Backstrom (2015): Season 1, Episode 2 - Bella - full transcript
Arson investigator Samantha Orland calls upon the Special Crimes Unit for help with a case that gets escalated to attempted murder when a serial arsonist's most recent fire involves a family. Although all evidence points to a local fire artist, Backstrom is positive their arsonist is someone they least suspect. The investigation takes a turn when the team discovers evidence missing from the crime scene and Backstrom suspects someone insides the investigation. Meanwhile, Backstrom gets tormented by childhood neighbors who stole something very special from him when he was younger and Valentine helps Niedermayer recover stolen evidence.
Are you wondering how healthy the food you are eating is? Check it - foodval.com
---
Just wait inside.
Lieutenant, fire department
says you can't smoke here.
Tell the smoking house
behind me.
Are you gonna catch the bad man
who burnt down my house?
What?
No, I'm not, kid.
I'm a cop.
Talk to a fireman.
Get out of here.
Your cigar stinks!
Yeah,
well, your house stinks.
Did you find a murdered body
in the ashes?
No, the family got out safely,
thank god.
We're here
because it's arson.
The fire department has
their own arson investigators.
Yes, and the arson investigation
unit called us for help.
This is the work
of a serial firebug.
They want fresh eyes
on the case.
That's not
what they want.
Firemen hate cops,
and we hate them.
This arson investigator
is lying through his teeth.
Her teeth.
And not lying, but otherwise,
you nailed it.
Lieutenant, this is arson
investigator samantha orland.
The fires the arsonist
is setting
Are getting bigger,
more frequent.
New wrinkle --
this fire was set
With people
in the house -- kids.
That makes it
attempted murder.
And time to ask for help.
I've arranged to have
the case file sent over.
Let me know
if you have any questions.
I don't trust her.
Why, because she puts public
welfare before her own ego?
I wasn't asking you,
gravely.
I was seeking the opinion
of a full-grown cop.
I feel like she's
on the up-and-up.
No, moto,
I'm talking about almond.
God.
She wants us on the case
because she doesn't think
We can catch
the arsonist, either.
Spread the blame --
makes her look good.
That's dark.
The truth
is always dark, moto.
That's how you know
it's the truth.
Sam: Neverett!
Neverett!
Moto: Lieutenant,
firefighter's calling you.
[ laughs ]
neverett!
Nick: What brings you
slummin' around a fire?
Take these back
to the truck, probie.
Probie.
[ laughs ]
Nick d'agostino.
My brother, sam.
Sam:
How you doing?
Moto.
You work for neverett?
Well,
I call him lieutenant.
Well, we call him neverett
'cause he's so negative.
[ laughter ]
known him
since we were kids.
Yeah?
Cooch county boys!
That's right.
Okay.
I'm gonna take a look
inside the house.
Make sure
they don't follow me.
Why would we?
Fire's out.
Our work here is done.
Come around and visit us down
at the firehouse, neverett.
Yeah, we'll put you
in the calendar.
Tell me I'm not seeing
what I'm seeing.
Tell me
you were not drinking liquor
Stolen
from an active crime scene.
We're gonna catch
these arsonists.
Okay, great.
But I literally need you
to tell me
That I'm not seeing
what I'm seeing
So that when I am deposed
by the defense
I can tell them exactly
what you say to me right now.
This is water that I brought
because fires make me thirsty.
Arsonists?
Like, more than one.
There are two.
Ugh.
[ sighs ]
Ah, good morning,
lieutenant.
Talk.
The arson unit refers
to the arsonist
As "the green flame."
17 fires in the last 18 months,
7 in the last 9 weeks.
Now, today's fire
is the first time
The arsonist
targeted humans.
He's upping his ante
to murder.
"green flame"?
What's that about?
Striation and oval residue marks
indicate the use
Of naphthenate and boric acids
as accelerants.
They both burn
With a distinctive,
vivid green hue.
The fires are ignited
By jury-rigged,
time-delayed devices.
You plug them
into the outlet.
They're
basically just fuses
That are rigged to fail
after a few hours.
Lieutenant,
I can't help but notice
That you're
actually listening to me,
Which I find both heartening
and disturbing.
Don't get used to it.
We've got uniforms
canvassing the neighbors
Of the previous
two fires -- ooh!
Didn't the arson unit
do that?
We're cops.
We're better.
Boom.
I found that where you caught me
drinking water.
Okay.
Why would a cabinet
contain one broken ceramic bird?
It's a lovebird.
There should be two.
Yeah.
Lovebirds come in pairs.
Do you think one lovebird
killed its mate,
Started the fire
to cover its tracks,
And then escaped?
Avian domestic abuse.
Okay. Okay.
Firefighters
are setting fires
And then stealing
from the houses.
Whoa, did you pull
a groin muscle
Leaping to that conclusion,
lieutenant?
Two ringleaders,
nick and sam d'agostino,
Never took off
their heavy jackets.
Why do you think that is?
Because they were filled
with loot.
[ laughs ]
uh, okay, forgive me, sir.
Inductive-reasoning flaw --
just because a firefighter
Is a thief doesn't make him
an arsonist.
D'agostino stole something
from me when I was 12 years old.
They are typical firefighters --
glory hogs and thieves.
Niedermayer's
point still stands.
Glory hogs and arsonists
are different things.
People!
Get out of my way on this, okay?
We find the thieves,
we find the arsonists.
You inductive flaws
can follow your arson leads,
I'll follow the thief leads,
And I guarantee you
that when we meet,
The d'agostino brothers
will be standing between us.
Whoa.
-- Captions by vitac --
It is not protocol
Splitting an investigation
in two.
It's a matter of perception.
How?
We're chasing an arsonist,
And backstrom
is chasing thieves --
If they are even thieves.
We don't even know
if they're thieves.
[ sighs ]
You know what I think?
I think
that those handsome firemen
Were mean to poor, pudgy,
little backstrom
When they were kids.
Classic bullying scenario?
Can you call it that
if the person deserved it?
Don't answer that.
I'm an awful person.
Tell me about this person
we're going to question.
She's a fire sculptor.
That's a thing?
Yes.
Perhaps the most ephemeral
form of sculpture.
Okay,
and you found her how?
The fire department has used her
several times as an expert.
And, like our arsonist,
she specializes in green flames.
Is she a suspect?
Mm, when I spoke to her
on the phone,
She definitely...
She really likes fire.
You want to "good cop,
bad cop" her?
I'll lead by being
very interested in green flames.
And you?
I'll ask her where she was
when the fire was set.
I also think
that we'll get a sense from her
As to what kind of person
gets off on fire
And what our next step might be
to catch that person.
Okay.
When you say "gets off"...
Sexually -- that's what
motivates most arsonists.
[ sighing ] oh, god.
Hope I'm not building up
the weirdness factor too much.
You're a fence.
I deal in collectibles.
I steal
something valuable --
How long before it hits
the black market?
That depends.
High-end electronics,
You file off the serial numbers
and sell them immediately.
Fine china, you want to wait
about six months.
Custom jewelry, at least a year,
And you probably want
to head for another country.
Serious art,
you need a private collector.
Why? What do you got?
Insurance reports --
Stuff supposedly destroyed
in the fire.
I think
firemen stole them.
All right.
I mean,
I can ask around,
See if any of this
has hit the streets.
Thanks. You hit the fences,
I'll hit the thieves.
Well, I got 100 bucks says
I'll get the goods before you.
Done.
So, these
d'agostino brothers --
What are they, like,
childhood enemies?
They lived
across the street.
They tortured me
every day.
Mm, torture --
Like, literally,
with a blowtorch and pliers,
Or metaphorically,
where they called you names
And belittled
your accomplishments?
Torture is torture,
valentine.
Put some pants on.
That's disgusting.
Niedermayer: As an art form,
fire is evanescent and fleeting.
Like an orgasm.
We're looking
for an arsonist.
I am an arsonist.
Oh, well,
that was easy.
I got it.
Ms. Norburg, we have
a couple of questions
we'd like to ask you.
