With only a couple of episodes left in season one of FX’s Trust, episode eight focuses its story on the aftermath of J. Paul Getty Jr’s decision not to sign the loan papers that would have allowed him to pay off the ransom demand. Season one episode eight begins with Leonardo (Francesco Colella) and his wife, Regina (Donatella Finocchiaro), concerned about the delay in Paul’s release. However, their more pressing concern is their son Francesco’s Confirmation.
Francesco’s been eavesdropping on his parents and he asks if he can help with the situation. Leonardo responds with a slap to the face. He doesn’t want his son to follow in his footsteps.
Primo (Luca Marinelli) arrives, honks his horn, and demands Leonardo come with him. Tires squeal as they leave the city, and neither Primo nor Dante (Mauro Lamanna) explain to Leonardo what’s going on until they stop. Primo reveals Paul’s still tied up in the truck. J. Paul Getty Sr’s offer of $5 million has been canceled.
No one ever came to make the payoff and Primo confesses he thought about killing Paul (Harris Dickinson). Primo thinks this whole thing’s a big joke, but Leonardo is sure they need to hide Paul away again.
Paul’s weak and can barely walk up the hill to the cave.
Leonardo, Fifty (Niccolo Seni), Primo, and Dante make it back in time for Leonardo’s son’s Confirmation. Primo confirms with Fifty that Paul’s still alive as they try and act normal in public. No one wants to tell Don Salvatore (Nicola Rignanese) the deal didn’t go through, and Leonardo lies as he whispers during the church service that this is a day of celebration.
As everyone’s leaving the church, Leonardo’s wife pulls him aside and asks him not to ruin Francesco’s day by telling Salvatore the truth. She wants him to hold off until tomorrow since this is such a special day for their family.
Leonardo makes a toast as the guests sit down to eat. He jokes he’s surprised his son is a scholar and he tells the crowd his son will follow a different path. He’s going to be the first member of his family to go to college.
Salvatore’s toast slaps back against the one delivered by Leonardo. He believes Francesco is ready to be a part of this community. His gift to the boy he considers the closest thing to having his own son is a knife Salvatore’s father used during the war. He’s passing it down to the young man he considers his son, and it’s inscribed: “To Francesco. From one man to another.” The regimental motto is also engraved on the blade: “I do not give a damn.”
Salvatore believes the family must always be protected.
Dante leaves the table to relieve himself and is confronted by one of the men who assisted in the payoff meeting. Dante also lies and says the deal is complete, and that lie makes its way around the table.
Angelo Calati’s grandmother arrives at the party and confronts Don Salvatore, demanding to know the whereabouts of her grandson. (He was shot in the face by Primo while helping Paul attempt to escape.) When Regina tries to get the grandmother to leave, the woman curses Salvatore.
Regina’s finally able to escort her from the table. The woman won’t leave and Regina apologizes for her loss, confirming Angelo’s dead. Angelo was just 17 years old and Regina doesn’t think any boy should be involved in this. She blames everything on the men.
Perfect day ruined, Regina returns to the celebration. Downing her drink, she tells Leonardo she never wants to go through that again. She insists she just wants to get this over with. Salvatore leads the group in a dance and Regina joins in, fake smile plastered to her face.
As the dancing continues, Salvatore follows Fifty away from the crowd. Salvatore calls J. Paul Getty Sr heartless, but he’s happy everything ended well. He can tell by Fifty’s reaction that something is amiss, and forces Fifty to come clean.
Francesco’s playing with his knife along with two friends when they reveal they saw his dad and Primo coming down from where the goats are kept up on the hill. Francesco wants to go check out the area, but the boys think it’s getting dark and they need to head back. Francesco decides to go on his own anyway.
Salvatore returns to the celebration and fires a few rounds into the air. He kisses Leonardo and then leads him away from the crowd. Primo is also escorted off by Salvatore. Don Salvatore demands to know where the money is and Primo confesses they never showed up. Salvatore’s furious and believes they’ve double-crossed him, but Leonardo reveals Paul’s in the cave where Paolo keeps his goats.
Primo, unafraid of Salvatore’s wrath, says everyone at the Confirmation’s happy because they think Salvatore’s crew is rich and things will finally change here. Leonardo admits he believes they’d be a huge joke if everyone found out they still have Paul. Regina arrives, confessing she asked her husband not to tell Salvatore about this on Francesco’s special day. That doesn’t help as now Salvatore thinks Regina is the one in charge of Leonardo’s family.
Francesco makes it to the cave and finds Paul tied up and gagged. He removes the gag and Paul asks for water. Francesco escorts Paul, hands still tied behind his back, to the well. Paul introduces himself and asks if they are going to kill him. He confesses he would if he was the kidnapper. He also reveals he knows no one paid and no one is going to pay. “I’m worth nothing. Nothing,” says Paul in a devastating admission. He stares into the sky and then asks if Francesco has any siblings. He says he thinks about his own family all the time.
Paul asks Francesco if they’ll kill him outside. It’s beautiful there and he wouldn’t mind dying where he could see the sky and the trees. Francesco has been silent this whole time. (He doesn’t speak English.)
Paul walks haltingly back to the cave, thanking Francesco for the water.
A meeting takes place and it seems everyone wants to kill Paul. It’s the only way to save face. Francesco and his friends listen from outside, aware Salvatore is angry. Inside the building, Primo speaks his mind. He doesn’t accept any of the blame and he reminds everyone Salvatore is the one who negotiated the deal with J. Paul Getty Sr. Leonardo wonders if it’s possible there was a mistake about the time and place of the drop-off, but Fifty assures him there couldn’t have been.
Salvatore’s done with all this and wants to kill Paul with his own hands. Francesco races off as Salvatore hurries from the building. Primo tells Leonardo to do exactly what he says, but Fifty won’t follow Primo.
Leonardo finds Regina and she asks what kind of people they’re becoming. Leonardo hurries to catch up with Salvatore, Primo, and Dante as they head to the cave unaware Francesco’s ahead of them.
Francesco beats them to the cave and cuts Paul free. He hands him food and then urges him to leave the cave. Paul won’t and leans against the wall. Francesco screams that they’re coming to kill him and Paul finally yells back, ‘There’s nowhere to go!”
Paul grabs Francesco’s knife and tells him to cut off his ear and send it to his mom and dad. Francesco shakes his head no. Paul begs him to do it, saying he doesn’t want to die yet. Paul begs him repeatedly to use his knife and slice it off, swearing it’s the only way to keep him from being killed.
Francesco finally agrees and, as gently as possible, slices off Paul’s ear. Paul screams into his gag as blood flows down his face and neck. Francesco works swiftly and methodically.
Leonardo, Primo, Dante, and Salvatore arrive and spot the blood outside the cave’s entrance. They run into the cave and Francesco approaches them with Paul’s ear. “What have you done?” asks Leonardo as Francesco holds out the bloody ear, arms shaking.
More on Trust:
- Exclusive Interview with Sarah Bellini and Laura Bellini
- Recap of Trust Season 1 Episode 1 “The House of Getty”
- Recap of Trust Season 1 Episode 2 “Lone Star”
- Recap of Trust Season 1 Episode 3 “La Dolce Vita”
- Recap of Trust Season 1 Episode 4 “That’s All Folks”
- Recap of Trust Season 1 Episode 5 “Silenzio”
- Recap of Trust Season 1 Episode 6 “John, Chapter 11”
- Recap of Trust Season 1 Episode 7 “Kodachrome”
- Recap of Trust Season 1 Episode 9 “White Car in a Snowstorm”
- Recap of Trust Season 1 Episode 10 “Consequences”
