Blue Bloods (2010–…): Season 9, Episode 18 - Rectify - full transcript

We do have solid evidence.

We have Ms. Johnson's DNA

at the scene
and on Oscar Brown's body.

The foster mother's DNA
on the foster child's body.

That's solid?

Eh, she's with him every day.

Anthony, why are you
trying to unravel this?

I'm not, eh, but why would
one of the other foster kid

give Ms. Johnson an alibi?

Why say he was with
her if he wasn't?

I'm sorry, but the word of
a 16-year-old does not hold up



against solid forensic evidence.

It just doesn't
add up.

She's been fostering kids
for decades.

- Why kill one now?
- You know why.

Because Oscar Brown had
severe disabilities.

She was way in
over her head.

She cracked. That's why.

A.D.A. Reagan.

Sir.

Thank you for
the good work

you've been doing
on the Brown case.

Thank you.

We're all good?

90% there.



Poor child,
left alone

to die in a dumpster.

There's only one way
this is gonna go, right?

I don't take
any case lightly,

let alone one involving a child.

Which is why

I was hesitant
to give this to you,

because you do have a habit
of fixing things

that aren't broken.

Well, no one said
it's broke, but I think...

We will be proceeding
to the grand jury as planned.

CHATWAL:
Good.

Bring it on home.

I'm gonna go talk to this kid.

Why would you do that?

To make sure it ain't broke.

You just heard him.

Look, if Judith Johnson really did
this, then the kid is lying.

It's only right
that we find out why.

Hold up.

Man, I told you
I didn't do nothing.

Take your hands
out of your pockets

and keep 'em
where we can see 'em.

Got anything on you?
Turn around.

- I'm on him!
- I got your six.

(both shout)

Police! Stop right there!

(panting)

(siren wailing in distance)

Police!

Don't move.

Take your hands
out of your pockets,

keep them where I can see them.

Where's your partner?

Right behind me.

Doesn't look like it.

Drop the knife.

Drop the knife.

Drop the knife now.

Down on the ground now.

Face down, arms out. Let's go.

(panting):
Sorry.

(Leary panting over video)

What? I'm here, and you're fine.

Officer Witten was fine.

No thanks to her partner.

Who's not fine is about
half the rank and file.

There's a pretty loud call for
a yearly physical fitness exam

so they don't end up
in a similar situation.

Or else.

- Or else?
- Not-so-veiled threats to leak

the body cam footage straight
to the press if nothing changes.

But can you blame them? It's not
exactly safe to have a cop

who can't climb
a few flights of stairs.

That was, like, a dozen flights.

It was four.

Let's not start fat-shaming.

- Fat-shaming?
- Yeah, it's a thing.

I know that,
but I didn't know you knew that.

I've been a big guy
my whole life,

and it's never made me
any less of a cop.

All right? Physical fitness does
not make a guy do a good job.

What are you talking about?

Being a police officer
is a physical job.

Yeah, and physical
comes in all sizes!

And they're not equal. I lost
50 pounds since September,

and it's changed my life.

And, yes, for
the better.

Wow, I had no idea you lost
that much. Good for you.

I get it, you see me every day,
it's hard to tell.

Sorry, did we hurt
your feelings?

Okay.

Thank you.

So, Slim, what's your point?

I'm off my cholesterol meds,
blood pressure's down,

and I have more energy
than I've had in years.

And if I'm a cop,
I'm a more effective cop.

At what?
Investigating the salad bar?

At backing up an Officer Witten.

Boss, would you tell him?

Tell him what?

Good cops come
in all shapes and sizes.

Good cops come in all shapes
and sizes.

Except grossly out of shape.

Talk to the unions, take their
temperature on where they stand

on a physical standard for cops.

But a lot of guys would
not pass a tough physical.

I know that. I know that, Sid.

And it's a big consideration.

But I can't unsee
what I watched.

Caller said to look
into a William Sloan.

Who calls about a murder
from over a decade ago?

Apparently,
the victim's sister's

been calling in for years.

It's a slow day,
I figured let's have some fun.

That's your idea of fun?

Sloan's listed here
as the only suspect.

So why wasn't he collared
for it back then?

I don't know. I mean,
there's not much of a case here.

It seems the investigation
just fell off.

Well, who was the lucky idiot
that caught the case?

"Detect..."

What?

Who is it?

Actually, you know what?

I just lost my appetite
for cold cases.