Where were you
yesterday morning at 5:30?
In my bed.
Sex and fires
have much in common.
Passions are ignited.
Our loins burn like fire.
We are consumed by love.
And when it's over,
we taste ashes.
And both can be stopped
by a blast of cold water.
Stake out the fire.
Pyrophiliacs love flames,
but we also like the aftermath.
Okay, thank you.
Huh.
[ laughing ] okay, you did not
build up the weirdness factor.
She didn't even try to come up
with an alibi.
I don't know if that makes her
seem more guilty or not.
She also slipped me
a note.
"call me"?
Are those letters burned
into that paper?
Yes.
You know,
we could take her advice
And stake out
that burned house.
Not you.
Why?
'cause maybe
she said that
Just so that you can cuff her --
psycho nympho.
I'll take moto.
That's probably best.
Gravely: So, the fire artist
said that arsonists
Sometimes comes back
to smell the ashes.
Sometimes
they take souvenirs.
Know what
a good souvenir is?
Something from hawaii.
[ chuckles ]
Moto: Police!
Don't move! Don't move!
Open that fist!
Open it!
[ gags ]
A trip to hawaii, a hula girl
for your dashboard --
That's a souvenir.
What's the matter
with you, boy?
[ handcuffs click ]
Who's this?
Martin phinney, 23,
lives in his mom's basement,
And is, as he puts it,
a fire aficionado.
Yeah, his place is like a museum
dedicated to burnt stuff.
Also, he was one
of the fire artist's students.
He didn't do it.
Uh, all of the souvenirs
indicate
That they came
from a green-flame fire.
The oval
and striation residue marks
Indicate the use of naphthenate
and boric acid as accelerants.
The toaster and the buddha
Trace back to fires
in seattle two years ago.
Indicating that the green flame
started fires in seattle
Before he moved
to portland.
Martin phinney moved here
two years ago --
Maybe from seattle.
Great.
Call the arson
investigator,
And let's get
those seattle files.
I'll do that.
Are you looking for truffles
in this cabinet?
Because
you won't find any.
I need a search warrant.
Search warrants
are my job.
I need an old search warrant
that no one will miss.
Why are you
brandishing white-out
And looking
for an old warrant?
This is one of those things
you don't want to see.
Okay.
Ooh,
I'll do your forgery.
You have
manly sausage fingers.
Oh, I know, I know,
You want to smell my hair,
but you must not.
This work is delicate.
Where do you want to be
searching with this warrant?
Portland firehouse #41.
Okay, one more time.
[ sighs ]
Judge issued a warrant for you
to search firehouse 41?
Yep.
Based on the fact
that you got bullied as a kid?
No.
Based on probable cause
and general jerk-holery.
You know, boys are pretty
rough-and-tumble growing up,
Especially sons of cops
and firefighters.
You ever think that
that's all that was going on
Between you
and the d'agostinos?
Almond, ever wonder why
this country's going to hell?
It's for lack of the right kind
of bullying.
But that's not what
the d'agostinos did.
I know the difference.
What did these boys
do to you?
Tripped me, beat me, squirrelled
me, shaved me, burned me,
Tied me up, and took
my most valuable possession.
Is that enough
for you?
What's "squirrelled"?
Exactly what you think
it is.
[ sighs ]
[ laughter ]
[ bell rings ]
look at that.
[ rock music playing ]
[ scoffs ]
ugh.
That's why cops
hate firemen.
Makes me want to vomit.
Out of the way.
Official police business.
Unh-unh.
You said the d'agostino brothers
also stole something from you.
Yeah.
What?
Bella.
What's that --
gerbil, sled, bicycle?
[ sniffing ]
Dead bird?
A dead canary.
Huh.
What are you doing?
This your locker,
rookie?
You're under arrest
for keeping secrets.
Is that a --
is that a legal charge?
As legal as the warrant
that brought us here.
Probational firefighter
lawrence dabkey.
There was a fire chief
in seattle named dabkey.
That's my dad.
Uh, my uncle
and three cousins
Were all first responders
at 9/11.
All my brothers and sisters
are firefighters or emts.
You're the next
in the dynasty.
Look, I don't know who put
the canary in my locker
Or what it means.
Yeah?
Why don't we call your dad,
the seattle fire chief,
And ask him what a dead canary
in a locker means?
He'll tell us
it's a threat --
Dead canaries
don't sing.
I'm you, a probie, a new guy,
carrying on the family name.
I get put
with the d'agostinos.
I find out they're pyro-pirates,
I want out.
But they warn me to shut up.
I'm hoping
it'll all just go away.
You know what, larry?
It won't.
You need to stand up
and be a man,
Like everyone else
in your family of heroes.
[ door opens ]
detectives?
Gravely: No probable cause,
a falsified warrant,
Zero evidence.
You guys have got
to let dabkey go
Before his union rep
screams false arrest.
There wasn't zero evidence.
Kid had a strangled canary
in his locker.
Canary homicide.
Canomicide?
What? John, back me up!
Look, someone's trying
to shut the kid up.
That's more
than a little suspicious.
I'm danielle black.
I'm a pfb union lawyer
Here to speak with my client,
lawrence dabkey.
Yes, of course you are.
Mr. Dabkey will be pursuing
A complaint
of police misconduct
With the civilian-oversight
committee.
Any person violating
oregon statute 167 or 167.340
May be held
without a warrant,
As in the incidence
of a person breaking the peace.
167?
What is that, animal cruelty?
Seriously?
We will release mr. Dabkey
to your recognizance
Pending his appearance
before a judge.
[ backstrom laughs ]
You just got your asses handed
to you by a girl.
[ laughs ]
They trespassed
on private property.
Moto: I heard you invite
the lieutenant --
"come on down
to the firehouse sometime."
You offered to put him
in your calendar.
We'll deal with this
in front of a judge.
Don't call me a girl.
Oh, especially in front
of another girl?
The arson investigator got
the seattle files you wanted.
She'll deliver them
personally.
Oh, arson, the crime we're
supposed to be investigating
Instead of canary murder
and lovebird theft.
[ sirens wailing ]
[ valentine sighs ]
All right.
I found something
from your insurance list.
Cintre hahnel watch --
Antiques dealer I know
is trying to hawk it.
Pay up.
Where's my 100 bucks?
I'll pay you
after moto arrests him
And he leads me back
to the d'agostinos.
No, no, no,
you can't arrest him.
He'll know
I ratted him out.
What good is the information
you give me
If I can't act on it?
All right.
What if I took niedermayer
in an under-covers capacity?
You mean "undercover"?
Is that what I mean?
No, it's not.
Look, he might be straight,
okay?
He just enjoys poetry
and philosophy.
Mm, lots of guys
might be straight --
Until they meet me.
[ laughs ]
Okay, tell you what.
Double or nothing
on the $100 that I owe you --
You can't turn
niedermayer.
All right.
Deal.
But really,
poetry and philosophy?
[ clicks tongue ]
he's mine.
"the task is not to seek
for love but merely to seek
"and find all the barriers
within yourself
You've built against it."
Oh, you like rumi?
Mm-hmm.
Apparently, uh,
mr. Rumi was open
To the full range
of sensual delights life offers.
Are you hitting on me?
How am I doing?
Eh.
You know, rumi,
that's original,
But I took you more
for a walt whitman kind of guy.
Eh.
Dorothy parker?
Mm.
I'm heterosexual, buddy.
Yeah, well,
that's a treatable condition.
I got a question for you.
Does the word "bella"
mean anything to you?
Yeah,
spanish for "beautiful."
That what you want me
to call you?
No.
Almond mentioned it
in reference
To something
that belonged to backstrom.
The d'agostino brothers
stole it.
Yeah, they picked on him
a lot when he was a kid.
Well, the lieutenant
is lucky to have you.
You could be, too.
Mm?
Here are the arson files
From the green flame's
seattle fires.
Do you think
it's the same arsonist?
Three fires --
Garden shed, abandoned house,
closed business.
He used the same accelerants --
naphthenate and boric acid.
