“Haimowitz and Belleau have just outdone themselves in episode #6 of the FLESH CARTEL. Their writing, plotting, and the aforethought that they put forth is simply brilliant.” ~Under the Covers
Well, he did it. That manipulative bastard did exactly what he set out to do. Nikolai has been gearing up his psychological abusiveness to drive a wedge between Mat and Dougie, and he succeeded oh so well in his plan.
Again, as with all the previous episodes, Haimowitz and Belleau have just outdone themselves in episode #6 of the FLESH CARTEL. Their writing, plotting, and the aforethought that they put forth is simply brilliant. BROTHERHOOD is another heart wrenching episode, and like I say with practically every review, just when you don’t think the physical torture could get any worse, it actually does, along with the mental torture as well. It makes my stomach turn, but I.Just.Can’t.Stop! I am so truly committed to Mat and Dougie, and I have to continue reading to learn their eventual fate.
Mat starts this episode in a prideful mood and Nikolai teaches him a most difficult lesson. While Mat is down and feeling awful, and being tortured some more, Nikolai then really nourishes the seed he’s planted in his plans to drive the wedge between the brothers and sets everything in motion. Because Mat would do anything to make sure that no more harm comes to Dougie – anything – he finally becomes compliant.
Dougie, on the other hand, decides at the beginning of this episode, that enough is enough. He doesn’t care about his pride anymore. He just needs the pain and the torture to stop. And so Dougie becoming Nikolai’s pet truly begins.
Nikolia continues to be a character that I just love to hate. But he is also a character for which I find myself so torn! He “gifts” Dougie with tenderness and gentleness, and like Dougie, I want him to have as much of it as he can get because the abuse has been so bad, there needs to be some light in the darkness. But is Dougie starting to misinterpret that tenderness with love? He longs for it; he no longer wants to be alone. And it is amazing just how far Nikolai’s affections will go in both Dougie’s mind and heart.
So, all in all, even with all of the disdain and heartbreak one might feel while reading this series, this is another brilliant episode, and I hope there might be some more light in the next one. Well, one can hope, right?
*ARC provided by publisher
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Thanks Leigh!
Very welcome, Timitra! 🙂