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While on an errand with Margaret, Patrick runs into a former boxing champion, Gerry Raines, who has a fairly advanced case of dementia, and it turns out this was no accident, as Margaret arranged the whole thing so Patrick could be reminded of what he might be facing with a first-hand look. Patrick feels bad and offers Gerry a job at the gym, but lives to regret it when the guy has a scary freakout. He's got bigger problems than that, though, as the Councilman he bribed with Brennan's money back in the second episode gets arrested for some hooker scandal and points the Feds Patrick's way. Patrick is forced to come clean to Theresa about all his crimes, and she takes it surprisingly well, but when he won't give Brennan up, the Feds arrest him. However, he sends Gerry off to beat the guy within an inch of his life while he and Johnny go out on the town and make sure to be seen by plenty of eyewitnesses to establish deniability. The Councilman takes the correct message from the shellacking and clams up good, killing the Feds' case against Patrick, so everything's great again with two episodes to go. But Patrick, sending a confused old man to commit a felony on your behalf? You're going to hell, guy.
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Want more? The full recap starts right below!Everything's apparently now chill between Margaret and Patrick now that the latter has been forced to accept Brennan into their family, and, as such, Patrick is helping Margaret buy some replacement dishes for the diner, as she tells him he'd be surprised how much stuff goes missing from the place. Margaret, he wouldn't be surprised -- he's a criminal. Let's not pussyfoot around the subject anymore. Patrick jokes that carrying heavy things are what boyfriends are good for, and I guess it's good that he's able to laugh about the Brennan subject, but seriously, is the abdominal injury that threatened everything Patrick was fighting for as of last episode totally healed? Because otherwise, maybe Johnny could be doing a little of the heavy lifting? Patrick, however, thanks Margaret for getting him out, as everyone's home from vacation and "there are a lot of women in that house." Margaret ribs him that he loves it, but then some older dude calls to Patrick in an older-dude voice and asks if he remembers him. Patrick grins, "Gerry 'The Rainmaker' Raines!" giving us the episode title in an amazingly deft and unforced way, and puts down his load and goes over to shoulder-hug Gerry, calling him "Champ" for good measure. Patrick then asks if he remembers his sister Margaret, and you could drive a truck through the ensuing gap in the conversation, so you can imagine that even though he claims that he couldn't forget a beauty like that, he has no memory of her. I just hope when the truth is revealed, she doesn't take it as a slam on her looks.
Patrick asks how he's doing, apparently not having noticed the sad little stand Gerry has set up to hawk autographed pictures at a cut rate, and Gerry says he's all right before asking if Patrick needs a sparring partner. He puts up his dukes and fake-punches Patrick: "I can still make it rain!" Two things: One, a quick Google search shows that there is a real current boxer named Delray "The Rainmaker" Raines, and I'm not sure if the show is paying homage but either way I wanted you to know that name is a rip-off. But two, as ridiculously convenient as the appearance of this character will prove to be, I am still not made of stone, and the actor does a great job with the role, so keep that in mind even if I shred the episode. After Patrick compliments Gerry on how hard he used to hit, he considers for a moment and then asks if Gerry wants to help him out at the gym. Gerry looks disproportionately touched at the offer, but Patrick already looks like he regrets it when Gerry repeats his offer of sparring and tells Patrick he can still make it rain. Patrick and Margaret don't betray any discomfort, but still get out of there in a hurry, and after Gerry calls to them that he'll see Patrick the week, Margaret notes that he's "punchy." Oh, Margaret, you can do better than that, but I think she's diplomatically alluding to the fact that Gerry obviously is suffering from pugilistic dementia without, understandably, given her recent discovery of Patrick's condition, explicitly saying so. Patrick answers in the same vein, saying he's not going to put Gerry in the ring, but he just wants to help him out, and Margaret gets a look like "It's your gym, but keep him away from my diner and its new dishes." Credits.
