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Deadly Class season 1, episode 5 review: Saudade

By Marc Alexander

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Deadly Class detours to drugged-out Las Vegas for a lesson on letting go.

Many are the media adaptations of comic books that have failed miserably. Since 1944, when Captain America appeared in Captain America, three years after his comic debut, film has attempted to tell these fantastical stories, and often it simply didn’t translate. Think Wynona Earp as opposed to Tales from the Crypt. Thankfully, Deadly Class isn’t in the former category.

A bold and lively comic with presence and attitude, telling the story of high school for assassins, it has been translated remarkably well onto the small screen, with plenty of notable guest appearances and plenty of violence, as befits a school for hitmen. Rick Remender, writer of the comic and executive producer of the show, along with Wes Craig, illustrator, have made efforts to make sure the show stays true to the printed form and the time-period the comic is set in, the mid-Eighties, with wonderful fashion and an eclectic soundtrack.

Deadly Class gets wild, King’s Dominion style

Last episode, Marcus agreed to help Billy kill his father in Las Vegas. This episode starts with Marcus sitting in front of a cop, seemingly in big trouble, with literal blood on his hands. It’s clear Marcus is on drugs, and then Master Lin walks in. Then we flashback to the crew heading to Las Vegas; Saya, Maria, Billy, Marcus, and Willie, are in a sweet convertible. The crew mentions Maria bailing on Chico, and the screen shows him driving after them, with a suitcase full of pistols. They pull up to a bunch of hippies, score some fake drugs, then, at a bar later, ten real hits of LSD are given to the crew, and Marcus, upset about the fake drugs earlier, eats seven.

Heavily tripping, Maria and Billy talk Marcus out from under the car and they head into Las Vegas proper. Deadly Class did a Breakfast Club homage last episode, and this episode is some kind of tip of the hat to Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, because we’re treated to a psychedelic montage involving clay-mation, playing cards, and lava lamps as the gang makes their way to their hotel.

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Strange visions and dead bodies

Marcus sees several odd things; montages of him and Billy all cleaned up looking nice, talking about past memories, and evil neon clowns, and other hallucinatory specters. Billy takes off during this time, and Marcus discovers him trying to kill his father next door. Marcus helps, in a feeble “very high on drugs” way, and Billy’s dad falls and hits his head, dying. They hide the body but get locked out of their own room, and Marcus ends up playing a slot machine and winning.

The cop turns out to be a casino security guard, who laughs at Marcus’ terrible fake I.D. and releases him to Master Lin while keeping the I.D. and the winnings. Chester shows up and threatens Marcus, but doesn’t do anything and leaves. Marcus and Maria share a moment and get busted by Chico, who tries to kill Marcus, who flees but is caught, and after stomping Marcus into the ground, Chico kills a convenience store clerk, finds Marcus hiding in a dumpster, and is about to kill him when the gang rolls up. Maria yells at Chico, he literally punches her and then says “I love you”, Willie acts like he’ll shoot Chico but he can’t, and then Maria slices Chico’s throat with her razor-fans.

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Chester walks out the back door and finds Chico right after the gang takes off, leaving Chester to recite some Shakespeare, implying he’s going to manipulate Chico’s death to make things tough for Marcus. The crew heads back across the desert in silence, ruminating on what had happened to everyone. Marcus and Maria are getting all cozy, and Saya, who is driving, is casting big looks at the two of them. A highly entertaining watch that will get your blood pumping, check out Deadly Class, and let us know what you think in the comments section below.

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