Kavanaugh made a crossroads deal with Antwon, agreeing to have Lem do time in the same cell block at Lompoc. Antwon has no love for cops, so that's as good as killing Lem. Vic called Kavanaugh's bluff: "You don't have the stomach to serve Lem up to Antwon."
Lem is home from jail but not exactly enjoying it. He's flat on his back in bed, sniffling and crying from pain. Suddenly, he jumps up, almost tripping over his blankets on his way to the bathroom. Lem barely gets there in time to puke.
(Image credit) |
(Image credit) |
Uninvited, Kavanaugh sits down in Lem's recliner and starts eating the muffin. "When I find out how Vic and the other two got that bail money, they're gonna wish they had a friend like your friend Smitty." Lem sprints across the living room, drops to his knees, and vomits noisily into a trash can.
Kavanaugh watches as though Lem is a mildly interesting bug. He ambles over and asks, "Is that blood?" Lem is too busy retching to answer. "Do you need a doctor?" That's the first sensible question Kavanaugh's asked in a long time. "Just get the hell out!" Lem yells as fiercely as one can with their head halfway in a wicker trash can. Kavanaugh leaves him to his misery.
Vic checks on Sadie, saying Kavanaugh does the same for Corinne. Sadie thinks they must be close. Well, they've been spending a lot of time together anyway. Do they have kids? "Family wasn't on Jon's to-do list," says Sadie. She asks about his relationship with Corinne. They have good days and bad ones, but Vic always makes sure she and the kids have everything they need.
"Just like him to send someone else over to carry my emotional baggage. Tell the prick I'm great," says Sadie. Vic understands being married to a cop is hard. "Jon's wife is the job," Sadie goes on. She calls the Rat King a coward for not coming over. Vic offers to pass on a message.
By way of an answer, Sadie starts shoving her tongue down Vic's throat. Kavanaugh made his decision when he filed for divorce. She starts taking off Vic's jacket. Vic removes his holster and starts undoing his belt. He and Sadie get down to business right there on the kitchen floor.
Lem stares out Becca's office window. Shane asks where Vic's been. Vic shrugs, "Just an ex-wife thing," leaving out that it wasn't his ex. He wonders what Becca wants. Actually, this meeting is about what Lem wants. He's decided to plead guilty, which will satisfy Kavanaugh enough to stop his investigation into Vic. (Personally, I wouldn't count on that).
According to Becca, Lompoc was an empty threat; the worst place Lem could go is medium-security. Shane knows Kavanaugh will block any attempt at a deal and his friends in high places will help. Becca tells them the chief is losing confidence in the Rat King.
If Lem pleads to theft under color of authority, the D.A. will drop the possession with intent charge. The former crime has a maximum sentence of 5 years; with good behavior, Lem will probably only serve 18 months. Vic warns Lem of the consequences, namely losing his badge and pension. Don't forget about his health insurance. Some of those ulcer drugs are expensive.
Shane begs Lem not to take the deal; they're all in his corner. Lem is tired of fighting. He knows that were Shane in his position, he'd take one for the team. Wrong. Shane would throw y'all under the bus.
The Strike Team confers in the parking lot. No matter what else happens, Kavanaugh will still have the brick of heroin and Emolia's testimony. So will the next IAD investigator. Lem is tired of waiting for the other shoe to drop. Now would be a really good time to mention the stress is making him physically ill, worse than before. Of course, he doesn't, just goes back in to talk to Becca.
Vic doubts it's realistic that Lem will get paroled in 18 months. "Protective custody's a joke," Shane agrees, "He's gonna be fighting for his life the full 5 years." "Between Kavanaugh spinning doom and Becca sellin' him a rose garden, poor guy doesn't know what end is up," says Vic. Well, Lem's always tended to take the optimist view.
Ronnie thinks Lem is pleading guilty so Kavanaugh won't have the satisfaction of seeing him crack. (Little does he know, Rat King saw it that very morning).
