SPOILER ALERT: The following contains spoilers for The Rainmaker Episode 7.

Episode 7 of The Rainmaker brings Kelly Riker’s subplot to the forefront, and pushes the Great Benefit case to the backseat. This gives the USA show some big emotional stakes, yet the way that the series chooses to resolve Kelly’s story might divide viewers. Some aspects are understandable while some moments beg the question of what could have been.

No one will be surprised that Kelly’s abusive husband Cliff Riker finds her at Dot Black’s home, and that the situation ends violently. Cliff’s function has always been as a clear antagonist. He lacks nuance or even any kind of character depth because it’s not necessary for the role he fills in the story. The Rainmaker does not require that the audience understands who Cliff is or why he’s abusive toward Kelly; he’s a threat to be handled and a way for Kelly to enter Rudy Baylor‘s life. And given that, this subplot has to end with Cliff’s demise. That’s the conclusion that his character dictated.

What’s up for discussion is how Cliff’s death is handled. He follows Rudy to Dot’s home and is able to hide in the bathroom, where he lies in wait for Kelly. Kelly is seen running from Cliff—and then after a commercial break, Deck Shifflet simply tells Bruiser Stone that Rudy has been arrested for Cliff’s murder. The Rainmaker denies the audience the confrontation that the entire subplot has been leading to, and the emotional payoff that goes with it. It’s incredibly anticlimactic. There is a reason for this and it will be up to each individual fan to decide if that reason works for them.

The Rainmaker doesn’t show what happens with Cliff because it wants to continue building suspense and keep viewers guessing as to if Rudy really killed him. The conflict is only shown in full during the final moments of the episode in order to preserve the twist ending: that Kelly is the one who shot Cliff and Rudy was attempting to cover for her. This fact doesn’t necessarily preclude the show being upfront, however. Episode 7 could have shown what happened at the time, given fans that emotional high and then followed Rudy as he decided to fall on his sword for Kelly and had to convince her to go along with it. There wouldn’t have been an “aha” moment in the fourth act, but that wouldn’t matter if the emotional beats were strong enough.

That being said, the genuine surprise is that The Rainmaker ends Kelly’s arc in Episode 7. She tells Rudy that she is taking money from her husband’s bank account and moving on. In the film, Kelly becomes Rudy’s girlfriend, so this is a significant change for the TV version. But as talented as Robyn Cara is, that makes sense. The added screen time of a television show doesn’t necessarily suit this subplot; there’s only so long Kelly can be on the run. And the series needs to refocus its attention on the Great Benefit lawsuit, which has been moving relatively slowly. The big development on that front is that Leo Drummond enlists Rudy’s ex-boss and Bruiser’s old friend Prince to locate Melvin Pritcher.

The best scenes in The Rainmaker Episode 7 have little to do with either of those plots. The characterization of Sarah is remarkable; at times she’s felt underdeveloped. But it’s very nice to watch her check on Rudy after his arrest and see that they are on genial terms—that the show is respecting their history and not just using it for dramatic effect. Elsewhere, Bruiser shares a layered moment with Quinn, the attorney who prosecuted her dad and tries to prosecute Rudy. After Quinn learns the truth and drops the charges, Bruiser finds him in a bar to thank him for being considerate and not holding their history over Rudy. Quinn also provides Bruiser with some information about her father. It’s a scene of mutual respect and maturity when a lesser show would have made the prosecutor a narrow-minded caricature, and Lana Parrilla continues to be the series’ star.

Conversely, the behind-the-scenes footage shown after Episode 7 shoots down any hope that The Rainmaker will give Brad Noonan any more depth. Wade Briggs, who plays Brad, explains that he sees his character as someone who is “wholly uninterested in the law, in the sense of what’s right and wrong.” His description of Brad is that of a typical mercenary lawyer, which is so much less compelling than the direction Brad seemed to be headed. The Rainmaker is simplifying its narrative as it heads toward the end of its season. The show is staying on course and not leaving many loose ends, but there are also some more missed opportunities.

The Rainmaker airs Fridays at 10:00 p.m. on USA. Photo Credit: Courtesy of USA.

Article content is (c)2020-2025 Brittany Frederick and may not be excerpted or reproduced without express written permission by the author. Follow me on Twitter at @BFTVTwtr and on Instagram at @BFTVGram. For story pitches, contact me at tvbrittanyf@yahoo.com.