Things are coming to a head on Kingdom, only Ryan’s in good shape and I’m sure that’s an accident. Rolling S2:E8 Smoker after the break.

Alvey (Frank Grillo) is explaining his life to a pair of glasses (that’s all we see!); he could stop drinking, he could toe the line, but he can’t get a brain transplant. Lisa (Kiele Sanchez) moved out, he doesn’t know his kids, he can’t get hold of the guy he gave $30,000 to for an investment and he’s just trying to follow the rules set out for him. Whose rules are those?

Guys like him don’t get rich, they get by on bloody knuckles and I can see a little Brando in Alvey here. He IS a contender!

I can also see Nate (Nick Jonas) leaving a hook-ups house, woot! He looks like shite, but at least he’s “dating”!

Alicia (Natalie Martinez) has a fight! And a sore back, so Jay (Jonathan Tucker) offers to work that knot out for her. On top of her bunk, crouched over her arse, yeah. This looks TOTALLY innocent

Ryan (Matt Lauria) wants to know if they need some alone time? Jay goes to work out and Ryan tries to convince Alicia to mess around before her fight. No way, man, not even for an exhibition fight.

It’s so weird, Alvey and Lisa are still managing the gym together but aren’t ACTUALLY together. He asks if she wants to start therapy with him, but she thinks it’s more important he work on himself. Amen

Nate’s already got a plan, Christina (Joanna Going), he doesn’t need stuff to do. This is what depression looks like

Jay’s sparring with a random who kicks him in the wobblies, Jay comes right back at him with a hard foot to the ribs so Alvey calls it for the day. Is Jay coming to Alicia’s fight tonight? He should come, and get Nate too, just

That’s a GREAT pep talk from your dad / coach!

Alicia is FREAKING about this fight, she thinks Navy St. is going to skid her if she tanks tonight. The menz are just mad that Alicia is getting a whole NIGHT to be promoted when they have actual sanctioned fights that they aren’t being trained for. Ryan sit in the sauna with Jay and bitch, bitch, bitches, but I’ll be honest, I didn’t follow a lot of what they said. There was a WHOLE lot of nekkid sweaty dude in that joint. They decide to party one last time before they have to go for pre-fight testing, it’s gonna be a “nice little Saturday.”

Alicia is training but she’s sloooowww and her back is getting worse. I can almost sense the excuse brewing…

Jay is his own man, hey?

Keith (Paul Walter Hauser) shows up with Ryan and a bag of ice, he thinks Jay looks like a action figure and he DOES! There is no way this show does not have a HUGE gay following. Oh look, Ryan’s got his shirt off already because of course he does. He dives face first into the cocaine that extremely freckled Mac (MacBrandt) proffers.

Alvey has nothing to do and nowhere to go since he can’t drive and his only friend stole all his disposable cash, so he’s working out. He’s in insane shape.

Lisa stops to say hi on her way to the doctor; she’s having cramps. Alvey wants to help so much and she just will not let him. He’s not super reliable, I can’t blame her but it’s still sad.

Nate makes it poolside just as the boobies start popping, only fair since I’m pretty sure I have seen every wrinkle on Jay’s scrote. Ryan and Keith try to cheer him up but ohhh, that’s Kasey (Alisa Allapach) walking up. I guess he hasn’t told anyone and at least she isn’t shouting this time.

They’re arguing in his room, she wants him to admit that he’s gay. He doesn’t know what she wants! She breaks it down for Nate:

He admits to sleeping with three men only (like, this week just three guys?) and don’t worry, she’s not going to say anything, but he should. He can’t see past how impossible it seems to come out.

Alvey’s restless so he takes Alicia out for a walk. Why does she fight? What he means is: Why Are You Here? Making her way in the city on her own, blah blah, but he does it to hurt people. He likes to break the guy in front of him, steal his soul and punch faces like Forrest Griffin. There’s a lot of intensity coming out of him and I wonder about those two….hmmmm…he’s not with Lisa any more and Ryan’s off groping bikini models at Jay’s party.

Speaking of! All Ryan’s doing is hoovering up line after line of coke. Keith has to wave him off it to point out two guys nobody knows taking a video with their phones. The two guys and their half-nekkid friend are escorted off the premises, sans phone and the festivities continue!

It’s not good news at Lisa’s doctor; there is a partial placential abruption at play, but the baby is also measuring large so they need to check out any abnormalities. Lisa tries to delay because: fight, but the doctor says those dreaded words: you need to get this looked after NOW.

Jay is trying to get his freak on, but Mac is HONGRAY! He wants free burgers from Patty Palace, can Jay hook everyone up? Ohhh nooooo, Christina quit a month ago but she still wears the shirt, see. We end with Jay naked because of course he is.

Jay gets the bad news from Jamal, and hey, Patty Palace wants their uniform back (I KNEW IT! PEDANTRY FOR THE WIN!!)! Jay gets back to the house, trashing the joint looking for Christina’s drugs. He knows they must be there. He kicks everyone out of the party and Nate out of the house. He needs to deal with Mom.

Christina comes home to a dark house and her works on the table in front of Jay. They just don’t understand each other, but they will after tonight. He’s going to shoot up so he’ll know what she feels like and in front of her, so she’ll know what he feels like. She jumps at him but he forcibly her and that’s it.

I can’t imagine a worse thing for Christina and I’m really worried about Jay, he’s been snorting coke all day. Heroin isn’t a casual use drug.

It’s fight time for Alicia! Alvey lays out the rules and fends Drew (Michael Graziadei) off from going backstage. A high AF Ryan wanders over to ask about sponsorship, just keep walking, dude! Hahahaha he can bring his dad by for photos: he’s sooooo high.

Alicia doesn’t want to fight, she can’t do it, she can’t find it! Alvey can’t believe his ears, she’s gotta get out there and DO HER JOB, or find another gym. Lisa was very gentle with Alicia earlier, now someone has to push her out of that perfectly good airplane.

The other fighter is blonde, wow, that’s a LOT of lean muscle. Alicia doesn’t do too badly, but the other woman got her onto the ground for some elbows, so I can’t tell. That round is over and Alicia is all fired up for the second and acquits herself much better. She won that fight.

I can tell the other woman IS a fighter, because it’s painfully obvious that Natalie Martinez ISN’T, but I think she did pretty well for an actor.

Jay’s puking in the toilet while Ryan comes to celebrate with Alicia after her fight. His place or the gym, Alicia?? She doesn’t want anything to do with him and I see her. I see her game. She only tried for Ryan to solidify her place at the gym, AFTER Alvey wouldn’t give her any play, so now that she’s had a good fight and a sponsor all over her: she doesn’t need Ryan or the cack she grabbed a few hours earlier. She also might think she’s got a shot with Alvey, after their walk earlier.

I get it, it’s scary to be homeless and not have a place to train or anyone to help you. Lots of women (and some dudes too) use their erotic capital to secure those things. It’s just not a good idea to be that abrupt, is it? In the long run?

Nate gets home form the club, hiding his pink wristband from Christina tending to Jay. Alvey’s training again, he’s either doing the only thing he knows to do or he’s training for a comeback. Almost 50 is a laaate time to come back. Lisa’s left him a message with the news from her doctor appointments; she does have to get an amnio and she finally tells him what she was keeping from him: it’s another Kulina boy! Mazel!

And we’re oot.