Time for Some "Animal Control" (Episode 7.6)

Previously on: Edgar-veda's "one-man campaign bankroll" planned to use blackmail to allow a drug cartel the opportunity to buy up Farmington. Edgar-veda took said Box O' Blackmail. Vic played the Armenians against the Mexicans, each thinking the other group had the box.

City controller Robert Martin was assassinated. Vic's federal friend Olivia has a file in the blackmail box. She asked Vic for help getting out from under the cartel.

Tina and yet another new partner respond to a burglar alarm. She stupidly goes down an alley alone, gun drawn. Behind a dumpster, Tina discovers a naked man with blood smeared on his chest.

In the clubhouse, Edgar-veda informs Vic he's turning the Box O' Blackmail over to some friends at the Justice Department. Vic can join him if he wants to get credit too. That's not good enough; Vic wants Cruz in jail and "not for 30 days on some pissant charge his lawyer can plead down to a fine."

Doesn't Edgar-veda care about Olivia? Turning over the box now means "throwing a good woman and her career under the bus." Edgar-veda shrugs that Olivia got herself into her own mess. Vic knows Cruz gets Rios to do his dirty work and wants a chance to bust him. Vic's the inside man. Edgar-veda says no way; Vic's had plenty of chances. Vic pleads for more time and Edgar-veda agrees to 36 hours.

"What happened to his clothes?" Dutch asks of Tina's suspect, now wrapped in a police blanket. Tina has no idea; she found him naked. She's hoping someone can do a psych exam on the guy. "This time of night, good luck," says Dutch. Billings is utterly uninterested, playing with his tie; let him know if naked girls show up. Nice.

Vic crouches over Lem's headstone; Ronnie joins him. "The last time we were here, Shane stood right next to us," Vic sighs, "He watched as I vowed to get the guy who killed Lem." It's been months and Vic hasn't kept his promise.

Vic tells Ronnie about Edgar-veda's timeline for turning in the Box O' Blackmail. Ronnie worries about losing their leverage with Rezian. Vic's spent the last two hours sitting here in the graveyard trying to come up with a plan. Vic thinks he knows how to get rid of the Armenians, save his job, bust Cruz, and "give Lem the justice he deserves."

There's a close-up of Lem's gravestone. Inscribed upon it are the words HONESTY, LOYALTY, OFFICER, and BROTHER. Vic knows they can't afford to wait for Shane to make a mistake. "We go through with what you're talking about, there's no turning back," Ronnie says slowly, "...Doing this in a rush to meet some deadline, we're bound to make a mistake." "We owe it to Lem!" says Vic. He promises that taking care of Shane will never blow back on them.

"Where you guys been?" Shane asks when Vic and Ronnie enter the clubhouse. Oh, nowhere, really. Just visiting the grave of the guy you murdered and plotting your death. Vic apologizes for being so stubborn about the Box O' Blackmail. Cruz won't want to pay to get the box back, but Rezian might.

Vic asks Shane to call the Armenian boss about purchasing the box. Shane's all for it, eagerly guessing they could make at least $100,000. He doesn't seem to realize that amount splits a lot neater two ways. "It's gonna feel real good to move past this," says Shane.

There's a knock at the door and an unexpected visitor appears: former Strike Team member Tavon. Ronnie and Vic greet him with hugs. Tavon recently got off disability, but still has some physical therapy to go; he transferred to Hollywood Division. "Oh, you went out and found yourself another brother?" Tavon jokes when he sees Julien, "They letting you ride in the front of the bus yet?"

Tavon expresses his sympathy about Lem, then asks to talk to Shane upstairs about someone named Gary Barba. "Hope he fell into a meat grinder," grumbles Shane. Julien asks who Gary is. Vic replies cryptically, "A blast from Shane's past."

Shane dishes exposition to Claudette; Gary was a rape suspect when he and Vic were working Vic, but they never had enough evidence to arrest. "Piece of shit goes off and kills his family a week later." His 10-year-old daughter Camille was the sole survivor. Gary's been on the run for the last 6 years and just tried to get in contact with Camille. Tavon got involved in the case because Camille's foster parents live in Hollywood.

Gary has been calling Camille constantly for days, trying to talk her into meeting up. The girl told Tavon that she was close to Shane during the original investigation. Shane remembers watching her in protective custody, a job that seems like it would've been better suited to Vic or Lem. Anyway, the girl will only meet with Gary if Shane is there to protect her.

Outside, Tavon apologizes to Shane for hitting Mara the night the two men slugged it out in Shane's living room. (Longtime viewers/readers will recall that never happened; it was a lie Lem fed Tavon to keep Shane from getting in trouble). Shane shrugs that bygones are bygones.

Vic has observed the conversation. Shane asks if he can go back and forth; Gary's back and he wants to take him down. Vic inquires if Tavon's memory is back. Shane shakes his head: "He still thinks he smacked Mara around." Vic is relieved to hear that. Shane looks vaguely sick.

