S3 EP.14: Torreto T’s – A Review of The Fast Franchise pt.5

The guys (Kareem, Ken, and Pat) are joined by guests Kasey (@kaseydrolow) to conclude their review of Fast and Furious and Fast Five. Tangents Torreto collectables, the Brazilian Batcave, code switching DEA agent, and more.

Show Notes

The Fast and Furious movies have gone through several cast changes and genre evolutions over the last decade and a half, but one thing has remained the same: Dom’s necklace. The silver cross first worn by Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) in 2001’s The Fast and the Furious has taken on a greater significance with every new film. A symbol of his love for Letty, and a constant reminder that Dom is the Jesus figure of his crew, the necklace (custom-made for the films, per costume designer Sanja Hays) plays a key role in the events of the eighth movie The Fate of the Furious (in theaters now). Here, we trace the evolution of Dom’s necklace from flashy accessory to unofficial cast member.

Warning: This post contains spoilers for every ‘Fast and Furious’ film to date.

—The necklace makes its debut when Dominic, an auto mechanic secretly running a crime ring, challenges Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker), an undercover cop, to a quarter-mile race in Los Angeles in 2001’s The Fast and the Furious. Dom wears it in just that one scene with a black sleeveless t-shirt, later to become a signature look.

Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) in ‘The Fast and the Furious’ (Photo: Universal/YouTube)

—Dom and his crew move to the Dominican Republic, where they’re living undercover at the start of Fast & Furious (2009). Unbeknownst to the audience until 2015’s Furious 7, Dom privately marries longtime girlfriend Letty Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguez) while they’re in the Caribbean. In lieu of a ring, he wraps the necklace around their hands.

—During a traditional “Our fuel tanker heist went really well!” celebration in the Dominican Republic during Fast & Furious, Dom learns that the police are closing in on his crew. For Letty’s protection, he decides to leave her…with the necklace wrapped around a pile of cash on the bedside table.

Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) in ‘Fast & Furious’ (Photo: Universal/YouTube)

—With Dom gone, Letty returns to Los Angeles and works on restoring Dom’s 1970 Dodge Charger (which crashed dramatically during the climax of the first film). She hangs the necklace from the rearview mirror. Dom finds it there after he learns of Letty’s “death.” The necklace remains a car ornament for the rest of Fast & Furious, except when Dom is fidgeting with it (as he does during a rendezvous with Gisele Yashar, played by Gal Gadot, who leads him to Letty’s murderer).

—At the start of 2011’s Fast Five, fugitive-from-the-law Dom makes his grand entrance wearing the cross with a black muscle tee. It stays put when Dom takes a flying leap off a bridge into a river and survives: our first indication that the cross may have quasi-supernatural powers of protection.

Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) in ‘Fast Five’ (Photo: Everett)

—With Dom and his crew hiding out in Rio de Janeiro, the Diplomatic Security Service, led by agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and police officer Elena Neves (Elsa Pataky), stages a raid on their neighborhood. Dom escapes, but Elena finds his necklace on the ground. Later, Dom (still a wanted fugitive!) breaks into Elena’s home and pulls his cross from her neck. “I don’t understand. Why come here? Why risk it all for 20 dollars worth of silver?” she asks. “’Cause it’s worth it,” he replies. Elena — who, like Dom, lost the love of her life — lets him walk out the door. Dom wears the cross for the rest of Fast Five, and is still wearing it in the final scenes, when he and Elena move to a hideout in the Canary Islands.

credit: Gwynne Watkins

EP.122 – Wait, You Know Kung Fu Too? – A Review of The State of Martial Arts Films pt.2 – Tangential Giants Podcast

Kareem, Ken, Pat, and returning chaos agent JPG dive into the second half of their martial arts saga, tracing how the genre went from the clean, wide‑shot choreography of the 80s and 90s to the hyper‑edited, camera‑trick chaos that took over in the 2000s.They unpack how The Matrix rewired Hollywood’s brain, how 9‑11 reshaped action aesthetics, and how Jackie Chan’s beautifully reckless stunt work got replaced by gunkata, tactical reloads, and enough quick cuts to make a film editor sweat. Along the way, the crew debates whether modern action is evolution or just caffeine with a budget.If you enjoy martial arts history, pop culture detours, and a guest who refuses to stay on topic, this episode delivers.#tangentialgiants #martialartsmovies #actioncinema #Gunkata #jackiechan #thematrix #filmpodcast #popculturepodcast #moviediscussions