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A flashback to the first few moments of the standoff doesn't reveal a whole lot of new information except that both Lucas and Randall were pretty aggressive in the beginning. Felicia goes to visit Lucas to try to jog her memory, but he doesn't want to talk to her. Lizzie tells Jeremy that she needs some time to think about things. Egan becomes a minor celebrity, and admits on television that he thinks the police could have handled things differently. Nick quits his job rather than publicly commend the way the hostage situation was handled by law enforcement. Kathryn gets a call from a reporter who has heard that Nick was the cause of a lot of the things that went wrong during the crisis, so she decides to throw her lot behind Nick, despite what it might meant to her career. When Kathryn and Nick talk to a reporter, we learn that Nick's gun fired the shot that killed Eva, and that Nick convinced the robbers to release Kathryn's mom instead of the wounded security guard. Kathryn's boss tries to convince her to ditch Nick, because associating with him will hurt her career. Felicia goes to therapy and worries that people think she's faking her memory loss. Nick's former boss wants Nick to recant his story, and says that they will charge Franny with drug possession (she had pot and Ecstasy in her purse during the robbery) if Nick doesn't comply. Nick takes his job back and toes the company line. Felicia realizes that she was the one who called 911 from inside the bank. Jeremy has a freakout after losing a transplant patient, and kills Randall, who is still in the hospital, by secretly injecting something (potassium?) into Randall's IV. Want more? The full recap starts right below!
There were nine people taken hostage in a bank robbery gone wrong. They ended up being in the bank for fifty-two hours. Now you shouldn't mind that you missed the first episode.
We flash back to the very beginning of the bank robbery, with Lucas saying that it will all be over in five minutes. Randall keeps his gun trained on Nick, the cop. Everyone else puts their hands up. At Lucas's command, Nick puts his gun on the floor and kicks it over. Eva and Franny eye the alarm button under the counter. Randall (who has clearly watched too many Tarantino films, judging by the way he's jumping up on counters and yelling a lot) spots them and orders them to come out from behind the counter without even thinking about pressing the alarm button. Lizzie starts edging toward the door, and Randall spots her and orders her back. Jeremy grabs her arm and reminds her that the door is locked anyway, and then promises that they'll be okay. Randall, who is clearly on crowd control, orders Kathryn to check Nick's lower leg for a second gun, but she doesn't find one. She decides that this would be a good time to lecture the bank robbers on what a big mistake they are making, and urges them to let everyone go right now, since they've barely committed a felony at this point. Do you think the law cares if you are a little guilty of a felony? It's kind of like being a little pregnant, isn't it? Lucas coolly assures Kathryn that they've taken care of the security cameras. And then he punches Nick in the gut, happy to add assault on an officer to his list of felonies. Lucas orders everyone to slide their cell phones to him. Randall asks Egan why his sleeve is blue, and he nervously says that he doesn't know, so Randall elbows him in the face, causing his glasses to fly off. Malcolm urges Randall to cut it out, and then explains that Egan just came out of the bathroom. Egan, lying on the floor bleeding from the nose, lies that he dropped his wedding ring in the toilet, because he was going to flush it, and then he changed his mind.
Lucas wants to move the proceedings along, and asks who's in charge. Malcolm says that he is, so Lucas asks to go to the vault. Randall happily orders everyone else to lie on the floor on their stomachs. Eva asks Nick if he's okay, and he nods. Malcolm and Lucas head for the vault now that Malcolm has retrieved his keys. Hey, remember when Felicia went into the bathroom instead of heading to the coffee house like her father requested? Yeah, she's still in there, and so far, no one knows about it. She cracks the door open carefully and then slides down to the floor.
Cut to eleven days later, with Felicia visiting Lucas in jail. They stare at each other through the glass divider and then pick up the phones. Felicia wonders why Lucas isn't surprised to see her, and asks if it's okay that she's there. Lucas says that he doesn't get a lot of visitors. Felicia points out how big a story is, and Lucas says it looks like the trial will be even bigger. She asks if he has a good lawyer, and then points out that Randall is being treated at the same hospital where Jeremy and Lizzie work. Lucas finally asks the question we're all wondering: "Why are you here?" Felicia says that she's been thinking about everything that happened, and Lucas urges her to forget about him and get back to her normal life. He hangs up and walks away, leaving Felicia to bang futilely on the glass.