Vic knows something about the Box O' Blackmail, but is afraid what Cruz will do with the intel. "I don't pay you to be afraid," says the developer. Vic points out he isn't paid enough to "stand by while you assassinate city officials." He wants Cruz's word there won't be more civilian casualties. Vic heard all the Armenian bosses are meeting sometime tonight. Cruz tells Vic to give the details to Rios.

Camille asks why her dad is coming back after all these years. "Ah, baby, your old man is a bad penny. He was bound to show up sooner or later," says Shane. He promises not to leave the teen's side until she's safe and Gary is in handcuffs. Shane also offers the girl advice he would've done well to take himself: "You are better off dealing with trouble now than looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life."

When Corinne answers her front door, Vic sighs that he's been calling all morning and knocking. Corinne, still in her robe and PJs, says she took a personal day from work. Vic reminds her they were supposed to meet about counseling for Cassidy. Corinne wants to deal with it tomorrow.

"You've been bitching to me about being more involved," Vic says irritably. He looks at his ex suspiciously. "Are you on something?" Corinne admits she took sleeping pills the night before. "Looking at your eyes, they look more like downers," says Vic. Does she know how addictive those can be? I mean, she should; she's a nurse.

Corinne argues she hasn't been able to sleep too well lately. Vic points out she's got primary custody of three kids, two of whom have special needs. Maybe they need to figure out another arrangement if she's popping pills to deal with it. "Let that be the last thing you say before you leave," Corinne growls. Vic is incredulous: "Our daughter's falling apart and you're snoring the day away?" Corinne slams the door in his face.

The naked man claims he can't remember anything that happened after 11 PM last night. He was watching the late news and has a history of sleepwalking. Usually, though, he wakes up somewhere in his house like the garage or kitchen. Once, he got arrested for public indecency after being found naked in a convenience store.

"How does your girlfriend feel about ya runnin' all over town naked?" Dutch asks, trying to lighten the mood. Jeff says he's been separated from his wife for six months. Hey, It's That Guy! Scott Michael Campbell played Dr. Weston on the Netflix series Longmire.

Jeff is a recovering addict who doesn't drink or use drugs. He's scared he might've hurt someone, but can't remember it if he did. Dutch had Tina send a sample of the blood on Jeff's body to the crime lab; they'll know soon enough whether it matches any recent assaults or murders. He inquires about the marks on Jeff's wrists. "Sometimes I tie myself up at night to stop myself from leaving," he explains.
Clearly not a foolproof strategy.

Tina brings Dutch a folder. Six months ago, uniforms responded to a 911 call from Jeff's wife. Maybe Jeff finally killed her.

Shane reports to Vic that Camille is doing well and likes her foster family. Barba wants to meet Rezian in the park this afternoon. In a filthy warehouse, they tell Rezian it'll cost $100,000 to buy the Box O' Blackmail. Rezian wants to see the box first. Vic can bring it at 9 PM if Rezian has the money. Both sides are allowed to bring three lieutenants and no weapons; Vic and Shane will be armed.

Tina hangs up a composite sketch of Robert Martin's killer. Danny recognizes the man. Claudette asks why this is the first she's hearing of Danny being attacked in the line of duty. "The Army surplus room was supposed to be cleared. I didn't wanna get another officer in trouble," she explains. Danny spent her own time looking through mug books and couldn't find the suspect.

Claudette interrupts the Strike Team's lunch break to ask them to track down Robert Martin's killer. He's the same man responsible for the body draggings. She asks where Vic is. Ronnie tells her he's on his way back from following a lead. Claudette doesn't buy that: "I put you in charge of the Strike Team so that I could have somebody who could be held accountable...If I wanted to be lied to daily, I would've left [Vic] in charge."

Claudette shuts the clubhouse doors, saying she knows Ronnie is covering Vic's ass as usual. He looks a little scared by her tone. Claudette has no choice now but to put an official reprimand in Ronnie's file. She warns, "One more and you lose the team, plus your job, if I can manage it." Claudette is willing to tolerate Vic until his hearing, but who'll still be standing when he's gone?

Vic and Ronnie talk outside in the parking lot. Shane has volunteered to handle the Armenian side of their deal. Vic bets he's already spent his share of the money. "Holy shit. This is gonna work, isn't it?" Ronnie breathes.

The blood on Jeff's body came back AB- and Jeff himself has a different blood type. Dutch found out his wife called 911 because Jeff was choking the woman in her sleep. He doesn't believe the guy really has parasomnia.

Billings thinks Dutch is projecting his failure to lock up Lloyd onto an innocent man. "I would hardly say Lloyd burned me. And haven't you got a lawsuit to lose?" Dutch asks nastily. Claudette decides they need to have a conversation with Jeff. Billings is more interested in calling his lawyer, so Claudette will help her old partner.

