Grind and Pound

Haunted by the tragedy that ended his career and the love of his life, ex-MMA fighter Jake Stone drifts through the ruins of his existence — broke, bruised, and disconnected from the world. Living in a crumbling apartment and working sporadic underground jobs, Jake avoids attachments and drowns his guilt in violence and silence. When his old fight buddy Omar, now working for a shady private security firm called Iron Wolf, tries to pull him into something more lucrative — and illegal — Jake turns him down, determined not to fall further than he already has. Later, a chance encounter outside a diner puts Jake in the path of a teenage boy named David, whom he saves from an alleyway beating. Their meeting is brief but lingers. Meanwhile, Jake exchanges curt, unresolved warmth with Veronica, the no-nonsense diner owner who sees through Jake’s walls more than he’d like. But peace is never cheap. The episode ends with Matty, a washed-up enforcer with a fragile ego and a grudge, sending men to Jake’s apartment after an earlier confrontation goes sideways. Jake holds his own — barely — and when the smoke clears, it’s clear that the quiet days are over.