By M. Giant
Madeline and Jesse drag Michael into a job helping out a local clinic that's being threatened by drug dealers, led by a violent psychopath named Cutler. David, the doctor who runs the place, has been calling the cops, and the team warns him that's going to get him killed, so maybe he should let them handle it. The plan is for Michael to go undercover as a fellow drug dealer so they can find Cutler's stash house and shut it down. But the plan runs into some snags, as Michael's plans always tend to do, and Cutler keeps escalating things faster than he's ready for. The team's ready for all-out war, but with Madeline's help, Michael hits on the idea of having David face Cutler himself and drive him out of town. And with the support of the team, that's what happens.
In other news, Michael still has that old tape drive he found in Kendra's house, but no way to retrieve the data on it. Looks like they're going to have to ask Kendra about it, if only they can find her. But of course Kendra wants it back, so Michael plans to agree to an exchange, where he'll grab her. The only problem is that she's no amateur either, so it takes about a dozen tries. And even then Michael doesn't emerge from the encounter unscathed. Fortunately it's just a minor scathe, so he should be back in shape for the episode in two weeks.
The previouslies remind us that the bad guy that Jesse was looking for was dumped out of an airplane off the Bahamas. Then they were able to trace him to a house where he used to live to someone the subtitles now identify as "Kendra -- Friendly Neighbor." Right.
Michael VOs about how spies are used to dealing with cutting-edge encryption and security. Which is ironic because the visual shows him looking for something ancient enough to read the data on Kendra's big fat obsolete tape drive, schlepping it to what is clearly just the latest in a string of freelance A/V nerds operating in back rooms all over Miami. And of course he's getting nowhere. I don't think that even the Kaypro in my garage would read that thing. Michael emerges to find Fi patiently waiting for him -- or at least Fi's version of patience, which means she's about ready to throw the thing away. But Michael says they'll just need to talk to Kendra. And how hard could that be? Well, not that hard, as it turns out, because Michael has just noticed a hand-lettered sign saying to "Use Stairs." He follows the arrows all around the area until he notices a parked car. Which means he and Fi are under surveillance, since Kendra knew they'd have to bring the tape drive here eventually. That all might sound a little paranoid, but he VOs that spies are used to signs like this, which seem insignificant to the uninitiated. I'd have to agree with him there. Michael calls Sam to set up help grabbing Kendra, and he agrees to meet them there in 30 minutes, even though it means leaving a fresh beer behind. Fi decides to make use of the time shopping. Hey, she can't spend all her time blowing up female stereotypes.
After a while, Michael and Fi are "wandering" along as Michael VOs about how the nice thing about being followed is that you get to pick the route. He calls Sam, who by now has the street staked out from a sidewalk bar, where he says he hasn't seen her "unless she's disguised as a fat tourist." But then he spots her and is sufficiently impressed by her shadowing skills for the subtitles to now identify her as "Kendra -- Professional Killer." That's quite a downgrade from "Friendly Neighbor." Michael and Fi head into an alley where Sam has stashed a taser for them under an orange crate. Kendra follows, taking her time, and when Michael gets bored and peeks out in the direction she's supposed to be coming from, he sees that she has exited the alley -- through a roof hatch. Show off much? She did leave behind a cell phone, however, and when it rings she and Michael have a little talk. She's rather cagey, having realized they planned to nab her, but Michael reminds her that they have something she wants, and she'll be wanting to talk to them. She can't wait, except for how she totally can.
Back at Madeline's garage, Michael is telling a doubtful Jesse about his plan to grab Kendra. We also learn that Michael forwarded the phone Kendra left him so she can't track him with it. Then Madeline comes out, saying she's hoping he can meet a friend of hers. Michael tries to blow it off, but she says, "Okay, I'll tell her not to worry about the drug dealers." As she storms out, knowing Michael will follow, Jesse adds that it's a real problem.. "I expect this from her," Michael grits.
