long run.

Is Veronique prepared for the worst?

“Ebony & Irony” begins with Veronique and her mother Cassandra conversing in a car while figuring out who we later learn is Teddy’s father, Colonel McDonald. Cassandra asks Veronique if there is an “exit plan” in case her current one fails. Veronique assures her that “it will work,” but Cassandra won’t let her daughter evade that question. While it eventually goes unanswered as they are distracted by the sighting of Colonel McDonald, Cassandra’s question is perfectly valid…but it depends on how it’s asked. Veronique hasn’t exactly worked her way into viewers’ trusting good graces, likely due to her surprise appearance early in season five and her suspicious behavior ever since. Cassandra isn’t exactly trustworthy either, simply because of her past and the fact that Veronique – who we don’t really trust – has had issues with her mother in the past.

So if Cassandra is asking this question in relation to Veronique, the individual and mother, and not Veronique, Franklin’s friend, then our suspicions for the future are justified. However, we will give them the benefit of the doubt for now. Finally, at the end of the episode, we get an answer to Cassandra’s question, and it’s a non-verbal answer. Veronique sits in the McDonald’s living room, mouth wide open in shock as she watches him bleed to death after Franklin put a knife to his neck. She may not have expected things to get this far, but what she needs to understand now is that things will only get worse from here. So yes, Veronique, for you and Franklin, is there an exit plan? Are you prepared for the worst?

New episodes of Snowfall are available on FX on Wednesdays at 10pm EST/PST.