No-- wait...
(sighs)

"Detective Sid Gormley."

♪ Blue Bloods 9x18 ♪
Rectify
Original Air Date on April 5, 2019

== sync, corrected by elderman ==
@elder_man

♪
♪

- Hey, Sarge.
- What's up?

I heard Leary transferred
out of our house.

Yeah, requested to be
transferred to Fleet Services

after the incident
with Witten.

Officer Witten's
without a partner now?

That's right.

Coincidentally, so am I.

Whoa, you want me

to partner you
with Officer Witten?

- Why not?
- She's a rookie.

I was gonna partner you
with Rodriguez or Tupper.

Somebody more on your level.

Were you aware that Maya and I
were one of, like,

a hundred female partners
in the NYPD?

I didn't know that
very specific statistic, no.

You know how many male
partnerships there are?

Over 8,000.

What else
don't I know?

That maybe I could teach
Witten a thing or two.

All due respect
to my father's judgment,

Witten seems to have a knack
for attracting problems.

Okay, so let me respect
your father's judgment.

He clearly sees
potential in her.

And I'd like another shot

at teaming
with a female partner.

Just think about it.

(indistinct chatter)

So how long you been under
Ms. Johnson's foster care?

Since I was 14,
so almost two years.

And where you staying now?

I don't know.
They're taking me tonight.

- You like living in Ms. Johnson's home?
- Yeah.

She was cool.

Some boys liked to call her Mom.
She was warm like that,

but I already got a mom.

- But she's in jail.
- Yeah.

For 16 years.

And she went in
right after you were born?

No, I was,
I was born in that prison.

You said that you
and Ms. Johnson, uh,

were at the movies between
8:00 and 10:00 the night of.

Yeah.

- What movie?
- Avengers.

- The latest one.
- Where at?

AMC, 124th Street.

- What time?
- 7:55.

You got proof?

I mean, anyone else with you?

You take a selfie there
with Ms. Johnson?

Just me and her.
No, why would I do that?

It was just a movie.

And when you got home,
Oscar was missing.

Yeah. She called 911 right away,
and that's that.

Sam, uh, Ms. Johnson's gonna
be charged with murder.

So if you got any proof that
she couldn't have done this,

I suggest you tell me now.

She didn't do it.

And I got to do my homework.

Okay, well,

if you remember anything,
you let me know.

(door opens)

Hey.

Thanks for coming, boss.

Good man.

What are we drinking to?

I never knew you
to need an excuse.

Fair enough.

You sure you're not loosening me
up so I share all my secrets?

Well, I did have a question.

Of course you did.

Cold case came across my desk.

The name William Sloan
ring a bell?

Yeah, sure, why do you ask?

Do you remember
why you didn't like him

for the Caroline Russo murder?

Oh, boy, wow, you're asking
a lot of an old man's memory.

I know.

I think he had an alibi,
for starters.

He did, yeah.

So what's the problem?

There's no problem,
I just was clearing things up.

You looking into my cases?

You know me
better than that, boss.

A cold case comes across
my desk, I got to take a look.

Then do me a favor,
leave it alone.

LYONS: You can't just
retroactively change

the collective
bargaining agreement.

And, no, not even him.

Johnny, we're just talking.
No one's making threats.

I know him. He walks softly
and carries a big stick.

I'm sure you realize that if we
require better physical health

from our officers,
your union benefits.

And why is that?
Health care costs go down,

your kitty goes up.

List of illnesses
can be prevented

by better physical fitness.

So?

So that's fewer prescriptions

your health plan
wouldn't have to cover.

I don't need your statistics.

You don't need to save money
for the union?

What I need to save is
my officers' jobs.

Johnny, we're not looking
to put anyone out of work.

That would be the result.

Look, I'll put up posters
of the food pyramid.

I'll organize 5k runs,

whatever you like.

I will not do anything
that affects

the livelihood of our officers.

No one cares about the
livelihood of our officers

more than me.

So prove it.

I don't need
to prove anything to you.

To them.

To the cops.

Back off.
The-the NYPD is some kind of

Miss America contest
all of a sudden.

That's a load of crap
and you know it.

Come on, Johnny, you know
we need you on board here.

Nobody has their trust,
has their ears the way you do.

And I am not gonna
betray that trust

for some New Age-y wellness BS.

Sorry.

(sighs)

That went well.

WITTEN:
Great. I'll see you there.

- What was that about?
- Thanks.