In Madeline's living room, Madeline's friend is a doctor named "Lauren -- Concerned Girlfriend," played by Justina Machado from Six Feet Under. She tells them about the sitch, which is more exposition than we really need here. Suffice it to say that she works at a neighborhood clinic run by her boyfriend, David. Apparently David hasn't been doing the live-and-let-live thing with the drug dealers on the corner near the clinic, and now he's drawn their ire by calling the cops on them. He got beat up, and she's afraid he'll get himself killed . That would be the logical progression. Madeline steals Michael's line: "He'll see what he can do."
At the clinic in Homestead, Michael, Jesse, and Fi show up, but despite looking a little roughed up, David isn't interested in their help. David says all he's going to do is keep calling the cops, but they insist that he's only going to get himself killed. "So you just snap your fingers and the dealers disappear?" David asks sarcastically. "It's worked before," Michael says, although without the hyperlink. David agrees to let them give it a try, which earns him the subtitle "David - The Client." I think throwing a "reluctant" in there would have been in order, subtitles.
Outside, they discuss David. Jesse thinks he's inspirational, while Michael calls him suicidal. I'm just impressed that David doesn't ask people to call him "Dr. Dave." Just then Michael gets a call from Kendra. They talk about the deal, and agree to a meeting tomorrow. Fi thinks Michael's end of it sounded too flirty, and he tells her he's trying to kidnap her and tie her to a chair. "You are not helping your cause," Fi quips. Fi and Jesse get into the car to go check out the drug operation, and Michael asks for a ride so he can go scope out the meeting site. "Take the bus, Romeo," Fi says. Wow, I hope Michael reminds her about her hair-trigger jealousy when she ends up in bed with Jesse.
Later, Sam and Fi are staking out the drug dealers in a liquor store parking lot, who don't seem very bustable, i.e. they never see drugs and money at the same time, which means if they were cops they'd have nothing. "reason number 337 I'm glad I'm not a cop," Fi says. Fi calls up Jesse, who will be doing a buy with some cash flagged with RFID tags. Which I'm sure the dealers won't notice. He makes the transaction, and Fi uses some handheld device to keep tracking the cash from her parked car until they find the car that's moving the money. And then they follow that car. Simple enough so that there's enough time for a quick Hyundai commercial.
Fi and Sam follow the driver to a strip club, where they can easily spot the guy who looks like the boss. Sam's about to go in, but Fi wants to bring in Michael's old neighbor Sugar the drug dealer, for an insider's perspective. Obviously Sam likes that idea a lot less than going into the strip club to do surveillance, so they're going to do both.
Later, inside a "strip club" that looks more like an underwear bar, Sugar shows up and meets Sam at the bar. Sam points out the boss, surrounded by his guys, and Sugar says he's a bad guy named Cutler. In fact, "Cutler -- Drug-Dealing Plague" is how the subtitles refer to him. Sugar is intimidated just to be in the same building with Cutler, who'll kill him on sight. Sugar also mentions something about how Cutler has a big stash that he got off a Mexican cartel somewhere in town. He tries to rush off, but ends up crashing into a waitress and of course attracting all kinds of attention. Including from Cutler and his goons. Looks like Sugar is about to get himself killed, until Sam intercedes to distract the bad guys by acting drunk to get himself beat up instead. It's about to get ugly for Sam, but he manages to smash a bottle on Cutler's knee and escape, just in time to leap into Fi's car outside. "Worst surveillance ever," he explains.
Fortunately, they know a clinic to bring Sam to for patching up. David is freaking out about the new security measures the team is implementing. Michael explains how they now know that Cutler has to work the corner hard to pay back the supplier, so they aren't going to be chased off easily. David is still all about the cops. So Sam explains how the cops are like a bandage, covering up the problem. "We're more like this, he explains, holding up a handy bone saw. Michael says to find Cutler's stash, they'll give him something else to hide. "We need some fentanyl. Do you know any veterinarians?"
