American Gigolo – S eason 1 Episode 7“Atomic” Recap & Review

Atomic

Episode 7 of American Gigolo opens with Isabelle confronting Julian to find out what Olga might be hiding. She points out that Olga had been talking a lot about her before she died. Julian shrugs and points out that Olga wanted Julian to view the Lisa Beck file in order to find out what might be hidden there. Isabelle encourages Julian to forget it and tells him that he can move on. She also informs Julian that Lorenzo and she are the only ones who will have his back.

Richard is furious at Michelle and tells her that he has been cleaning up the mess. He asks Michelle, “Have your been seeing Julian again?” Michelle remains quiet, but Richard isn’t convinced. He then asks, “Is he mine? Is Colin my son?” The silence speaks volumes. Richard is unhappy and points out all the times he has been there for Colin to help him raise his child.

Michelle attempts to explain by admitting that she wanted better for Colin. They both wanted a better life. Michelle says she was Richard’s prized possession and it wasn’t about her love.

Sunday continues to investigate this case, but this time she is focusing on Lisa Beck, who appears to hold the key to all things. This is obviously personal for Sunday, given her past of raising two addicts and managing to raise them.

Thanks to some gentle hounding by the latter, Julian now opens up to Lorenzo. He mentions the tattoo on his hand and Colin’s kidnapping. Although they don’t have much to go on, time is of the essence.

Sunday discovers crucial information after a deeper dive into Lisa Beck’s story. Julian rings her quickly, informing him that she has found the necessary information. Janet Beck was Lisa Beck’s sister. Janet Holmes was her sister, but Janet changed her name to Janet Holmes after Lisa’s passing.

Janet and Lisa were sisters. Janet was also making “pretty interesting calls” before her death. She phoned not only a congressman but also a newspaper and a cable company. There are also numbers that refer to Olga’s clients. Julian used to be a client of Gail St John. Julian sees her name on the list and decides that it might be a good idea to go along with her to speak to him.

Sunday discovers more information about Colin’s kidnapper in his absence. This includes a very specific description, a bird tattoo on the male’s hand. This helps her get closer to finding out who took Colin.

Julian leaves for Gail while Julian waits to see Gail. Gail reveals that Janet was murdered and that everyone was involved. It appears that Janet was looking into Olga’s sister and was then killed. Julian is unhappy and finally lashes out against Lorenzo, claiming that he knew everything and kept it hidden.

Panish, on his way to capture Colin, is stopped by police at the side road. Panish does not have the money to pay for the transfer. Sunday, the police capture him and inform Julian. He immediately runs to Richard Stratton’s house, determined to work with him to get Colin back.

Sunday asks Stratton questions while we discover that Isabelle is the one responsible for Colin’s kidnapping.

The Episode Review

Perhaps the most shocking revelation of the season is that Isabelle actually worked against Julian all along. Anyone who was paying attention will have noticed that Isabelle has been obsessed with Julian from the beginning.

It’s not surprising that she orchestrated Colin’s kidnapping. It’s not surprising, in fact, that she killed Olga as well.

Although the episode is well-written and keeps things interesting, Sunday’s exaggerated past was a little too much. It’s obvious that Sunday was raised in a difficult home, so it doesn’t seem necessary to add more information. American Gigolo, despite all that, sets the stage for next week’s dramatic episode.