We get an underwater shot of Patrick floating face-down with his arms splayed out, like, I'm going to assume this isn't meant to be Christ imagery, because if it were I would be forced to lay waste to this entire show, and then, with a splash, Katie jumps into frame. Patrick picks her up out of the water, and we see the family is in the Leary pool enjoying some loose water volleyball and other such fun, like, I'm so glad we're getting such a gritty depiction of what happens when you blow through twelve million dollars in five years, you know? Real cautionary tale they're telling here. At poolside, we see Ava waxing rhapsodic about England and how they play croquet over there, and while that's probably not true anymore, she still continues to be the most realistically written character on the entire show. If that sounds like a backhanded compliment, you're following along nicely. After a close-up of many dead cows on the grill, we learn that Stacy Keach has returned by way of him giving Patrick some backseat grilling advice, which also rings truer than most things on this show. Stacy Keach then asks Patrick how his wound is healing, and Patrick gives one of his infuriating answers with "Better every day," like, THAT'S HOW HEALING WORKS, doofus. I mean, it's true that that's better than "worse every day," but it's reasonable to assume he was asking for a bit more specific an answer than that, especially with the upcoming FIGHT and all. Theresa appears, and Patrick, cluelessly condescendingly, says that it's nice to see her in a good mood, but Theresa, presumably still a bit upset about his terrifically inattentive performance at her graduation, tells him that everyone's there, "so let's just try and get through the day." It's not delivered with near as much snittery as it might be, but Patrick's enthusiasm for grilling still looks like it deflates a little bit...
...but nevertheless, soon dinner is ready, and when Johnny hands Patrick a beer, Stacy Keach nixes it, saying they start training in a week. And I guess it's good Patrick got that extension, but didn't he cast severe doubt on just how injured he was by getting into a street brawl that was captured on camera? Patrick whines that it's the Fourth of July, opining that not to have a beer would be "un-American," and then Dylan screws up all my stereotyping innuendo from last week by eagerly piping up that he'll take it. Heh. I think I kind of love that kid. Patrick seriously allows Dylan to have a beer (a sip seems fine; a whole beer seems like a lot), and then, after screening a call from Brent for Ava, Katie asks when the fireworks are, leading Ava to evangelize about Guy Fawkes Day and suggest that they make a family trip to England. Theresa looks uncomfortable, but she needn't worry, because they don't have time for it this season and no WAY is this show getting renewed. Bright side! Ava goes on about British boarding schools and an August Shakespeare seminar in Stratford, and if we were to ignore that these people still are supposed to have NO MONEY and haven't learned one lesson from it, I'd applaud Ava's attitude as worthwhile, even if it's rooted in the fact that she likes a British guy, as the family is quick to call her on. Ava sucks it up and says she did meet a guy, "Ralph" (she pronounces it the English way, "Rafe"), who comes from a really good family and is going to Oxford or Cambridge for law, and the family gives her shit about how he can come over and get a lesson from Patrick so he can be "the Boxing Barrister." Ava takes the joke well, but the conversation comes to a positively screeching halt when Dylan asks if she met "Aunt Theresa's" family. Like, if this were a reality show I'd bet good money on a cymbal crash or needle scratch on the soundtrack. After an exquisitely awkward pause, Stacy Keach rescues everyone else by telling Dylan that they are Theresa's family, which leads Johnny to start singing "God Bless America" and Patrick to chant "U.S.A.!" With this bit of patriotic fervor having deflected discussion of Theresa's incubus of a father...
...we can safely cut ahead to that night, where Theresa, as is her wont, is already in bed when her man sticks his head out from the bathroom and tests the waters by opining that he thinks everyone had a good time. However, Theresa gives a noncommittal reply without looking up from her magazine, so Patrick finally bites the bullet and asks how long she's going to stay mad at him, considering he already apologized. Instead of suggesting that she'll stay mad for as long as it took her to get her medical degree, which would seem like appealingly symmetrical justice, Theresa breezily says that she supposes the apology makes everything just fine, which is also a valid approach. He asks what she wants from him, so she suggests that some respect would be nice, not only referring to his behavior at her graduation but also his boorishness when Dr. Wilson was over to dinner. Patrick ill-advisedly tries to tell her they just need to make it to the fight, which is apparently now eight weeks away, but his refusal even to acknowledge the principle of the thing only further annoys her, and we leave the scene with a front shot of the two of them reading in bed, with a chasm in between. And I'm sure that's meant to be poignant, but all I can think about is how much I'd love that amount of space in which to sleep.