Olivia worriedly tells Vic that Rios asked for help getting himself and two other guys out of the US tonight. She's considering the idea of turning herself in, but she'll keep Vic's name out of it. Vic is sure she has other options. Hypothetically, how would she go about smuggling Rios to Mexico?

Vic wants to stall Rios. If they can definitively connect him to a crime, they can get him to turn on Cruz. "Vic, I can't have anymore blood on my hands," Olivia says tensely. Vic promises that won't happen.

Vic informs Rios, "Witnesses made two of your boys for the Robert Martin killing." Are they the same two he's bringing tonight? Half of LAPD is looking for them and Rios needs to make sure they're well-hidden.

Vic asks how Rios is getting out of the country. Rios basically tells him "nunya." Vic argues it is. Rios answers that his new ID is being made as they speak. Vic gives him the meeting time and location: Armenian junkyard, 9 PM.

Julien's knock-and-talk didn't turn up Martin's shooter. Ronnie didn't have any luck with the Byz Lats. Shane lets the guys know he'll be late to the meeting; he's still trying to catch Camille's dad. Ronnie looks worried. Vic reminds Shane that Rezian could get cold feet if they start changing the plan, but relents. Shane and the Armenians better be there on time.

Jeff play semantics: "I was grabbing Sophia, not choking her. I was asleep when I did it." He was also asleep when he wandered into the convenience store naked. Jeff admits he hasn't been formally diagnosed as a sleepwalker. "And yet, it's your excuse for everything," says Dutch, "And yet, you won't see a doctor about it." Both good points.

Dutch sits on the interrogation room table and leans close. He thinks being naked in public helps Jeff regain feelings of power he lacks due to his failed marriage. Exhibitionism is a rush "until it doesn't work anymore." Dutch theorizes Jeff "got into some kinky sex," but things went too far and his partner got scared. So Jeff attacked her.

Jeff repeats he isn't lying, then stutters he never meant to hurt anyone. Claudette suggests Dutch step out for a few minutes.

Olivia ran Rios' name through her ICE databases again. After several previous searches turned up nothing, Rios has been flagged on a federal watch list. Cops with cameras are following him 24/7. Olivia isn't sure if Rios is wired or not: "I need to turn myself in now while I still have control." It's downright spooky how much she sounds like Lem. She can arrest Rios when he picks up his fake IDs from her.

Vic lets Ronnie know about the surveillance. It'll be hard to deny involvement when there's photos of him and Rios on the day of the Armenian hit. "Shit," says Ronnie, throwing his taco onto his passenger seat in frustration. Vic is willing to let Rios get away to keep his family safe. They'll still have Rezian, his crew, and Shane.

Vic also tells Cruz the feds are watching Rios. Cruz needs to keep Rios away from the meeting at the junkyard.

Jeff is embarrassed and disgusting with himself for trying to choke Sophia. Claudette understands. Jeff admits he wanted to hurt Sophia because of the bitter custody battle over their daughter. He's ashamed of other thoughts he's had too.

Jeff followed Michael Vick's dogfighting trial and became hooked on the idea of the rape stand dog fighters use to breed the females. He wondered if he could design one for human women. Jeff's been having memory flashes of a young, screaming blond woman: "I think I wanted to kill her."

Camille sits at a picnic table in the park, waiting for her dad. Shane's in a van parked at the curb. The girl is scared. "You're not scared, baby. You're brave," Shane soothes. Tavon asks Shane to tell him what happened the night they fought. "I thought Lem told you," Shane answers evasively.

Tavon's replayed it in his head thousands of times. "We got a 16-year-old girl out there who's scared to death," says Shane, "Maybe this isn't the right time for this."

Cut to Shane locking Gary in the cage. Gary wants him to tell Camille he's sorry for killing Camille's mom and two brothers; he almost killed Camille too. "Sometimes it's too late to apologize, no matter how much you mean it," says Shane, an expert on that subject.

Ronnie sends the desk sergeant on an errand and starts digging through the drawers. Shane has the money from Rezian. Vic wants him to be at the meeting early. Ronnie takes Shane's gun out of the desk drawer, fiddles with it, and puts it back.

Outside, Tavon asks if he can come to Shane's this weekend and give Mara a long-overdue apology. Seeing her in person is the only way he can make peace with himself. Shane understands, but doesn't think Mara would like it. (Also, she probably forgot all about Tavon and the lie that was spun for her benefit).

Tavon nods: "After all, she might not have her iron ready this time." He's slowly come to remember everything about that night, except for the moment he supposedly hit Mara. Tavon knows it didn't happen. "You musta gone through that windshield harder than ya thought," Shane says coolly.

Tavon is pissed that Shane used Lem to cover his ass. He bets it wasn't the first time. Shane freezes in place, staring. "Now I know who you really are...and so do you," Tavon finishes.

Shane goes back to the clubhouse, looking shaken. "I thought you were headed to the junkyard," says Vic conversationally. Shane mumbles he forgot something in his locker. He then suggests the Strike Team needs a fresh start without him. Shane knows they'll never be able to put what he did to Lem behind them. He can transfer if the others want him to.