It could very well be
That panty bandit
you have in custody.
Green flames
tell you all this?
Yes.
But a different ignition system,
so our arsonist uses
The electrical outlets
in the house to start the fire.
The seattle arsonist
uses a more primitive
Road-flare-and-milk-jug
system.
Is it significant,
the ignition system?
Psychologically speaking,
The way a fire starts
is not meaningful.
Melinda norburg,
the fire artist,
Uses a jug-and-flare
system.
Valentine:
Bonjour, robbie.
This is walt whitman,
but I call him "bella."
Gregory informs me
You're in the market
for a cintre hahnel.
Yes, I am,
mr. Hodstetter.
But I am wary
of knock-offs.
Inform your bella amici
that I never deal in knock-offs.
You are, and he doesn't.
Mm, that's not
a good start.
The box
is obviously counterfeit.
Oh, good eye.
But I assure you.
Watch looks genuine.
Oh, my god!
Don't just go popping the backs
off of things!
Original gears...
And movement.
It's a valid serial number.
What's this
happening now?
Ah.
[ sniffs ]
I'm seeing evidence
of smoke damage.
It's an old watch.
It's lived
an adventurous life.
[ chuckles ]
Where did you
get this from?
You know what I say --
The only life worth living
is an adventurous one.
Am I right?
[ chuckles ]
yeah.
That is not what
I meant. Ow.
Niedermayer!
Are you a cop?
Did you bring a cop
into my house?
No, of course not, robbie.
You know, if I did that,
My business would be finished
in this town.
I'd have to move to another city
and start over.
I'm a private investigator,
And I've just recovered
my client's stolen watch.
Thank you for your help.
[ sighs ]
Is it wrong that I feel
a little turned on right now?
Mm, you and me both,
but he's not gay.
[ door closes ]
Backstrom: Fire lez
is not our arsonist.
Okay.
I realize it's not as strong
a lead as a dead canary,
But don't you want
to go in there
And do your whole...
"I'm you.
"I'm a crunchy, tatty,
sexy lady
Who gets all hot
from fire."
Don't embarrass yourself,
gravely.
[ knock on door ]
"the hours of folly
are measured by the clock,
But of wisdom...
No clock can measure."
Okay, what the hell
is he talking about?
I never know.
This is the watch stolen
in yesterday's fire.
Okay, I'm assuming
that because
That is in an evidence bag
that you got it legally.
No, it does not.
I had to steal it so as not
to blow valentine's cover
As a paid police informant.
Speaking of blowing
and of valentine,
Did he happen to
mention anything about
me owing him 200 bucks?
He did not.
This is evidence
That the lieutenant's theory
about firehouse #41 is viable.
Inadmissible evidence of theft,
not of arson.
Another green fire
is happening --
Mcmansion
on doylestown road.
Am I gonna
arrest someone?
Not unless we see
a law being broken.
Is that sarcasm?
Neverett!
Back
with another warrant?
[ laughs ]
Take off your jackets.
Open them up.
Empty them out.
[ laughs ]
Let's go!
This is so insulting.
Ah! What the hell?
This is for throwing me
off the baker river bridge
When I was 12 years old.
You deserved it,
and you know it!
Uh-huh? Uh-huh?
What?
Yeah?
And stapling my scrotum
to my leg, I deserved that, too?
That was 30 years ago.
Uh-huh?
The three of us
are grown men now.
Yeah, let it go!
Hey, what the --
Look, neverett,
I'm running out of patience.
Hey!
Moto!
Don't touch
the lieutenant, please.
Backstrom: Okay. Okay.
I'm cool.
Okay, all right,
what -- what is this, huh?
Is that a...?
Do you like that?
Maybe get your lieutenant
off my brother.
Lieutenant, want to let
the man's throat go?
Okay.
Hey, hey, hey, hey,
stay back, okay?
It's over.
It's all good here.
Are you okay,
lieutenant?
I just needed...He...
What?
Did he hurt you?
What?
You want
to use your words?
He...
Is in possession
of stolen property.
[ laughs ]
check it.
Right in there.
What?
In there. Yeah.
I don't have any...
Whoa! Whoa!
Ah.
Arrest him!
No, no, hey,
that is not mine.
Consider yourself mirandized
for theft.
Okay.
Don't do it.
You don't want to do that.
You boys got pretty muscles,
But I got the kind
that cripple my opponents.
You want to be crippled?
Let's go.
Man: Chief,
where are you...
You're making a mistake.
[ laughs ]
[ gasps ]
[ laughter ]
I'll see you soon, neverett!
Oh, oh, oh,
police misconduct, huh?
False arrest!
I want to see
my union lawyer.
Stapling testicles?
What's the matter with you?
You never did nothing
like that, huh?
Dip a guy's head
into a toilet?
Ah.
So, you found a stolen watch
in his pocket?
Yeah,
from when he attacked me.
Same watch
that you showed me
Before you went out
to make this arrest?
Extremely similar watch.
But nothing else --
am I right?
That's all you found.
What does it matter,
gravely?
Listen,
it's leverage, okay?
Watch me use this
to force a confession.
You doing this because of what
happened when we were kids?
Huh?
Because everything that we did
was normal kid stuff.
You're supposed to laugh.
It wasn't funny.
Well, it wasn't funny
when me and nick
Bought
those illegal fireworks
And you ratted us out
to your dad,
The sheriff --
which, for the record,
Is why you got tossed
off the bridge.
You deserved it.
I'm you.
I was never a candy-ass.
I'm you --
Always in the shadow
of my brother, nick.
It was him who decided
we should steal from fires,
And I just went along,
'cause if anyone
is the candy-ass here,
It's me.
That's what I said.
No, you idiot,
I'm...I'm being you.
God, it's --
what?
[ sighs ]
I'm you.
I'm in love
with amelia meehan.
I collect seashells
and wildflowers for her,
And while I'm making her
a mixtape,
Little do I know
My brother's making her
in the basement.
You shut the hell up!
Remember that crawlspace?
I used to hide in there
to spy on you guys.
That's where I saw
amelia's boobs before you did --
When your brother nick
was pawing at them.
No!
Excuse me, lieutenant.
It's my understanding
sam d'agostino
Is being held
under suspicion of theft.
He was in possession
of a stolen watch.
Lieutenant, I suggest
you let mr. D'agostino
Off with a warning.
[ laughs ]
sam: You!
I was smitten!
I collected wildflowers!
I made mixtapes!
You touched her boobs!
Nick:
She had no boobs!
Gentlemen!
[ both grunting ]
I'm gonna need a moment
with my client.
Get off of me!
Gentlemen!
[ air horn blows ]
[ knock on door ]
[ door opens ]
What? Who is it?
Dabkey:
Lieutenant backstrom?
You?
What are you doing here?
Nick and sam...
Uh....
They...
Look, I don't like guys
like that.
I became a firefighter
because of my old man.
Yeah?
So what?
My dad's dead.
He died on the job.
Well, that's ironic,
Considering you're setting fires
to loot homes.
I don't know anything about
anybody setting any fires.
What I know about is guys
taking advantage of fires
To line
their own pockets.
[ chuckles ]
The canary sings.
[ laughs ]
You willing to testify?
Yeah, I am.
'cause I want my old man
to be proud of me.
Nick and sam say
you're a coward...
[ scoffs ]
...That
you're a dirty cop.
Yeah, okay.
All right, so, what,
You want to know
if you can trust me?
No, sir.
I got no choice
but to trust you,
'cause I'm placing my life
in your hands.
[ door closes ]
[ breathing heavily ]
[ heartbeat thudding ]
[ siren wails ]
Ekg is normal.
This is not
a cardiac event.
No, no, it's not cardiac.
Talk to my doctor, deb.
What are you doing?
You hear me?
Call my doctor, deb,
okay?
Come --
what are you doing?
What are you -- no, no!
One of the reasons
you should be nice
To the fire department...
My heart is fine!
...You could end up
in trouble someday --
Need some kind of help.
Clear!
