Episode Report Card Aaron: B- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, he is free at last!
By Aaron | Season 6 | Episode 3 | Aired on 01.18.2003
Medical ward. Dr. Nathan is reviewing her patient charts with a nurse who's desperately trying be some sort of a cross between Estelle Getty and that one older ho from Hookers on the Point. When she notices Dave Brass stopping by to banter with Martinez, however, Gloria jumps up and goes to the window to do a little spying. Behind her we can see Guerra approaching the ward, and in all fairness to a director I've already mocked several times in this recap, I will at least admit that this little sequence is actually shot quite cleverly to make it clear that Brass is lying when he says later on that Martinez confessed. There's also a pretty cute shot of Stanton reading his Rosie. Heh. Guerra comes over to talk with Martinez, and explains that Morales wants him dead so that he can't rat him out for the attack on Brass. You guys will just have to puzzle through the pronouns and M names right along with me on this one. Martinez bravely admits that he's too weak to fight, which gives Guerra's conscience a twinge and prompts him to put the shank back into his pocket. They shake hands, and Guerra heads back to Em City.
Where he quickly finds Morales, and reports that he refused to kill Martinez. Morales isn't pleased by this, and when Guerra suggests that he do the deed himself if he wants Martinez dead that badly, Morales angrily says he will.
But actually, he won't, because Martinez is already dead. And special points to the sound crew, by the way, for morphing the ever-present wail of The Trumpet Of Impending Scene Change into the flat-line beeping of the EKG machine. Gloria comes bounding into the ward to find Estelle Slutty standing over the corpse and complaining that she couldn't hear the "code" because she was busy filing reports in the office. Incensed at the thought of a tiny, helpless little Lourdes forced to grow up without a father, Gloria immediately fires Nurse Botch-It.
And then she goes storming into Leo's office, where she angrily throws Martinez's chart in Leo's face and repeatedly declares that she's going to make a full disclosure about the toxic chemicals. "Did you hear me?" she shouts. "Full fucking disclosure!" Yes, Gloria, we heard you. Now go away, and don't come back until you're ready to get naked and fuck Ryan O'Reily.
Because he's quite clearly the worst warden in the history of the American judicial system, Leo is finally convinced at this point that it might be a good idea to call a press conference and go public with the toxic poisoning story. Ex-Wife Ellie, however, isn't really sure that's the best plan. While reporters file in behind them, she and Leo stand off to one side and engage in a heated argument about the wisdom of this course of action. It's not actually heated because they're arguing, but rather because either these two are obviously sleeping together or Ellie has a serious OCD problem when it comes to straightening men's ties. For Christ's sake, she's practically licking his chest. "Here's to full disclosure," sighs Leo as he breaks away and steps to the podium. He reveals the death of Martinez to the waiting press, and Ellie stands by and watches her man perform on one of the little monitors nearby.