Monsterland Episode 6 – Palacios, TX: Breakdown & Review

Monsterland Episode 6 (Palacios, TX) Recap

Episode 6 focuses on the repercussions of oil spill to the Gulf Stream and small fishing village of Palacios, Texas. The 400,000-gallons of oil from episode 4 severely damaged the local economy and put almost all fishermen out of work. Hence, many of them spent their time wading out in the boats to try and clean it.

Trieu Tran plays Sharko, a fisherman who fell off his boat while cleaning and got his face full of chemicals. As a result, he now walks around carrying an oxygen tank. Sharko used to have a reputation for being an excellent fisherman. He’s known to hook a fish as fast and well as a great white shark, hence, his nickname.

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Folks are planning to sail out and probe the water to see what’s still out there. However, Sharko thinks they are just fooling themselves. There will be no catch and the water is still coming up black. Breezy, one of them, asks Sharko if he can borrow his boat since he is not using it. He turned him down after the previous mishap Breezy caused him.

Then, one day he walks along the shore, he starts hearing strange screeching sounds from farther down. He looks into it and discovers a mermaid washed up on the beach. Technically, Sharko did not catch the mermaid, but he feels satisfied reeling in something as legendary as a literal mermaid.

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That night, the mermaid wakes up. She begins screeching and freaking out, trying to attack Sharko and eventually sinking her fangs into his arm. Sharko manages to wrap her up in a fishing net and tie her down in the tub. He does his best to pacify the mermaid so she won’t kill him. Furthermore, he also went grocery shopping for various foods the mermaid might like, and then he feeds her.

One time while Sharko was sleeping, a loud clatter came from the other room. It was Breezy, who’s still mad at Sharko for not letting him borrow his boat. He starts to threaten Sharko that resulted in his discovery of the mermaid in his bathtub. Sharko says he plans to throw her back in the water as soon as it’s clear. Surprisingly, Breezy agrees to keep his secret and help Sharko around. They built a giant glass tank for the mermaid. 

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The more time Sharko spends around the mermaid, the more he seems to get attached to her. He can’t help but tell her about his life, trying to create a sense of intimacy between them. On the other hand, the mermaid appears to have some powers of her own. She can enchant Sharko to see things she wants him to see.

Suddenly, a mysterious woman emerges at his doorway and it looks exactly like the mermaid, only it’s in human form. She strokes Sharko’s ego, thanking him for rescuing her from the sea, and calling him the “only” good man. Then, they goof around in his living room, have sex, and tell each other stories. This time, Sharko admits that every day after the boating accident, he actually wished he just drowned.

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Unfortunately, Breezy eventually tells the other fisherman in town about the mermaid. After realizing that Sharko was right all along, they come to collect what they deem a cash cow. However, Sharko isn’t willing to give up his mermaid without a fight and scares them off with his rifle.

Once he goes back to the mermaid, his fantasy begins again. This time though, the viewers finally see the other half of it. In reality, all of those are only happening in Sharko’s head. He eventually falls into the tank and the mermaid eats him alive.

Monsterland Episode 6 (Palacios, TX) Explained

Once again, Monsterland played on the central themes of loneliness and obsession that brought out the monster in one’s self. Clearly, Sharko is a lonely man who longs for companionship and validation. Moreover, his refusal to let go of the mermaid shows how badly he clings to his glory days as a great fisherman.

The mermaid belongs to no one. Sharko failed to see that he has taken advantage of her too, as much as the big companies have destroyed them. In the final scene, she tricks him again to lure him into the tank and make him a sizable meal. The episode’s concluding turnabout is fair play.

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