2) Cottonmouth Comes In For A Shave
Cottonmouth’s arrival at Pop’s barbershop ranks high on this list because it increases the show’s tension while simultaneously adding another layer to these characters and how they interact with their environment and each other. The scene examines the interplay between Pop’s shop and the people who populate it, establishing the joint as a haven where even the most powerful criminals can enjoy a shave and walk out untouched, unbothered and unscathed. Pop and his good old stubble-stopper have found a happy customer in Cornell Stokes, even if the spiffy businessman favors a shave-and-split situation over paying the wizened barber what he’s due.
When a villain comes in for something as mundane as an afternoon shave, all of the violence, vitriol, and viciousness that characterize the central conflict is immediately put on hold. For a few short, sweet minutes, opposing players feign civility on the grounds that no weapons or words are brandished with malicious intent. Of course, that doesn’t mean passive aggression and ego-bruising jabs aren’t fair game.