[ electricity crackles ]
[ screams ]
[ gasping ]
[ screams, groans ]
[ horn honks ]
[ groans ]
Ooh.
Lieutenant?
I don't drink.
[ laughs ]
come on, man.
Call me for help
in the middle of the night,
And then you lie?
[ chuckles ]
[ laughs ]
[ thunder rumbles ]
[ grunts, groans ]
The emt that did this --
Friend of the d'agostino
brothers?
Everybody likes
the d'agostino brothers.
I've never had
the same advantage.
I know.
I'm a 32-year veteran
in this department.
Fact is,
nobody likes me.
[ both laugh ]
Except niedermayer.
Ah.
[ laughs ]
To niedermayer.
Niedermayer.
Maybe next time, call him
in the middle of the night.
Nobody but you
would believe what happened.
What am I doing wrong?
Really?
You asking me?
That's what it means when
a sentence goes up at the end.
You got to give gravely
her due.
What?
Why? No, why?
Well, she's the one that hauls
your ass out of the sling
Every time you get creative
with your police work.
She could learn a lot
from me.
Yeah, mostly how not
to build a case.
[ chuckles ]
what is she, like 16?
She's young...
But awful smart.
And brave, too.
Idealistic.
I feel like buying
girl scout cookies from her.
[ chuckles ]
she's got a theory
on the crime?
Yeah,
and I agree with her.
We all think
you're half right.
Your childhood enemies
are thieves.
And arsonists.
No, just thieves.
And gravely wants
to catch this firebug
Before it kills someone.
We all do.
I love
girl scout cookies.
I could eat bags
of them.
[ thunder rumbles ]
The mcmansion
on doylestown road
Was the 20th fire attributed
to the green flame --
The first 3 in washington,
the next 17 here in oregon.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I have an announcement to make.
[ groans ]
There's a...
Possibility that I was...
[ sighs ]
...Not right.
What? Are you saying
that you were wrong?
Maybe the thieves
and the pyromaniac
Are not the same person.
We need to find your arsonist
before they kill somebody.
Um...Okay.
Niedermayer, why don't you get
the lieutenant up to speed on --
Really?
Niedermayer:
I investigated the evidence
from the most recent fire,
And I found
a surprising development.
Though the mix of accelerants
is the same,
A burn pattern
at the point of ignition
Indicates that the arsonist
reverted to using
The jug-and-flare system
to light the fire.
Nadia:
Yeah, the jug-and-flare system
That used back
in the seattle fires.
The arsonist had graduated
to this electronic
"botched fuse" system
once he came to portland.
Well, he had, until now.
Which is why the development
is so surprising.
Jugs and flares point
to our fire artist, norburg,
But she was in custody
when the last fire was set.
Where's a picture
of this newfangled
"botched fuse" system?
Uh, no, I don't have one.
Have you seen it?
Has anyone?
Only in the arson-investigator
reports.
Only in diagram.
There were some photos,
but they were all indiscernible.
Because...
The arson investigator
was lying.
On the reports?
Why go there?
Because she lied to us
About why she wanted us
on the case in the first place.
She's a liar.
Yes,
the lieutenant's right.
I mean,
most of this investigation
Is based on
samantha orland's report,
So if she doctored
this information --
What else do you think
she was lying about?
The botched fuse --
it's b.S.
All the fires
were lit the same way,
Both cities --
jug and flare.
Madness has a method.
It doesn't change.
Samantha orland said
that the ignition system
Doesn't have anything to do
With the sexual compulsions
of the arsonist.
Ooh, that is not true.
Ignition,
psychologically,
Is the first step
in sexual arousal.
Oh, my god.
That lying liar.
She was lying
about everything!
We have to find
samantha orland.
Well, when you do...
Call me.
Where's sam?
Where's your bodyguard?
Watching larry dabkey
Give a statement
that you two are thieves.
Sam!
[ chuckles ]
It doesn't hurt anyone.
The families get reimbursed
by the insurance companies,
Who'd have to pay anyway
if the stuff gets burned.
That's a good defense.
You should totally use that
in court.
Hey, what's up?
Neverett's gonna put us
in jail.
What?
No, he's not gonna
do that.
He just wants his cut.
You guys are over amelia meehan
now, huh?
We're family.
We don't chew on things
from 30 years ago
That don't matter anymore.
I can get you out of this,
you know.
I don't always
do things perfect.
Even the worst lawyer
clues in on my missteps.
You'll walk away free.
Okay, all right, all right,
all right.
How much you want?
We'll give you a third.
I want bella back.
How are we supposed to know
where bella is?
Wait, wait, wait, wait!
It's -- it's --
it's in the garden shed
At the family place
in cooch county.
There.
Text! Text! Text!
Excuse me.
I got an arsonist
to go catch.
So long.
Wait!
What about your -- your misstep
to keep us out of jail?!
[ laughs ] I don't want
to keep you out of jail.
This is why you have no family,
no friends.
You're gonna die alone,
neverett.
[ laughing ] you morons.
We all die alone.
You won't, neverett.
In fact, sam and I might be
right there when it happens.
And I can
promise you this.
When that time comes,
you're gonna be very lonely.
[ chuckling ] oh, man.
[ camera shutter clicking ]
[ knock on window ]
[ gasps ]
Mind stepping out
of the vehicle, ma'am?
[ car door opens ]
Never mind.
We can just talk
right here.
[ car door closes ]
did something happen?
You identified
the arsonist?
Gravely: We think so.
Okay.
What are you
thinking about --
All of them on fire?
Moto, the camera.
You -- you think it's me?
You think that I'm wasting
my career chasing myself?
You started in seattle,
where the arson investigator
Discovered
your jug-and-flare system.
Then you moved to portland,
Where you were
the arson investigator,
So you could falsify
your own repots,
Say the arsonist
used an electric ignition.
This guy hates women.
You know that, right?
Why do you help him?
This guy? Oh, yeah, no,
he is the worst.
But, uh,
I don't actually think
He hates women
more than he hates men.
Thank you,
detective gravely.
He hates everybody.
But he really hates people
who try to get away with murder,
And he hates you.
Oh, well,
you're gonna need
A little bit more
than just hate.
See that, gravely?
Ah.
[ chuckles ]
That really got her
going.
I think she wants to burn
a family and have sex with me.
I'm you.
I'm a girl with a secret...
That burns like a flame.
I don't get turned on
like other women.
To really enjoy sex,
I need candles,
Because it's the flame
that gets me going,
Not the person in my bed.
And when
that stopped working...
I needed to set bigger
and better fires.
And when
that stopped working...
I needed to burn...
People.
That's just a story.
That's not proof.
You're right.
All confessions
are just stories,
But we have actual evidence
that you falsified reports.
She's got
"before" photos
From the last fire on here
and the one before that.
And I'm guessing we find
Something interesting
in her trunk.
[ car chirps ]
[ horn honks ]
Valentine: Chop-chop!
Cooch county's
a two-hour drive.
You already owe me
for gas.
Gravely: Whoa!
You don't want
to make the arrest?
She's your collar, gravely.
Make the girl scouts proud.
Samantha orland,
you are under arrest for arson.
You have the right
to remain silent.
Everything you say can
and will be used against you
In a court of law.
Valentine:
Well, I come out here,
And I am really glad
My traumatic childhood
took place in the city.
Backstrom: I got mosquito bites,
you got herpes.
I win.
I don't have herpes...
Anymore.
It's right here.
There?
[ coughs ]
See anything?
Not yet. Calm down.
God, this flashlight app
sucks.
Hey,
did you ever consider
What kind of shape bella's
gonna be in after 30 years?
I brought duct tape.
Look, I don't see anything, man.
Maybe they were lying.
Of course they lied.
They're probably laughing at me
coming all this way for nothing.
[ coughs ]
Wait.
What's that?
Now, you realize
You're gonna have to risk
your life and run, right?
One, two, three!
♪ you used to take me up
[ grunts ]
♪ I watched and learned
♪ how to fly
♪ no navigation system
[ laughing ]
♪ beyond our eyes
You really
made that yourself?