Vic goes to Lompoc. Antwon says it sure is a shame about Lem. Vic rains on his parade: "If Lem does time, he's not gonna do it here." However, Lompoc isn't the only place Antwon has connections. The gangster claims to be the answer to all Vic's prayers, Lem's guardian angel.
Antwon knows his relationship with Vic has been volatile, to say the least, but they still have a bond. Halpern has been running the One-Niners in Antwon's absence. "That cranky black bitch is afraid of his own goddamn shadow," says Antwon. He'd rather have Kern Little running the show. Vic heard Kern's rap career flamed out, but wasn't aware he went back to flying colors.
Antwon knows of a storage unit where they're holding seized assets. "You want me to rip off a P.D. warehouse?" Vic says slowly. No, Kern's crew will be doing the actual robbery. Vic just needs to tell them when and how to hit. Antwon won't accept anything less in exchange for Lem's life.
"Stand back, nothing to see here," Julien tells a crowd, which usually means there is. My suspicions are confirmed when a paramedic says, "Jesus, his dick's gone. Somebody find it." A jogger trying to use a glory hole got more than he bargained for.
Tina exits the men's room. She found a rat trap in a stall with the victim's penis still inside. Tina gives the trap to the paramedics so they can preserve it. "That's not gonna matter if we can't stabilize him," says one of the medics as they load the victim into the ambulance.
Dutch exposits the rat trap had serrated teeth, a different model than the one used in the earlier attack. The victim is still unconscious at Mission Cross. Julien didn't have any luck canvassing the park. "So we got dick...which is more than I can say for our victim," says Dutch. Mr. Sensitivity, everybody.
Claudette wants a warning put out at bars and other businesses frequented by gay men. Dutch plans to re-interview the original victim, which will be easier said than done. The man was terrified his wife and daughters would find out, so Julien covered for him.
Tina offers to write down Alarico's address for Dutch. "I told him I'd keep his name out of it if he cooperated," says Julien. Don't make promises you can't keep. Dutch has no choice, given the level of violence in the second attack.
Vic also has no choice about helping with the warehouse robbery: "Antwon's the devil we know." "What if it's the other devil?" asks Shane, referring to Kavanaugh. He worries this could be a trap. Ronnie says easily, "This place is wide open. We could spot a surveillance unit a mile away." Vic tells the guys to triple-check everything about the warehouse. They're gone as soon as anything looks hinky.
Kern parks his truck. Shane suggests he crank up the volume on the rap music: "Might be some cops in Long Beach who can't hear it." Kern introduces them to his right-hand man Moses. Ronnie pats them both down for wires. Shane angers Kern by tossing out a jab about his failed rap career. Vic steps between them.
Kern doesn't trust the Strike Team. "The lack of love is mutual," Vic assures him. Kern calls the situation between Vic and Antwon karma. Vic informs him "taking shit from M.C. Has-Been" wasn't part of the deal they made. Moses plays peacemaker.
Ronnie tells the gangbangers that the warehouse has one guard who rarely leaves the guard shack. Surveillance cameras feed into said guard shack. In addition to cars and antiques, there's a safe containing half-a-million dollars' worth of watches and jewelry. Vic makes it clear the One-Niners are only to take the safe: "No one drives outta there with a Hummer or a flat screen."
Edgar-veda calls Vic for a meeting, which ends up taking place in the Barn's men's room. Kavanaugh is covering all his bases in case he can't make criminal charges stick. He's painting Vic's earlier statements about Terry's death as false. Vic calls bullshit: "Nothing I've said has changed because the facts haven't." "Then he's doing a good job of twisting your words," says Edgar-veda.
It's a good possibility Kavanaugh could take away Vic's retirement. His case has been sent to the police committee. Vic's attitude is let 'em try: "PBA reps will have his head on a pike." "Kavanaugh could use this as a face-saving way to end his investigation," the councilman cautions. Has Kavanaugh been saying anything about him? Vic says no.
Claudette tells Alarico's wife that they want to talk to Alarico about a car accident he witnessed. Is that what they're calling it these days? Alarico maintains he told the other cops everything. "You didn't tell me about no car accident," says the missus.