"Me and Ronnie, we got no axe to grind," Vic lies. When Shane leaves, Ronnie asks, "Can you believe the balls on that guy?" Julien struck out on canvassing another part of town. Ronnie thinks the three of them should do the next round together; splitting up hasn't worked.

In the parking lot, Corinne hands Vic her bottle of downers, which she's supposedly only been taking for a week. She's exhausted and knows she's not handling the kids very well. Corinne loves them more than anything and won't give up on Cassidy. She begs Vic not to take the kids from her. "You think my first move would be to rip the kids from you?" he asks through his teeth.

Dutch managed to find Jeff's victim, a 34-year-old woman named Fiona, in a dumpster. She was stabbed five times. Dutch bets Jeff dumped Fiona's body using his car, parked it somewhere, undressed, and started wandering around to sell his sleepwalking story. When they confront Jeff with the crime scene photos, Jeff lawyers up.

"We gotta pull Shane outta there," Vic pants at the junkyard, "I can't do this." Ronnie tells him it's a done deal; they can never make it this clean again. Vic says, "We still have a choice." "Do you think Shane gave Lem a choice?" asks Ronnie.

Elsewhere, Shane's cell phone rings with, what else, "Dixie." But it isn't Vic on the other end; it's Mara. She wants a favor. Shane tells her now isn't a good time. Mara keeps talking. Can Shane pick up Jackson's prescription on his way home from work?

Shane's call waiting signal beeps. Rezian tells Shane to give his phone to his associate. Shane points a stern finger: "I see any calls to Armenia, I'm coming after you."

In his car, Vic is worried that he got Shane's voicemail. He casually asks Ronnie where Shane is supposed to be meeting the Armenians. They're acting like they don't know because Julien is driving. Vic refuses to "let a team member fall off the map in a red zone."

Rezian complains the Mexicans' arrival is taking too long. Shane steps out to take a look around the junkyard. Two men approach the meeting spot, but don't see Shane. The Mexicans open fire on the Armenians. Shane takes out his gun, but, thanks to Ronnie's earlier gunsmithing, it goes click instead of bang.

One of the Mexicans spots Shane hiding amongst the wrecked cars.

"He's still not answering," sighs Vic, snapping at Julien to drive faster. The dispatcher crackles over the radio. Shots fired near the Armenian junkyard. Vic turns on the blue lights. When they arrive, he dials Shane's phone again. They hear "Dixie" beeping from nearby. The man himself, very much alive, appears. He lies that he was late because he had to sign Tavon's arrest report.

Vic says he tried to call with information on the Mexicans. Shane explains Rezian took his phone. Vic breathes a sigh of relief. "I'm still shaking," says Shane. Ronnie can't find the briefcase of money. Shane's just glad the Mackeys will be safe. Ronnie looks disappointed that Shane's still breathing.

Tina has information that could change things for Jeff. His victim is alive and at Mission Cross Hospital. She reported running into a naked man outside a bar the night before. The woman stepped outside for air after too many mai tais, tripped, and hit her head on a fire hydrant. Naked Jeff pulled on her arms to help her out. She freaked out and ran back to the bar.

Claudette goes back to interrogation, but the door is locked. She calls for a uniform to bring the keys. When the door is opened, we see Jeff motionless in large pool of his own blood.

Vic goes to Corinne's house to let her know she and the kids are safe.

Billings gripes some more about his disability lawsuit. The city is countersuing him for basically filing a nuisance suit. His "bitch dyke lawyer won't take the case without a retainer, but I can't afford the retainer without winning the case." Billings then asks if Dutch is planning to eat that sandwich.

"You know, Steve, someone died here tonight," Dutch points out. Billings helps himself to the sandwich even though he didn't get an answer. Dutch knows why he worked so well with Claudette: she challenged his assumptions and crazy theories.

Billings looks uncomfortable when Dutch lays a hand on his arm. For better or worse, they're partners. Dutch needs Billings' head in the game, not worrying about his lawsuit or counting the days 'til retirement.

At home, Mara puts some soft rock on the stereo. Shane enters. They embrace and kiss. Mara asks where he's been. "Lookin' for a place to hide $100,000 where Vic won't find it," he sighs. He describes the cash as a consolation prize. "Vic and Ronnie tried to kill me tonight."

Shane splashes cold water on his face in the bathroom: "It's sheer luck I'm even alive right now....The worst part is, they think I'm too stupid to even realize it [was a setup]." Shane heaves another sigh and stares at himself in the mirror. End of episode.

Put On Your "Game Face" (Episode 7.5)

Previously on: Teenage Lloyd shot and killed a classmate; he claimed self-defense because the kid had broken into his house. Dutch feared they have a Ted Bundy in the making. Vic started a mini race war by making it seem as though the Armenians stole the Mexican's Box O' Blackmail. City controller Robert Martin's name was in the box, so Edgar-veda convinced him approve a memorial to the Armenian genocide. At a rally to announce said memorial, Martin was assassinated.