She's in a fraternal
organization I joined

called "A Squad of Our Own."
- Oh, what's that?

Putting together teams

and schedules for
female officers.

So far, we have softball,
basketball, soccer.

Thought only the guys had that.

Which is why it got started.

It's like
a female empowerment thing?

God, I hope not.

- Then what?
- More like a...

"why should the guys be
the only ones

"that get to get sweaty,
then have beers

and hit on cute bartenders
after the game" thing.

That's a good thing.

You play anything?

I played softball all the way
through high school.

Softball practice
is Tuesdays and Thursdays.

I'm a pitcher.

I play a mean shortstop.

The one we have lacks
a certain killer's instinct.

You interested?

Yeah.

(softly):
Okay.

Uh, you want to drive?

I'll ride shotgun
and take the next tour.

Sounds like a plan.

- What the hell happened?
- It's on me, I can explain.

Oh, I see. You're delayed
because of this guy.

I gave him 24 hours to
check all the boxes...

I think there's another

foster kid who has more to tell.
- ...and time's up.

So we're ready to move on.

Oh, good. Is that all right
with you, Detective?

I'm just crossing T's
and dotting I's.

- Consider it done.
- But it's not done.

Hey, I just said it was.

Are you running a railroad
here? 'Cause that's what I see.

You want to talk your way
out of a job?

Can we just step back, please?

You need to sit your man down

and explain to him...

Anthony is
a very committed detective,

which makes him
one of the best we've got.

Please.

You are racking up the IOUs,
A.D.A. Reagan.

There will be no more surprises
on this one, I promise.

Bring me charges.

Do the job
that you are paid for.

Are you kidding me?

I should be asking you
that question.

♪ ♪

So how'd it go
with Officer Witten?

I like her.

- Like her how?
- What do you mean?

- As a cop, as a person?
- Both.

She gets involved,
she puts herself out there.

Out there how?

What's with the third degree?

Wow.

Make his a double.

Whatever IPA you have
on tap, please.

Same.

You're right, sorry.

I got handed her
by my dad like a hot potato

after he canned her

for obvious profiling
and then changed his mind.

Next thing I know,
she's getting

Leary off the beat, so...

She didn't get Leary anything.

She seems like a trouble magnet.

She's not.

- Out there and involved how?
- Well, she helps

put together these female
officer sports teams.

Like a female empowerment thing?

No, like an after-work
sports thing.

And I'm trying out
for shortstop.

Bad idea.

I'm a really great shortstop,
thank you very much.

No, I mean, that's not
what those clubs are about.

They're all about networking

and back-scratching
and trying to find

hooks with higher-ups.
- Well, this one's

about getting sweaty
and going out

for beers together afterwards.
- No, Eddie,

they're all fronts for agendas.

You're about to become
a Reagan, it's a no-go.

Oh, seriously?

Yeah.

I mean, don't take it
the wrong way.

People like you for you,
but you're about to become

the daughter-in-law of the PC.

And the former PC.

You're gonna have to accept
that some people

are gonna try to use you.

To do what?

Win a women's softball game?

Now you're just being stubborn.

No, you know what I'm being?

I'm being, uh, like,

astonished that my fiancé
is trying to tell me

what I can and I cannot do.

Let me guess.

Lieutenant Gormley
told you to stay out of it.

Something like that.

And you were just like,
"Okay, we'll stay out of it"?

No, there is
definitely

something shady going on.

You know, our former boss
has a new boss

who happens to be my old man,
in case you didn't know.

Yeah, I'm well aware
of that.

Okay, so what are you doing?

Looking for the truth.

What if we don't like
the truth that we discover?

Sloan was living a double life.

One as the lover to the victim
Caroline Russo

and one as
a married ATF agent.

Sloan was working for ATF?

Still is.

Gormley spent years
working in Narcotics.

Yeah, I know.

And Narcotics
works closely with ATF.

So you're suggesting
that Gormley may have been

covering up
for this Sloan character?

There's only one way
to find out.

Well, you're the one that said
you wanted to have some fun.

It's not my idea of fun anymore.

Have a seat.
(exhales)

- Great job out there.
- Thanks. You, too.

So, we'll see you
at practice?

Oh, I'm sorry,
I-I can't.

- Uh...
- What do you mean? I thought...

I'm just, I'm not
much of a joiner.

Sounded like you liked
playing softball.

I do, I did.