Claudette claims another driver has been seriously injured; Alarico needs to go to station and make a formal statement. Alarico wants to be left alone. Dutch says quietly, "We can do this another way if we have to."
A sheriff's deputy watches as Lem cleans out his locker. Kavanaugh surveys the clubhouse: "Pretty soon, this is gonna be a lonely room filled with empty lockers, huh?" What's that saying about chickens and hatching? Lem tells Kavanaugh he just made a deal; all it needs is the police chief's signature. Kavanaugh wants to fact-check before he shuts down the investigation.
Kavanaugh calls the chief's office and learns there is, in fact, no deal. Becca's just "feeding [Lem] a Happy Meal to keep his spirits up." He asks Edgar-veda if Vic took the bait about the department going after his pension. "You didn't see the steam coming off his bald head?" Edgar-veda snarks.
Assistant Chief Phillips knocks, asking Kavanaugh if he can borrow the office. Claudette and Billings are with him. When the Rat King and the councilman are gone, Phillips tells Claudette that her fall scared everyone. Claudette pats her rear end and says with a smile, "When you've got one of these, there's plenty of bounce to the ounce."
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Claudette thinks battling the bullshit epidemic would be a good start. Kavanaugh is ruining the Barn's morale. "Uh, she's got a point there," Billings acknowledges. Claudette is on a roll: "IAD is arrogant and intrusive, but this man takes intimidation to a whole other level." Everyone spends more time watching their backs than doing their jobs.
"Our last captain had unpopular policies, so you brought in an interim jellyfish that won't rock the boat." Phillips himself is putting people at risk by cutting department funding. Billings brags that crime is down since he became captain. "If you weren't out to lunch, passing the buck, or leaving every day at 4:00, you'd know that our citizens don't report half of what's going on out there because they know we can't or won't do anything."
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(Image credit) |
Claudette waves her partner over and confronts him about telling people she has lupus. Dutch swears he didn't. She points out he's the only person who knows. Also, he did go to the D.A. behind her back after Claudette reopened the cases of a defense attorney who was high in court.
Claudette goes further, accusing him of gossiping with Tina. "You've crossed the line into wholesale character assassination," Dutch says indignantly. Claudette thinks career assassination is worse.
After Alarico helps create a sketch of the attacker, Dutch offers to have a uniform drive him home. Alarico would rather take the bus. Billings has a visitor: Art from the Los Angeles Gay Men's Initiative. The captain tells Julien to discuss the "rat trap glory hole business."
Julien says they've been interviewing witnesses and asking anyone with information to come forward. Art doesn't appreciate that Billings passed the buck or that Julien doesn't seem to care about the attacks. Julien suggests Art do something more proactive than blaming people, like handing out warning flyers.
Art says 6 other rat trap attacks have gone unreported. "Maybe they knew what they were doing was wrong," says Julien. Art argues that the victims were consenting adults. Julien points out that having sex in public is illegal. He shoves Art when he asks for Julien's name and badge number. Yeah, that'll smooth things over. Art basically says, "We're here, we're queer, get used to it."
Ronnie, wearing all black and a matching ski mask, gets in the van. There's no surveillance equipment of any kind around the warehouse. Vic hasn't heard anything on the police scanner. They drive up to the unoccupied guard shack. Ronnie climbs the fence and turns off all the monitors.
Elsewhere, Kern holds a gun to the guard's back: "You don't fight, you don't die."
The guard's reaction. (Photo credit) |
Vic punches Moses in the face and holds a gun to his head. Moses warns that killing him will knock Vic out of Antwon's good graces, meaning Lem will meet a gruesome end in prison. Shane dropkicks Moses in the head. When he recovers, he and another One-Niner take off with the safe.
Ronnie can't believe what just happened. Vic and Shane start picking up the guns and tools left behind. Vic surmises Antwon had Kern killed so Kern couldn't take over. Kern dying in a robbery gone bad gives the One-Niners street cred. Moses will become the boss and do Antwon's bidding.
