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After watching Triple Frontier a few times now, I’ve started to break down more things about Pedro Pascal’s characters that can be seen in the subtext—things that explain more about this character, even without a *cough* backstory *cough*. So, here’s my interpretation of Frankie!
1. One of the first things we learn about Frankie’s character is that he’s a father—to a (likely?) newborn baby. He also has a “lady”—a wife or girlfriend? We don’t know. But we know he has a family. This means his protective senses are already in full drive, and we know he (1/3)
was against going on the mission solely because of them. He was the only character to think that way. Tom went BECAUSE of his wife and daughter, to get more money to provide for them, but Frankie didn’t want to go because his lady didn’t want him to—and he has a new child. (2/3)
Thus, we can learn that Frankie is VERY protective and caring about his loved ones. Even to the point where he came at Pope, his best friend. He was the last one to agree to it, showing his reluctance compared to everyone else’s. (3/3)
2. We can also see Frankie’s protectiveness early on, when he’s already with Benny in the locker room. Now, I’m not sure if they called him because of mission details, or to watch Benny fight. But he was already there WITH Benny, perhaps making sure he’s ready to fight.
3. Frankie takes the “dad friend” role early on. Other than the initial drive to the recce, he’s always the one driving the vehicles (showing that he wants to try to control their situations and keep them safe) and he’s the only one to thank Pope for buying their drinks. (1/2)
We also further see his concern for families when he notices that Lorea has a family whilst on the recce. He says it’s “not what [he] signed up for.” Frankie obviously doesn’t want to hurt women and children—a point I’ll come back to later. He doesn’t want them to, either. (2/2)
4. Just another fun showing of “dad friend” Frankie: *Dad voice* “What are we SHOOTING at in here?!”
5. Frankie doesn’t like to k*ll. We see that in this scene when he has to start taking out the guards. This is him only doing what he has to in order to protect his friends, who he feels are all under his responsibility (remember, “dad friend”).
tw // guns, implied death
tw // guns, implied death
6. Even though Frankie is the “dad friend” who wants to take responsibility over the group, he still doesn’t have the willpower to overrun Tom. We see this when he tries to tell Tom about the weight issue and instead ends up giving in—even though he knows it won’t work. (1/2)
This will shift later on, once things with Tom... happen. We’ll see Frankie change and almost step into Tom’s old role of influence and command. (2/2)
7. The helicopter crashes—and Frankie stays relatively calm throughout, another cue of his nature that wants to make his friends feel protected and cared for. He only yells when he’s giving them instructions, and otherwise, does all he can to land it safely.
8. Now, we see Frankie’s protective nature reaching more extreme heights. When Pope and Tom are talking to the farmers, he has his weapon ready, and without any working communication to them, he has to guess what’s going to happen at a distance. Thus, when hostility (1/2)
First begins, Frankie doesn’t hesitate to protect his friends. Only after firing a few shots does he realize what he’s truly done. This is a new shift: he’s now willing to k*ll in order to keep his friends safe. There was no command to sh*ot like earlier. This was him. (2/2)
9. Frankie takes the blame for what happened in the village—though it was Tom who first k*lled any of them. This shows his deeper sense of maturity as compared to the others. We know Tom feels guilty, but he doesn’t confess his wrongdoings like Frankie does.
10. During the mule incident, we see Frankie’s taking up the rear—keeping a supervising eye on everyone—and he has to reap the consequences of Will and Benny’s skirmish, almost d*ing in the process. He doesn’t lash out in anger after it happens; instead, he walks up (1/2)
Towards the front where Pope and Tom are arguing and takes control of the situation once again. He doesn’t need people to ask if he’s okay (though deep down, he does) or help him, he sees his role as helping them and keeping all of them in check. Dad friend rights. (2/2)
11. Then, we get to *that* scene. Frankie doesn’t hesitate to take on the more dangerous angle with Pope, wanting to back him up to keep him safe. When tragedy strikes, everyone lashes out emotionally—except for Frankie. He just... sits there. Thinking about how he failed (1/2)
To protect one of his friends, one of the group. He doesn’t say a word, and only leaps to action to once again control the situation when Benny and Will start fighting. This silence of Frankie’s leaves lots of eerie room for his protective senses to reach new heights. (2/2)
12. Once they’ve stopped and have sent Benny to the shore, Frankie’s the one to make them sit and think about what they’ve done—and that it has to stop. Cue the fatherly voice once again. I believe this is also just Frankie trying to get himself to do the same thing, (1/2)
Because not too much later, we see him doing exactly what he’d said he didn’t want to anymore. (2/2)
13. Getting to the ocean shows a whole new, violent, and aggressive side to Frankie we don’t see in the rest of the movie. Here, he’s only with Pope, Will, and Tom’s body, knowing that Benny is somewhere out there not under his immediate protection. In fear of losing (1/4)
More friends, he’s now turned against the one group he initially refused upon k*lling: kids. In the heat of facing such a threat to his friends’ lives, Frankie insists on doing whatever they can to get out safely—even if it costs a young life. While this obviously isn’t (2/4)
Right or excusable, it shows how deep Frankie’s sense of protection over the group runs, as he becomes the one commanding this situation by driving and yelling at Pope to “k*ll them!” At movie’s end, Frankie’s the first one to leave to go home to the family he left—likely (3/4)
Concerned about keeping them safe, too, now that he’s failed his brothers. (4/4)
And that’s my breakdown of Frankie Morales! Basically, I see his character as the one trying to hold everything together—by the end, at all costs. They didn’t deserve him. PERIOD.
And that’s my breakdown of Frankie Morales! Basically, I see his character as the one trying to hold everything together—by the end, at all costs. They didn’t deserve him. PERIOD.
