This story shows no signs of slowing down. The Rainmaker Season 1 Episode 5 showed how courtroom clashes, serial killer shenanigans, and office betrayals are now playing out in equal measure.
And how Rudy Baylor is caught in the middle — still fumbling, still flustered, and still somehow at the center of everything.
This hour wasn’t subtle. It was dramatic and sometimes ridiculous, but it finally put Rudy and Sarah head-to-head in a way that showed exactly how dangerous Tinley Britt can be.
Rudy Can’t Stay Out of Trouble
Rudy starts the episode trying to juggle too much: a morgue visit with Deck, distractions from Kelly’s violent husband, and his own constant moral crisis.
His instinct to follow Cliff into the hospital only to discover Kelly battered was equal parts noble and boneheaded.
Deck’s warning that “they always end in a shitastrophe” felt like the kind of hard-earned wisdom Rudy should take to heart. But Rudy being Rudy, he can’t let go, even when he has no idea what he’s actually fighting for because his heart leaps before his head can catch up.
His fixation on Kelly continues later, sneaking into the cafeteria to talk to her while Cliff is conveniently out. The coin trick with his brother’s chip was sweet, but the whole subplot still feels wedged in.
I still can’t tell. Is this a romance? Is it more than a production of Rudy’s savior complex? For now, it continues to be distracting in a show that is already bursting at the seams with juicier plot points.
Sarah’s Loyalty Is on Trial
Sarah’s arc showed just how far she’s drifted from Rudy and how fully Leo and Brad are pulling her into Tinley Britt’s orbit.
Her bar exam results finally came through (she passed), but instead of sharing with Rudy, she told Leo and Brad. Their lack of enthusiasm said everything. She’s no longer someone to celebrate; she’s a pawn being sharpened into a weapon.
It’s incredibly annoying to see it play out, but I wonder if Bruiser would have handled things much differently at Sarah’s age. And look where she is now.
The tissue committee hearing became the real test. Leo tossed her in the deep end, telling her to argue against Rudy, with Brad at her side.
Brad even quoted The Art of War like a frat boy trying to impress in a philosophy class. Sarah, for her part, proved ruthless.
She cut into Rudy without hesitation, using his uncertainty about the bar exam to throw him off balance. It was brutal to watch, but also effective, which is exactly what Leo wanted.
By the end, her almost-kiss with Brad all but confirmed she’s playing for the other side now. Whether she believes in what Tinley Britt stands for or is just caught in their web doesn’t matter. She’s gone, at least for now.
Sarah chose to spend her time with Rudy, though, so how long can it be before she realizes that she’s not on the side of good here? Will it matter to her?
Pritcher, the Mercy Killer
Melvin Pritcher continued his transformation into one of TV’s most unsettling villains. Keeping Jackie locked in his trunk, dragging her to diners, and letting her fake a bathroom break gave us plenty of chances to scream at the screen: Why doesn’t she just yell? She was in a crowded place. Ooof.
The 9-1-1 call that went nowhere was peak frustration. But then, Jackie made her move — stealing a phone, warning Amber, even grabbing a gun. For a second, she looked like she might win.
And then Pritcher knocked out Amber with a shovel, muttering about things getting “too messy.” That’s Pritcher in a nutshell: a man who believes he’s offering mercy, when in reality, he’s a chaos machine leaving bodies and broken lives in his wake.
His twisted logic behind killing Donny Ray — “addiction is a disease of relapse, just like cancer” — was chilling in its cruelty.
What makes him fascinating, though, is that he believes he’s right. In his mind, Donny Ray’s death was an act of compassion. It also makes me wonder if he could have killed his mother and just stomped out the notion of it. He’s clearly killed people for less under the guise of mercy.
Pritcher is more than just a boogeyman. He’s a distorted reflection of the same system Rudy is fighting against — cold, transactional, and convinced it knows best. And Rudy is wedged between them both.
Bruiser vs. Rudy: Trust Shattered
Rudy’s choice to go to the cops with what he knew about Pritcher was the last straw for Bruiser. She called him out, and she wasn’t wrong.
Without evidence, all Rudy accomplished was putting their entire operation at risk. His defense — “it was the right thing to do” — rang hollow, and I think he knew it even as the words tumbled from his lips.
Their fight was brutal because it exposed the heart of their partnership. Bruiser doesn’t need Rudy to be better than her; she needs him to be with her.
By insisting he was “different, not better,” Rudy tried to split hairs, but all Bruiser heard was betrayal. Her decision to cut him loose was inevitable, and maybe overdue.
We know it’s not going to last, but I’m eager to see what Rudy learns from his latest stumble. No doubt, it will cement him as part of the team, and they’ll work even better together. It’s just a detour to the bigger picture.
The Dinner Invite
While Rudy spirals, Tinley Britt is celebrating. Keeley invited Leo, Brad, and Sarah to dinner in London, a reward for their loyalty and ruthlessness.
The private jet was a not-so-subtle reminder of who holds the power here. Sarah’s look at Brad as they boarded said it all: she’s not just in the game, she’s all in, even with Brad.
The ease with which they turned her gives me the willies and makes it seem more likely that they are behind more of this than we’d imagine, possibly even the fire at Pritcher’s house.
The Case Behind the Chaos
It’s easy to lose track amid the personal drama, but the malpractice case is still the backbone of the story.
Rudy and his team are pushing the tissue committee angle, trying to prove Donny Ray’s death wasn’t just negligence but part of a larger cover-up.
Dot’s fury when she learned about the fired nurses was the only reminder that this case is still about real people, not just power plays.
But the problem remains: evidence. Rudy can argue morals all day, but without proof, it’s Sarah who looks stronger in the courtroom.
Tinley Britt’s whole philosophy is on display: nobody gets into the ring with us without leaving blood on the floor. And right now, that blood belongs to Rudy.
In Summation
The Rainmaker Season 1 Episode 5 was chaotic, brutal, and sometimes absurd, but it worked.
Rudy’s courtroom clash with Sarah gave the show more weight, Bruiser’s rejection of Rudy upped the stakes, and Pritcher’s ongoing reign of terror kept the tension high.
Still, there are cracks. Kelly’s subplot continues to feel stapled on, and Jackie’s endless victimhood is getting harder to watch.
But when the show leans into its core — Tinley Britt’s corruption, Pritcher’s twisted logic, and Rudy’s desperate fight to make a difference — it’s gripping.
What did you think of this one?
Did Sarah’s brutal performance in court shock you, or did you see it coming? Is Bruiser right to cut Rudy loose, or is he the only one still fighting for what’s right? And how long can Jackie survive Pritcher’s “mercy” before it swallows her whole?
Drop your thoughts below and check out the rest of our show reviews and editorials while you’re here. We’ve got a little of everything!
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