The guys are about to leave when they hear Kern groaning. "These brothers can take a bullet," Shane remarks. Kern asks for help. Shane, surprisingly, doesn't want to leave the ex-rapper to bleed to death. Vic snarls that an ambulance would take 20 minutes to get there and Kern has maybe 10 minutes. They'll wait that long, then call it in. Saving Lem has to be their priority.
A suspect in the rat trap attacks has locked himself in a Dumpster. Julien instructs him to stand up with his hands above his head when the lock is cut. Tina found a glory hole and rat traps. They don't know if the traps were left by the suspect or put out by the building's owner.
"What do you suppose would happen if you snapped this on somebody's dick?" Dutch asks, working the action on the rat trap. Jarrod the suspect calls Dutch sick. (You don't know the half of it, pal). Claudette inquires, "Glad it wasn't you? Be a hell of a secret you'd have to live with. Something personal and embarrassing that affects your ability to function. Not something you'd want a lot of people to know about."
Dutch knows what she's driving at. If that's her attitude, she can talk to the guy alone.
Sidebar: It's interesting how Claudette and Lem sort of parallel each other. Both believe in doing the right thing, no matter what it costs them. Both have health problems; while Claudette's hidden her lupus for over a decade, Lem's been open about his ulcer since the beginning.
Claudette is curious what Jarrod has against gay men. Jarrod doesn't answer. Claudette goes downstairs to collect her purse and cane. Dutch thinks they should put Jarrod in a lineup. Claudette tells him to do whatever he wants. He's about to call Alarico when Billings reports uniforms are responding to a domestic at Alarico's house.
"We got here, he was standing over her with a baseball bat," says a neighbor. They couldn't get the bat away before Alarico hit his wife a couple of times.
During premarital counseling, Alarico, his wife, and the priest discussed his previous involvement with men. Alarico thought things would change once he was married, but the feelings have been coming back. His wife knew the score. When the police started questioning Alarico, she knew why. The missus started calling him a fag in front of their daughters. Naturally, the only way to stop that was to beat the crap out of her.
Kavanaugh arrives at the warehouse. Vic says he got a tip about the robbery from an informant. "We got stuck in the van on a stakeout, couldn't make it back here in time," adds Shane. Kavanaugh asks if Vic knew the dead gangbanger. Vic ID's him as Kern and suggests Kavanaugh take inventory of what's missing.
Kavanaugh has a sense of deja vu: "A dead cop killed by the gun of a dead bad guy." Shane knows what the Rat King is insinuating; they were on the other side of town. Kavanaugh wants to know if anyone saw them. "It wouldn't have been much of a stakeout if they had," says Shane. Vic tosses in his two cents: "You know what? You should start eating again. Malnourishment's starting to screw with your logic."
Kavanaugh lays out the scenario: Lem needs protection in prison, so they went to Antwon. Antwon agreed to help on the condition that the guys killed Kern. Yeah, that's pretty much it.
Vic thinks Kavanaugh missed a few details. Vic didn't kill Terry. The Rat King doesn't have any leverage with Lem. And, oh, by the way, Vic fucked Sadie.
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Sadie admits to having sex with Vic, twice, in fact. Kavanaugh asks if she realizes what a bad guy she just slept with. He gets in her face, demanding, "What is wrong with you?" Sadie tells him to leave or she'll call the police.
Vic is surprised when Lem, sporting his black-and-white track jacket, walks into the clubhouse. The police chief signed off on his deal; he has to go to the jail tomorrow morning to be processed. Lem is at peace, glad the whole mess is over. Shane hugs him, then Ronnie. Last is Vic. He grabs the scruff of Lem's neck to pull him down to his level, promising Lem will be taken care of.
Jarrod insists he wasn't behind the rat trap attacks, but thinks "these perverts" deserve punishment; gay men seduce children and spread AIDS. Billings talks to the detectives on the balcony. "He's guilty, just not prosecutable," says Claudette. All the evidence is circumstantial. Nobody will believe Alarico because he's a no-good wife-beater. They can't fabricate charges to hold Jarrod in jail.