Sam and Michael meet Sugar at a restaurant, but won't fist-bump him. All they want is for Sugar to vouch for them with some of his friends up north so they can go undercover with Cutler.
Back at the underwear club, Michael VOs about how it's possible for a spy to get too clever, and says sometimes the best approach is to offer a drug dealer a good deal on drugs. So, wearing a shiny suit and an even shinier side-part, he throws some cash around the club before sitting down across from Cutler and doing a hard sell on fentanyl, managing to avoid getting dragged bodily away by doing some fast talking. Cutler is a bit cautious, but not so much that he ignores it when Michael gives him a number on a napkin to call and check him out.
After a costume change, Michael calls Sam, who's wearing a security guard uniform at an outdoor mall. Michael's also there, because this is the time and place for Operation Nab Kendra, take two. After he hangs up, she calls and says she's watching him now. Michael tries to lure her down and keep her on the line while Sam moves in on her location, but she's too careful, and she's gone by the time Sam gets there. Michael says they'll get her time. And then a guy accosts Sam to tell him about a shoplifting. "Good luck with that," Sam says. Worst security guard ever.
Madeline comes into Michael's loft to take him to task for how he's handling the clinic situation, and ignoring his request not to smoke. Does she ever come over when she's not mad at him? Lucky for Michael, he gets a call from Cutler, and she's nice enough to walk away rather than listening to him talk about a drug deal. Michael asks for directions to Cutler's place, but Cutler sets up a meeting elsewhere. Because the other things would be too easy.
At the meeting, Cutler greets Michael as "Mr. Song and Dance." Michael jokes, "My father was Mr. Song and Dance. Kyle, call me Kyle." Michael tosses over a duffel bag, and Cutler pulls out a whole case of medicine vials. Michael offers to show Cutler's guys how to cut it into their product, but Cutler would rather figure it out on his own. Michael doesn't seem to be as pleased at meeting a fellow DIYer as you might think.
It's Jesse's job to tail Cutler and his guys to their stash house in Fi's Hyundai, but he soon finds himself cut off in both directions when a couple of pickups pull diagonally across the street. One of them approaches Jesse and tells him to get out of the car. Michael yells at Jesse over the phone to get out of there while he VOs about drug dealers using checkpoints to keep people out of their neighborhoods. One of the goons gets all up in Jesse's driver's side window, but Jesse's quick thinking and quicker fists clear his path out of there without his even having to get out of the car. Lucky thing Jesse's driving a Hyundai commercial.
Back at the clinic, Michael and Fi find the place shot up and vandalized, complete with a paving stone with "YOU'RE CLOSED" scrawled on it. Pressure is building the close the place down, including form Michael and Fi, but David still won't. Until Michael physically restrains him and drags him to Madeline's place, where Michael tells Jesse they need to find the stash house unless Jesse wants a permanent roommate. I didn't think Jesse was a permanent resident.
So they sit down and build a homemade aerial drone out of a remote control plane and an infrared camera. Michael VOs about how easy and safe it is, but out on the street, Michael and Sam bicker over how to fly it, until a kid on a bike offers to take over.
Back at the loft, they're going over the recon photos with Fi They're satisfied they've located the stash house, and Michael tasks Sam with getting a delivery van. Michael gets a call from Kendra, telling him to come alone and unarmed to their meeting. Fi's jealous some more, of course. "She threatened to kill me," Michael informs her. Fi offers, "I could do that."
The gang heads over to Madeline to see David trying to leave, with Jesse physically restraining him. Apparently Lauren had to sneak into the clinic to help someone, and Cutler's escalating things. Michael and Fi go over to see Cutler yelling at the empty clinic. Fi wants to start shooting with the sniper rifles in the car, but Michael wants to hold off -- until they see one of them lighting a Molotov cocktail. Then the shooting starts, and Cutler and his gang hit the road, fleeing a hail of bullets while the firebomb harmlessly scorches the pavement. How did Michael keep Fi from killing them all?