Patrick knocks on the door of a unit in some flophouse, and Gerry answers the door and greets him in such a way that implies he doesn't remember their recent meeting. Sure enough, after Patrick hands him a plastic container of leftovers from the barbecue, he tells us that Gerry never came by the gym, and Gerry doesn't recall the part where he was supposed to, either. Without letting that break his smile, Patrick says he could use his help and asks if he'd like a morning shift, and Gerry writes that down on a pad he has tied to his belt, saying if he doesn't make a note of such things, they disappear. While Gerry busies himself with the reminder, Patrick looks around at his posters and other memorabilia, and then Gerry then offers Patrick a seat, and while he's getting it ready Patrick takes another look around, this time seeming more like he's digesting how far this guy has fallen and how alone he is, which is nice work. Once he's taken the chair, he asks Gerry if he caught any of the fireworks, but Gerry tells him not as such, but he often sees flashes of light popping around him at random intervals and locations. Patrick gives his opinion that "that doesn't sound good," and while he's no medical expert it's difficult to disagree, but Gerry waves off his concern and tries to sell the experience as "neat." Patrick's hangdog expression in response suggests that Gerry's skills as a spin doctor need work, but his attention is then captured by Gerry's small television as he sees that Randall Hess, the Councilman Patrick bribed to make the dentist incident go away way back in the second episode, was arrested in "the burgeoning prostitution scandal that has rocked the county." Sounds like this story has potential to become positively tumescent!
Patrick's waiting in Johnny's office when the man himself enters, and he wraps up a call as Patrick takes a look at a new and now-under-glass model of The Landing, although (a) I can't imagine the IRS didn't seize any equity they have left in it, and (b) I SUPER can't imagine them spending the money to recreate this thing after Patrick destroyed the last one in that fit of pique. Once Johnny's done, Patrick at least addresses Point B, asking where the hell it came from, so Johnny tells him he "took the liberty" of spending some of Brennan's advance on it, adding that they're going to be getting a lot of press, so they might as well get The Landing some TV time. I can't believe Patrick hasn't informed Johnny that, in these exact words, he's not allowed to take any more "liberties" on his behalf at any time ever again, but although Patrick looks unsettled, it's because of the TV story, which he shares with his brother. When Johnny learns that it was the Councilman's son's birthday party Patrick attended, he sees the problem and offers to say that he was the one who delivered the cake and the, um, "icing" therein, but Patrick, without bothering to point out that tons of witnesses could place him at the scene of the crime, tells him he'll handle it. Johnny then tosses Patrick an aerosol can and tells him to unscrew the bottom, adding that he should hold on to it for emergencies as Patrick finds it contains a wad of cash. Johnny explains that he bet on Wimbledon, as Ava knows a lot about tennis, and this whole bit is so preposterous that I'll just let it stand as is, but Patrick sighs that he's not sure he can buy his way out of this one. Johnny, however, tells him to keep it: "I haven't met a problem yet that money couldn't solve." Not only is he lying, he's tempting fate, which is probably why Patrick gives him a baleful look...
...but we leave there to go to the diner, and Patrick enters with that same expression on his face as he declines Margaret's offer of food and asks her if she can give him and Brennan a minute. Margaret tries to stay cheery as she acquiesces, but surely she knows from his tone that this can't be good, and after Patrick gets Brennan to dismiss his bodyguard from the booth over, he settles in and tosses a copy of the "Bergen Star" on the table with the news about Hess on the front page. Brennan hits deliciously close to home as he speculates that they probably took the "poor dumb schmuck" right out of his house during a family barbecue, but Patrick wonders why they'd do that, as he's a bit lower on the totem pole than the authorities' usual targets, "unless they want the guy for something bigger." Brennan shiftily says it could just be "Jersey politics," and in a hilariously lugubrious tone, talks about how bottomless the corruption in the state is, and when Patrick asks if he's not worried that Hess might talk, Brennan wonders why he would. "I even think someone's dirty, I make a point of keeping my distance." The obvious translation is that there's no one to link Brennan to Hess but Patrick, and he's going to take the fall should it come to that, and the follow-up confirms that: "I've never met this man. Have you?" And to think Patrick didn't have an appetite before he came in.
