Dope Thief: Is Bart Dead? Did Ving Rhames Leave Dope Thief?

Apple TV+’s ‘Dope Thief’ begins with Ray Driscoll and Manny Carvalho’s misadventures of posing as DEA agents to rob low-level drug dealers. One day, however, they attack an unexpectedly big fish, and things go terribly awry. This puts the said big fish on their tails as they try to prevent themselves and their loved ones from being killed. By the sixth episode, this tension reaches a breaking point, and a person dies: Bart Driscoll. Ving Rhames’ character has relatively less screen time in the show, but his conviction to save his son shines through in this particular episode, which is why it is a shame that it ends the way it does. SPOILERS AHEAD.

Bart Gives His Life to Save His Son

Titled ‘Love Songs from Mars,’ the sixth episode of ‘Dope Thief’ focuses on Bart’s efforts to keep his son safe. He has been granted parole with an ankle monitor, but he later tells Ray that the freedom was part of a deal he made with the Feds to spy on him. He knew that the ankle monitor was actually a listening device, which is why, when he sees what mess Ray is drowning in, he uses loud music to stop the Feds from listening in. He might have made a deal to get out of prison, but this doesn’t mean that he is going to let his son go to prison for it. In fact, despite their turbulent relationship, all Bart focuses on is saving Ray, no matter what. He is the only one who stands his ground on not leaving the house, even though he can see that Ray should be in a hospital. The reason is that he knows that the enemies are circling outside, and once they step out, all hell will break loose.

When Manny and Son come into the picture, it is revealed that Ray has a severe infection, so Bart has to accept the risks and step out of the house. Not unexpectedly, an ambush awaits them outside the hospital, and while Ray is successfully taken inside the building by Manny, Bart stays back in the car and is shot dead. The only part we see of the shooter is his hand, but there are enough hints to suggest that it is Son. The shooter’s wrist has the same watch that Son wears throughout the episode. The gun in his hand is also what we see in Son’s possession a few minutes ago. Moreover, by the end of the gunfight, all the bad guys are down, and Son is the only one in close vicinity to easily walk up to Bart without causing an alarm until he pulls a gun to his face. A shot is heard as the screen goes dark, and while we don’t see it happening on the screen, it is clear that Bart has been killed.

Why Does Son Shoot Bart?

With the professional relationship that Son and Ray have maintained over the years, one would wonder why Son would want to kill his father. So far, we haven’t seen a single interaction between him and Bart, which makes his move rather unexpected. However, picking up on a few details about Son and the things that Bart reveals to Ray before the latter is taken into the hospital, it seems that Son has been indulged in more things than Ray knows about. So far, we know that Son used Ray and Manny to get rid of competition, but the people they targeted were small fish. Meanwhile, Son would need bigger guns to deal with the bigger fish, and that is where perhaps the DEA comes in.

In the previous episode, it was revealed that he had been listed as an informant who was on a limited-use agreement with the DEA. But this was a while back, and he helped them bring down a major drug organization. Since then, he has not worked for them, at least on paper. And the records have been so badly kept the name of his handler is nowhere to be found. There is a good chance that Son had been working behind the scenes with Jack, who might not be the only corrupt one in the agency. Moreover, it was Son who had the task of making sure that the places Ray and Manny targeted were safe enough for them to do it, but he did mess up with the bust where Jack died.

This means that Son intentionally sent them to that place. This is confirmed by Bart, who tells Ray that he and Manny were used to kill a corrupt DEA agent. With all this in mind, it is safe to say that Son knew about Bart’s deal with the agency, and it was his contact inside the agency who put on the task of killing Bart. Or perhaps it could be that Bart has figured out that Son is the reason behind the mess Ray is in, and he doesn’t want that secret to be out. This is reason enough for him to neutralize the man, and he has killed for less.