Episode Report Card Deborah: A | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Maternal Instincts
By Deborah | Season 1 | Episode 5 | Aired on 10.23.2003
Will runs into the DA, who tells him he just got the Bonner report and everything looks good, and to tell Daghlian they'll probably go to court next week. Will's confused: "You read the report?" He has. Will can't believe nothing in the report bothers him. Gabe: "No." Will: "Well, it should." Gabe: "Well, it doesn't." He takes off. Wait a minute: he already knew a breathalyzer test had been done, and that Sara had been drinking. Shouldn't he be wondering where that information went? Or is he okay with a falsified report? Earlier, when he told Will to teach his boys how to write a report, was he actually suggesting that he have Daghlian rewrite it? We already know this guy is a total opportunist, from the arson story.
AP Chem. Ms. Lischak is leading them through some experiment. Other people's beakers or test tubes or whatever are bubbling away. Joan, Grace, and Adam have got nothing. Grace: "There's more activity in my parents' bedroom." Adam: "Chah, well, the Bunsen burner's totally wigging out!" Grace: "I'll break it to Lischak." Joan and Adam take their safety glasses off, and Adam says, "So...about your boyfriend..." Joan says he's not her boyfriend. Adam continues, "Well, apparently he's been busy busting guys in the bathroom for smoking." Joan repeats, not looking at Adam, that he's not her boyfriend. Adam says he has police creds and he's pretending to be a narc. He's been able to extract twelve bucks from some gullible kids. Must not be very convincing...you'd think he's be able to get more than twelve bucks in bribes. Joan asks, "What kind of idiot falls for the fake police badge trick?" Adam tells her gently that it's not a fake: "It's the genuine article. 'Chief of Police' stamped right on it." Yeah, 'cause that's what a narc's badge would say. How stupid are these kids? Joan looks unhappy but not altogether surprised by the news. Adam says, "Sorry to break it to you..." Joan softly interjects, "No, you're not." Actually, while I do think Adam is thrilled that Clay has so quickly outed himself as the sleazy wanker Adam is convinced he is, I don't actually think he's glad that Joan's hurt, or that he's the one to give her the news. I do think he actually feels bad about that. Adam, as usual, looks slightly hurt and confused by her comment.
Will confronts Daghlian about the Bonner report. Daghlian says he takes full responsibility. Will tells him, "There's no looking the other way on my shift." Will says to get the report back. Daghlian says the DA wouldn't give it back even if he asked. Will: "I don't play ball." Daghlian tells a little story: "There was once a good cop. High-ranking, on his way up, in narcotics. He wanted to take this drug dealer down, but he had no probable cause. So he took advantage of a phantom anonymous tip. He knew it wouldn't hold up under scrutiny, but he believed his squad would back him up. However, he didn't -- he didn't count on the good captain." Will says, "He was a good captain. And the best thing he ever did for me was junk me from the squad, send me to the fringes, and make me start all over again. I had to work my way back to being an honest cop." Daghlian: "The point is, you played ball." Will: "The point is, I did my time, and now you have to do yours." Daghlian says that there are certain forces in the universe that aren't going to let that happen. Such as? Seriously, did Daghlian think reminding Will of that story was going to make him more sympathetic? I have to assume Will told Daghlian about that himself. Daghlian must realize how Will feels about it, and how it's shaped his ethics. Will replies, "If the powers that be want to set you up in the next county -- hell, if they want to make you the Commissioner, I'll fall on that sword when I come to it. But you don't work for me." Daghlian argues a bad guy is going to prison. Will isn't going to tolerate a falsified report. Daghlian: "You asked me to!" Will: "I'm sorry if that's what you thought." Daghlian: "You practically spelled it out!" Come on. Where's he getting that? Will says, "If that's the party favour you want to take out of here, I can't stop you. Now pack your things and go." Bye-bye, Doctor Dave. But wouldn't Smarmy Creep's lawyer have already seen the report, including the breathalyzer result? Wouldn't she have to have seen this by now? Wouldn't they base the guy's charges on the report? And we know he's been charged because he's out on bail. How did Daghlian expect to get away with this? Anyway, I guess the door is open for him to come back eventually, but probably not anytime soon.