Later, Patrick is looking at the online version of the Star's all-too-believable headline ("Councilman Hess in hooker mess"), and especially since this shot goes on for a year I hope he's going to remember to CLEAR HIS BROWSER HISTORY THIS TIME, and then Theresa comes in and says Patrick has a visitor as she hands him a card, like, what century are we in here? When he looks at it, though, he understands the revulsion coming off his wife...
...as when he comes downstairs, he finds the Councilman waiting for him. Patrick greets him neutrally, and Hess reminds him he came to his son's birthday party and pointedly mentions the fight Patrick has coming up, adding that he hopes nothing will interfere with that. Patrick, still stone-faced, says he would never let that happen, but after Hess hears a door close upstairs that signals they won't be heard, he suggests they cut the shit, as he's taken one bribe from Patrick and now needs another. "If I'm gonna fall on my sword, my family needs to be taken care of." Leaving aside any incredibly obvious comebacks about Hess's sword being the source of this entire problem, it's worth noting how specific the language Hess used there is; nevertheless, I give Patrick credit for not falling for this ruse, even though he's got some money to throw at the problem, as he rips Hess's jacket and shirt open to reveal that he's wearing a wire. Patrick gets Hess in a headlock and then, in a rather hilariously conversational tone, says that he knows Hess is under a lot of pressure, but he must have him confused with someone else, and if he ever comes to his house again, he'll be forced to go to the police, which, given that he follows by physically expelling him from the premises, is also exceedingly funny. When Hess is gone, Patrick looks worried, as well he might...
...but the day, he's excising said anxiety by jumping rope, so... I guess a week has passed since the Fourth. Johnny's timing him, and when he calls a break he tells Patrick he's on the bag in five minutes. Stacy Keach then comes over and asks about the wound and OH MY GOD HE SAYS "BETTER EVERY DAY" AGAIN, like, SHUT UP if that's all you can come up with, guy. Patrick then asks how Gerry, who's across the room working with some kid, is doing, and Stacy Keach tells him he's a "real sweetheart" and was "born to this." However, he goes on that years after he lost his belt, Gerry came to him for training, but Stacy Keach couldn't bring himself to do it, as he'd already taken too many blows to the head and was starting to slip. Patrick regretfully says he feels some responsibility for that, given how hard he hit Gerry when they fought, and even though Stacy Keach tells him Gerry's the only one that could have kept himself out of the ring, Patrick feels like he wants to "do right by him." Stacy Keach agrees that it's good to have him around. "Maybe it'll remind the guys to be smart enough to know when to stop." Oof, that's cold, Stacy Keach. Gerry then wanders over, and after he says how much he misses sparring, one of the dudes in the ring tells him it'd be an honor to go a few rounds with him. Gerry's all for that, but Stacy Keach and Patrick both think that he'll seriously hurt the kid, which is surprising but then again, "Rainmaker," I guess. The kid amends it to only one round, and Gerry says he'll go easy, but Stacy Keach adamantly refuses, prompting Gerry to barrel out of the ring and get up in his face, saying he doesn't know what he can do. "Don't tell me what to do!" Patrick steps toward him and gets thrown to the side for his trouble, but luckily, that doesn't end up being obstacle number three hundred seventy-two to Patrick's comeback, although he does end up having to duck a weight that Gerry wings at his head as part of his tantrum. Johnny finally does something useful as he gets Gerry in a bear hug from behind and then shoves him up against some lockers to contain him, and then Patrick emotionally talks him down. Gerry's anger gives way to confusion as he apologizes, first to Patrick and then to everyone else, and that's a good job of tapping into some emotional resonance here. (As always, better than "He could DIEEEEEEEEE!") Johnny offers him a ride home and starts to lead him out, and on the way, Stacy Keach tells the dazed Gerry that maybe he shouldn't come around there anymore, for his own good. Patrick agrees, and Gerry sucks it up, giving Patrick a tearful thumbs-up before Johnny leads him out, and seriously, this is the first time I've questioned whether Daniella's whininess might be warranted. I still decided it isn't, but at least I questioned the point.
