The 2 Fast 2 Furious Nod You Might Have Missed In Fast X
Though it may be the most ridiculous installment in the "Fast and Furious" franchise yet, "Fast X" is undeniably a celebration of the series as a whole and a feast for longtime fans. Focused viewers are sure to pick up on a number of easter eggs throughout the film, including a cameo appearance from Paul Walker's daughter, Meadow Rain Walker, and even a reference to Vin Diesel's "Fast and Furious" short film, "Los Bandoleros." However, one sly nod to the film "2 Fast 2 Furious" is so cleverly worked into the plot, fans might not have realized it was a reference to the critically maligned 2003 sequel.
After Dante Reyes (Jason Mamoa) manages to hack into the bank accounts of Dom's (Diesel) crew and drains the tens of millions they stole from him and his father in "Fast Five," Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson) reveals that he has thousands of dollars strapped to his body underneath his clothing. To the uninitiated, this may seem like a lazy plot convenience to give the characters access to game-changing cash, but it's actually a pretty solid callback to the final scene of "2 Fast 2 Furious," which sees Roman and Brian O'Connor (Walker) driving into the sunset with thousands of dollars strapped to their bodies.
Roman's pockets still aren't empty
Originally written as a replacement for franchise co-star Vin Diesel, Roman Pearce made his cinematic debut in "2 Fast 2 Furious," and quickly set himself apart as a riskier, more unpredictable criminal associate for Brian to work with. A running gag throughout the film involves Roman not leaving crime scenes with "empty pockets." Early on, he even swipes a silver cigar cutter from the dangerous crime boss they're attempting to deceive.
After failing to double-double-cross both the FBI and the crime boss by absconding with millions of dollars in cold hard cash, Roman seemingly chooses to put his and Brian's lives back on the straight and narrow and hands over the entirety of the ill-gotten bounty. In return, their records are completely expunged.
As the two ex-cons leave the scene, however, Brian calls Roman out for stealing some of the money for himself, delivering one of the most iconic lines in cinema history. Roman smiles and reveals several stacks of cash stuffed into his waistband.
The only way "Fast X's" callback to this moment could have been any more perfect would be if Roman had echoed Brian's infamous line of dialogue, "Pockets ain't empty, cuz!"