Everyone is leaving the diner where they gathered in the last episode. Egan suggests that they meet at the same time week. Everyone kind of hems and haws, but they all agree. Malcolm wants to drive Franny home, but she insists that she's not that drunk. Malcolm isn't hearing it. As she walks away, Franny gives Jeremy the sex eyes. Kathryn can't believe Lizzie hasn't told Jeremy that she's pregnant yet, and points out that she physically can't hide it much longer. Well, how pregnant is she? Like, two months? I think she can hide it for a few more months, easy. I had a semi-friend in high school who was five months pregnant when we graduated and none of us knew it.
Anyway, Jeremy offers to walk Lizzie to her car, and tells her that some of her stuff is still at his place. He offers to bring it in to work, and Lizzie cuts to the chase and asks if he came with Franny, adding that it would be okay if he did, because Franny shouldn't be alone. Jeremy promises that he didn't, and then asks, "So, are we done?" Lizzie says that she needs some time to think. Jeremy apparently didn't hear the same comment I just did, because he starts lamenting that they're going to flush a two-year relationship down the toilet. Lizzie reiterates that she needs time to think. Jeremy seems to accept this, and wishes her a safe drive home.
Nick and Kathryn walk to their cars. Kathryn points out that the police department wants to make Nick their mascot, in order to get good PR. Nick says that they also want him to keep his mouth shut. Kathryn thinks that's slimy, but also thinks Nick deserves the commendation. Nick says that two people are dead, and that one of them was shot with his gun. Kathryn says that there's nothing he could have done about Eva. So he could have done something about the security guard? Nick and Kathryn stare at each other for a while in lieu of making out, and then get into their cars. Nick notices a nearby car with a guy inside sitting and watching him. He starts to walk over and check it out, and the guy starts the car and drives away. Oh, very sly. I hope that guy's not in law enforcement, because he's about as good at surveillance as my four-year-old nephew, who can always be made because he's giggling. Unless the guy in the car wanted to be seen. Hmmm.
Meanwhile, Egan is wrapping up his interview. Everyone loves him. He concludes by speaking directly into the camera and talking about how Eva was killed, and left behind a little boy named Ricky who is being raised by his Aunt Franny. Egan explains that they don't have a lot of money, so he's asking viewers to send donations. Everyone applauds.
Nick is back on the job. He asks some guy at a desk if he got a hit on the plate number from the car outside the diner. Desk Guy says that the car is registered to the FBI. Pete, Nick's boss, comes up and asks Nick if he's decided whether or not to accept the promotion and all that goes with it. Nick asks why the FBI is tailing him. Pete thinks that they are trying to pressure him, because they need Nick to step up and do the photo op to put a nice bow on things for the public. Pete tells Nick that when he gets his promotion and medal, he'll need to make a speech saying that the police handled the situation well. Nick realizes that he's not just a mascot; they want him to put a nice face on things, too. Nick realizes that he'd have to give up his dignity and integrity if he accepted the promotion, so he hands in his badge.
District Attorney's office. Kathryn and Joe are walking in. Joe tells her that he's got tickets and backstage passes for an Elvis Costello concert at the Hollywood Bowl. Kathryn's grateful, but also takes off like a shot when her assistant tells her that Nick is on the phone. Nick breaks the news that he quit his job, and tells her why. Kathryn asks what he's going to do now, and Nick vows to go after all of them, because someone has to pay. Kathryn reminds him that Lucas and Randall will pay. She knows she told him at the funeral that she would back him up, but now she's realized that she needs to move forward with her life. Nick says that things happened in the bank that involve her. Hmm? Like what? Oh yeah, we'll probably find out in Episode 15, if the show makes it that long. Nick asks whether he's alone in this. Kathryn thinks about it, but doesn't answer. Nick says that's his answer, then, and hangs up.
Jeremy scrubs up for surgery, and has flashbacks about trying to help the dying security guard. Lizzie walks into the scrub room and asks how the heart-transplant patient is doing. She apologizes for freaking out earlier and leaving Jeremy with the patient. Jeremy says it's fine. Lizzie blurts, "I wish Randall was dead." Jeremy, not exactly full of sympathy, says that Lizzie just needs to put her head down and move forward.