I haven't played in a long
time, actually, though.

So...

Right, okay.

Thanks for the invite.

Sure. Eddie.

Is it 'cause of me?

Is what?

I'm not deaf or blind.

I know there's people blaming me
for Leary getting bounced out.

Not me-- Leary has got no one
to blame but himself.

That and beer and pizza
and doughnuts.

Yeah, well...

i-if you want me to put in

for a new partner, I'm happy to.

Oh, well, I don't.

You change your mind, I'm cool.

Rachel, I'm not gonna
change my mind.

I'm just not much of a joiner.

See you tomorrow.

(woman shouting in distance)

Sam, what are you doing?

It's freezing out here.

- Got locked out.
- So call 'em up.

- Your, your foster parents.
- I did.

I keep getting voice mail.

(exhales)

You want to go get a cup
of coffee or something?

No, I don't want to miss
when she comes back.

I got homework.

Here.

What's this?

It's a ticket stub
from the movie that night.

Just the one?

Yeah.

Look, I wasn't lying.

I... I did go.

But I went by myself.

Look, she was,
she was really good to me.

And I really don't want her
to go to prison.

But...

(sniffles)
Even more than that,

I-I want to be the first person

in my family not
to go to prison.

What would you go
to prison for, Sam?

Lying to law enforcement,
false witnessing, I don't know.

Uh, so you're saying
you have no idea

what Ms. Johnson
was doing that night?

No, sir. I don't.

I only said I did 'cause
I didn't want to move again.

It was a good home.

(sighs heavily)

WOMAN:
Sam?

Sam, get over here.

There she is.

(panting):
Grab some of these.

- I got to go.
- Make yourself useful.

(indistinct chatter)

BAEZ:
William Sloan?

I'm Detective Baez, this is
my partner Detective Reagan.

And what can I do for you?

Just want to ask you
a few questions.

Oh yeah, su--
a-anything, Detectives.

Uh, have a, have a seat.

You've been working with

the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco and Firearms

for almost 20 years?
- Yeah, that's correct.

Back in 2009,
almost ten years ago,

what was your position
with the agency?

2009.

This about Caroline?

- You know something about that?
- Let me guess.

Her sister Lorraine's been
banging on your door again.

Look, I've tried
for years

to move on.

It was not a good time for me.

Not a good time how?

Well, I lost the love
of my life.

BAEZ:
But you were

married at the time, correct?

No, I was separated.
Since divorced.

And Caroline was the best thing
that ever happened to me.

Her death was the worst.

So how come you're not spending

every waking moment
trying to find her killer?

- I guess I gave up hope.
- Why do you suppose

her sister's so convinced
it was you?

I don't know.
You know, people mourn

in all kinds
of different ways, I guess.

I'm-I'm an open book,
Detectives.

DANNY:
Mm-hmm.

Um...

what exactly do you do here?

Uh, exactly what it looks
like I do.

I sit behind this desk, I, uh...

check and recheck forms all day.

And you've always sat
behind the desk?

Yeah.

I know it's not flashy
and impressive

like what you guys do,
but I actually enjoy

the administrative work.
- You work closely with the NYPD?

Uh, no.

No, that doesn't really come
with the territory.

Do you have any
friends in the NYPD?

No.

Sorry, I'm at a loss here,
Detectives.

What's that got to do
with Caroline?

DANNY:
Nothing, honestly.

Uh, hope we didn't
waste your time.

A PD in Colorado
has had a test

like the one we're talking about
for the last two years,

and they've seen marked
reductions in sick days

and medical claims.

And by their metrics,
even a lower crime rate

due to a more proactive police
presence across the board.

Win-win.

How many failed the test?

Almost 40%.

An obstacle, I know.

More like an iceberg.

That ratio holds,
we're out 15,000 cops.

You're late.

But prepared.

Read 'em and weep.

That's every cop,
detective, sergeant,

and lieutenant
who wouldn't pass

the proposed fitness exam.

How can you know when
they haven't taken the exam?

Eyeballing. Every single one
of these guys

very likely would
end up out of a job.

You know how many
lives they saved,

murders they solved?

I'm guessing
you're gonna tell us.

It's right there, all listed.

Wow, I think this is the hardest
you've ever worked.

You think you're better at your
job 'cause you lost 50 pounds?

- 'Cause I ain't seeing it.
- Cut it out.

Both of you.

He started it.

Sit down, Sid.

