Episode Report Card M. Giant: A | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Errand Spy
By M. Giant | Season 3 | Episode 3 | Aired on 06.18.2009
In a hurry? Read the recaplet for a nutshell description! Finished? Click here to close.Michael's brother Nate is back in town, and the even worse news is that everyone's using him as leverage against Michael. First is Detective Paxson, who drops Nate off at the loft to serve notice that she's going to be coming at him through everyone he knows. And right after him is Brennen, the evil, pissy arms dealer from last season. Nate thinks he's having a meeting with an investor, but he's actually being held hostage by Brennen's enforcer so Brennen can make Michael steal stuff for him. Michael complies, but he's also secretly in touch with Sam, who's working with Barry to figure out what Brennen's up to. Eventually Michael turns the tables on Brennen, bluffing him with threats against his bank account and his family, both of which Brennen thought he had way out of reach. Both Westen brothers come out of it with nothing more serious than a bullet in Nate's arm, and Brennen goes away empty-handed and pissed. Also pissed? Detective Paxson, whose partner got suspended for grilling a mayor's aide that Michael and the team tried to sic her on. In fact, she's so mad her expression changes. It's on now, yo.
Want more? The full recap starts right below!Here's something you don't see every day: Michael Westen, relaxing at home. He's parked in his favorite green chair, with his feet up, reading a newspaper and eating, what else, a yogurt. There's a knock on the door and someone calls, "Open up, police!" Rolling his eyes and getting up to stash his handgun in a drawer, he VOs, "Whether you're dealing with the presidential guard in Belarus, the federal security service in Russia, or the local police in Miami, the drill is pretty much the same." Yes, Michael, we know you've been around. "Keep your place clean of damning evidence. Keep your alibis and your whereabouts straight." Michael picks up a manila folder that he's decorated with a big dorky label reading "MICHAEL WESTEN DAILY ACTIVITY LOG," the contents of which I'm sure are reams and reams of lies. "And always be ready for surprise visits," the VO concludes. Because outside Michael's door is not a cop, but his little brother, Nate, looking serious in his black suit and sunglasses. "Nate -- The Brother," the subtitles remind us. As Nate comes in, he says this is how he was awakened this morning, so he's paying the favor forward to Michael. "I was dragged out of bed by someone very interested in you," he says. Michael tries to close the door, but someone else wants in -- someone the subtitles dutifully identify as "Detective Paxson -- Someone Very Interested In Michael." He teases her a bit as he tries to close the door again, but her partner Detective Lopez comes in before he can. After checking to see if anyone else is lurking out there (and also to see whether the landing outside his door has turned into a clown car), Michael finally closes the door and hands Paxson his log. The folder, I mean. I'm sure Michael would like to give her a different kind of log, but he probably doesn't want to do anything actionable. She blows it off, explaining that she was just dropping off Nate, "as a way to say thank you for chatting to us about his big brother." Plus she wants to brace Michael some more. Yes, I said "brace." I'm in the middle of a James Ellroy novel right now, and I defy anyone to read the word "braced" six times per page and not want to pay that forward. Because she's an idiot who likes to keep Michael posted on how she's going to come after him next, she informs Michael that her new method for harassing him will be grilling everyone he knows. She leaves her business card in case he changes his mind, and the two detectives take off, satisfied at having given Michael everything he needs to screw them over this week.
Now that the Westen brothers are alone, Michael starts with the small talk, asking Nate how long he's been in town. Nate tells him six hours, five of which he spent in the clutches of "your girlfriend over there." He assures Michael that he didn't say anything, and asks Michael to drive him to their mom's, where his car is, so he can get to his meeting. "Meeting?" Michael says darkly, as though Nate just said "dogfight." Nate assures him that it's with investors for his limo company. Michael's acting all suspicious for some reason. I suppose that even though you and I might be willing to give Nate credit for turning his life around, Michael has a little more history with him. But still, he should give his little brother the benefit of the doubt at least until he grows that skeezy goatee back. And it's not like your typical downward spiral begins with the words, "Please drive me to Mom's." Still, Michael acts like he's doing Nate a giant favor giving him a ride. While following his brother out to the Charger, he checks out Paxson's business card. What, does he think it's bugged?