At night, Patrick exits the gym and is locking up when he notices that Gus, Brennan's muscle, is there waiting for him, and I love how this dude has nothing better to do than wait for Patrick to emerge on a flexible schedule. He tells Patrick he hears he had company the night before, and opines that Hess is a desperate man doing desperate things. I never heard that particular euphemism for "hooker," but sure, we'll go with it. He tells Patrick that Hess has been cooperating with a joint task force (between what two entities is unclear, but I can't believe it matters to you) that picked up a D.A. the day before, and since he hasn't been indicted yet, it could be that he's cooperating, too. Patrick wonders how much it'll cost to fix this and brags that he's got money, which I'm sure is just what the muscle of the guy he went to with his hat in his hand last episode, AGAIN, wants to hear; regardless, Gus tells him that once things have gotten this far, applying cash to the problem doesn't help. Patrick asks if his "boss" can't make things go away, but Gus makes a big show of saying he owns a bar and is his own boss, and says with such wink-winkiness I feel like I'm seeing Lucille in Arrested Development here, that Patrick should take care of his own business. Patrick opens his mouth again, but Gus tells him he should be careful and stop asking questions, or "people are going to see you as chatty." Thanks, Gus, for giving me a mental picture of Patrick gossiping to Ava about breaking the dentist's arm. "You know how it is when you break a dude's arm, right when it snaps? It's gross, but kind of awesome!"
Chez Leary, the Feds are in the middle of a raid when Patrick gets home and asks what the hell's going on, and in response the lead guy gives Patrick a copy of their search warrant and a list of the things they're taking. Patrick then gives Theresa the sad-puppy eyes, and her answering gaze is like, "Do I really want to know?"
Cut to outside, where Patrick has apparently confessed the extent of his crimes. Theresa asks how he got the money to bribe the Councilman, and Patrick sighs that Brennan took it out of his fee. Theresa is only just hearing about Brennan, and wonders, if he hired Patrick to beat up the dentist, why he's partners with him in the fight, forcing Patrick to tell her how Brennan coughed up five hundred grand so they could delay it after his stabbing. By the way, given how much Patrick keeps saying the fight purse is going to solve all their problems, I hope someone's keeping track of how much he actually stands to take home at the end of it. A casual calculation suggests it's not going to be all that much. They owe Brennan five hundred grand and then fifteen percent on top of that, plus I'm sure Barry gets a minimum of twenty, so that knocks it down to six million, and even if you figure that Johnny and Stacy Keach will forgo their shares (which seems unlikely since they're both broke), you have to figure fifty percent in taxes, so that brings it down to three million. Not chump change, but considering how much they owe? It's not setting them for another five years, much less life. Anyway, Patrick, obviously thinking he's getting kicked out again, resignedly says that what he's done makes him sick, but she takes a drag from his stress cigarette and surprisingly asks how long he's been carrying all this around, and then suggests that they're committed here, so they should think things through. I'm not sure I buy her reacting with dispassionate logic here after all the times she complained about his lack of honesty, but it certainly is what he needs here. Still, maybe she keeps mentally dropping the bar when it comes to him, but she's taking all this in very even stride. Anyway, she asks what the Feds will find in the stuff they took from the house (computers, mostly), and Patrick says nothing: "These guys don't send e-mails." Heh. After ascertaining that there's also no paper trail in regard to the party, she tells him that if he's questioned, he should tell the Feds that Gerry, he of the failing memory, was supposed to go to the party, but he forgot, so Patrick subbed for him. It's not the worst plan, and of course this plants the seeds for later use of Gerry, but it's pretty hilarious to think that Patrick would have been the understudy in that situation. Anyway, that's irrelevant, as Patrick speculates that Hess might have video proof of their transaction. If that were the case, you'd think he would have turned it over already to get the best deal he could, but regardless, Theresa asks how much of Patrick Brennan owns, and he sighs that it's fifteen percent. He apologizes again, but she tells him it's a blessing, as Patrick is worth a lot more to Brennan alive than dead. And by "alive," he means "fighting," but we all know that...