(sighs)
We have not made a decision.

That's why we're here,
to look at all sides.

And you brought us one of them.

My side has the unions on it.
That's one big fat side.

No pun intended.

You know what, go down to one
of those fancy-ass gyms,

grab every meathead
in the joint,

put 'em in a uniform
and out in the street,

and see what happens.
- That's not what this is about.

This is a bad idea, boss.

It's not a bad idea...
or a good idea.

It's just an idea
whose time has come.

And it arrived on that
rooftop the other day

gasping for air,
sweating bullets,

50 pounds overweight.

And wearing our uniform.

(sighs)

(door opens)

(sighs)

The kid was fibbing.

You mean the kid lied
to investigators?

He wasn't with her the night of.

And?

My gut said he
knew something.

I was wrong.

So that's it?
I'm free to move on?

You always were.

Thanks for giving me
the leeway.

I'll apologize to the D.A.

You know, it's
a good day, Anthony.

We're doing what
we advertise we do.

We're putting the killer away.

Yeah. Yay.

What?

(sighs)

You should see what we
do to these kids, Erin.

You know, they sent
Sam to a home

where they kept him
locked out for hours?

But apparently there's
no other place for him

in the foster system.

We didn't do that.
You didn't lock him out.

Yeah, I know.

I think it might be time that
you step down from this case.

That's not necessary.

I wasn't asking.

(indistinct chatter)

I hear you two are still
digging into my case.

What, you don't
trust me, Reagan?

Come on, boss, I never thought
for a second you was crooked.

And now we know it.
It all checked out.

You checked up on me?

(sighs)
I did.

And what if I was
covering up for the guy?

Then you know
how the story goes.

Sorry, boss.

I'm the one who owes you
an apology.

Why is that?

That case happened during one
of the worst years of my life.

My marriage was breaking up,

I was knee-deep in debt.

I know a couple of cases must
have fell through the cracks.

Why didn't you just tell me
that in the first place?

Because I was embarrassed
that you would solve it

so easily when I couldn't.

Not that easily;
we still don't have

anything solid on Sloan.

- No, we don't.
- What I should have done

was just help you guys out,

which is what I
want to do now.

Great. Be our guest.

I bagged on the softball team,
like you told me to.

I didn't tell
you to, I asked.

Rachel Witten thought
it was about her,

thought that cops were
lining up against her

'cause Leary got fired
for being fat.

I'm gonna clear that up
with the whole squad.

You know,
the last partner I had,

she kept secrets from me, and
that didn't turn out so great.

I wasn't asking you
to keep secrets,

just not to go joining
any organizations

on account of the fact that...
- I'm gonna be a Reagan?

Yeah, like I said,
it comes with...

You know, I need to know
what else I need to know.

Family dinner.
What gets you excused?

Gunshot wound?

Fever of 104?
Is there a list somewhere?

Are we talking, or are
we just talking smack?

You guys all belong
to fraternal organizations

in the department,
so what gives?

Is it 'cause I'm female?

We belong to the ancient ones,
Eddie, it's not the same thing.

What about when we get married?
Am I expected to retire?

You're expected to do
what you want to do.

On what? Which things?

- Is there a list?
- Cut it out.

Rachel Witten was hurt.
I could see it.

And the only way
that you can make amends

is by playing shortstop
on her club?

Eddie, come on.

I'm off the case, Sam.

So, if you got anything
you want to say,

I got to refer you to...

I just wanted to say I'm sorry.

I feel bad about lying to you.

You came all this way
just to say you're sorry?

I got locked out again.

All right, come on in.

Why won't she let
you have a key?

Because I'm 16.

She says she don't want
no 16-year-old

coming and going like he please.

What's in this?

Bucatini with Sunday sauce.

What's Sunday sauce?

Garlic, oil, good tomatoes,
some chopped up onions.

This is delicious,
and I hate onions.

They cook down.

You don't even know
they're in there.

- Hmm.
- Meatballs.

Sweet sausage, but the kind
without the fennel seeds.

What's fennel seeds?

Tastes kind of like licorice.

Overwhelms the other flavors.

Who wants licorice
on their noodles?

On their pasta.

And my point exactly.
(chuckles)

I'm just seeing this now.

- It's a mock-up.
- Oh.

It's also bound to happen.
Not bound.

Well, more than likely
at best.

Look, I get it, slim.
It's important to you.

It's important to you, too.

