The Last Days Of Ptolemy Grey — Episode 5, Nina Review

Getting To The Good

By Mark

Coydog, Damon Gupton (“Black Lightning (TV)”, “ La La Land “), and a young Ptolemy, Percy Daggs IV (“Solos (TV)”, “Undone (TV)”), go along to a speak-easy, Coydog says he’s got to see a woman, help her pay her rent. Whilst in there seven year old Ptolemy gets a bath from the woman who runs the place, but then a fight starts and someone gets stabbed.

Ptolemy is up early and calls up Reggie’s wife Nina, Charity Jordan (“Z: The Beginning of Everything (TV)”, “Selma”), but a rude man answers, berating him for calling so early and hangs up. Nina calls back and Ptolemy invites her to his speech at Niecie’s, Marsha Stephanie Blake (“ An American Pickle “, “How to Get Away with Murder (TV)”).

Nina isn’t so keen on the idea up until Ptolemy says he wants to give her some money, to help her and the children now that Reggie is gone, then she appears more receptive, but also hangs up.

He and Robyn / Bird, Dominique Fishback (“Judas and the Black Messiah”, “Project Power”), go to see an old lawyer friend though he’s passed away, now his son Moishe Abromovitz, Maury Ginsberg (“Manifest (TV)”, “Sucked In”), is running the place.

He remembers Ptolemy, can’t believe he’s here. They talk about him writing a Will, with Robyn as the executor which she is surprised about and not immediately taken with the idea. He also produces the key from the treasure box under the floorboards.

It’s a safety deposit box key and he, Moishe and Robyn go to the vault to find he has another gold coin, this one much rarer and worth over $17 million. The man says there’s several others too, though none as valuable as that one.

Robyn starts to freak out, she’s just 17 years old, she doesn’t want the responsibility of all of this. He says it will just be getting paid to write cheques from a trust for everyone else but she doesn’t want it. He continues to try and convince her.

At Niecie’s various people begin arriving, including Dr. Rubin, Walton Goggins (“ Tomb Raider “, “The Unicorn (TV)”), and Roger, Patrick R. Walker (“Initiation”, “I Wrote This for You”), who is keen on Robyn, the two go for a walk, but she’s not so sure, thinks she’s too young.

Ptolemy takes Nina to one side and hands her $5,000, says its for her and the children, to help. Then he stands in front of everyone to tell his story, the story of a daughter he never knew he had, but towards the end of his speech he begins to lose focus, loses his words, he’s coming to the end and he knows it.

He muddles through and seems ok a bit later. He finds Nina on her own and manages to get her to admit that this new boyfriend of hers, Alfred, Enoch King (“Uncle Drew”, “Masterful (Short)”), is the one who killed Reggie.

She says she didn’t know, she asked him about it but he slapped her down. When Alfred arrives later, Ptolemy intercepts him walking in and says he wants to see him, tomorrow, 2pm, where he’ll make a deal; a large amount of money in exchange for him never seeing Nina or the children again.

I’m unsure about this penultimate episode of The Last Days Of Ptolemy Grey. Whilst it was no surprise who the murderer was, it’s a surprise that Grey knew so easily and Nina admitted it so easily. It all feels a little odd to be honest, like there’s a few bits of the story we’re not quite seeing, maybe that’s the point, I’m not so sure though.

Otherwise this is a good episode with things beginning to clear up and you can tell we’re coming round full circle to that moment at the start when we first met Ptolemy and someone was banging on the door of his flat.

Originally published at https://www.ocmoviereviews.com.