...so let's cut to the day, with Patrick barging into the diner looking for Brennan. He's not there, and Patrick is upset, so Margaret sits him down at the counter to give him a piece of pie, like NICE DIET, PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE. Margaret takes the opportunity to ask about Gerry, and when she hears about the incident the other day, offers that it makes you think. Patrick, no fan of thinking even when it doesn't go hand in hand with emotional subjects, gruffly orders coffee to go with his POISON PIE, but Margaret confesses that it wasn't an accident that they ran into Gerry at the flea market - she had caught sight of him earlier, and called Patrick because she wanted him to see Gerry for himself. It's true it's still a bit convenient that she ran into him, but I'll admit this revelation makes the whole thing more character-driven and thus easier to swallow. Patrick's eyes go wide for a second, and he realizes that Daniella told her his secret; without bothering to confirm that, Margaret gives him a speech I'm sure she rehearsed about how Patrick grew up around a boxing gym and as such knows what happens to boxers with his condition, and adds that only he will know when it's time to walk away. "I just wanted you to look at Gerry and remember what's at stake." Given that that's exactly the point Stacy Keach made earlier without knowing its resonance for Patrick, he should maybe take it to heart, but he's too busy eating his Anger Pie and muttering that no one can keep a secret anymore. Margaret urgently whispers that she can, and adds that she'll skip the part where she berates him for putting this on Daniella The Snoop, but she wants him to know that he can come to her with anything about this. It's a heartfelt speech, and Patrick sincerely thanks her for it, but if he heeds it in the slightest I'll go a round with Gerry. This meeting the Leary siblings' quota of feelings for the year, Margaret asks if he'll drop off Stacy Keach's laundry at his house, and he agrees...
...and then we see him with the bag slung over his shoulder, because...he decided not to drive there? A car suspiciously pulls up near him and lingers for a bit, but when he gives it a look, the driver rolls off. Scaaary! Patrick then heads around to Stacy Keach's back entrance and starts to open up when Brennan's voice calls "Morning!" to him, and seriously, sometimes this show feels like a video game where characters appear according to dice rolls or other elements of chance. Like, there was as much chance of a fire-breathing dragon waiting on Stacy Keach's doorstep as Brennan. Brennan babbles on for a while about choices and family and whatever, but eventually gets to his point, saying that there are only two people that can connect him to the Councilman -- the dude who worked at the bakery, and Hess. Given Bakery Dude's convenient demise, Hess is the only one to worry about, "and he needs to stop talking." He gives Patrick a slip of paper with the address of a hotel on the Jersey Shore where Hess is apparently staying (under Federal protection, it is implied), and takes off. I don't know -- maybe Brennan is testing Patrick's loyalty, or maybe he gets a kick of out of puppeteering him like this, but he apparently commissioned the murder of that baker, so I find it hard to believe he's worried about solving the Hess problem directly. Why not have Gus pay Hess a visit instead of having your golden goose cash cow do it?
Later, we get an insert shot of the slip of paper, which reads "The Sandpiper Hotel, Room 209, Asbury Park." It'd be hilarious if Theresa happened by and accused him of having an affair, because then he'd have to be like, "No, honey, nothing like that, I just have to go murder someone!" But we see Patrick's actually by his locker at the gym, and after a quick glance to make sure Johnny's not watching, he sticks the slip of paper into the fake deodorant can and puts it inside. As he locks the thing up (doesn't seem like the safest place, but with the Feds sniffing around his house maybe it's for the best), he's surprised to see Gerry walk in like George Costanza did that time he pretended he didn't quit that job, but in this case, Gerry's being genuine, as he shows Patrick his pad with the gig at the gym still on it. Yeah, time I guess you'll have to write "We fired you" on the poor guy's to-do list. Patrick understandably doesn't have the heart to go through all that again especially after the conversation with Margaret, so he asks Gerry to straighten up a bit around the gym, getting this response which MAY BE IMPORTANT LATER: "I'd do anything for you, champ." And maybe it's the fact that in fourth grade we put on a big production of Oliver, but I'm kind of disappointed that Patrick didn't sing in response, "Would you climb a hill?" Once Gerry's walked away, Johnny asks what the hell that was, but Stacy Keach at least is hip to the fact that Gerry doesn't remember the incident, and offers that he's further gone than he thought. Patrick, however, says that Gerry doesn't have anybody and needs their help, and while the other two don't look too happy, they don't put up a fight about it. Just then, however, the head Fed finds Patrick and asks him to step outside...