You're as vain about the
department as he ever was.

Not vain.

Proud. Protective.
Whatever you want to call it.

We can't do it if
Johnny Lyons is against it.

Sure we can.
You're the police commissioner.

Yeah, then I'd be
the police commissioner

of a fractured rank and file.

- I will not do that.
- Then what?

Maybe it's not
a "what" question.

Maybe it's a "who" question.

DANNY:
Yeah, I got it.

You believe this guy Sloan?

He's still got three people
claiming they were with him

the night of the murder.

And another 12 listed
as character witnesses,

all sticking to their
side of the story.

Who the hell lists a dozen
character witnesses anyway?

Someone trying
to cover their ass.

Wait a second.

What do you got, boss?

We have 15 people here with
one big thing in common.

Crappy taste in friends?

And they all hold
federal firearms licenses.

You think this somehow
connects back to Sloan?

Sloan's been working at
the ATF for decades, right?

Doing what?

Paperwork. Nothing fancy.

All 15 of these people need
their FFLs to conduct business.

And what better place to get
those than from an ATF agent?

Sloan bribed them
for his alibi.

Hmm.

Once a detective.

Let's bring him in.

- Danny.
- Yeah?

You planted that for him
in plain sight, didn't you?

I don't know what
you're talking about.

You're telling me that
Lieutenant Gormley

just happened to stumble upon
this groundbreaking connection,

and you didn't?

Mm-hmm.

Hmm.

No, I've been single
since I lost Caroline.

Women, you can't live
with 'em...

You know, I think the phrase
should end right there.

(laughs)
No.

You know, it wasn't like that
with Caroline, though.

She never gave me
any issues.

- Never?
- No.

- Come on.
- Really. She was a saint.

- You must have fought sometimes.
- Never. (chuckles)

Wow.

My wife and I
at the time, boy,

we were going through
some rough stuff.

- Hmm. I'm sorry to hear that.
- Don't be.

You didn't forget her birthday
three years in a row.

(laughs)

But then we went
to this great therapist.

Yeah, he really
helped us through it.

That's great.

Yeah, he was great.

He was recommended to us
by another cop,

Officer Lou Simon.

Real sensitive guy,
you know.

Always talked things out.

He's retired now.

I reached out to him recently,

you know, with
all this happening.

You know him?

- No, don't know him.
- That's funny

'cause he says he knows you.

Says he recommended
the very same couples shrink.

(chuckles)

All right, so Caroline and I
had some issues.

I thought you never fought?

Well, I prefer to think of them
as disagreements.

And was it a disagreement
that led you

to take a 2x4 to her skull?

She wanted you
to leave your wife.

And I was going to.

She wouldn't listen.

Women.

They never listen.

Help me help you.

(door opens)

- Nice work.
- Yeah, little rusty.

You still got it.

- And, Danny.
- Yeah?

Thanks for teeing up
that evidence for me.

What... (sighs)

Judith Johnson was indicted
for murder this morning.

Congratulations.

How's Sam doing?

How should I know?

Just a feeling.

You threw me off the case,

and he wasn't part of the case
after he fessed up.

Again, how's Sam doing?

He's gonna be okay.

With your help?

We're gonna sign papers
later today.

Gonna foster Sam myself.

Anthony, what're you doing?

I'm helping a kid out.
Show me the law against it.

- There isn't one.
- He's almost 17.

So throw him a party.

At 17 and a half,
he can take the NYPD exam.

It doesn't make it a smart move.

At 18, he could join
the armed services

and gain credit towards
the Academy's requirements.

That's the deal we made.

It's not like I always
wanted a son, but...

one came knocking
and I answered the door.

Friend and I had the same
conversation hundreds of times,

except with us, it was about
her going back to work.

You didn't
want her to?

I thought that's what I wanted.

But if we were gonna be happy,
she had to be happy,

and that's what I really wanted.

Well, Jamie and me,
it's not about me working.

No, but it is about
the same stubbornness

that is inherent
in the Reagan DNA.

Do you know how
our brother Joe died?

I've heard stories.

He joined an NYPD
fraternal organization

called the Blue Templar.

Jamie never talks
about that part.

With good reason.

The Blue Templar was supposed
to police the police.

Things changed,
they got rotten, and...

when Joe got close to naming
names, they killed him.

They tried to kill Jamie, too.

Yeah, they did.

So when my kid brother gets
to believing something,

even a superstition,
which this is,

his pylons get sunk deep.