Yeah.
♪ watching
When you were 12?
Yeah.
♪ I always went wrong
in the same place ♪
Hey, can I try?
No.
♪ where the river splits
towards the sea ♪
♪ there
couldn't possibly be ♪
Could you make me one?
Yeah.
♪ a you and me
Stop talking.
[ gasps ]
---
Just wait inside.
Lieutenant, fire department
says you can't smoke here.
Tell the smoking house
behind me.
Are you gonna catch the bad man
who burnt down my house?
What?
No, I'm not, kid.
I'm a cop.
Talk to a fireman.
Get out of here.
Your cigar stinks!
Yeah,
well, your house stinks.
Did you find a murdered body
in the ashes?
No, the family got out safely,
thank god.
We're here
because it's arson.
The fire department has
their own arson investigators.
Yes, and the arson investigation
unit called us for help.
This is the work
of a serial firebug.
They want fresh eyes
on the case.
That's not
what they want.
Firemen hate cops,
and we hate them.
This arson investigator
is lying through his teeth.
Her teeth.
And not lying, but otherwise,
you nailed it.
Lieutenant, this is arson
investigator samantha orland.
The fires the arsonist
is setting
Are getting bigger,
more frequent.
New wrinkle --
this fire was set
With people
in the house -- kids.
That makes it
attempted murder.
And time to ask for help.
I've arranged to have
the case file sent over.
Let me know
if you have any questions.
I don't trust her.
Why, because she puts public
welfare before her own ego?
I wasn't asking you,
gravely.
I was seeking the opinion
of a full-grown cop.
I feel like she's
on the up-and-up.
No, moto,
I'm talking about almond.
God.
She wants us on the case
because she doesn't think
We can catch
the arsonist, either.
Spread the blame --
makes her look good.
That's dark.
The truth
is always dark, moto.
That's how you know
it's the truth.
Sam: Neverett!
Neverett!
Moto: Lieutenant,
firefighter's calling you.
[ laughs ]
neverett!
Nick: What brings you
slummin' around a fire?
Take these back
to the truck, probie.
Probie.
[ laughs ]
Nick d'agostino.
My brother, sam.
Sam:
How you doing?
Moto.
You work for neverett?
Well,
I call him lieutenant.
Well, we call him neverett
'cause he's so negative.
[ laughter ]
known him
since we were kids.
Yeah?
Cooch county boys!
That's right.
Okay.
I'm gonna take a look
inside the house.
Make sure
they don't follow me.
Why would we?
Fire's out.
Our work here is done.
Come around and visit us down
at the firehouse, neverett.
Yeah, we'll put you
in the calendar.
Tell me I'm not seeing
what I'm seeing.
Tell me
you were not drinking liquor
Stolen
from an active crime scene.
We're gonna catch
these arsonists.
Okay, great.
But I literally need you
to tell me
That I'm not seeing
what I'm seeing
So that when I am deposed
by the defense
I can tell them exactly
what you say to me right now.
This is water that I brought
because fires make me thirsty.
Arsonists?
Like, more than one.
There are two.
Ugh.
[ sighs ]
Ah, good morning,
lieutenant.
Talk.
The arson unit refers
to the arsonist
As "the green flame."
17 fires in the last 18 months,
7 in the last 9 weeks.
Now, today's fire
is the first time
The arsonist
targeted humans.
He's upping his ante
to murder.
"green flame"?
What's that about?
Striation and oval residue marks
indicate the use
Of naphthenate and boric acids
as accelerants.
They both burn
With a distinctive,
vivid green hue.
The fires are ignited
By jury-rigged,
time-delayed devices.
You plug them
into the outlet.
They're
basically just fuses
That are rigged to fail
after a few hours.
Lieutenant,
I can't help but notice
That you're
actually listening to me,
Which I find both heartening
and disturbing.
Don't get used to it.
We've got uniforms
canvassing the neighbors
Of the previous
two fires -- ooh!
Didn't the arson unit
do that?
We're cops.
We're better.
Boom.
I found that where you caught me
drinking water.
Okay.
Why would a cabinet
contain one broken ceramic bird?
It's a lovebird.
There should be two.
Yeah.
Lovebirds come in pairs.
Do you think one lovebird
killed its mate,
Started the fire
to cover its tracks,
And then escaped?
Avian domestic abuse.
Okay. Okay.
Firefighters
are setting fires
And then stealing
from the houses.
Whoa, did you pull
a groin muscle
Leaping to that conclusion,
lieutenant?
Two ringleaders,
nick and sam d'agostino,
Never took off
their heavy jackets.
Why do you think that is?
Because they were filled
with loot.
[ laughs ]
uh, okay, forgive me, sir.
Inductive-reasoning flaw --
just because a firefighter
Is a thief doesn't make him
an arsonist.
D'agostino stole something
from me when I was 12 years old.
They are typical firefighters --
glory hogs and thieves.
Niedermayer's
point still stands.
Glory hogs and arsonists
are different things.
People!
Get out of my way on this, okay?
We find the thieves,
we find the arsonists.
You inductive flaws
can follow your arson leads,
I'll follow the thief leads,
And I guarantee you
that when we meet,
The d'agostino brothers
will be standing between us.
Whoa.
-- Captions by vitac --
It is not protocol
Splitting an investigation
in two.
It's a matter of perception.
How?
We're chasing an arsonist,
And backstrom
is chasing thieves --
If they are even thieves.
We don't even know
if they're thieves.
[ sighs ]
You know what I think?
I think
that those handsome firemen
Were mean to poor, pudgy,
little backstrom
When they were kids.
Classic bullying scenario?
Can you call it that
if the person deserved it?
Don't answer that.
I'm an awful person.
Tell me about this person
we're going to question.
She's a fire sculptor.
That's a thing?
Yes.
Perhaps the most ephemeral
form of sculpture.
Okay,
and you found her how?
The fire department has used her
several times as an expert.
And, like our arsonist,
she specializes in green flames.
Is she a suspect?
Mm, when I spoke to her
on the phone,
She definitely...
She really likes fire.
You want to "good cop,
bad cop" her?
I'll lead by being
very interested in green flames.
And you?
I'll ask her where she was
when the fire was set.
I also think
that we'll get a sense from her
As to what kind of person
gets off on fire
And what our next step might be
to catch that person.
Okay.
When you say "gets off"...
Sexually -- that's what
motivates most arsonists.
[ sighing ] oh, god.
Hope I'm not building up
the weirdness factor too much.
You're a fence.
I deal in collectibles.
I steal
something valuable --
How long before it hits
the black market?
That depends.
High-end electronics,
You file off the serial numbers
and sell them immediately.
Fine china, you want to wait
about six months.
Custom jewelry, at least a year,
And you probably want
to head for another country.
Serious art,
you need a private collector.
Why? What do you got?
Insurance reports --
Stuff supposedly destroyed
in the fire.
I think
firemen stole them.
All right.
I mean,
I can ask around,
See if any of this
has hit the streets.
Thanks. You hit the fences,
I'll hit the thieves.
Well, I got 100 bucks says
I'll get the goods before you.
Done.
So, these
d'agostino brothers --
What are they, like,
childhood enemies?
They lived
across the street.
They tortured me
every day.
Mm, torture --
Like, literally,
with a blowtorch and pliers,
Or metaphorically,
where they called you names
And belittled
your accomplishments?
Torture is torture,
valentine.
Put some pants on.
That's disgusting.
Niedermayer: As an art form,
fire is evanescent and fleeting.
Like an orgasm.
We're looking
for an arsonist.
I am an arsonist.
Oh, well,
that was easy.
I got it.
Ms. Norburg, we have
a couple of questions
we'd like to ask you.
Where were you
yesterday morning at 5:30?
In my bed.
Sex and fires
have much in common.
Passions are ignited.
Our loins burn like fire.
We are consumed by love.
And when it's over,
we taste ashes.
And both can be stopped
by a blast of cold water.
Stake out the fire.
Pyrophiliacs love flames,
but we also like the aftermath.