At the bank, a teller asks Malcolm what to do with the dead security guard's last paycheck. Malcolm says that the widow wants it deposited. Malcolm looks outside and sees Franny pacing around on the front steps. He walks out and asks what she's doing. Franny, looking quite anxious, says that she wanted to thank him for organizing the fund for Ricky, but that she can't make herself go inside the bank. Malcolm tells her not to rush, and promises that there will always be a job for her there. Franny doesn't think she can ever go inside again. Malcolm, taken aback, promises to write her a reference. Franny remembers some work she was doing when the robbery went down -- a mortgage that was being processed. She tells Malcolm the status, and thanks him for giving her the opportunity to do some work beyond being a teller. Malcolm tells her that she deserved it, and heads inside to get Franny's things for her.
Kathryn sits in her office, moping. Her assistant tells her that Monica Turner from the Times is on the phone. Kathryn picks up, and the two exchange pleasantries. The reporter explains that she got a tip about Nick â that Eva was shot with his gun, and that Nick had been butting heads with people in his own department. Kathryn asks where Monica's been getting her information. Monica can't tell her. Kathryn says that she'll call Monica back, and asks her not to do anything until then. The reporter agrees, like that would ever happen. Kathryn quickly dials a number and reaches Nick. She tells him firmly, "I'm with you."
Lucas talks with his lawyer, and asks how Randall is doing. The lawyer says that the DA's office is referring to Randall as "Rasputin," since he keeps coming back. The lawyer adds that they need Randall to live, since the legal plan is to pin the whole thing on him. Lucas is upset, and reminds his lawyer that the robbery was Lucas's idea in the first place. The lawyer says that robbery is a separate issue, but that they need to pin the felony murder charges on Randall. Lucas agrees to that. The lawyer wants to put some of the hostages on the stand to testify for Lucas, and asks whether Lucas thinks Felicia would back him up. The lawyer knows that Felicia visited Lucas, and adds that juries love sweet teenaged faces. Lucas gets mad, and says that he knows his lawyer is just using the case for publicity, but that if the lawyer goes anywhere near Felicia, he'll be fired. Hmm. Why is Lucas so protective of Felicia?
Felicia is at school, reading news stories about the robbery on her laptop. She studies the stories that focus on the 911 call that was made from inside the bank -- the call the media is blaming for creating the chaos inside.
Egan is pulling a Norma Rae on his co-workers at the cubicle farm. Various people start popping their heads up over their cubes as Egan gives a speech about how his planned changes could make work more fulfilling for both employee and customer. Egan's co-workers are anxious about trying anything new, and then the boss (played by Chip from Kate & Allie, who was later on Oz) comes up and is all condescending to Egan, who misses the sarcasm by a mile. Egan starts pitching his brilliant ideas about a "paper-free, internet-based system that tracks insurance claims in real time." One of Egan's female co-workers is smiling and silently urging him on. Egan knows that the idea would require some initial financial outlay ("some"? I have to think that would run millions of dollars, even for a small firm), but he thinks the benefits would outweigh it. They'd be more efficient, and their customers could worry about getting well instead of haggling for money. Chip stands up and sarcastically says that it sounds like a great idea, except for the fact that they make their profits by banking on inefficiency, so without it, Egan and all of the rest of them would be unemployed. That sounds like a great business model. Chip tells everyone to get back to work, and then bursts Egan's final balloon by saying that Egan can't make any more media appearances if it means he'll be late to work again. Wow. Life is too short to work for an asshole like that. Egan doesn't seem to have kids that we've seen. He needs to quit his job and work somewhere else. Female Co-Worker tells Egan that their boss is a jerk, and then invites him for Taco Tuesday in the cafeteria. If there's anything more depressing than being excited about Taco Tuesday in the cafeteria, I don't know what.
Jeremy operates on his heart-transplant patient and bitches at one of his nurses, who comments that some people never change. I guess the point is that Jeremy was kind of a dick before the standoff, and he still is. So I can stop feeling sorry for him, then?
Nick and Kathryn talk to a reporter in some sort of public atrium or something. Nick explains that he and Kathryn hatched a plan after Randall killed the security guard and it was clear that negotiations weren't working. Kathryn adds that Nick offered himself as the sole hostage, and had the robbers convinced that they would make it out of there alive, so the plan would have worked. The reporter asks if it was true that the wounded security guard could have been released, but they convinced the robbers to let Kathryn's mother go instead. Kathryn interrupts that it was protocol, and Nick adds that the guard was conscious and alert, and that Lucas wouldn't have allowed him to be released anyway. Kathryn adds that the real question is why negotiations broke down so badly that Nick had to deal with it from the inside. Before she can provide a theory on that one, her boss, Ed, walks up and asks to talk to her.