Vic discovered a file on his fed friend Olivia in the Box O' Blackmail, meaning his only ally is in Cruz's pocket too. He confessed to Edgar-veda that he's told Olivia "enough to get us both killed." 

Vic and Edgar-veda arrive at the Barn's parking lot at the same time. Ronnie gets out of his car, bandage still wrapped around his arm from the recent dog attack. "You look like shit," Vic remarks. Ronnie finds it a little hard to sleep when he knows Olivia could talk to Cruz and have them greenlit. (Honestly, you'd think he'd be used to green lights by now).

Vic thinks there's a possibility she's planning to take Cruz down herself; it's what he'd do to get out from under someone's thumb.

In Claudette's office, Edgar-veda describes his dead friend Martin as "a glorified accountant, not a very sexy target." He had no enemies. (Well, Lem didn't think he had any either). Claudette explains the Strike Team was present at the rally because of Shane's work with an Armenian informant. Said informant told them about bad blood with the Mexicans. Detective Kouf wonders if recently announced mayoral candidate Edgar-veda could've been the real target.

In the hall, Edgar-veda asks if Vic has change for the vending machine, closing the gap between them so they can't be overheard. Kouf is a great detective and the councilman worries Martin's death could blow back on them. "Neither of us had a thing to do with that shooting by word or deed," Vic reassures him.

He accuses of Edgar-veda of trying to have it both ways: Brand himself as a reformer by busting Cruz, but not until he's done using his fat campaign donations.

"What's up, buttercup?" Vic asks Olivia. She sighs that she needs Vic's help again; the favor has to go through Claudette before she can tell him what it is.

Vic and Ronnie share a tense look when Vic says Olivia wants their help. "Am I missing something?" asks Shane, who's been excommunicated from the inner circle. Surprisingly, Vic tells Shane about the file Cruz has on Olivia. Cruz somehow has proof that Olivia's brother is in debt to mobbed-up bookies.

Shane wants to give the Box O' Blackmail to Rezian and have him return it to Cruz. This would pay off the Strike Team's money train debt and get their families out of Armenian crosshairs. How is that a bad thing? Julien enters, causing Vic to say he'll explain another time.

Olivia drops exposition on Claudette. Gayton Echeverria, known Cuban rat, is visiting L.A. from Miami. He has a meeting with Martin Blez, a denim manufacturer, about using his operation to launder cartel money. Echevarria's daughter, a freshman at USC, was carjacked/kidnapped earlier in the day by three black men.

"In that neighborhood, it's probably gang-related," says Claudette. Olivia nods: "Hence the Strike Team." This is their best chance at stopping the whole scheme. The Strike Team can recover the girl and keep Daddy's mind on the business of drug dealing. Echeverria didn't report the kidnapping to the police; he's using his own men to find her.

Olivia brings them the information on the daughter's car. "Not like we can put out an APB if we need to keep this on the down-low," Ronnie points out. Olivia suggests making rounds of the local chop shops. Ronnie asks Julien to pull files on carjackings with similar M.O.s. Echeverria's four enforcers are all Jamaican or Cuban and heavily armed.

Blez's private plane is due to land at 6 PM. "That doesn't give us a whole hell of a lotta time," says Vic. Olivia warns that Echeverria will get spooked and skip town before the meeting if he senses police presence around his daughter's abduction.

Shane doesn't like the idea of Olivia "walking us into a sketchy case with out-of-town players." They have to assume Cruz is getting a heads-up. Vic thinks Shane is being paranoid, but they should still be careful. Julien found a chop shop on Manzanita that specializes in stolen parts for Japanese cars like the missing Nissan.

In their car, Shane urges Vic to let Cruz have what he wants; his former friend needs to give up the dream of the Box O' Blackmail saving his career. "I don't have to remind you of all the bad shit we've done. You're the one who wrote it all down," says Vic. Shane tells him that was just Volume 1: "The next installment has Ronnie doing Zadofian's murder."

Honesty makes them all blood brothers again. Vic warns that Cruz will "unleash a level of violence and corruption in Farmington that'll turn this place into Little Mexico City." He refuses to let that happen. Vic doesn't trust anyone else to take Cruz out of play. Shane says someone else would just take Cruz's place. For Vic, locking up Cruz is "a down payment on me being able to live with myself."

Claudette calls Dutch into the kitchen. Why has he had Danny intercepting subpoenas to testify at Kleavon Gardner's trial? Dutch explains that he didn't think Claudette needed the stress of being cross-examined by Kleavon, who's acting as his own defense attorney. "Because of my illness?" Claudette guesses. Well, their last meeting, Kleavon did push Claudette down the stairs, which put her in the hospital.

