Hotel Cocaine Season 1 Episode 4 Review: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Tensions escalate to new levels on Hotel Cocaine Season 1 Episode 4, “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” as a new player enters the picture.

While Christmas is traditionally a time for family, love, and joyous festivities, it’s a starkly different experience for Roman and his family.

This episode takes risks to new heights, highlights the little bit of empathy Zulio has, forces Burton into a predicament for which he’ll likely need counseling, and paints a picture of Roman’s path moving forward.

 

No Turning Back Now

With Alvaro out of the picture and Yolanda’s newfound presence in Miami, we’re bound to witness Roman flipping a switch and throwing all of his morals out the window to keep his family safe.

There’s a small taste of it towards the end of the episodes, with him gunning down the assailants ordered to kill Marisol and Valeria, and its portrayal is marvelous.

Pino effortlessly mesmerizes in the moment, perfectly harnessing that internal struggle for Roman. His reaction is visceral, and we can see it in his eyes the moment he decides enough is enough. 

It’ll be interesting to see how Roman will navigate his deal with Zulio and bugging Nestor’s home without being found out or incriminating himself any further now that his

A Sibling Bond Almost Repaired

The drug war Nestor and Roman are immersed in is undoubtedly the leading point of conflict and where most of the series’ enthrallment comes from, but Burton’s familial troubles and his journey to escape his debt now bring the same amount of excitement to the table.

Family is a sensitive topic for many because of the numerous different dynamics people have with one another, and having that be in the spotlight and touched upon without being glazed over is always a treat.

While I agree with Janice’s sentiments about not drugging Constance to loosen her up, the consequences of this action led to one of the most heartwarming moments of the season.

With the help of the quaalude-spiked champagne, Constance is able to verbalize her love for Burton, the real reason behind her interest in the hotel, and finally have an enjoyable moment with her brother for the first time in years.

Constance to Burton: Sometimes I think I’m just like mom, trying to pull you to dry land. I think you need saving from yourself.

I found myself hoping to see more and more of Burton’s interactions with Constance throughout the episode, and I am quite vexed that we’ll no longer get to see it play out on screen again.

Burton’s carefree attitude and goal of living life to the fullest is admirable, but it’s painfully apparent Ray had Constance murdered to keep her from investigating his bank.

Constance’s death is the perfect catalyst to force Burton into taking on new traits, finding out what’s important to him outside of illicit drugs, and getting redemption for his sister.

Empathetic Afterall

It is great to finally witness Zulio’s dealings with the DEA. His actions inside the department headquarters clearly indicate that he never wanted to put Roman and his family in potential harm’s way, which is why he pushes back so adamantly against his boss. 

I have a newfound respect for Zulio for being brave enough to fight for Roman and his family.

That said, though, his intentions of only having to use Valeria as leverage once mean nothing because it should’ve never happened to begin with. She and Marisol are the pressure points directly influencing Roman’s actions, but there were other avenues to explore before entering that domain. 

It’s hard to look past how Zulio’s predicament, thanks to his job, directly correlates to how things are run in real life. Too many people in power perform unthinkable actions in the pursuit of justice without ever owning up to the atrocities performed to get their desired outcome.

The series might portray the corrupt powers at play in Miami in the 1970s and 1980s, but these actions are all the same today, if not worse.

Roman almost choking Zulio out is a valid response to him being told he has to continue snitching on his brother or lose his daughter. The more critical aspect of this entire interaction, though, is Janice barging in and stopping Roman from murdering a detective inside the club.

I am vehemently against cheating and will never actively hope for that to take place, so I need Marisol to find a reason to break up with Roman. Janice and his chemistry is electrifying, and I feel deep down that it needs to be explored by the end of the season.

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“The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” is a gripping hour of television that only further elevates the narrative and really sets the tone for the backend of the season.

What did you think of this episode of Hotel Cocaine? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Hotel Cocaine airs on Sundays at 9/8c on MGM+.

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