Augustus took power after an 'accident' claimed the life of his father, and left his mother in a coma, but there are no details of this event. When Nagel sends Otto away, he is ready to die, seemingly for a past indiscretion that has returned to haunt him. Perhaps he is going before the other Trust heads for a judgement of sorts. Megan took a bullet to the right lung, and her survival is not improbable. Most of the double talk between her and Augustus is fairly transparent. Massive shades of the Rat Pack in the sixties scenes of the Trust, somewhat trumpeted by the Sinatra vinyl. The comment from Vasco about his father having one foot in the grave, with Graves putting the other one there, foreshadows a Minuteman related demise for Vasco Senior, possibly in relation to the as yet undisclosed feud between the Houses of Vasco and Nagel. This crops up again in the lift conversation, and Axel's pointed comment about dying young, suggesting involvement from the Vasco clan in the premature death of one of the Nagels. Why exactly it was deemed necessary for Axel to end his life is not clear during this arc, although Javier's summary of Nagel's mistake plays over the scene between Shore and Graves, suggesting that Graves' rise to the Agent position was also a mistake made many years before, by himself and others. Dietrich is no longer there to pay the price, leaving Axel to carry the can. Perhaps the restitution sought is the loss of Axel's position for himself and his family, thereby making Vasco's proposal that the House of Nagel stand a motive for Axel to end his life to ensure his families' future. The right horse referred to could be Graves, and Axel will not live to see him take down Augustus. Augustus seemingly has Megan exactly where he wants her as a result of the 'botched' assassination. Ever the master manipulator, it is probable that he ordered the 'hit', intending only for a wounding. It is unlikely that a skilled gunman like Victor would miss his target. If a Minuteman were going for a kill shot, it would be aimed right between the eyes, as seen to great effect in Wylie Runs the Voodoo Down. Medici needs Megan alive, and on his side, although if she were ever to find out his betrayal, particularly in light of just how 'supportive' she becomes, her wrath would be spectacular. Graves' comment that Walker's heart gave out could be construed figuratively rather than literally. Walker may no longer have had the heart for the job, which meant that he had to go. When Graves mentions suitable replacements for himself in the ranks of the Minutemen, he may have been referring to Curtis Hughes, a man who, as seen in Hang Up on the Hang Low, was kept from the ranks by prejudice within the Trust, conflicting with what is said earlier in this scene about who picks the Minutemen. Jack's AC flashback reveals him to have a history of substance abuse before his heroin days. His grin as they arrive on the pier gives the impression of a sadistic man, rather than the angst filled character he becomes. Shore's prophecy of Graves' agenda may yet prove to be accurate. Certainly there are deep-seated alliances and double-crosses rooted in the rise to power of Medici, Vasco and Graves. This trio have yet to reveal their true agenda to anyone, even each other.

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