Dutch promises Danny doesn't know why she was hiding the subpoenas. "I want this prick to get the justice he deserves," says Claudette. Kleavon is coming to the Barn later this afternoon to take her deposition.

As they pull up to the chop shop, a car peels out of one of the bays. "Got a rabbit," Ronnie says over the radio. The pursuit goes through an alleyway, nearly running over a pedestrian. The sudden appearance of a garbage truck inadvertently helps the team intercept their suspect. "Llwellen Wang?" Shane says incredulously, reading the guy's driver's license.

Wang protests he doesn't know anything about a missing girl. Four Caribbean dudes showed up while he was hanging out and asked about a Cuban girl. His friends didn't know what they were talking about and "dudes went at 'em with knives and shit!"

Wang points the guys to where this took place. "Zorro wannabe?" Ronnie quips, seeing the letter carved into the dead man's cheek. It looks more like a "N" to Vic. The drug lord's daughter is named Noelle. "They weren't wishing him an early Merry Christmas." says Vic.

A pompous Kleavon throws out all the legal jargon he picked up from watching Law & Order before asking Claudette to state her name and her relationship to the defendant. "I investigated the murders you committed and I arrested you for them." "What you're expressing is a very personal, biased opinion," says Kleavon.

Claudette advises him to "enjoy [his] charade." He'll be getting the death penalty for the murders he committed in California and Texas. She didn't interview other suspects because she didn't have to. Kleavon thinks Claudette acted out of prejudice: "We all know that serial murder is a white man's crime." Claudette reminds him of the videotaped confession.

Kleavon asks if Claudette is on any prescriptions. ADA Insardi tells both parties that's irrelevant. Kleavon holds up a prescription bottle he somehow got out of Claudette's trash.

Olivia arrives at the chop shop. Shane called a friend of his who works Robbery-Homicide; they've had three carjackings in a month that also involved sexual assault. Vic suggests reaching out to our old friend Deena the car thief, even though this isn't her M.O.

When Shane and Vic come knocking, someone starts shooting at them through the closed door. Vic goes around the side and almost gets shotgun pellets to the face as he dives through a window. Shane orders Deena to drop the gun.

Kleavon asks if Claudette was on steroids while interrogating him. "You are way over the line," says Insardi. Kleavon argues it goes to state of mind. Claudette claims she needs a bathroom break. Kleavon knows that's a side effect of steroids.

Dutch pulls Insardi aside. Can the ADA stop this deposition? Claudette's medical history is irrelevant to the case.

We see why Deena was so spooked. Her accomplice lies dead on the floor, an "N" carved into his cheek. "I came back from a run and I found him like that," says Deena. Her attire (low-rider jeans and a tight T-shirt) makes me doubt that story. There's a lot of demand for "Jap cars", so anyone could have their silver Nissan.

Vic asks if she knows any carjackers who target women specifically so they can rape them. She suggests Ghost Town Piru or Hollis Lane. Deena looks at the dead man and sighs sadly: "I liked him. He could've been the one. We were talking about getting out of the game." Vic thinks that's a good plan.

Kleavon remembers Claudette becoming unsteady and developing a nosebleed during his interrogation; he saw her fall down the stairs. "You're not a medical expert," chides Insardi. Kleavon points out he never went to law school either but is still being allowed to defend himself. Long-term steroid use can cause paranoia and psychosis. Does Claudette suffer from those side effects? She shakes her head.

Kleavon asks if Claudette remembers lying that his sister Fatima was strangled in an alley. Claudette defends it as a legal interrogation tactic. Insardi tells him to stop that line of questioning. Kleavon argues he would've said anything out of distress, thinking his sister was dead. Any evidence can be discredited through Claudette's supposed mental illness.

"You're putting on quite a show," says Insardi, "You think you're gonna get acquitted, think again." Kleavon wants the death penalty off the table; he's a changed man, in love with one of his prison pen pals. "Even more reason to put you down like a sick animal," says Claudette.

Chotzen, the FBI profiler who helped Dutch work Kleavon's case, wants to meet with him to discuss Lloyd's case. Billings warns that Mrs. Denton will figure out Dutch thinks her son is "Jack the Ripper Jr." His partner is free to beat a dead horse if he wants.

Danny asks Vic if he's signed the paternity paperwork; her lawyer wants to file it by the end of the week. Vic is curious about the rush, but Danny dodges the question.

Enter Corinne, clearly frustrated: "Cassidy's been suspended from school. I give up. She and her friends were at some pimps-and-hos party. All the girls had to wear lingerie." Holy shit, Cassidy is supposed to be in 8th grade! Where the hell did these girls even get lingerie? Stealing from their moms? Maybe I was sheltered, but I never even heard of parties like that until I was a high school senior.

Vic's reaction is much the same as mine, growling "pimps-and-hos" through his teeth. One of Cassidy's classmates posted photos of the girls in their underwear online. And that's not all. Corinne whispers, "There were drugs involved." Cassidy admitted she did ecstasy after Corinne threatened to make her take a urine test. She wouldn't say who gave it to her.

