Episode Report Card Kim: B+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Legs
By Kim | Season 3 | Episode 3 | Aired on 07.27.1999
In a cell, Hill tells McManus about his testimony, and then admits that the best thing about the experience was the sense of freedom he got from being driven around the city. Hill knows that Kenny and his friends will kill him. Hill still isn't sure that he did the right thing, because Coyle's victims are dead and the trial won't bring them back. McManus says, "We'll take care of you." Hill starts laughing hysterically. Can you blame him?
Said, Nappa, Vern, and Guerro meet in the library. Nappa is hacking up a lung, and says he has the flu. Or AIDS. You know, one or the other. Said brings up the Hill situation, and says he's appealing to the men's consciences. On the word "conscience," they cut to Vern, which cracked me up, since he doesn't have one. Said says that they have all committed murder in the course of business, but this is different; Coyle's actions threaten their families. Vern asks what he wants, and Said asks them to help him protect Hill and show Wangler that he can't harm Hill. Nappa knew the family Coyle killed. When Vern finds out that the father served in Vietnam, he pledges his group's help. Guerro is in too. Said asks Nappa, who says that his group will help, and he'll "do [Said] one better." Cut to a very dead Coyle in his cell, with blood dripping down his back onto the floor.
Wangler and his friend sit in the common area. The friend wants to kill Nappa and Hill for their parts in Coyle's demise. Wangler knows that any move they make now will bring a whole lot of trouble, and says they need to wait until the time is right.
Ricardo sits naked on the floor in solitary, weeping. A guard comes in and throws him his clothes. Ricardo goes to the visitors' room to see his family, whose numbers have dwindled from last week. One of his sisters is missing. The rest of the family tries to make excuses, but his father admits that her husband doesn't want her visiting Ricardo anymore. Ricardo gets pissed and says to tell his sister that she's "dead to [him]." He storms out of the room, but runs back in to grab the fruit basket that they brought him. Heh.
A sweaty, out-of-breath Hill explains the concept of "hitting the wall" in terms of running, when you think that you can't take another step without imploding. For me, that happens around the one-minute mark.
In his cell, Ricardo bangs his head against the wall and then starts punching it. Cudney the Christian comes up and suggests that they pray together. Ricardo grabs the preacher and jacks him up against the cell wall. Clayton shows up and tells Ricardo to drop the knife, but Ricardo won't. Clayton calls for back-up, and two other guards run in and restrain Ricardo, dragging him off. Ricardo gets right in Clayton's face, saying, "You've got no balls!" We get a flash of the crazy Clayton we will come to know so well in future episodes.