As they walk off, Ed asks what she thinks she's doing. Kathryn says that she's helping a friend. Ed points out that she's making their case more difficult by painting the cops as the bad guys. Kathryn accuses him of being more concerned about his career than getting to the truth. Ed tells Kathryn that she's alienating a lot of people, as well as ruining her potential political career. Kathryn doesn't think she had a choice but to help Nick. Ed softens and says he understands that she thinks she owes Nick something, but doesn't think she understands who Nick even is. And speak of the devil! Nick walks up and wonders if he should be part of this discussion. People walk very silently around here; they're always just popping into private conversations with no warning. Ed and Nick compare dick size for a minute, and then Ed plays his trump card and brings up Nick's past, his gambling problem, and that he cost the police a big case due to his actions. Ed thinks that will be the lead in the story the reporter is writing. Nick doesn't think his past is relevant, and thus won't be part of the story. Ha! Keep dreaming. Ed agrees with me, and asks Kathryn to let him know what she decides. Ed leaves and Kathryn confronts Nick about his past. Nick seems to think it's kind of funny, but Kathryn is pissed that he wasn't honest with her when she's putting her career on the line. Hey, she offered! Despite her anger, Kathryn returns and sits with the reporter to continue the interview.
Malcolm and his wife sit in a therapist's waiting room while Felicia talks to the therapist. Malcolm does paperwork while complaining that he's having a hard time finding tellers to replace Franny and Eva. His wife thinks he should consider talking to the therapist with his daughter. Malcolm kind of nods, and his wife suggests that he could even talk to her. Malcolm looks at her and smiles, saying that he knows that he can. His wife is kind of like, "Oh, really? Then why haven't you? I'm as in the dark as the viewers of this show about what the fuck went down." But not in so many words.
Inside the office, the therapist deduces that Felicia doesn't even want to be there. Felicia says she thinks that people (classmates, her mom) sometimes think she's lying about losing her memory. The therapist asks if she is, to get attention, and Felicia gets pissed and says that she's been coming there every day to try to regain her memory. The therapist suggests that she try talking to the other hostages. Felicia says that she has, a little (has she talked to anyone but Lucas?), and that everyone just wants the whole issue to go away.
Jeremy is finishing up his heart transplant when something goes awry and blood starts spurting everywhere. As Jeremy fights to control the bleeding, he flashes back to trying to save Eva. He manages to patch things up with his patient and walks out of the operating room, where he continues to have flashbacks about trying to help Tom the security guard, and then someone (Randall, I think) firing a gun.
The transplant patient's family waits with Lizzie. The patient's wife confides that she had her doubts about Jeremy operating so soon after the robbery, but that her husband insisted that it was fine, and Lizzie agrees. Jeremy walks in and says that, after minor complications, the patient is stable. Should you really lead with the complications? Shouldn't you lead with the good news? The family is ecstatic, and hugs are exchanged all around. Lizzie is oh-so-subtly holding a little kid, in case you forgot that she's secretly pregnant.
Nick has a secret meeting with Pete, his former boss, in a parking garage. Pete heard about the reporter, and thinks that Nick is making a big mistake. He wonders whether this is about "the girl." Nick looks pissed and spits, "Her name is Eva." Pete admits that mistakes were made (nice use of the passive voice), but says there's plenty of blame to go around, and Nick needs to shoulder some of it. Pete points out that Nick has no paycheck and a gambling habit to support. Oh, it's going to be like that, is it? Nick starts to walk away. Pete wonders if Nick cares about his friends at all, and reveals that he knows Egan carried an unregistered concealed weapon into the bank, which is a felony. Pete adds that Franny had an ounce of pot and ten hits of Ecstasy in her purse. The cops haven't pursued it, due to the circumstances, but they could press charges, and Franny would lose custody of Ricky. From what I've seen, that might not be the worst outcome. Nick says that they've already talked to the reporter, and Pete assures him that the story can be killed if he calls the reporter and recants. Can it? Really? I guess if the reporter had nothing to back up Nick's original story, that makes sense. Pete says ominously, "There are bigger forces at work here than me." Pete reaches in his pocket and dramatically places Nick's badge on the hood of his car. He urges Nick to take the medal and the promotion and get on with his life. Nick works his jaw manfully.
