#james fitzpatrick analysis

Also...Thank you for your service in the over-analysis department, really really appreciate it, as we all know how subtle the show is by now 👏

Thank you! I know some people think things aren’t that deep, haha, but I love untangling meaning or drawing conclusions. I do think most things are intentional, but even some small inconsequential things still convey meaning, and I still think it’s fun to read into that!

And I think the show has so deliberately left it wide open, but I do tend to think that Rio knows about the hitman. I think it’s too coincidental that Rio showed up inside her house (for the first time! all season!) right after the scheduled hit, only to drag Beth away for a private (for the first time since 3.04!) conversation where he confronted her about where she’s spending her money. I also think it’s suspicious that Fitzpatrick cancelled the hit for an ex-lovers breach that we didn’t see Beth deliberately lie about (they love showing Beth lie! it would’ve been such an interesting lie to see!)—that makes me think that particular clause was not explained to her. On top of that, I find it suspicious that Fitzpatrick then organized a fake hit as a “test” before ghosting entirely. Plus, he knew that someone, but not who, slept with Rio. To me, this indicates he didn’t find out via the gynecologist or Dean, and therefore I’d rule out Tobin and PJ (the baby hitmen) as well. That leaves Annie, Ruby, and Rio’s boys who have definitive reasons to believe that they were sleeping together—but we know it was Annie and Ruby. Therefore, if it’s not Rio himself, it’s Rio’s boys, in which case I’d still assume Rio figured it out after the fact.

I also draw a parallel between Beth stalking Rio in 2.11 and getting caught and stalking Fitzpatrick in 3.10 and getting caught. It’s the same episode that we learn that Fitzpatrick is stalking Rio—closely, at multiple locations for multiple days. 

It’s possible that Rio just suspects Beth is up to something, but to me, it all seems too deliberate to be a coincidence. It’s possible that Rio merely suspects Beth is up to something, but doesn’t know what, but even Rio bemusedly suggesting that next time Beth (rather than anyone else) empty the clip could be an interpretation that he’s figured it out and is reminding her that this isn’t how it works.

My theory—that I fully expect to be wrong, but which I enjoy—is that Rio discovered the hit and paid Fitzpatrick more money than Beth did to cancel the hit. Fitzpatrick has already been established as being greedy and money-driven and pedantic down to the last dime, so it’s something I’d believe too.