"I don't know what to do," Corinne frets. Vic says, "I sure as hell do!" Who threw the party? Corinne thinks it was a boy named Mickey. Vic promises to handle it.

Shane has confirmed it was live ammo fired at them. Vic doesn't think Olivia was behind that. Claudette wants the Cuban car thief in jail or sent back to Miami. Julien suggests following up on a statement made by a domestic abuse victim that uniforms have upstairs. The woman's abusive boyfriend is a gangbanger with a history of carjacking and has been bragging about "running a train on some Latina."

"Happen to mention if ol' girl was Cuban?" asks Ronnie. The girlfriend shrugs, "Cuban, Mexican, it's all reggaeton to me." Her boyfriend punched her when she refused to have sex with him. He's also a member of Ghost Town Piru.

Dutch and Chotzen go out for tacos. The profiler just got back from China, working a case where 37 women were "autopsied pre-mortem." Dutch tells him about 16-year-old Lloyd, who has "no obvious killer symptoms." However, Dutch doesn't buy the teen's story about shooting an intruder; he thinks it was a thrill kill. And if Lloyd is doing this now, what's he gonna do when he's 25? Dutch doesn't want Chotzen to let Lloyd know he's a cop too.

They bring Lloyd in based on the ruse that Chotzen is some sort of therapist. Lloyd says he's all talked out. Dutch goes back downstairs to sit with Mrs. Denton, explaining it's "easier to vent those feelings to a blank screen." She reports her son's been doing "surprisingly well" since the incident. Dutch presses. No anger or bedwetting? "My son is 16," Mrs. Denton says as though she thinks Dutch forgot that fact.

Ronnie peeks out a window with his binoculars, radioing that he sees a silver Nissan parked across the street. There are four guys in the loft. Vic plans to go with Shane and make the rescue look like a robbery by a rival gang so as not to tip anyone off about police involvement. Julien pipes up from the backseat, "No offense, but the only set you guys can claim is Aryan Nation." Vic has a way around that, but he needs Olivia's help getting Claudette to approve it.

Claudette doesn't like the proposal; it's too risky for police and civilians. She's sure it was Vic's idea. "I sign off on this insanity, here are my terms," says the captain. She wants Echevarria charged in Farmington before any federal cases are made. "Any blowback from Vic Mackey's voodoo law enforcement is on you."

"You don't have to wear your own colors. No one's gonna see your faces," Vic reassures the gangbangers. They seem to know about Shane's fling with a fellow gangbanger's girlfriend. Vic will allow them to take their own guns, but no ammo. Julien will accompany them to the fake robbery. "Now that we undercover brothers, don't you think we need to be deputized?" asks Burnout.

Vic tells them to raise their right hands. "Now do this while you do this," he instructs, rubbing his stomach and patting his head at the same time. The gangbangers fail to see the humor.

Chotzen and Dutch watch as Lloyd talks to a shrink. Lloyd worries that his mom is disappointed in him. He does some exercise where he addresses the kid he shot, saying it's all that guy's fault. Chotzen thinks Lloyd could be "speaking to his own shadow-self," which "could be interpreted as guilt."

However, Chotzen finds Lloyd's behavior more in line with the typical PTSD you'd expect after something like this. Dutch thinks he's wrong. If that's the case, the profiler says Lloyd is "a sociopath with a well-constructed mask of sanity." However, something is odd about Lloyd.

Insardi announces she's willing not to seek the death penalty if Kleavon pleads guilty to everything and accepts serving life without parole. Claudette hopes that if there's a God, Kleavon meets the same fate as his victims: throat cut, "miserable and alone."

Julien goes in the building first, then Burnout crashes the gate with his Escalade. While the real gangbangers do crowd control, Julien heads upstairs. Noelle is naked and whimpering, tied down to a filthy mattress. Julien undoes the ropes and throws her clothes at her: "Get dressed, bitch."

While he and Burnout fake a scuffle over some rims, Noelle runs out of the building. She flags down Danny, cruising by in plainclothes. The marked units surround the building. The Strike Team heads in, Ronnie toting Lem's favorite shotgun.

"I hear you're an attorney now. Not sure if that's a step up or a step down from doing time for murder," Dutch quips to Kleavon. He asks for Kleavon's expertise as a killer and shows him the tape of Lloyd's interview with Chotzen. "We all gotta ride or die with what the good Lord meant us to do," says Kleavon. Lloyd can be stopped, just like Kleavon himself was. "All it takes is a pair of cuffs and a cage to throw him in."

Vic parks at a house where two middle schoolers are shooting hoops in the driveway. "Which one of you fine young men is Mickey Dightman?" he asks politely. The kid with long blond hair nods. Vic tells him to put his hands behind his back. "What did I do?" asks Mickey. Vic smiles, "That's what you're gonna tell me, big pimpin'."