How do I talk to him?

I listened to him,

maybe he'll listen to me.

With your permission, of course.

HENRY:
Dinner's ready.

Let me know.

No bacon?

That's just a green salad, Pop.

Yeah, but bacon
livens up a salad.

Bacon makes
everything better.

- (chuckles) Yeah.
NICKY: We've got fried chicken

and cheddar biscuits
and mac and cheese

and you're missing
the bacon?

So?
So, rule number nine to live by,

you can eat whatever
you want as long as it has

a green salad next to it...
- Yeah.

...not french fries.

You should put that
in the Patrol Guide.

Really? It's reached
the D.A.'s office?

What's reached where?

Anthony got wind of it,
so you can imagine his reaction.

I can.

There's talk of a physical
standard for cops' fitness,

like a test.

Also known as discrimination.

Oh, come on, Pop.

Jack Axelrod, my chief of D's...

Yeah.

...he closed his weight
in major cases.

And bought the farm before
he reached retirement age.

Okay, I'll
give you that.

But he would've been
a great loss

if I'd had to fire him
because he was husky.

DANNY:
Husky.

Exactly how fat is husky?

I'm not talking about
Navy SEAL shape, Pop,

but being able to run up
a few flights of stairs,

you bet.

You're trapped in a fire
on the third floor,

you're praying that the
firefighters can run up there.

- It's the same thing.
- Exactly.

Well, you're preaching
to the choir here,

but how do you legislate that?

It's just setting
a minimum standard.

I know, but what if you got
one cop who's quick on his feet,

but then there's
another cop who,

when she pulls up
to a crime in progress,

she's got, like, X-ray vision,
but then you got another cop

who can disarm
and defuse a standoff

like he's singing a lullaby.
I mean, which one of those cops

would we want to lose
because they're out of shape?

I hate to admit it,
but he has a point.

It becomes
a slippery slope.

No, no, no. Danny hit it
right on the nose.

In a perfect world,
all three of those cops

could run up a flight of stairs
and climb over a fence.

And when you find
the perfect world,

please send me the address.

Union President Lyons.

If this is about
the beauty contest,

you're wasting
your time and mine.

Well, it is
and it isn't.

You can't have it
both ways.

- Neither can you.
- Uh, you lost me.

If you think I want to fire
one single cop,

the answer is no, never.

I've done enough of that
to last me ten lifetimes.

So what do you want?

For my cops to succeed.

Sounds like we want
the same thing.

Good.

What the hell?

You knew you couldn't
climb the career ladder

carrying all that lard.

Some might call that
hypocritical.

- I sure do.
- Where'd you get this?

You did a pretty good job
of scrubbing,

but you missed a few
from the '90s

during your time
with the Baltimore PD.

Doesn't matter what I did.

And what did you do, Johnny?
What do you call it?

- Gastric bypass?
- Cosmetic surgery?

More than just
a tummy tuck.

I mean, imagine if that got out.

I mean,
it's not like

you even sweated off
the extra weight,

disciplined yourself,
set an example.

You took the shortcut.

The rank and file
is gonna eat you for lunch.

Not if this exam puts those
same officers out of the job.

For every officer
currently on the job,

the exam will be optional.

So why would anyone take it?

Because you're gonna
offer them cuts

on their insurance co-pays
if they do.

- Oh, come on.
- And from now on,

new NYPD contracts will contain
a mandatory evaluation.

I scheduled a joint press
conference in half an hour.

What am I supposed
to tell recruits?

That, together,

we just raised the bar.

So when's
the first game?

Saturday versus Women's
Correction Officers.

I bet they're
good with a bat.

We'll find out.

JAMIE:
Officer Janko?

I'll meet up with you.

So my brother
talked to you.

Yeah.

And he said
he'd talk to me.

He asked permission, actually.

Well, he did.

Sometimes I'm gonna
have things to say to you

that I need to preface
with, "If I were you..."

Okay.

Things like, "If I
were you, I'd slow down.

If I were you,
I'd think twice."

Like that, instead of just,
"Slow down, think twice."

So maybe if I
forget sometimes,

you can remind me.

What I should've said is,

"If I were you,
I wouldn't go joining

any fraternal
organizations."

But I know
that I'm not you,

only you're you.

Okay.

So, Janko...

...be careful out there.

Thanks, Sarge.

== sync, corrected by elderman ==
@elder_man