Webisode Review: Touye Pwen - Episode 3 ‘Rules of Law’

Knight’s (Shaun Mixon) leisurely meal in the comfort of his mansion is interrupted by an unannounced visit from detective Ash (Said Faraj).  The already tense confrontation escalates when Knight boldly makes a reference to a tragic event in the detective’s personal life.  Meanwhile, Ash’s younger partner Poge (Orion Solarion) has to abruptly postpone his household duties when the elder detective summons him.  Before leaving, Poge attempts to placate his girlfriend Alaina (Hope Martinez), who has grown weary of the influence that both the Ash and the job are having on her man.

The third episode of Touye Pwen, “Rules of Law,” shows the series settling into a comfortable rhythm which has slowly developed over the course of the first three episodes.  New characters are introduced and established immediately.  The running time is evenly split between two different confrontations.  One is relatively mundane, while the other is considerably more volatile.  The former is resolved with little or no fireworks, while the latter ends much less amicably.  Things seem a bit more relaxed this time from a visual standpoint, which is interesting seeing as how the shot set ups don’t seem much different than usual.  Perhaps the settings of a spacious mansion and a picturesque hillside are what makes all the difference.

This time out, Detectives Ash and Poge are introduced into mix of characters.  Ash can barely contain his impulsive and temperamental nature.  This puts him at a loss when confronting the calm and collected Knight, who keeps the tone and volume of his voice at an even level.  Everything about Knight, from his immaculately groomed goatee to the delicate way he sips his morning coffee, suggests someone who long ago learned not to wear his emotions on his sleeve.  For all his righteous indignation, Ash doesn’t seem like a straight arrow himself.  The viewer also gets the sense that Knight has something on Ash, perhaps a professional lapse that can be used against him at some point.

Though the face off between Detective Ash and Knight is tense indeed, there is a weird sort of tranquility to this entry of Touye Pwen.  Perhaps that suggests that these characters are comfortable in their environment.  Maybe it means that R.L. Scott is offering viewers a brief respite before the waves come crashing into shore.  Detective Ash is eerily reminiscent of Zho.  Both characters go for their guns when faced with any sort of resistance, yet I suspect that Zho will fare much better than his law enforcement counterpart.  That kind of temperament is better suited to the wrong side of the law, as cops are required to follow a more rigid code of conduct.  As satisfying as Touye Pwen has been so far, the way R.L. Scott slowly rations things out makes the suspense excruciating.