Ep 2. New Recruits

After their leader Mickey Bricks departs, The gang struggles to keep themselves afloat. In the second episode of Season 5, the Hustlers come up with a scheme to recruit new members into their team. They initially set their sights on ambitious young pickpocket Tasha (played by Leah Hackett), who is looking for a way to take her skills to the next level. But things quickly start to go awry when complications arise, and the team soon finds themselves second-guessing whether or not they made the right choice.

Tasha's first test comes in the form of a shopping mall heist - a trial by fire for any aspiring member of the Hustle crew. With the team watching from afar, Tasha is tasked with trying to pickpocket a member of the public and replacing their wallet with a fake one. Naturally, things go off the rails pretty quickly and Tasha ends up getting caught by security. But it turns out this was all part of the plan, with the rest of the team swooping in to create a distraction and helping Tasha escape.

Despite this initial setback, Tasha proves herself to be a valuable asset to the team and the perfect candidate to help them carry out their latest con - a risky and complex plan to scam a wealthy businessman. The team knows they need another set of hands to execute the heist, so they bring Tasha onboard to help with the heavy lifting.

As the scam starts to unfold and the nets begin to close in, the pressure starts to mount and it becomes apparent to Tasha that this is no ordinary con. But with the Hustle team alongside her and Mickey's impressive legacy to live up to, Tasha pushes forward and gives it her all.

With each character offering their own unique skills and ideas, the team rallies together and executes the scam flawlessly. However, as anyone who's familiar with the show knows, there's always a curveball waiting around the corner. The episode ends on a high note, with the team celebrating their success and toasting to the newest Hustler - but there's definitely a sense that things may be more complicated than they appear.

As always, the show manages to deliver high stakes, high drama, and plenty of laughs. Fans of the show will relish the chance to see new faces joining the team, while those new to the series will be instantly hooked by the sharp writing and engaging characters. If you're looking for a heist series that's equal parts clever and entertaining, Hustle is definitely a show worth checking out - and this episode in particular is an exciting introduction to the world of the Hustle crew.