Episode 2 of Legends begins in Pakistan, illustrating the production and initial phases of heroin trafficking. The episode illustrates the transformation of opium into heroin and its smuggling across borders on camels through the Afghan route. The drugs are then transported through Iran and end up in Istanbul, Turkey, where they are repackaged into smaller packs for delivery to the UK.
In Istanbul workers are secretly stuffing drugs into small packets for export. One striking moment shows a man with an amputated leg smuggling drugs into London, hiding them in a prosthetic limb, an extreme measure of the operation.
Mylonas tells Guy in London that Hakan is testing him. He tells Guy to follow Zeki and get into the Turkish network. Μylonаs also reveals that Ζekі has been promoted, but still makes mistakes that annoy Hakan. Guy starts watching Zeki and finds out the Turkish mob runs a laundry which is a front for their drug stash.
Meanwhile the amputee smuggler tells Hakan’s son, Aziz, that body packing is becoming a more dangerous game and suggests other ways to smuggle. Guy also sees Aziz coordinating the distribution of the drugs across different parts of the UK.
Bailey and Kate see a bakery van in Liverpool, connected to Jed Dalby. They see the delivery building is locked down with a code entry system. They figure the baker probably has the access code and start planning how they’ll infiltrate the location.
At Customs Shaun meets Bailey and Kate and offers his help in the operation against the heroin ring. Kate thinks about his offer and his past, but Bailey remains wary and refuses.
Elsewhere Mylonas takes Guy to a casino where he is caught cheating. Mylonas says when confronted he is seeking revenge against the casino’s owner for calling him a traitor. There is a violent confrontation and Guy is forced to help Mylonas escape. As they run, Mylonas explains that the event will attract Hakan’s attention, dragging Guy further into the criminal world. However Guy reminds him that he has to maintain his cover as a police informant.
In London Erin reports to Bailey and Kate about Jed Dalby’s suspicious financial activity, including a cash purchase of a pricey property despite his struggling bakery business. She also identifies Dean, Jed’s driver, as a possible fraud suspect.
Kate recommends getting Dean out of the way and using Shaun to break into the bakery’s security system. Eventually Shaun is recruited, though reluctant Bailey is. He manages to get into Jed’s bakery pretending to be a parolee looking for work and gets a job as Jed’s driver.
Meanwhile Mylonas is asking Guy to find resources such as cash and a car. Don and Erin join forces to help Guy get into Hakan’s organization. Guy meets Hakan and Aziz properly at a funeral. Aziz tries to mess him up, but Guy is cool and professional.
Shaun gains Jed’s trust and starts working as his driver on deliveries that are directly connected to the drug operations in Liverpool. Carter, the leader of the Liverpool gang, scolds his men for alerting the Turkish network to their activities in a bloody episode back in Liverpool. The organization’s hold on power is shaky and tensions are rising.
Guy calls Sophie later to see how she and the baby are doing but Zeki starts investigating him after tracing the call. Sophie is alarmed when she suspects she is being followed and pressure mounts on Guy’s personal life.
Carter is not happy with the quality of drugs being trafficked and demands improvements, suggesting he is taking a tighter rein on his operation. Meanwhile, Kate and Bailey are also under the law enforcement microscope and the challenges of their investigation are evident.
Angus is worried about the slow progress of the operation and doubts whether Guy can cope with his undercover role on his own. Soon after, Mylonas tells Guy Hakan wants to see him. During the meeting Guy proposes a method to bypass customs restrictions allowing larger quantities of drugs into the UK. Hakan agrees to look into Guy’s transport business.
Meanwhile, Shaun successfully gets into Jed’s secure building by gaining trust and getting the passcode. However Carter and Eddie stop Jed in his tracks, and the situation in Liverpool becomes ever more volatile. Kate and Bailey begin to monitor Carter’s movements closely.
Zeki investigates Guy’s transport business, and is fooled by Don, who covers for him. This trick saves Guy’s cover for a while. But when the Turkish and Liverpool gangs start moving towards a common goal, several developments converge.
The episode closes on a massive turning point as Carter and Hakan form an alliance, raising the stakes for everyone involved.
Review of the Episode
This episode is complicated and jam-packed with many storylines in a variety of places. The international reach of the drug trafficking network is extended, showing the deep interconnectedness of operations from Pakistan to the UK.
The alliance between Carter and Hakan is now in place, which is a big change in the power structure and means more to come for the investigators. Guy’s undercover role becomes more dangerous as he goes deeper into the crime operations and keeps his cover.
Meanwhile, the investigation in Liverpool is progressing more slowly, with Kate and Bailey leaning heavily on Shaun’s infiltration technique. Trust is a big issue though, and how much you can really trust Shaun.
All in all, the episode is great for creating tension but needs to be watched carefully as there are several plotlines overlapping and perspectives changing.