Okay, thank you.
Huh.
[ laughing ] okay, you did not
build up the weirdness factor.
She didn't even try to come up
with an alibi.
I don't know if that makes her
seem more guilty or not.
She also slipped me
a note.
"call me"?
Are those letters burned
into that paper?
Yes.
You know,
we could take her advice
And stake out
that burned house.
Not you.
Why?
'cause maybe
she said that
Just so that you can cuff her --
psycho nympho.
I'll take moto.
That's probably best.
Gravely: So, the fire artist
said that arsonists
Sometimes comes back
to smell the ashes.
Sometimes
they take souvenirs.
Know what
a good souvenir is?
Something from hawaii.
[ chuckles ]
Moto: Police!
Don't move! Don't move!
Open that fist!
Open it!
[ gags ]
A trip to hawaii, a hula girl
for your dashboard --
That's a souvenir.
What's the matter
with you, boy?
[ handcuffs click ]
Who's this?
Martin phinney, 23,
lives in his mom's basement,
And is, as he puts it,
a fire aficionado.
Yeah, his place is like a museum
dedicated to burnt stuff.
Also, he was one
of the fire artist's students.
He didn't do it.
Uh, all of the souvenirs
indicate
That they came
from a green-flame fire.
The oval
and striation residue marks
Indicate the use of naphthenate
and boric acid as accelerants.
The toaster and the buddha
Trace back to fires
in seattle two years ago.
Indicating that the green flame
started fires in seattle
Before he moved
to portland.
Martin phinney moved here
two years ago --
Maybe from seattle.
Great.
Call the arson
investigator,
And let's get
those seattle files.
I'll do that.
Are you looking for truffles
in this cabinet?
Because
you won't find any.
I need a search warrant.
Search warrants
are my job.
I need an old search warrant
that no one will miss.
Why are you
brandishing white-out
And looking
for an old warrant?
This is one of those things
you don't want to see.
Okay.
Ooh,
I'll do your forgery.
You have
manly sausage fingers.
Oh, I know, I know,
You want to smell my hair,
but you must not.
This work is delicate.
Where do you want to be
searching with this warrant?
Portland firehouse #41.
Okay, one more time.
[ sighs ]
Judge issued a warrant for you
to search firehouse 41?
Yep.
Based on the fact
that you got bullied as a kid?
No.
Based on probable cause
and general jerk-holery.
You know, boys are pretty
rough-and-tumble growing up,
Especially sons of cops
and firefighters.
You ever think that
that's all that was going on
Between you
and the d'agostinos?
Almond, ever wonder why
this country's going to hell?
It's for lack of the right kind
of bullying.
But that's not what
the d'agostinos did.
I know the difference.
What did these boys
do to you?
Tripped me, beat me, squirrelled
me, shaved me, burned me,
Tied me up, and took
my most valuable possession.
Is that enough
for you?
What's "squirrelled"?
Exactly what you think
it is.
[ sighs ]
[ laughter ]
[ bell rings ]
look at that.
[ rock music playing ]
[ scoffs ]
ugh.
That's why cops
hate firemen.
Makes me want to vomit.
Out of the way.
Official police business.
Unh-unh.
You said the d'agostino brothers
also stole something from you.
Yeah.
What?
Bella.
What's that --
gerbil, sled, bicycle?
[ sniffing ]
Dead bird?
A dead canary.
Huh.
What are you doing?
This your locker,
rookie?
You're under arrest
for keeping secrets.
Is that a --
is that a legal charge?
As legal as the warrant
that brought us here.
Probational firefighter
lawrence dabkey.
There was a fire chief
in seattle named dabkey.
That's my dad.
Uh, my uncle
and three cousins
Were all first responders
at 9/11.
All my brothers and sisters
are firefighters or emts.
You're the next
in the dynasty.
Look, I don't know who put
the canary in my locker
Or what it means.
Yeah?
Why don't we call your dad,
the seattle fire chief,
And ask him what a dead canary
in a locker means?
He'll tell us
it's a threat --
Dead canaries
don't sing.
I'm you, a probie, a new guy,
carrying on the family name.
I get put
with the d'agostinos.
I find out they're pyro-pirates,
I want out.
But they warn me to shut up.
I'm hoping
it'll all just go away.
You know what, larry?
It won't.
You need to stand up
and be a man,
Like everyone else
in your family of heroes.
[ door opens ]
detectives?
Gravely: No probable cause,
a falsified warrant,
Zero evidence.
You guys have got
to let dabkey go
Before his union rep
screams false arrest.
There wasn't zero evidence.
Kid had a strangled canary
in his locker.
Canary homicide.
Canomicide?
What? John, back me up!
Look, someone's trying
to shut the kid up.
That's more
than a little suspicious.
I'm danielle black.
I'm a pfb union lawyer
Here to speak with my client,
lawrence dabkey.
Yes, of course you are.
Mr. Dabkey will be pursuing
A complaint
of police misconduct
With the civilian-oversight
committee.
Any person violating
oregon statute 167 or 167.340
May be held
without a warrant,
As in the incidence
of a person breaking the peace.
167?
What is that, animal cruelty?
Seriously?
We will release mr. Dabkey
to your recognizance
Pending his appearance
before a judge.
[ backstrom laughs ]
You just got your asses handed
to you by a girl.
[ laughs ]
They trespassed
on private property.
Moto: I heard you invite
the lieutenant --
"come on down
to the firehouse sometime."
You offered to put him
in your calendar.
We'll deal with this
in front of a judge.
Don't call me a girl.
Oh, especially in front
of another girl?
The arson investigator got
the seattle files you wanted.
She'll deliver them
personally.
Oh, arson, the crime we're
supposed to be investigating
Instead of canary murder
and lovebird theft.
[ sirens wailing ]
[ valentine sighs ]
All right.
I found something
from your insurance list.
Cintre hahnel watch --
Antiques dealer I know
is trying to hawk it.
Pay up.
Where's my 100 bucks?
I'll pay you
after moto arrests him
And he leads me back
to the d'agostinos.
No, no, no,
you can't arrest him.
He'll know
I ratted him out.
What good is the information
you give me
If I can't act on it?
All right.
What if I took niedermayer
in an under-covers capacity?
You mean "undercover"?
Is that what I mean?
No, it's not.
Look, he might be straight,
okay?
He just enjoys poetry
and philosophy.
Mm, lots of guys
might be straight --
Until they meet me.
[ laughs ]
Okay, tell you what.
Double or nothing
on the $100 that I owe you --
You can't turn
niedermayer.
All right.
Deal.
But really,
poetry and philosophy?
[ clicks tongue ]
he's mine.
"the task is not to seek
for love but merely to seek
"and find all the barriers
within yourself
You've built against it."
Oh, you like rumi?
Mm-hmm.
Apparently, uh,
mr. Rumi was open
To the full range
of sensual delights life offers.
Are you hitting on me?
How am I doing?
Eh.
You know, rumi,
that's original,
But I took you more
for a walt whitman kind of guy.
Eh.
Dorothy parker?
Mm.
I'm heterosexual, buddy.
Yeah, well,
that's a treatable condition.
I got a question for you.
Does the word "bella"
mean anything to you?
Yeah,
spanish for "beautiful."
That what you want me
to call you?
No.
Almond mentioned it
in reference
To something
that belonged to backstrom.
The d'agostino brothers
stole it.
Yeah, they picked on him
a lot when he was a kid.
Well, the lieutenant
is lucky to have you.
You could be, too.
Mm?
Here are the arson files
From the green flame's
seattle fires.
Do you think
it's the same arsonist?
Three fires --
Garden shed, abandoned house,
closed business.
He used the same accelerants --
naphthenate and boric acid.
It could very well be
That panty bandit
you have in custody.
Green flames
tell you all this?
Yes.
But a different ignition system,
so our arsonist uses
The electrical outlets
in the house to start the fire.
The seattle arsonist
uses a more primitive
Road-flare-and-milk-jug
system.
Is it significant,
the ignition system?
