Sunday night's episode of ABC's 666 Park Avenue was even darker and a touch more complicated than usual. Oh, and our old friend the Smoke Monster paid another visit to our TV screens. Here's a brief recap to bring you up to speed and hopefully clear up any confusion.
Annie Morgan
So Annie the writer (Aubrey Dollar) is still alive and tied up in her apartment. Evil Russian mobster Kandinsky wants to know the source that revealed info on him. She pleads with him for her life and her left eye, and finally caves and rats out her boss, Ned.
While Kandinsky is off making Ned dead, Annie frees herself and runs to warn her boss. Hey Annie, how about you just write a story that kills off Kandinsky first? This could have save so much grief! Instead, she discovers her dead boss, learns that she is the next victim, and then pleads with Gavin to help her.
Gavin reminds Annie that she wanted to change the world with her voice but that he'll make him go away if she just writes a piece about how City Planning Commissioner Pike (Henry's boss) has mob links. She reluctantly complies and all, ahem, HELL breaks loose.
After Annie's co-worker reads the story, she clues in Annie that the mob will probably use Kandinsky as the hit man to murder the commissioner. Annie runs to the mayor's party to warn Pike and in the process, gets herself killed by a bullet fired from her very own creation. R.I.P. Annie.
Henry
This week's episode focused on lawyer and employee of the City Planner's office, Henry (David Annabelle). He's really upset about the cancellation of his interview with Counsilman Edwards and wants to vent to his girlfriend, Jane (Rachael Taylor). She just wants to talk about this nasty old suitcase she found in the basement and how she should wear her hair for the upcoming party at the mayor's house.
Henry's ties to Gavin Doran (Terry O'Quinn) are getting him into deep trouble at work. His boss, Commissioner Pike, has accused him of leaking info to Gavin (who is being investigated and followed by the office). The office wants to know how Gavin is getting this secret info so he could make some big real estate deals. Pike wants Henry to be their spy since, according to surveillance pics, he and Gavin are quite chummy. Henry pleads innocence but since his career is at stake, he reluctantly gives in.
Henry confronts Gavin and basically tries to "break up" with him until the investigation is over. Gavin tries to tell Henry that his boss is the one who is corrupt and using Henry to get to him. Henry doesn't believe Gavin and wonders why Gavin is so nice to him and when will he want payback. Oh Henry, you have NO idea! Gavin is insulted and Henry leaves.
After some thinking (or not thinking), Gavin enters the Doran's penthouse and steals the files not only on the Greenpoint Towers but also on he and Jane. When Olivia comes home, he narrowly escapes but realizes that he left the cap of his thumbdrive next to the computer. Obviously, Gavin finds this evidence and later, both he and Olivia (Vanessa Williams) confront Henry at the mayor's party.
Jane doesn't want her beau to be intimidated by the Doran's and seems concerned. Then, she ends up protecting Henry when she (alerted by a premonition from Nona), spies Kandinsky's gun and screams for Henry, prompting him to dive out of the way with his boss. Henry is safe…for now.
Back at the Drake, Henry and Gavin ride in the elevator and Henry apologizes for doubting Gavin's intentions. Boy, is Gavin smooth! He now has Henry right where he wants him, but for what? Henry proceeds to burn the thumbdrive with all of the info not only on the real estate deal plus their own personal info. Gavin refers to Henry as a hero and the investigation on him is dropped as Pike heads off to prison and Kandinsky is arrested.
Jane, Nona and Smokey the Suitcase Ghost
Jane's main focus in this episode is catching the Drake's thief and finding out what is in that mysterious suitcase. She discovers that the thief is Nona when she winds up seeing her wearing the sunglasses that her therapist, Ingrid, claims were missing right after their home session. Jane strikes a deal with Nona (Samantha Logan) that she won't turn her in if she returns the stolen goods. She complies.
We also meet Nona's catatonic grandmother. What's up with her? Nona thinks that Jane may be able to "save" her, and Nona, despite lying about it, returns Jane's beloved necklace.
So this suitcase with the self-turning lock…yeah, there's something really bad inside. The little ghost girl keeps pleading with Jane not to open it. So if you found a ratty old suitcase and a creepy ghost child appeared to you with a warning, what would you do? How about take that damn thing and burn it!? Jane simply puts it in her closet ... right where the bogeyman is most comfortable.
Tony the bell boy (Erik Palladino) is in the hallway outside Henry and Jane's apartment and hears the tintinnabulation of the bells (Poe reference - I had to). He goes inside their home (huh?) and finds the suitcase. The lock combination was complete and he opens it, unleashing this dark gray cloud of smoke (other credits for Smokey include, Lost, True Blood and Game of Thrones). Mysteriously, he just stands there while is envelopes him. Even more mysteriously, he ends up back outside their door with no recollection.
Smokey shows up at the very end when it morphs into a man that looks like he escaped from the set of Mad Men. Who is he? What is making the little ghost girl so terrified of him? I'm sure we'll find out soon enough ... we hope!
Check out next week's episode, ominously titled "A Crowd of Demons", at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.