Back at Madeline's, Michael is trying to update David on how they're still sticking to the plan, but this time even Fi and Jesse are ready to bail on it. And even Madeline wants to put her oar in. She drags Michael outside to remind him about the story where he protected Nate from some a bully named Todd in middle school. At least until Michael left for high school and Nate was fair game. Until Nate hit Todd with a 2 x 4 and everyone left him alone. "Because he stood up for himself." Michael says that won't work with drug dealers as well as with middle-school bullies, but Madeline disagrees: "I don't think that you're going to let that happen." When Michael tries to follow her into the house, Fi cuts him off, saying they're hitting Cutler back with or without him. Michael says they're not -- David is.
At the loft courtyard, they're getting ready. There's a delivery van to get past the checkpoint with the team in back, and Jesse's helping Fi load bombs in the back. "What's this, every explosive you own?" "You don't know me very well," Fi flirts. Michael tells David he hates having to send in someone untrained, so David has to follow the script. Michael says he has to look like David beat him up. "Now, you're probably going to object to punching me in the face. So, Sam, do you--" David punches Michael and offers to do it again. "Yeah, just not quite as hard," Michael says with a frozen smile.
Michael shows up at the underwear club, looking all beat up and telling Cutler that David is ex-Delta Force, and even shows off a big fake dossier on his violent activities. Cutler asks why David's running a clinic, and Michel says David must be he's taking a break from ALL THE KILLING!" He says Cutler's guys near the clinic are probably already dead. Cutler calls to be sure, just in time to hear they got blown up. Cutler is starting to realize that David's after him, and says he's going to end it. The hook is set.
Across town, the team has Cutler's stash house staked out, with Lauren in the back of the Charger with Sam and Fi for some reason. I guess so she can watch her boyfriend's big moment. They watch as David rolls up in his van, blowing past the roadblock and telling Cutler to his face that he wants him to leave town. Michael gives Jesse an order, and Jesse fires a gas canister though a window, forcing out the goons inside so everyone can see the car that Fi blows up remotely. Cutler draws on David, and Fi shoots the gun out of his hand with a sniper rifle. David counts to three, and Fi starts setting off more bombs. The show continues until the bad guys drive off, harried by sniper fire. They're getting used to that, I think. David actually looks happy, which is a little worrying.
At the clinic, Madeline and Michael show up at the clinic to tell David and Lauren that Cutler left town, and to receive the thanks that are their due. On their way out, Madeline drives home her moral, that people can fight their own battles. Michael says he got it, but she chuckles, "Better Michael Westen than a 2 x 4." And at least she waits until she's outside the clinic before lighting up her heater.
Michael shows up at an abandoned marina to meet Kendra, with Sam slumped in the back seat with a sniper rifle. For all the good it's going to do them. All Michael's got for a weapon is his briefcase reinforced with steel siding. With Sam hollering motherly warnings after him, he gets out and walks over to meet Kendra. He has to leaves Sam's line of sight to show her the contents of the contents of the case: the tape drive and nothing else. She tosses him a duffel that may or may not have with fifty grand in it, and them comes at him with a long knife, slashing his arm. Michael VOs that it's not a nice surprise to have someone come at you with a concealed blade, but there's an upside: "If they're using a Japanese tanto knife, they'd rather stab you than slice you, and you can use that to your advantage. Finally, he manages to knock her out with the briefcase, and he and Sam get her in the trunk, Sam says she'll make their lives hard, "We'll just have to make her life harder," Michael says. Well, as long as they have a plan. And she's already in a trunk, so they've got a head start, I'd say.
M. Giant is a Minneapolis-based writer with a wife, a son, and a number of cats that seems to have settled at around two. Learn waaaay too much about him at Velcrometer, or just e-mail him at m.giant[at]gmail.com.
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