Psychologically speaking,
The way a fire starts
is not meaningful.
Melinda norburg,
the fire artist,
Uses a jug-and-flare
system.
Valentine:
Bonjour, robbie.
This is walt whitman,
but I call him "bella."
Gregory informs me
You're in the market
for a cintre hahnel.
Yes, I am,
mr. Hodstetter.
But I am wary
of knock-offs.
Inform your bella amici
that I never deal in knock-offs.
You are, and he doesn't.
Mm, that's not
a good start.
The box
is obviously counterfeit.
Oh, good eye.
But I assure you.
Watch looks genuine.
Oh, my god!
Don't just go popping the backs
off of things!
Original gears...
And movement.
It's a valid serial number.
What's this
happening now?
Ah.
[ sniffs ]
I'm seeing evidence
of smoke damage.
It's an old watch.
It's lived
an adventurous life.
[ chuckles ]
Where did you
get this from?
You know what I say --
The only life worth living
is an adventurous one.
Am I right?
[ chuckles ]
yeah.
That is not what
I meant. Ow.
Niedermayer!
Are you a cop?
Did you bring a cop
into my house?
No, of course not, robbie.
You know, if I did that,
My business would be finished
in this town.
I'd have to move to another city
and start over.
I'm a private investigator,
And I've just recovered
my client's stolen watch.
Thank you for your help.
[ sighs ]
Is it wrong that I feel
a little turned on right now?
Mm, you and me both,
but he's not gay.
[ door closes ]
Backstrom: Fire lez
is not our arsonist.
Okay.
I realize it's not as strong
a lead as a dead canary,
But don't you want
to go in there
And do your whole...
"I'm you.
"I'm a crunchy, tatty,
sexy lady
Who gets all hot
from fire."
Don't embarrass yourself,
gravely.
[ knock on door ]
"the hours of folly
are measured by the clock,
But of wisdom...
No clock can measure."
Okay, what the hell
is he talking about?
I never know.
This is the watch stolen
in yesterday's fire.
Okay, I'm assuming
that because
That is in an evidence bag
that you got it legally.
No, it does not.
I had to steal it so as not
to blow valentine's cover
As a paid police informant.
Speaking of blowing
and of valentine,
Did he happen to
mention anything about
me owing him 200 bucks?
He did not.
This is evidence
That the lieutenant's theory
about firehouse #41 is viable.
Inadmissible evidence of theft,
not of arson.
Another green fire
is happening --
Mcmansion
on doylestown road.
Am I gonna
arrest someone?
Not unless we see
a law being broken.
Is that sarcasm?
Neverett!
Back
with another warrant?
[ laughs ]
Take off your jackets.
Open them up.
Empty them out.
[ laughs ]
Let's go!
This is so insulting.
Ah! What the hell?
This is for throwing me
off the baker river bridge
When I was 12 years old.
You deserved it,
and you know it!
Uh-huh? Uh-huh?
What?
Yeah?
And stapling my scrotum
to my leg, I deserved that, too?
That was 30 years ago.
Uh-huh?
The three of us
are grown men now.
Yeah, let it go!
Hey, what the --
Look, neverett,
I'm running out of patience.
Hey!
Moto!
Don't touch
the lieutenant, please.
Backstrom: Okay. Okay.
I'm cool.
Okay, all right,
what -- what is this, huh?
Is that a...?
Do you like that?
Maybe get your lieutenant
off my brother.
Lieutenant, want to let
the man's throat go?
Okay.
Hey, hey, hey, hey,
stay back, okay?
It's over.
It's all good here.
Are you okay,
lieutenant?
I just needed...He...
What?
Did he hurt you?
What?
You want
to use your words?
He...
Is in possession
of stolen property.
[ laughs ]
check it.
Right in there.
What?
In there. Yeah.
I don't have any...
Whoa! Whoa!
Ah.
Arrest him!
No, no, hey,
that is not mine.
Consider yourself mirandized
for theft.
Okay.
Don't do it.
You don't want to do that.
You boys got pretty muscles,
But I got the kind
that cripple my opponents.
You want to be crippled?
Let's go.
Man: Chief,
where are you...
You're making a mistake.
[ laughs ]
[ gasps ]
[ laughter ]
I'll see you soon, neverett!
Oh, oh, oh,
police misconduct, huh?
False arrest!
I want to see
my union lawyer.
Stapling testicles?
What's the matter with you?
You never did nothing
like that, huh?
Dip a guy's head
into a toilet?
Ah.
So, you found a stolen watch
in his pocket?
Yeah,
from when he attacked me.
Same watch
that you showed me
Before you went out
to make this arrest?
Extremely similar watch.
But nothing else --
am I right?
That's all you found.
What does it matter,
gravely?
Listen,
it's leverage, okay?
Watch me use this
to force a confession.
You doing this because of what
happened when we were kids?
Huh?
Because everything that we did
was normal kid stuff.
You're supposed to laugh.
It wasn't funny.
Well, it wasn't funny
when me and nick
Bought
those illegal fireworks
And you ratted us out
to your dad,
The sheriff --
which, for the record,
Is why you got tossed
off the bridge.
You deserved it.
I'm you.
I was never a candy-ass.
I'm you --
Always in the shadow
of my brother, nick.
It was him who decided
we should steal from fires,
And I just went along,
'cause if anyone
is the candy-ass here,
It's me.
That's what I said.
No, you idiot,
I'm...I'm being you.
God, it's --
what?
[ sighs ]
I'm you.
I'm in love
with amelia meehan.
I collect seashells
and wildflowers for her,
And while I'm making her
a mixtape,
Little do I know
My brother's making her
in the basement.
You shut the hell up!
Remember that crawlspace?
I used to hide in there
to spy on you guys.
That's where I saw
amelia's boobs before you did --
When your brother nick
was pawing at them.
No!
Excuse me, lieutenant.
It's my understanding
sam d'agostino
Is being held
under suspicion of theft.
He was in possession
of a stolen watch.
Lieutenant, I suggest
you let mr. D'agostino
Off with a warning.
[ laughs ]
sam: You!
I was smitten!
I collected wildflowers!
I made mixtapes!
You touched her boobs!
Nick:
She had no boobs!
Gentlemen!
[ both grunting ]
I'm gonna need a moment
with my client.
Get off of me!
Gentlemen!
[ air horn blows ]
[ knock on door ]
[ door opens ]
What? Who is it?
Dabkey:
Lieutenant backstrom?
You?
What are you doing here?
Nick and sam...
Uh....
They...
Look, I don't like guys
like that.
I became a firefighter
because of my old man.
Yeah?
So what?
My dad's dead.
He died on the job.
Well, that's ironic,
Considering you're setting fires
to loot homes.
I don't know anything about
anybody setting any fires.
What I know about is guys
taking advantage of fires
To line
their own pockets.
[ chuckles ]
The canary sings.
[ laughs ]
You willing to testify?
Yeah, I am.
'cause I want my old man
to be proud of me.
Nick and sam say
you're a coward...
[ scoffs ]
...That
you're a dirty cop.
Yeah, okay.
All right, so, what,
You want to know
if you can trust me?
No, sir.
I got no choice
but to trust you,
'cause I'm placing my life
in your hands.
[ door closes ]
[ breathing heavily ]
[ heartbeat thudding ]
[ siren wails ]
Ekg is normal.
This is not
a cardiac event.
No, no, it's not cardiac.
Talk to my doctor, deb.
What are you doing?
You hear me?
Call my doctor, deb,
okay?
Come --
what are you doing?
What are you -- no, no!
One of the reasons
you should be nice
To the fire department...
My heart is fine!
...You could end up
in trouble someday --
Need some kind of help.
Clear!
[ electricity crackles ]
[ screams ]
[ gasping ]
[ screams, groans ]
[ horn honks ]
[ groans ]
Ooh.
Lieutenant?
I don't drink.
[ laughs ]
come on, man.
Call me for help
in the middle of the night,
And then you lie?
[ chuckles ]
[ laughs ]
[ thunder rumbles ]
[ grunts, groans ]
The emt that did this --
Friend of the d'agostino
brothers?