Phillips got Claudette's medical report back, which says she's fit for duty. Claudette could've told him that. However, the department will require her to have quarterly checkups. "Your nickel," she shrugs. The police chief announces Claudette is being promoted to captain. She's is uneasy about the idea; after all, the job is jinxed worse than teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts.
If she says yes, she wants a guarantee that she runs the precinct, "not in theory, in fact." Kavanaugh interrupts the meeting to ask whether the chief really made a deal with Lem. Phillips tells Kavanaugh they were in the middle of something. Kavanaugh shouts that he was too until he got derailed; Vic deserves jail time just like Lem.
Phillips wants to him to leave, but Kavanaugh keeps ranting: "Vic Mackey kills cops! He deals drugs! He beats suspects! He screwed my ex-wife with the sole purpose of making this investigation seem like a personal vendetta. He may have assassinated a gang leader. And that's just all in one day." What does it taste like to be pissed on by Vic? Even Kavanaugh's lazy eye is wild.
Chief gives Kavanaugh 48 hours to tie up loose ends, but he'll have to find another desk. Claudette needs her office.
Vic tells Lem they'll sneak a whole cow into prison. I guess in case he wants steak? Danny is sorry to hear how things worked out for him. Lem jokes, "You're gonna be a little thinner next time I see you", hugs her, and leaves to take care of some stuff. I love that Miami Vice colored bathroom; I'll house-sit. He'll see everyone later at the going-away party.
Danny hands over a file on the warehouse robbery. EMTs found jewelry in Kern's pocket. This is very bad news. An empty safe means Antwon won't get his money, which also means Lem is a dead man walking. Vic better talk to Antwon and fast.
"These fags choose a life of sin and suffering and get what they deserve. But I'm the one in handcuffs," Jarrod says disgustedly. Julien handcuffs him to the table, walks him to the window, and points at the cage. Does Alarico's family deserve to have their lives ruined because of what Jarrod did? Jarrod's never seen Alarico before, but if something happened, it was God's will.
Jarrod quotes the Bible. Julien cuffs his other wrist to the table and unplugs the camera. Jesus lived an honest life and was crucified for it. What does Jarrod think happens when people lie in the Lord's name? Julien opens an evidence bag and dumps a rat trap onto the table.
Julien sets the trap while quoting Psalms. He edges the trap close to one of Jarrod's hands. "You wanted to look at a man down there. You wanted to touch it. ...You didn't because you knew that it was wrong."
Jarrod is now terrified. In light of Michael Jace's real-life murder conviction, this performance is especially disquieting.
Julien uses the pin from his badge to spring the trap; Jarrod convincing himself he was doing God's will gave him an excuse to touch other men's genitals. Jarrod maintains he'd never do something so disgusting. "You're no different than the men you prey on," Julien opines, "You're a homosexual." Jarrod shouts, "That's a lie! I am a Christian!" He only used the rat traps to punish gay men.
Kavanaugh knocks on Lem's door again. "What, no muffins?" Lem asks. Kavanaugh tells him that taking the deal was a bad idea. Lem thinks that's funny coming from the guy who's been threatening him with jail nonstop for weeks. Kavanaugh explains that was just a strategy: "Cops always give it up with the threat of jail." He can't believe Lem is doing this.
The Rat King is sorry he and Lem didn't become friends sooner. "Friends" is an extremely strong word for your relationship; so is "acquaintance," for that matter. "Any man would be lucky to have you in his corner." Kavanaugh holds out his hand, which Lem actually shakes. He has the nerve to wish Lem luck.
Vic tells Antwon things went south because they didn't get all the details up front. Antwon found out that Vic's been playing him against Kavanaugh, manipulating him into protecting Lem. "What do you care?" asks Vic. It seems Kavanaugh started a Department of Corrects investigation at Lompoc, which will cost Antwon most, if not all, of his creature comforts.
Vic will figure out a way to get Antwon his money and check on the DOC case. Antwon thinks Vic's done enough. As of now, Lem's protection deal is off. There are One-Niners in every California prison, so there's nowhere to hide. "One of your crew so much as hard-looks my guy, my reach will get you shivved." Coming from Vic, that's not a threat; it's a promise.