Later, after having dropped off the younger sib, Michael's having lunch with Sam and Fi, discussing Paxson's new strategy for getting on his nerves. They're glad Nate held his tongue, but they worry that it's only a matter of time before Paxson finds someone more cooperative. "Like a gunrunner named Seymour," Fi suggests. With his man-crush on Michael? Not likely. "Or a money launderer named Barry," Sam says, more reasonably. "Or a washed-up Navy SEAL named Sam?" Fi snits unprovoked. Sam starts to come back at her, but Michael cuts him off while he's still winding up. "I need to get to know someone she'll regret going after," Michael says. Sam likes the idea, and suggests a shady-looking but perfectly legal fake financial relationship with someone at the mayor's office. Michael loves it. Now the only trick is finding something legal you can do with someone at the mayor's office.
"A lone spy who always works solo is a myth," Michael VOs as a transition to the next scene. "The truth is, you don't last long without keeping a few friends around. Because your enemies will find you on their own." Michael approaches his Charger, which he's parked in some oddly isolated spot next to a Dumpster for some reason. Is he that paranoid about door dings? But before he can even unlock the car, out from behind that Dumpster walks Tyler Brennen, who's got a big old handgun leveled at Michael. "You wouldn't happen to know where I could find a burned spy, would you?" he asks pleasantly. "Brennen," Michael spits. Brennen says hi by shooting the hood of the Charger three times, right in front of the air intake. Damn, more bodywork that Michael's going to have to do by the next episode. Well, at least his door didn't get dinged. The subtitles remind us that this is "Brennen -- Arms Dealer With A Grudge." "That's my way of saying thank you for the last time I saw you," Brennan says, holstering his giant hand-cannon. Michael returns the sentiment without returning fire. "I thought you'd still be running from those angry South Americans," he says. Brennen explains how he distracted those guys by sending a big shipment of weapons to their enemies. "So those angry South Americans are a little busy, what with all the killin' and dyin'." Michael says that sounds like a lot of trouble to go to just to get back to Miami, and Brennen says he's there about a business opportunity. A limo company, in fact. "Nate," Michael realizes darkly. "You're Nate's investor." Aw, poor Nate. Brennen pulls out his cell phone to show Michael a photo of Nate sitting in a house with a big Italian guy, who happens to be Brennen's partner. Although not in the sense Nate thinks. Brennen mocks, "Doesn't Nate look happy? Closin' his little deal? 'Course, he doesn't realize his investor is actually an enforcer from Sicily called the Butcher." Imaginative. Plus, shouldn't it at least be Il Bucciore or something? Michael starts threatening Brennen, who puts it on Michael: "Whether Nate's meeting ends in a bullet or a handshake is entirely up to you. See, you're going to be running some errands for me today. Just think of me as your new boss. "Brennen -- Michael's New Boss," say the subtitles. Et tu, subtitles?
After the titles and the ads, Brennen makes Michael ditch his cell phone, keys, wallet, and sunglasses in the trunk of his Charger. Why that last item? "I want to see those pretty eyes." As they walk to Brennen's car, Michael asks if this is a time-sensitive project. Brennen sees what Michael's doing, and refuses to share what they're up to. "You're just a key, Michael. Keys don't need to know what's behind the doors they unlock." This is not going to work out at all well for Brennen. He should talk to the last person who tried to force Michael to do stuff for her without telling him why, but he can't, 'cause she dead. If Brennen wants to talk about keys, we could all tell him right now that this is going to end in the key of F-U major. Anyway, having reached the Honda SUV that Brennen's driving, he lays down some "rules for the super-spy," which boil down to: Michael pisses off Brennen, Nate dies. But Michael refuses to budge until he knows Nate's still okay. It's a standoff for a moment, into which Michael VOs, "Yo