Everybody likes
the d'agostino brothers.
I've never had
the same advantage.
I know.
I'm a 32-year veteran
in this department.
Fact is,
nobody likes me.
[ both laugh ]
Except niedermayer.
Ah.
[ laughs ]
To niedermayer.
Niedermayer.
Maybe next time, call him
in the middle of the night.
Nobody but you
would believe what happened.
What am I doing wrong?
Really?
You asking me?
That's what it means when
a sentence goes up at the end.
You got to give gravely
her due.
What?
Why? No, why?
Well, she's the one that hauls
your ass out of the sling
Every time you get creative
with your police work.
She could learn a lot
from me.
Yeah, mostly how not
to build a case.
[ chuckles ]
what is she, like 16?
She's young...
But awful smart.
And brave, too.
Idealistic.
I feel like buying
girl scout cookies from her.
[ chuckles ]
she's got a theory
on the crime?
Yeah,
and I agree with her.
We all think
you're half right.
Your childhood enemies
are thieves.
And arsonists.
No, just thieves.
And gravely wants
to catch this firebug
Before it kills someone.
We all do.
I love
girl scout cookies.
I could eat bags
of them.
[ thunder rumbles ]
The mcmansion
on doylestown road
Was the 20th fire attributed
to the green flame --
The first 3 in washington,
the next 17 here in oregon.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I have an announcement to make.
[ groans ]
There's a...
Possibility that I was...
[ sighs ]
...Not right.
What? Are you saying
that you were wrong?
Maybe the thieves
and the pyromaniac
Are not the same person.
We need to find your arsonist
before they kill somebody.
Um...Okay.
Niedermayer, why don't you get
the lieutenant up to speed on --
Really?
Niedermayer:
I investigated the evidence
from the most recent fire,
And I found
a surprising development.
Though the mix of accelerants
is the same,
A burn pattern
at the point of ignition
Indicates that the arsonist
reverted to using
The jug-and-flare system
to light the fire.
Nadia:
Yeah, the jug-and-flare system
That used back
in the seattle fires.
The arsonist had graduated
to this electronic
"botched fuse" system
once he came to portland.
Well, he had, until now.
Which is why the development
is so surprising.
Jugs and flares point
to our fire artist, norburg,
But she was in custody
when the last fire was set.
Where's a picture
of this newfangled
"botched fuse" system?
Uh, no, I don't have one.
Have you seen it?
Has anyone?
Only in the arson-investigator
reports.
Only in diagram.
There were some photos,
but they were all indiscernible.
Because...
The arson investigator
was lying.
On the reports?
Why go there?
Because she lied to us
About why she wanted us
on the case in the first place.
She's a liar.
Yes,
the lieutenant's right.
I mean,
most of this investigation
Is based on
samantha orland's report,
So if she doctored
this information --
What else do you think
she was lying about?
The botched fuse --
it's b.S.
All the fires
were lit the same way,
Both cities --
jug and flare.
Madness has a method.
It doesn't change.
Samantha orland said
that the ignition system
Doesn't have anything to do
With the sexual compulsions
of the arsonist.
Ooh, that is not true.
Ignition,
psychologically,
Is the first step
in sexual arousal.
Oh, my god.
That lying liar.
She was lying
about everything!
We have to find
samantha orland.
Well, when you do...
Call me.
Where's sam?
Where's your bodyguard?
Watching larry dabkey
Give a statement
that you two are thieves.
Sam!
[ chuckles ]
It doesn't hurt anyone.
The families get reimbursed
by the insurance companies,
Who'd have to pay anyway
if the stuff gets burned.
That's a good defense.
You should totally use that
in court.
Hey, what's up?
Neverett's gonna put us
in jail.
What?
No, he's not gonna
do that.
He just wants his cut.
You guys are over amelia meehan
now, huh?
We're family.
We don't chew on things
from 30 years ago
That don't matter anymore.
I can get you out of this,
you know.
I don't always
do things perfect.
Even the worst lawyer
clues in on my missteps.
You'll walk away free.
Okay, all right, all right,
all right.
How much you want?
We'll give you a third.
I want bella back.
How are we supposed to know
where bella is?
Wait, wait, wait, wait!
It's -- it's --
it's in the garden shed
At the family place
in cooch county.
There.
Text! Text! Text!
Excuse me.
I got an arsonist
to go catch.
So long.
Wait!
What about your -- your misstep
to keep us out of jail?!
[ laughs ] I don't want
to keep you out of jail.
This is why you have no family,
no friends.
You're gonna die alone,
neverett.
[ laughing ] you morons.
We all die alone.
You won't, neverett.
In fact, sam and I might be
right there when it happens.
And I can
promise you this.
When that time comes,
you're gonna be very lonely.
[ chuckling ] oh, man.
[ camera shutter clicking ]
[ knock on window ]
[ gasps ]
Mind stepping out
of the vehicle, ma'am?
[ car door opens ]
Never mind.
We can just talk
right here.
[ car door closes ]
did something happen?
You identified
the arsonist?
Gravely: We think so.
Okay.
What are you
thinking about --
All of them on fire?
Moto, the camera.
You -- you think it's me?
You think that I'm wasting
my career chasing myself?
You started in seattle,
where the arson investigator
Discovered
your jug-and-flare system.
Then you moved to portland,
Where you were
the arson investigator,
So you could falsify
your own repots,
Say the arsonist
used an electric ignition.
This guy hates women.
You know that, right?
Why do you help him?
This guy? Oh, yeah, no,
he is the worst.
But, uh,
I don't actually think
He hates women
more than he hates men.
Thank you,
detective gravely.
He hates everybody.
But he really hates people
who try to get away with murder,
And he hates you.
Oh, well,
you're gonna need
A little bit more
than just hate.
See that, gravely?
Ah.
[ chuckles ]
That really got her
going.
I think she wants to burn
a family and have sex with me.
I'm you.
I'm a girl with a secret...
That burns like a flame.
I don't get turned on
like other women.
To really enjoy sex,
I need candles,
Because it's the flame
that gets me going,
Not the person in my bed.
And when
that stopped working...
I needed to set bigger
and better fires.
And when
that stopped working...
I needed to burn...
People.
That's just a story.
That's not proof.
You're right.
All confessions
are just stories,
But we have actual evidence
that you falsified reports.
She's got
"before" photos
From the last fire on here
and the one before that.
And I'm guessing we find
Something interesting
in her trunk.
[ car chirps ]
[ horn honks ]
Valentine: Chop-chop!
Cooch county's
a two-hour drive.
You already owe me
for gas.
Gravely: Whoa!
You don't want
to make the arrest?
She's your collar, gravely.
Make the girl scouts proud.
Samantha orland,
you are under arrest for arson.
You have the right
to remain silent.
Everything you say can
and will be used against you
In a court of law.
Valentine:
Well, I come out here,
And I am really glad
My traumatic childhood
took place in the city.
Backstrom: I got mosquito bites,
you got herpes.
I win.
I don't have herpes...
Anymore.
It's right here.
There?
[ coughs ]
See anything?
Not yet. Calm down.
God, this flashlight app
sucks.
Hey,
did you ever consider
What kind of shape bella's
gonna be in after 30 years?
I brought duct tape.
Look, I don't see anything, man.
Maybe they were lying.
Of course they lied.
They're probably laughing at me
coming all this way for nothing.
[ coughs ]
Wait.
What's that?
Now, you realize
You're gonna have to risk
your life and run, right?
One, two, three!
♪ you used to take me up
[ grunts ]
♪ I watched and learned
♪ how to fly
♪ no navigation system
[ laughing ]
♪ beyond our eyes
You really
made that yourself?
Yeah.
♪ watching
When you were 12?
Yeah.
♪ I always went wrong
in the same place ♪
Hey, can I try?
No.
♪ where the river splits
towards the sea ♪
♪ there
couldn't possibly be ♪
Could you make me one?
Yeah.
♪ a you and me
Stop talking.
[ gasps ]