Antwon knows Vic is bluffing; otherwise, he wouldn't have come to Antwon for help. Vic reaches across the table and grabs Antwon by his jail uniform. Guards pull them apart.
Billings accuses Claudette of stealing his job. Claudette says she didn't ask for it, which is true: "Letting Kavanaugh loose in this place, they set you up to fail." She asks for help picking up the pieces. Billings refuses to stay after "getting shanked in the back like this." Claudette suggests he take a few days to think it over; her door is always open if he wants to talk.
Lem's big send-off is at a cop bar. Someone, presumably Shane, hired a couple of strippers. A blond one is cuddled up to Lem, rubbing his hair. He's either drunk or his ulcer's feeling a lot better because he's grinning like an idiot. When Vic arrives, Becca is on her way out. He tells her the neighborhood isn't safe, so he'll walk her to her car.
Becca will be taking Lem to the courthouse at 9 AM so he can surrender. She hopes Vic knows they did the right thing. Vic thanks her for helping Lem. Becca thinks he's lucky to have a friend like Vic. Vic himself doesn't look so sure. "I gotta tell you something about Lem," he starts. Before he can get to that, he's French-kissing Becca.
Claudette heard Jarrod confessed. "He and Julien 'reasoned' together," says Dutch. He congratulates her on the promotion and explains how Phillips learned she has lupus. When Claudette passed out at work, the paramedics found prednisone in her purse; they called her doctor find out why it was prescribed and Billings overheard. Billings "thought lupus was an emotional disorder."
Claudette apologizes for how she treated him earlier. "You can't un-ring that bell," says Dutch. After all this time, his partner doesn't trust him and assumed the worst. Oh, get over yourself. However, he thinks she'll be a great captain. The job requires "an active mistrust of everyone and everything." Sounds more like IAD qualifications.
The bar is now almost empty. Vic hates to ruin a good time, but they need to discuss a change of plans: "You're not going to prison." Lem is confused. Vic tells him about the crossroads deal they made with Antwon in exchange for Lem's safety; the warehouse robbery went to hell in a handbasket.
Kavanaugh has the Department of Corrections investigating Lompoc, which will make Antwon's life hell. Antwon blames Vic. "But I won't end up in Lompoc," Lem says worriedly. That part doesn't matter because Antwon has a lot of homies.
"Best-case scenario, you bust enough heads to stay alive," says Vic. Lem knows he won't get early parole if he fights, even in self-defense. Shane says, "Worst-case scenario, you'll kiss everything goodbye."
Lem pounds the table: "What the hell am I supposed to do?" Vic wants him to lay low until they get back on Antwon's good side, which is a pipe dream as far as I'm concerned. Lem is adamant: "I can't run anymore. I do not wanna do this." "Do we even have a plan?" asks Shane. Vic snaps that he's working on it.
The best option would be talking to some of Gilroy's old contacts. Lem pretty much tells Vic that Mexico is a huge goddamn no. Vic swears it'd only be temporary. Lem knows he'll lose his deal if he skips town and be in a worse fix than he is now.
"This is about keeping you alive!" Vic shouts. Lem drops his head onto his folded arms. Poor guy thought this nightmare was over and the rug's been pulled out from under him again. Shane lays a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Vic promises everything will be okay. Completely overwhelmed, Lem starts bawling, not caring that everyone is watching him.
Claudette moves her things into her new office. Downstairs, Dutch flirts with Tina. Claudette takes down Kavanaugh's bulletin board.
Danny has gone into labor and Julien is driving her to the hospital. She groans for him to hurry. Julien floors it, accidentally knocking over his plastic dashboard Jesus.
It's the dead of night, but that doesn't stop Kavanaugh from knocking on Corinne's door. He asks to talk to her. Even with everything that's happened, she lets him in.
On a hill outside town, Lem puts a duffel bag in the trunk of a generic sedan. Ronnie embraces his best friend. Shane also gets a bear hug. Vic climbs in the driver's seat. For some reason, Lem's riding in the back instead of shotgun. Shane lights a cigarette as Vic drives away. End of episode.
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