Egan is in a staff meeting, led by Chip, who explains about a new paperwork procedure that will increase the company's profits. Female Co-Worker from earlier rallies against the new procedure, because they will be "profiting from other people's pain." Chip urges her to go join the Peace Corps if she doesn't like it, and urges everyone just to do their jobs and keep their mouths shut. Egan has finally had enough, and he tells Chip that he can't talk to people like that. Egan goes on a rant about how Chip is just afraid, and a bully, and that he needs to take control of his life and do something impetuous. Chip decides to take the advice, and fires Egan. Egan looks worried for a minute, but by the time he loosens his collar, grabs his photo of his wife from his cubicle, and makes it outside, he's happier than he's been in a long time. "Get What You Give" by the New Radicals (haven't heard that song since about 1999) plays on the soundtrack as Egan dances his way out the door. That was a bit overdone. I think we all get that Egan has a new lease on life.
Franny is picking up her apartment and shrieking at Ricky to stop misbehaving when Nick walks through the open door and says hello. Ricky runs out the door, and Franny follows him. This gives Nick the opportunity to paw through her garbage and find a nearly-empty bottle of booze. The phone rings, and the answering machine picks up. It's Eva's voice on the outgoing message, of course. Ricky's father leaves a message, saying that he wants to know what's going on with his son. So he's not in prison after all? Because I thought most outgoing calls from prison contained a message saying that the call originated from a prison. Of course, I probably learned that from TV and movies, so it's probably not true. Nick hits the button to hear the outgoing message again as he stares at a photo of Eva. Franny shoves Ricky back into the apartment. Nick tells her about the message, and Franny admits that Ricky's dad is trying to get custody of Ricky. Did I make up the part about him being in prison? Anyway, Franny says that she doesn't have a lawyer, but was thinking about calling Kathryn for help. Franny changes the subject and offers to make Nick something to eat, which he accepts.
At the hospital, Jeremy sprints to the ICU, where his transplant patient is crashing. As he treats the patient, Jeremy keeps flashing back to the two people he couldn't save during the robbery. Jeremy wants to go to the operating room, even though the patient has been down for fifteen minutes. He then moves to doing surgery in the ICU, cutting open the staples. Most of his treatment, from what I can see, involves looking really intense and yelling, "Come on!" I don't think that's going to work. The other doctor present urges Jeremy to call the time of death, which Jeremy finally does. I really think Scott Wolf needs to put on about ten pounds. He's looking kind of manorexic. Jeremy walks out, still having flashbacks to the robbery. He turns his head and sees Randall lying peacefully unconscious in the bed nearby.
Lucas is told that Felicia has returned to see him. He refuses to see her, which pisses Felicia off. The guard returns her keys and cell phone, and she walks out of the prison, playing with her phone. She flips it open, and flashes back to when she was in the bank, and dialed 911. The revelation hits her hard, and she leans against the wall. Memories come flooding back, including Franny asking her why she did that, and also seeing through the bathroom door that Lucas led her father to the safe at gunpoint. Felicia sits crumpled on the floor, crying as "Amsterdam" by Coldplay plays on the soundtrack.
Nick receives his medal at a ceremony on the steps of City Hall. Kathryn is there, staring at him coldly. She walks over and says that she knows congratulations aren't really in order, and wonders what turned things around for him. Nick won't tell her. They agree to go back to their lives. As Kathryn leaves, Egan walks up and greets Nick warmly. The media wants Kathryn in the photo op, but she refuses.
In the hospital, a cop asks a nurse something, and they both leave the ICU completely unattended, like that would happen. Jeremy walks up to Randall's room, and stands there for a long time, thinking, as the camera pans around him to indicate his state of confusion. He finally enters and injects air or something into Randall's IV, which causes Randall's heart to slow. Jeremy just slowly strolls out of the ICU, like, wouldn't he be in a hurry to leave? Randall flatlines, and the nurse -- who is probably going to be fired now -- comes running back in, along with a couple of cops. What are the cops going to do? Arrest him back to life?