...where he (re-)introduces himself as "Agent Thompson" from the FBI. Or Thomson. There's no indication either way, but that is making me want to go read some Tintin. Patrick asks if he should call a lawyer, which is an expense I'm sure he really needs, but Thom(p)son says that while he can, he's there unofficially to ask what Patrick can tell him about Hess and his involvement with the DA, as they found boxing gloves with Patrick's signature at the DA's house and a picture of Patrick with the DA's kid. Probably relieved to know that that's the extent of it, Patrick tells him that he signs a lot of gloves and takes a lot of pictures for public appearances, but Thom(p)son tells him they know he paid him twenty-five grand to "middle a favor." Patrick tells Thom(p)son he doesn't have that kind of money, and he can check with the IRS, but Thom(p)son agrees that he doesn't, which is why he wants to know who gave it to him. Patrick denies any knowledge of what he's talking about, so Thom(p)son tells him he knows the world Patrick travels in, and he should look out for himself, because in a day, "the circus" will be there -- police, Federal agents, "maybe even a perp walk," but it doesn't have to go that way. However, Patrick still flatly refuses to entertain the idea, so Thom(p)son tells him he's got a day to determine how important the ten-million-dollar fight he's got coming is to him. Again, I find it wholly inconsistent that Brennan would be risking Patrick instead of doing something to eliminate the problem himself, but if you ignore that, this is actually a decently-constructed plot, for once. Thom(p)son takes off...
...leaving Patrick to come in to see Stacy Keach and confess the dude was FBI. Stacy Keach doesn't look surprised, and asks who they were after, Barry or Brennan. Patrick replies, "Brennan! How'd you know?" and I'm being truly pedantic since I know what he meant, but still: He didn't. That's why he asked. Stacy Keach closes the door and once again proves that he doesn't fuck around when giving advice about important stuff; he tells Patrick that he's known guys like Brennan all his life, and nothing terrible will happen to Patrick if he keeps his mouth shut and hires the right lawyer -- he'll even get to fight, as the IRS wants to collect all the tax money it's owed, but "you don't turn on somebody like Brennan." Patrick says he knows, and Stacy Keach isn't aware of it, but it's logical to conclude Patrick's best option is to take Brennan's advice...
...and later, in his office, he's having some booze (why bother acting surprised, and it's hard to begrudge him the stuff after the day he's had anyway) watching Reynolds give an interview about the latest rumors surrounding Patrick, saying that when there's this much smoke, you have to wonder. He implies that Patrick's only still regarded as "America's Hero" because he's white, which is a concept I wish they'd explore a bit more, and goes on that he's ending Patrick's career on Labor Day, "even if I gotta go to his cell to do it." That'd be kind of hilarious, especially with Reynolds's moniker, and I'm sure Barry K. would approve. Daniella then comes in, and Patrick flips off the TV and tells Daniella he knows she told Margaret about the dementia, and while he understands she had to tell someone, he's just glad she spoke to the right person. Translation: Do NOT tell anyone else or it's your nosy ass, girl. Patrick explicitly says as much, instructing her to come to him or Margaret when she needs to talk, but goes on to apologize for the position he put her in. He sends her to bed...
...and then the day, he's working with Gerry in the ring, and Gerry compliments his better balance when Thom(p)son enters and asks for a word...
...and then, in Stacy Keach's office, Thom(p)son says they know Patrick was just a bagman that day at Hess's house, and they want to know whose bag. Patrick, of course, still won't play, so Thom(p)son tells him while they'll start by arresting him for bribing a public official, still on the table are extortion and assault with a deadly weapon (his professional boxer hands, just to be clear), and he could be looking at twenty years in prison and crippling fines, which would eat up his entire purse, should he even fight. "You'll be ruined." And not the kind of ruined where you have family barbecues and live in a mansion, I'm guessing. Patrick makes a joke in response, which turns out to be even more ill-advised than I thought when a bunch of cops silently appear, and Thom(p)son cuffs Patrick's hands behind his back and makes good on that threat of a perp walk. Everyone watches as Patrick gets the marching version of his rights, and off their stunned looks, we head to the last commercial break.
