Hap and Leonard season 2 finale review: Endings and unfortunate beginnings

Closure is something that Hap and Leonard occasionally likes to offer its main characters, and the season 2 finale on Wednesday night proved itself to be no exception. In the first season, much of that closure came in the form of the relationship between Hap and Trudy. She died after finally proving to Hap that she had loyalty to him. He had given up so much for her, and she in turn decided finally that the time was right to give up something to him.

Meanwhile, in the finale tonight, Hap and Leonard finally got some closure in terms of their own history. The search for BB’s killer was one of the major loose ends from the murder investigation this season, and through some work, the two thought at first that Sheriff Valentine, the hard-nosed and uncooperative man who didn’t make many of the investigations into the missing children easy, was responsible. In the end, though, roads led back to Beau Otis, the man responsible for changing Hap’s life forever.

Judge Otis got into his position off of the success of his father, and it turns out, his jealousy over not being the “best boy” (BB) ended up being the reason why he did what he did. He killed his own brother, and after revealing the truth to Valentine tonight, he decided to take care of his son in his own unique (and gory) manner. The closing shot of Otis this season was him lying surrounded by concrete, with blood slowly pouring out of skull. We don’t think that you need much in the way of further confirmation as to what transpired with him.

As investigators, Hap and Leonard have their closure. Personally, they also found some. Ivan’s father arrived on the scene in order to take him back, while for Hap, Florida made it clear to him that while she was fond of him, she never envisioned herself being with a white man in the long-term. We have a hard time envisioning this being the end of that story, but we’re not a book reader. Therefore, we’ve got the gift of uncertainty and waiting until season 3 to see what happens. (We do hope you want to see a season 3 — vote in our poll over here if you do!)

The thing that we probably appreciate the most about the element of closure that this show provides is how it lingers — they don’t just have a moment happen. They give you just the right amount of space to process it, and allow you to be sucked in by the performances of the actors.

As for that cliffhanger…

We suppose that this is going to become a bit of a tradition for the show to leave you with a small tease of the next book. Last season, you had the Mucho Mojo tease courtesy of the remains under Uncle Chester’s house. Here, you’ve got the reference to the KKK in the closing seconds, which is going to be a primary component for The Two-Bear Mambo coming up. This is a story that we’re hardly surprised by, given the terrible existence of the Klan in some parts of the country. Also, it was clear that racism was at the heart of the town through much of the behavior we saw in season 2. Even many characters without Klan ties are very much in need of an education.

Ultimately, the Hap and Leonard season 2 finale brought us some closure, emotional moments between the characters, and a reason to be excited for season 3. It took more of an introspective look at the characters this season, and we come out of it not only satisfied, but prepared for the adventures to come. Grade: A-.

What did you think about the Hap and Leonard season 2 finale? Share now in the comments below! (Photo: SundanceTV.)