At the Barn, Vic shows Mickey a picture Corinne found online of the teen smoking a joint. He estimates booking to release will take about 18 hours. He bets the Dightmans are gonna love "being in and out of court for the next year, trying to clear their baby boy." Mickey claims he rolled his one joint from the weed patch that grows wild behind his school.

Vic questions him about the ecstasy. Danny knocks at the door; Mickey's dad is here and a parent's presence is required during the interview because of his age. "Your son is involved in a drug investigation," Vic informs Mr. Dightman. He had to make sure Mickey was safe before calling. Can Dad get Mickey to cooperate.

A glare is all it takes. Mickey stammers, "This girl in my grade, the pimps-and-hos thing was her idea...She scored the ex...The only thing Cassidy asked me to do was put together a mixtape." Vic's mouth drops open just a little.

Shane goes up to Ronnie in the parking lot, saying he knows his friend sees the big picture. "With what you did to Lem center and foreground," Ronnie says bitterly. Shane wants to appeal to Ronnie's better judgment, "even though I know I will forever be on the wrong end of it." "You got that right," grumbles Ronnie.

Shane worries Vic is gonna land the three of them in jail for life. Ronnie doesn't see anything wrong with Vic protecting his family. Shane knows it's more than that; Vic is trying to balance the ledger for Terry "in that big ol' box of sins God keeps on all of us." Ronnie replies, "I don't believe in God." "Oh, you will," counters Shane.

Vic thinks he can fix the world; Shane isn't like that and he knows Ronnie isn't either. Taking down Cruz won't change anything. Vic doesn't listen to Shane anymore, but he'll listen to Ronnie. Shane is aware Ronnie hates him, but Ronnie also knows the right thing to do.

Dutch vents his frustrations about Lloyd to Claudette. If Mrs. Denton realizes he's still a murder suspect, "she'll circle the wagons around her sweet teen killing machine." Is a better detective someone who arrests a guy after committing 30 murders or the one who prevents 29 of those murders from happening in the first place?

Dutch is sorry to hear how the deposition worked out. Claudette isn't; Kleavon plead guilty and she has the only copy of her deposition tape. Claudette sighs, "[I'm] more a liability with each passing day." If Kleavon can sense she's sick, how long will it take before a real lawyer does?

In the clubhouse, Vic wonders whose side Olivia is really on. "Makes sleeping tonight just as rough as it was last night," nods Ronnie, "Shane wants me to have the come-to-Jesus conversation with you about ending the war." He honestly think Shane has a point. Vic says, "I can't give back what I don't have." (Besides, he has bigger fish to fry. Like his 13-year-old daughter organizing drug and sex parties).

Vic explains Edgar-veda has the box. They still don't know if Olivia is Cruz's mole, a detail that has to stay between him and Ronnie.

In her office, Claudette confides to Danny that she's sick. Would Danny like a full-time reassignment as the captain's assistant? Danny smiles and agrees. She's finally got her ticket off the street.

Corinne isn't sure she wants to believe Mickey's story. What can they do if it is, anyway? Ground Cassidy until she's 21? "Or she can start learning about consequences the hard way like these people," says Vic, gesturing at the female side of the cage. Corinne balks. Vic doesn't want that to be her future either. "She's a good kid," Corinne insists. Vic thinks she better start acting like one again.

Danny starts in on him again about the paternity claim. Vic refuses to sign it. Danny thought they had a deal. "You have no idea what it takes to raise a child," says Dad of the Year. Danny never planned on Vic being part of Lee's life. "I may not have been part of the plan, but I was 50% of the execution," says Vic, which is a fair argument.

Danny thinks Lee's best shot at a good upbringing is Vic staying out of his life. Vic snarls that he won't abandon his son.

Dutch goes to Lloyd's house for a chat. He knows the kid planned on killing Luis and made it look like a robbery. Killing probably gets Lloyd off, but Dutch won't let him get away with it. Mrs. Denton emerges from the bathroom, putting a robe over her pajamas. She thanks Dutch for being helpful. Lloyd tells his mom Dutch stopped by to officially clear him of Luis's murder. "What a relief," Mrs. Denton sighs.

Olivia comes home to find Vic (and his gun) waiting for her. He takes her service weapon. She flirts that he could've just asked for a late-night rendezvous. He found a thick file on her nightstand that's labeled VICTOR MACKEY. How long has she been working for Cruz?

Two years ago, Olivia made documents in a bookmaking case disappear because they proved her brother was in debt to a cartel-financed casino. Cruz found out. Olivia thought she could live with the deal; they never asked her to do anything overly untoward. She recently smuggled four illegals over the border by pretending she was taking them for further questioning.

Olivia thinks those four men were behind the body-draggings on Kearney a few episodes back. She knew they weren't coming to the U.S. to pick lettuce. Olivia has dug herself a hole and she doesn't know how to get out of it. "You're talking to the right guy," says Vic, who's heard that song more than once. End of episode.