At the police station, a bunch of reporters are hanging around when they hear Johnny say into his phone that he's got the car waiting, and he should meet him around front. They rush to follow him like morons, not even noticing the massively obvious satisfied smile on his face, and when they're gone, we see Margaret head in another direction and hug Patrick. She tells him Stacy Keach tried to put up the house for his bail, but it's still in their mother's name (?), so Margaret put up the diner instead. This hits Patrick hard, but she tells him it's fine and that Stacy Keach is in the car, adding that Patrick still has a lot of friends on the force, as they're letting him go out the back. She then offers that Brennan asked about him, and suggested he go to the Shore to cool off for a couple days, and I can't imagine someone as careful as Brennan would give Margaret a message that really wouldn't be that hard to parse in retrospect, but Patrick replies that he shouldn't worry before asking her for a ride to his car at the gym...
...and then they're pulling up. He tells her to go on home, as he's got to grab something from inside...
...and then we see him retrieving a few things, including the fake can, from his locker. We cut to him checking out the address...
...and then to, presumably, the Sandpiper, as Hess pops out of his room and tells the guard posted there that he wants a soda. They head down the hall, and after Hess does some business with the machine and gets the drink out, it explodes on him, distracting him from the fact that a hooded figure has come out of nowhere and is beating the guard up. When Hess sees what's going on, he tries to flee, but the assailant, having dispensed with the guard, grabs Hess, shoves him up against the wall, and starts beating him to a pulp. We see him swing him into the stairwell door...
...and then later, Patrick, dressed in a leather jacket, returns home to his darkened house and stares contemplatively into space for a minute...
...and then he's in the bedroom, wherein Theresa sleepily regards him and asks where he's been, as they were worried. He tells her he went on a pub crawl with Johnny, hitting every bar in Bayonne to celebrate his release. Theresa wonders if that was smart, but Patrick tells her Johnny says he needs to hold his head high, and a lot of people saw them, which as we'll find out is the key. Theresa takes his hand and informs him she spoke to the girls and told them he's being set up, but confesses she's very worried, but he kisses her hand and assures her they're going to be okay, and that he loves her. And if nothing else, conjugal visits are hot.
Thom(p)son enters Hess's hospital room and grimaces at the damage -- broken arm, neck brace, face looking like ripe eggplant -- and, after ascertaining that Hess is "more or less" conscious, dismisses the orderly on duty and apologizes on behalf of the Bureau for his "endangerment." Hess replies that he hears he's lucky not to be in a coma, or dead, but wow, can he not remember anything for the last six months! Thom(p)son, probably having feared this eventuality once he heard of the beating, tells him he's not helping himself, but Hess counters that he should rest, and thanks him for stopping by. Thom(p)son nearly bites through his lip in frustration...
...while Patrick turns up to see Gerry and gives him the fake deodorant can. Gerry wonders if that means he stinks, but Patrick tells him about the false bottom, and when Gerry unscrews it, he finds that wad of money and asks what it's for. Patrick tells him it's his way of showing his appreciation for all the work Gerry did for him, and Gerry, after a pause, produces the paper with the motel address on it and says Patrick knows him: "If I don't write it down, it's like it never happened." Now, I could take the show to task for the improbability of (a) Gerry having executed a fairly complex plan with just the aid of that piece of paper, and (b) him remembering enough about what happened to have this wink-wink moment with Patrick, but honestly, it was still better than most of what the show has put forth so I'm going to let it slide. What can I say, at least there weren't fistfuls (heh) of ridiculous dialogue and inconsistent motivations. Gerry eats the piece of paper for good measure and then sticks his, um, well-used knuckles into a bowl of ice, and we're out. And I did enjoy this episode more than most, but GOD CAN WE PLEASE FIGHT ALREADY?
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John Ramos is a writer and film producer living in Los Angeles. He writes about film and television on his blog "Pull Up A Chair," which he would just love for you to visit. Also, you can follow him on Twitter here, or get information about his most recent film "East Fifth Bliss," starring Michael C. Hall, Lucy Liu, and Peter Fonda, on Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr.