NCIS: Los Angeles (2009–…): Season 13, Episode 2 - Fukushu - full transcript
NCIS takes the case personally when an LAPD officer's father, a beloved elderly Japanese American veteran, is the victim of a vicious hate crime.
Got you.
Oh!
You know, live bait isn't cheap.
Your days are numbered.
Sorry!
Uh...
♪
Ah!
♪
That was not good.
Oh! That's the one.
That's my personal best.
Put that down.
And put that against any
cornerback in the NFL Combine.
Oh. Oh, my bad, Deeks.
I thought you were warming up.
I didn't even count that one.
That's not cool, man. That's
the definition of "not cool."
Get it.
Yes!
What'd you get? What'd you get?
Yes!
What'd I get? I got 21 inches.
That's what I got.
All right, Kens, I see you.
Hey, that's right up there
with defensive tackles
at the Combine.
Nice. I will take it.
Those guys have
about 200 pounds on me,
but how many of them
can shoot a man center mass
at 1,200 meters?
I'd say none of them.
None of them.
Let's go, Sam. That's 14.
Putting up big numbers.
I'm sorry, what?
14 reps? 225?
Ooh.
Let's do this.
You got this, Sam.
Come on. Come on.
Is that even safe?
I mean, for someone your age?
Not that you're old, 'cause
I'm not saying that you're old.
I'm just saying something
could pop, like an eyeball.
Shut it, Deeks.
Oh, that doesn't look good.
Please don't pop an eyeball.
Oh, my God,
you're gonna pop an eyeball.
Come on. Go, go, go, go,
go, go, go.
18.
Okay, please don't pop
your eyeball.
I can't unsee
something like that.
19. Let's go.
Yeah.
He's got one. He got one more.
Come on, Sam. Come on.
Come on.
Yeah. Get it.
Don't touch him. He's got it.
I'm not, it's all him.
He's got it. He's got it.
Yes, sir!
Yes!
20!
That's a legit number
for an NFL linebacker
right there, Sam.
That's serious.
Aaron Donald did 35.
Yeah, well,
Aaron Donald's a freak.
Yes, but can Aaron Donald
hit a guy center mass
at 1,200 meters?
What? What is wrong with you?
I'm just saying.
Hitting a man center mass
at 1,200 meters
is not the sort of skill
that the U.S. military
wants many people to have.
I thought
Charlton Heston was dead.
You should be humbled
that you had that training,
Agent Blye.
Not something to brag about.
Understood, sir. I'm sorry.
But if there's
only one seat left
in the Humvee,
then Aaron Donald's
getting left behind at the base,
and you will have my six.
No. Why? No,
don't-don't do that.
Don't encourage her. Why-why
are you encouraging this?
We catch a case, Admiral?
Yeah, Sam.
And it's a tough one.
Lieutenant Junior Grade
Craig Tanaka
was beaten
to within an inch of his life
yesterday at Dockweiler Beach.
What's his condition now?
That is yet to be determined.
He's being prepped
for his second surgery.
At his age
with injuries like this,
it is not looking good.
How old is he?
73 years old.
Lieutenant JG Tanaka
served aboard
the destroyer USS Walke
during the Vietnam War.
So somebody beat up a
73-year-old Vietnam War veteran.
Who does that?
Someone that's about
to be hunted down by us.
Well, Callen's in Napa.
He'll be back in a few hours.
Lieutenant Tanaka's son
is an LAPD RHD detective.
I'm having him
sent over to the boatshed.
Sam, Fatima will meet you there.
Copy that.
Kensi and Deeks,
hit the crime scene.
Rountree, on me
in Ops. I am ten minutes out.
Got it.
With pleasure.
Sitrep.
Uh, yes, sir.
Uh, Tanaka's still in surgery,
but our guy is a fighter.
When the EMTs
were cleaning out their wagon,
they found this
bloody fish knife
engraved with
Tanaka's name.
The blood is human
but not Tanaka's.
He stuck 'em.
Looks that way, sir.
Well, I'd say the bastard
got more fight
than he was bargaining for
going after this lieutenant.
I'm so sick of the hate
on the streets right now.
Well, we don't know
it was a hate crime.
We don't know much of
anything yet. Want a water?
Yeah, sure.
I mean, it fits
the recent patterns
of Asian American beatings.
And they target
women, the elderly.
They sucker punch
them from behind.
I mean, hitting
an old person?
And then beating them
after they hit the ground?
That is pure hate.
Mm.
Well,
you started off
not wearing a hijab.
Then you found religion.
Now you're a young woman
living in L.A.,
and you wear one.
It's a big transition.
That's an understatement.
You know, growing up in L.A.,
I never really felt
like an outsider.
And contrary
to what 90210 tells you,
there are a lot of Persians
at Beverly Hills High.
But in the last few years
wearing the hijab...
I don't know, I've had
some really awful things
yelled at me.
But I've never experienced
violence like Lieutenant Tanaka.
Well, it starts off
with words.
Then they become more brazen.
Then words turn into violence.
So, you do think
this was a hate crime?
A good agent doesn't allow
their personal views
to steer the direction of a case
before the evidence comes in.
Yeah.
You've had
certain specific experiences.
They've shaped
your frame of reference.
Your gut instincts
could be valuable in this case,
so don't ignore them.
Hmm?
You know, it's a
little out the way,
but I was thinking maybe we
stop at La Perla Tapatia.
Grab some carne
asada for the grill.
Sure, whatever you want.
Or maybe after that
we go to Petrossian
for a small tin
of Baika caviar.
Yeah, that sounds good.
Who knows, maybe
finish off the night
with a nightcap
of illicit drugs.
Okay.
Look, I know you're mad.
What?
Because I'm mad, too.
Oh, no. No, I'm not mad.
I mean, don't get me wrong,
I'm so pissed, but more
than anything, I'm just...
sad. I'm just deeply sad.
I know. Me, too.
A 73-year-old Vietnam vet
was literally fighting
for his life
in a parking lot
in America.
Like, how does that happen
in the most powerful,
greatest country in the world?
Um...
Fr-Frustration.
Anger.
Fear. Hate.
You know, I don't know
if I told you this,
but after I quit being a lawyer,
I bought this van.
And I lived in it
for six months.
I went everywhere.
And I loved
every single mile of it
because I love this country.
I love the ocean
and the mountains
and the canyons
and these big cities
and small towns, but the thing
that I love the most
was all these amazing people
that I met everywhere.
Americans.
Yeah, Americans. Exactly.
But then I have to reconcile
with the fact
that this happened in America.
On our soil.
That a man that fought
for this country
was beaten to the ground
because of the color of his skin
and where his ancestors
are from.
We're better than this.
I mean, we have
to be better than this,
'cause this is not the country
that I know and love.
Enter.
Sir, Lieutenant Tanaka's
out of surgery,
but we don't have an update
on his current condition yet.
Got it.
There something else?
Yes, sir.
Well...
I wanted to know, um...
Well...
You practicing a TikTok
or asking a question?
No, sir.
I wanted to know why
the Office of Special Projects
got assigned this case.
I could tell you
that Lieutenant JG Tanaka
was a well-respected
volunteer docent
at the National
Submarine Memorial, West.
But that's not
why we got assigned this case.
No, it isn't.
I requested this
directly from SECNAV
because it might be
a hate crime directed
against a Japanese American
naval veteran.
Okay.
Sit.
I grew up in Oregon,
and my best friend
was a guy named Ralph Sakamoto.
Lived next door.
And every Sunday,
Ralph's family would cook us
these huge meals.
Every Sunday.
And one day, I asked my mom
why they did that.
And she told me that back
when the U.S. government
imprisoned
all the Japanese Americans
back during World War II,
that people started to loot
and vandalize
their empty homes.
Damn, that's messed-up.
That's what my dad thought.
And he told Mom that nobody,
nobody was gonna touch
the Sakamotos' home
while they were locked up.
But, sure as hell,
looters trying to steal
and racists just full of hate
tried that house.
My old man
sat on the front porch
with one shotgun across his lap
and another one at his side.
And he sat on that porch
every night after work
for two years
till the Sakamotos were freed.
Sounds like your father
was an incredible man.
That he was.
And what kind of a son
would I be
if I didn't track down
the son of a bitch
that did this
to Lieutenant Tanaka?
Yes, sir.
That is all.
Hey, guys.
This is LAPD RHD
Detective Jack Tanaka.
Thanks for bringing
him down, Castor. Hi.
No problem.
Special Agent Hanna.
Special Agent Namazi.
So sorry that this happened.
Our thoughts are with you
and your family.
Thank you.
Please, have a seat.
So, uh,
we appreciate you taking
the time to speak with us.
We know you'd much
rather be out there
on the street
finding these people.
No, I don't want to do that.
If I want the men
that beat my father prosecuted,
I can't be
anywhere near this case.
Wow, you have
incredible restraint.
Yeah, well,
people, uh, friends of ours,
they would use words
to describe Dad
like "kind, funny, loving."
Only word I would ever use
to describe him is "discipline."
I respect your father
even more now.
Yeah. Well,
if my lack of discipline
let whoever beat him
off the hook,
my old man
would never forgive me.
We understand you can't be
involved in the case,
but can't just turn off 15 years
of detective experience,
so you have anything
that could help us
find these people?
I mean, my-my father's
a creature of habit.
Every day was the same.
Uh, he worked out hard
in his backyard,
volunteered at the Naval Weapons
Station Seal Beach,
then cast a few lines
surf fishing at night.
On weekends, he and his buddies,
they would drink beers
in Dad's garage.
Man, I'm at a loss.
I got no idea who'd want
to hurt him.
Do you think
this was a random attack?
Random as far as him
being Asian American?
Wrong time, wrong place?
I think this was
a racially motivated hate crime.
But you don't have
any evidence of that?
With all due respect,
finding that evidence
is your job.
So, Rountree said there are
no security cameras positioned
at where Lieutenant Tanaka
was attacked.
And based on the injuries,
there's no way to tell
what the initial blow was.
Well,
considering the recent
Asian American attacks,
I'm gonna say it was
a cowardly sucker punch
or kick to the back.
It's crazy.
This beach that time of day
would have been blown out,
so you got no surfers.
Too windy and cold to
lay out and get a tan.
I mean, it would have
been empty here.
In that case,
I think it's safe to say
that they didn't follow him up
from the beach
because he would have
spotted them.
Meaning they had to have come
from the parking lot.
So, maybe they saw him
when he was fishing,
knew the parking lot was empty,
made their move when
he walked to his truck.Hmm.
Know what's crazy about this?
In this massive city
with all these people,
in this parking lot
at that time of day,
he might as well be fighting for
his life in the Sahara Desert.
Hey, guys?
L.A. Sheriffs just got a call
into their tip hotline
from a woman who heard
about the attack on the news.
She was jogging
down at Dockweiler Beach
yesterday at sundown.
Please, tell us she saw
Lieutenant Tanaka at his truck.
We need a firm time
of the attack.
No.
It's better. Two guys
in dark jeans and hoodies
came running up the hill
from the parking lot
towards Vista Del Mar.
She remembered thinking
how odd it was
these guys
were running in jeans.
Two of them.
Cowards.
Did she see
if they went to a parked car?
No. She just kept on jogging,
never saw them again.
All right, get this info down
to Kensi and Deeks at the beach.
Copy that.
Oh, I just got this
from the Naval Weapons
Station Seal Beach.
The C.O. is in New York
but wants to speak to us
about Lieutenant Tanaka.
The C.O., huh?
Safe to say not many C.O.s even
know their volunteer docents.
Hmm.
What do you got?
Oh.
Uh, Rountree says
a witness saw two guys
running up that hill.
Where'd they go
after they hit the street?
I don't know.
She didn't see.
Well, then, we should
probably run up that hill.
Shall we?
Why do I need
to run up the hill?
Okay.
Just saying, running is silly
'cause you're a sucker!
Oh, my God. You're the world's
biggest fifth grader!
That's very helpful
information, Captain.
Thank you
for speaking with us.
Of course.
And if I wasn't traveling,
I'd be there in person.
Lieutenant Tanaka
is someone that all of us
at Naval Weapons Station
Seal Beach hold in high regard.
If you don't mind me asking,
as C.O. of the base,
how did you become familiar
with a volunteer docent?
That may be Lieutenant Tanaka's
official title with us,
but that man is a
very important part of my base.
He takes his volunteer duties
more seriously
than many of my commissioned
naval officers take theirs.
Rain or shine, he is with us.
What are his duties?
He maintains the bright work
and plaques
on the World War II
Submarine Memorial
and guides wildlife
viewing groups on the base.
But really, he is a wealth
of knowledge and inspiration
to every sailor and officer
on that base,
including myself.
Please find the people
responsible for his attack.
Yes, sir.
Well, no enemies or
conflicts at the naval base.
It's looking more and more
like a random attack.
Yeah.
Hey, Sam, Fatima.
Couple different things.
Lieutenant Tanaka's doctor said
that the surgery went as well
as it could.Has he regained
consciousness?
No. It's gonna be a waiting game
to see if he pulls through.
What's the other thing?
I just got Lieutenant Tanaka's
banking information.
Checking account shows that
he's been getting a paycheck
from an LLC every week
for the past three months.
He has a job?
Yeah. Contacted the LLC.
Said he's been doing
part-time carpentry work
on some of their properties.
How many properties
has he worked at?
Three.
But for the past
two and a half weeks,
he's been working
on one restaurant renovation.
She mentioned
the job's been delayed
because someone threw a brick
through the window.
All right. Fatima and I
will check it out.
Actually,
Callen is 20 minutes away.
Uh, Admiral Kilbride
wants you to meet Callen
at the restaurant.
Fatima, report back to Ops.
You got it.
Just sent
the address to your phone, Sam.
It's a perfect view of the
parking lot and Tanaka's truck.
The attackers could have
been hanging out up here,
saw Tanaka alone
in his truck, moved in.
Yeah.
Maybe.
What?
What are you thinking?
Well, it's just
that if they did park up here,
it would make
for a pretty easy getaway.
I mean, that-that access
ramp hits the main road.
High speed limit, and
if they head north,
they got two
different freeways.
Wait, so you think
the attack was premeditated?
I don't know.
But if they did,
it wouldn't be a bad
idea to park up here
considering the fast exit.
So, maybe they saw him
someplace else
and followed him here.
Yeah.
Thank you.
Sure.
This neighborhood
sure has changed.
Can you believe
what they're getting
for rents around here now?
Yeah, it's crazy.
I don't know
how they expect the young people
to save up for a down payment
with rents like this.
The rent to square footage ratio
is just...
Don't need a full discussion
on rental economics.
I was merely making
an observation.
So, there was no way
you and Anna
could have stayed in Napa
for another week?
I tell you,
this Lieutenant Tanaka's
an artist.
Not a lot of people using
these type of tools anymore.
Takes too much time,
too much care.
When did you become
a carpentry aficionado?
One of the foster
homes I was in.
Woman was an alcoholic.
Horrible person when she drank.
But her husband
was a great guy.
He turned their garage
into a woodshop
and used to make
custom cabinetry,
nightstands, that
sort of thing.
So, I'd hang out and watch.
So, let me guess. He took you
under his wing, and a rival,
a bully carpentry club,
challenged you to a build-off.
At the all-valley
carpentry tournament.
You know, you can just admit
that you missed me.
You don't have to lash out
'cause you feel
like I abandoned you.
You abandoned me?
Yeah.
Cuckoo.
You're crazy.
Mm-hmm.
G.
Check this out.
Fresh paint.
Yeah, and there's
something under it.
It's faint, but I can see it.
Yeah, looks like
they were trying to cover
up something that was
in red. And they were
gonna do another coat.
Well, company said
somebody threw a brick
through the window.
Maybe they came in and
vandalized the inside, as well.
Let's see
what they painted over.
Hey, Kens. I just got word
from Jack Tanaka
at the hospital.
It turns out he didn't know
about his dad's carpentry job,
but it didn't surprise him.
His dad has taken
jobs like that through the years.
Okay.
And do we have an update on
Lieutenant Tanaka's condition?
He still hasn't
regained consciousness,
but the doctors have seen some
positive signs in his vitals.
All right. Well,
keep us posted.
Will do.
What an awful spot
for Jack Tanaka to be in.
You're sitting there
by your dad's side,
and there is nothing
you can do to help him.
Yeah. I think that he
knows he's by his side.
Right.
You know, I-I know that...
we said that we were
open to, um...
I guess my-my point is
that I don't think
we put the proper thought in...
I mean, we haven't even begun
to have the conversation.
It's more of a discussion...
What, about the fact
of being open
to raising a child
outside of our race?
See, there it is. Right there.
I'm trying to be delicate,
and you just stumble
right through it
like a big old drunk elephant.
Drunk elephant?
A big old drunk elephant.
Excuse me.
I'm serious.
Yeah, no. I know.
I've been feeling the same way,
and I do think that this is
something we need to talk about.
I mean, I
didn't even think twice
when we filled
out those forms.
I would love to raise a child
no matter what race,
but I... yeah,
there's-there's obstacles
that we need to talk about.
Right.
Like, how do we educate
a child about a race
and a culture
that we're not a part of
and obviously have
no expertise in?
Like, how do we do that?
I don't know yet.
I don't know.
Uh-huh.
But I do know
that we can't avoid
or neglect it.
You know, we can't pretend that
the child's race and culture
aren't a massive
part of who they are
and-and why we love them.
Of course.
You know?
But also how the
world perceives them.
Uh-huh.
I mean, so, we're...
offering what, then?
We offer a safe home.
Yeah.And a means
to an education.
Yeah.
We offer and promise
to raise them with love.
Of course.
Nothing would
break my heart more
if they never felt
like they fit in with us
or anyone else
who looked like them.
Lots to consider.
Yeah.
I'm gonna need
some more caffeine
if we're gonna have
a conversation this woke.
Ready?
Yep.
Let's do it.
Of course. Happy to help.
Thanks.
Yes.
She said Tanaka told her
about the brick
coming through the window
two days ago.
He never mentioned anything
about the racial slurs
on the wall.
He kept it to himself,
repainted.
I had Rountree
check it out.
There's no cameras
on this street
with an angle on the diner.
Hey.
Let's see if he
saw anything.
Excuse me. Hi. We're,
uh, federal agents.
We were just wondering if we
could ask you a few questions.
I don't know nothing.
Didn't see nothing.
You don't even know
what I was gonna ask you.
Don't matter.
My answer would be the same.
So, you didn't see
the diner across the street
get vandalized
a couple of nights ago?
Look, I already told you,
I don't know nothing.
Look, this is my neighborhood.
It's not yours.
All right? Let me be.
Mm-hmm.
So, in your neighborhood,
is it cool for people to come in
and paint racial
slurs on walls?
Hell no.
Wait, where?
Diner.
Oh, man.
Tanaka's gonna be pissed
when he sees that.
You know Lieutenant Tanaka?
Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah,
he's a good dude.
Funny as hell, too.
He'll be here any minute.
You can talk to him
about the diner.
Lieutenant Tanaka's
in the hospital.
What?
He was assaulted yesterday.
Is it bad?
Yeah. It's real bad.
Damn.
We think
his attackers
may be the same people
that spray-painted the wall.
Wait. Wait, let...
Let me see that picture again?
Red.
I found this across the street
in the bushes yesterday.
Might be the same can
they used in the diner.
Thank you.
Crime lab
has the spray paint can.
They're running prints now.
Cool.
Can you imagine
what must have been going
through Lieutenant Tanaka's mind
when he saw that crap
spray-painted in the diner?
After serving this country
as a Vietnam veteran.
I... I know
he was just boiling.
You know, wanted
retribution.
But instead he just painted
over it and went about his job.
Probably didn't want to
risk rocking the boat
and losing his job.
Yeah.
You know, a few weeks back,
this ignorant dude
yelled some racist stuff at me
in North Hollywood.
It took everything
for me to just walk away.
Yeah. It was only really
two moments in life that I
felt like race didn't matter.
You know, like we
were one family
no matter what we look like.
It was when I was playing ball
and here. Now. Being
a part of this team.
Yeah, when it's about
a common goal...
Yeah.
Yeah, well,
maybe we'll finally realize
humans are one big family
when the aliens come down
and attack.
Yeah.
Wait, what?
Aliens? Aliens?
Oh, nice. They got an ID
off the prints on the can.
Jason Quinn.
I guess we can all agree
this is a hate crime.
Yeah, if we can tie the
racial slurs from the diner
to the attackers.
We do that,
we prove it wasn't
a random attack.
Lieutenant was targeted.
Okay, but if he was targeted
for renovating the diner,
why would they attack
him at the beach?
Well, maybe Tanaka knew
that Jason Quinn was responsible
for those racial slurs,
and he confronted him.
Things escalated from there,
and Quinn followed
him to the beach.
Hey, guys. So, we got an address
for Jason Quinn,
but what's even more interesting
is who he lives with.
Yeah, his roommate's
a guy named Billy Strauss,
whose family was
the longtime owner of the diner
that Lieutenant Tanaka
was renovating.
So, the Strauss family,
they lose the business.
They get angry.
They get frustrated.
Then they go after the...
Wrong guy.
Tanaka isn't the buyer. He's not
the one forcing them out.
He's not even capitalizing
on the new diner.
Just a guy doing a
part-time carpentry job
when Strauss and Quinn
decide to beat him up.
Which is why they decided
to beat him up at the beach
and not the, uh, diner, because
if they do it at the diner,
that's a pretty direct line of
investigation back to Strauss.
We just got a hit on Quinn.
He just used his credit card
at a coffee shop
near Riverfront Park.
Sam and I'll check out
the house they shared,
see if Strauss is there.
Why don't you guys
go to the coffee shop,
see if you can find Quinn.
On it.
Jason Quinn? We're NCIS.
We need to
ask you some...
Ugh!
Runner!
Whoa!
He's coming at you!
Speed bump.I got it. I got
it. I got it.
Hold on.
Get ahead of him.
Cut him off.
I got it.
Oh!
Huh.
So, I hear you like
beating up old war vets.
♪ Now I cannot decipher
what all the static is ♪
♪ But I got a pretty good read
on your black thoughts ♪
♪ The passion that makes me
feel alive again ♪
♪ It's gonna be the death,
the death of us ♪
♪ The passion that makes me
♪ Feel alive again
♪ Oh, it's gonna be the death,
the death of us ♪
♪ The death of us...
One. Two.
♪ No blood and no fingerprints
♪ No!
♪ No blood and no fingerprints ♪
No!
♪ No blood and no fingerprints
♪ No! ♪ No blood and no fingerprints
Clear!
Clear.
♪ I never crossed that line.
Looks like someone
had a pretty good scrap.
Burgers and fries
are still warm.
Whatever happened here,
we just missed it.
Hey, don't hurt me.
I didn't touch that old man.
As much as we'd like to,
we're not gonna hurt you.
You people put a beatdown
on my roommate, Billy.
I heard the whole thing.
Again, as much
as we'd like to,
we didn't touch Billy.
What are you talking about?
My girlfriend works
at that coffee shop.
I was there, and Billy called.
Said someone was trying
to break into our place.
Guy said he was a cop.
He started hitting Billy
with something,
and the last thing I heard
was Billy screaming
before the line went dead.
How long ago was this call?
I don't know. Maybe 20 minutes
before you guys rolled up.
I got scared and ran.
You talked about an old man.
What old man are
you talking about?
Japanese guy. Guy fixing up
the restaurant on Jefferson.
That's really interesting.
Why do you think
we're here about him?
Because, uh...Look at me!
Billy said he got him good.
Oh.
So, you painted racial slurs
on the walls
that Tanaka was renovating,
but you want us to believe
you are not
one of the two people
that attacked him?
I was there.
I spray-painted.
I messed up the new walls,
but I didn't write those words.
You didn't write those words,
but Strauss painted those words?
Strauss did?
Yeah. But you guys said
two guys beat up the old man.
It was only Billy.
He never mentioned
anyone else being there.
So, it was Billy Strauss
at the beach
and an unknown accomplice.
Yep.
Well, whoever came here
for Strauss,
they knew what they were doing.
They got in the house
quick enough
to catch him off guard
and hurt him.
Then kidnap him.
Yeah.
Do you think
it was law enforcement?
I don't know.
But you know who I do think
we need to check up with?
Detective Jack Tanaka.
Fatima,
contact the hospital.
We need to speak
with Detective Tanaka.
Thank you.
Whoever came here,
how did they know to make
Strauss a person of interest
and get here before we did?
Could be tracking
our communications.
Hmm.
You speak to Detective Tanaka?
Not yet.
I spoke to the nurses,
and they said
that they saw him
headed to the commissary
and that they'll
page him right now.
I'm not seeing any inquiries
into our case
from any other
law enforcement agencies.
Systems checks are running
on all of our comm devices.
Should know pretty quickly
if any of them have
been compromised.
What's so funny?
You.
This setup
does not look comfortable.
That's because it isn't.
Look at this, will
you? They all got
their big, nice desks,
comfy chairs.
I mean, Kilbride's got
a whole glass office,
and Hetty basically has
a throne room, and we're
just supposed to make due.Yeah.
Sometimes I set up my laptop on
the Pilates reformer in the gym.
Well, at least somebody's
getting some value
out of that useless
but very expensive contraption.
Admiral,
I was just telling Fatima
that I think we'd be a
little bit more productive
if we had a personal
workspace to...
You want personal space?
Well, yes, sir. Like desks...
Desks? How about offices?
Mm.
Offices with windows,
little plants
scattered here and there.
I like plants.
Yeah.
I don't want to impose,
but that sounds...
Like it's never gonna happen.
You know,
I've never really taken stock
of this part of the building.
What is all this?
Looks like I'm backstage
at a Village People show.
What's a Village People show?
This is our wardrobe
for undercover ops.
Well, seems to me
like a couple
of industrious young agents
ought to be able to find
some other place
to store all this wardrobe crap
and make room in here
for a couple
of decent-sized desks.
Wait, you're telling me
you're giving us permission...
Don't speak. Just smile.
None of our comm systems
have been compromised.
Well, that's nice to hear,
but it still doesn't explain
how somebody
got to the Strauss residence
before us.
Special Agent Namazi.
Okay, how long
has he been gone for?
Okay. Uh, yeah,
if you could have security
check the tapes
and get back to me,
I would really appreciate it.
Thank you. Detective Tanaka
isn't anywhere in the hospital.
They can't find him.
Well,
I guess we just found
who beat us to Strauss.
Whether it's Detective Tanaka
or someone else,
they are definitely monitoring
our investigation somehow.
But we had Fatima
check our comms.
No interagency inquiries.
Right.
And Kilbride said he wouldn't
be transmitting any updates
to LAPD or the sheriff's.
But somehow, Strauss's
location was leaked.
Oh, no.
What?
Prints.
Prints?
The prints
on the spray can.
We sent it
to the crime lab.
Fatima,
pull up the records
from the crime lab
on the spray paint can
that we found.
See if anybody
accessed those results.
Copy that. Pulling them up now.
If somebody has access
to those results,
it's gonna lead them
directly to the house.
The results were accessed from
an L.A. sheriff workstation.
A Detective Matt Guerrero.
Nice.
Do we have a location for him?
His workstation's still online,
so he must be at the station.
Tell Castor
to head over there,
invite him to the boathouse
for a little interagency convo.
Sure.
But as soon as Castor shows up,
won't he know we're onto him?
Absolutely.
Which is why we're gonna
have Kilbride reach out
to Guerrero's superior, bring
him up to speed, and have Castor
ID himself as a federal agent
looking
for background information
on an old cold case.
You got it.
We're heading back
to the boatshed.
So, we know you tipped
off Jack Tanaka.
Who's that?
It's this guy
that your sister dated.
They may have broken up,
but it seems
like you two like
to go surfing together.
And then you went
to a Rams game together.
Yeah, and that
Foo Fighters concert
at the Forum
sure looked fun, huh?
If you've forgotten
all these details,
you could just check out
your own social media.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah, after Jack and my sister
broke up, we stayed friends.
And after you told him
about the fingerprints,
did he go to Strauss's home
and kidnap him?
Listen, we get it.
What Strauss did
to Jack's dad is horrible.
It makes us sick.
Right? But if Jack has Strauss,
we have to get to him
before he does something
that he can't undo.
As of today, his career
is probably over.
He, uh, called me
after he snatched them up.
"Them"?
Strauss and his dad.
He said
that when he got to the house,
it was pretty evident
that Strauss's dad
planned the attack.
He needed a place to take them
'cause he knew that, uh,
your team would show up
at the house any minute.
Where did he take them?
I busted
some gang members
at an auto body shop last week.
I knew the place
would be empty, so...
What's the address?
9389 Prairie in Hawthorne.
Callen, it's Detective Tanaka.
He's got Strauss
and his father. The auto
body shop is in Hawthorne.
On our way.
Dad, what's gonna happen now?
Billy, stop talking.
Please, just let us go.
You got what you wanted.
Please!
Just let us go.
Federal agents! Drop the gun,
Jack.
Jack.
Doing it now.
Help us!
Help us, please! Come
on! This guy's crazy!
Help us!
Shut up!
I'm-a need you
to get on your knees
and interlock your fingers
behind your head,
Jack. On your knees!
Dad, are they
gonna help us?
Doing it now.
Get us out of here!
Come on, what the hell
are you waiting for?
Do you know what he did to us?
I know what he didn't do to you.
He didn't attack you from behind
and beat you two-to-one.
Dad.
Of course.
Of course you people
would be siding with them.
You two should be thanking
this man right now.
Oh, yeah.
This situation could have ended
a lot worse for you.
Come on, Jack.
In my head, Jack did
what he should have done.
It just sucks that he's gonna
lose everything because of it.
So, if that was your
dad in the hospital,
you would've done
the same thing?
Hell no. Not for my dad.
You don't talk about
your family much.
Yeah. My family's
not like yours.
My little sister's my family.
She's everything.
Then I need to meet her.
Yeah, you do.
So, you going
to jujitsu tonight?
I mean, I should.
I just, uh...
Pizza at Mulberry's instead?
Hell yeah.
Let's go, partner.
Uh, you buying, right?
So, essentially, Papa Strauss
dedicates his whole entire life
into turning his son
into some sort of hate machine.
Yeah. Not exactly the best
version of a life well-lived.
But it's so crazy
when you think about it
from a parenting perspective,
right?
Like, if he wasn't
so full of hate,
if he wasn't so afraid,
if he wasn't so angry
and therefore
didn't poison his son,
then maybe none of this happens.
You know,
maybe Lieutenant Tanaka's
out there fishing on that pier
like he always does.
Yeah. And he's gonna be
out there fishing again.
Right?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Baby, it is just as easy
for us to raise our child
with love and acceptance
as it is to fill them
with fear and anger.
I hope so.
I know so.
Oh. Look at that.
Got to go.
Otherwise, you're gonna miss
your live Peloton class.
P-P-Peloton?
Yeah.
How am I am supposed
to manage that heart rate
after a quarter pound
of carne asada
from La Perla Tapatia?
Oh, my gosh.
You were listening?
Always.
Thank you.
I know bringing me here
before booking's
against some procedures.
Pretty much all of them.
I'll just wait out here.
No, no, please, come inside.
My dad'll never believe that
a real admiral came to see him.
Hey, Pops.
I know a little something
about tough fathers.
Don't always make
for the easiest of childhoods,
but, uh...
damn hard to kill.
My money says he'll
pull through this just fine.
You think what I did
was pretty stupid.
It was.
But I'm not one to judge.
It had to be done.
For the past two years,
Asian Americans have
been beaten, yelled at.
Even had acid
poured on them.
There needs to be a cost paid
for going after our elders
and the weak.
You're
an elite RHD detective.
Now, you could have
gone after these people
and stayed on the right side
of the law.
They needed to pay
for hurting my dad,
and I had the skills and means
to make an example of them.
I couldn't let
that opportunity pass.
I accomplished
what I set out to.
And what was that?
There's a video on my phone
of those two cowards
at the auto body shop.
Let's just say
they aren't the two tough guys
that kicked my dad in the back
and beat him down.
I posted it to a bunch
of social media accounts
about 30 seconds
before your team arrested me.
So, you sacrificed your career
to make a video?
They needed
to see that
there are consequences
when they attack us.
We're not just the silent,
docile, model minority type
that they think
they're targeting.
By now, the video's gone viral.
And if just one of these
beatings never happens
because some racist coward
sees it and thinks twice
about beating an elderly
Asian American person...
...then I am good
with those consequences.
"The way of the warrior is a
resolute acceptance of death."
Miyamoto Musashi.
♪
Dad?
Hey, Pops. It's me,
Jack. I'm right here.
Son.
Did you arrest them?
Yeah.
This man, this is...
This is Admiral Kilbride.
He and his team,
they found them.
Those punks are
going to jail.
No. No.
Easy, Lieutenant. As you were.
There is no need for that.
It's my honor.
Good work, son.
Excuse me.
I'm tired.
Sure, Pops.
Just rest.
♪
Who is 73-year-old
Lieutenant JG Craig Tanaka?
Please, let us go, man.
I just want to go home, please.
Man up, son. Stop
whining. Now.
Who is Lieutenant JG Tanaka?
The guy we beat up.
Billy, shut up!
Sorry!
Okay! Stop.
Did you sucker punch and
beat down Lieutenant JG Tanaka?
Yes! Yes.
I'm so sorry, man.
It should have never happened.
Just let us go.
I'm so sorry.
Oh!
You know, live bait isn't cheap.
Your days are numbered.
Sorry!
Uh...
♪
Ah!
♪
That was not good.
Oh! That's the one.
That's my personal best.
Put that down.
And put that against any
cornerback in the NFL Combine.
Oh. Oh, my bad, Deeks.
I thought you were warming up.
I didn't even count that one.
That's not cool, man. That's
the definition of "not cool."
Get it.
Yes!
What'd you get? What'd you get?
Yes!
What'd I get? I got 21 inches.
That's what I got.
All right, Kens, I see you.
Hey, that's right up there
with defensive tackles
at the Combine.
Nice. I will take it.
Those guys have
about 200 pounds on me,
but how many of them
can shoot a man center mass
at 1,200 meters?
I'd say none of them.
None of them.
Let's go, Sam. That's 14.
Putting up big numbers.
I'm sorry, what?
14 reps? 225?
Ooh.
Let's do this.
You got this, Sam.
Come on. Come on.
Is that even safe?
I mean, for someone your age?
Not that you're old, 'cause
I'm not saying that you're old.
I'm just saying something
could pop, like an eyeball.
Shut it, Deeks.
Oh, that doesn't look good.
Please don't pop an eyeball.
Oh, my God,
you're gonna pop an eyeball.
Come on. Go, go, go, go,
go, go, go.
18.
Okay, please don't pop
your eyeball.
I can't unsee
something like that.
19. Let's go.
Yeah.
He's got one. He got one more.
Come on, Sam. Come on.
Come on.
Yeah. Get it.
Don't touch him. He's got it.
I'm not, it's all him.
He's got it. He's got it.
Yes, sir!
Yes!
20!
That's a legit number
for an NFL linebacker
right there, Sam.
That's serious.
Aaron Donald did 35.
Yeah, well,
Aaron Donald's a freak.
Yes, but can Aaron Donald
hit a guy center mass
at 1,200 meters?
What? What is wrong with you?
I'm just saying.
Hitting a man center mass
at 1,200 meters
is not the sort of skill
that the U.S. military
wants many people to have.
I thought
Charlton Heston was dead.
You should be humbled
that you had that training,
Agent Blye.
Not something to brag about.
Understood, sir. I'm sorry.
But if there's
only one seat left
in the Humvee,
then Aaron Donald's
getting left behind at the base,
and you will have my six.
No. Why? No,
don't-don't do that.
Don't encourage her. Why-why
are you encouraging this?
We catch a case, Admiral?
Yeah, Sam.
And it's a tough one.
Lieutenant Junior Grade
Craig Tanaka
was beaten
to within an inch of his life
yesterday at Dockweiler Beach.
What's his condition now?
That is yet to be determined.
He's being prepped
for his second surgery.
At his age
with injuries like this,
it is not looking good.
How old is he?
73 years old.
Lieutenant JG Tanaka
served aboard
the destroyer USS Walke
during the Vietnam War.
So somebody beat up a
73-year-old Vietnam War veteran.
Who does that?
Someone that's about
to be hunted down by us.
Well, Callen's in Napa.
He'll be back in a few hours.
Lieutenant Tanaka's son
is an LAPD RHD detective.
I'm having him
sent over to the boatshed.
Sam, Fatima will meet you there.
Copy that.
Kensi and Deeks,
hit the crime scene.
Rountree, on me
in Ops. I am ten minutes out.
Got it.
With pleasure.
Sitrep.
Uh, yes, sir.
Uh, Tanaka's still in surgery,
but our guy is a fighter.
When the EMTs
were cleaning out their wagon,
they found this
bloody fish knife
engraved with
Tanaka's name.
The blood is human
but not Tanaka's.
He stuck 'em.
Looks that way, sir.
Well, I'd say the bastard
got more fight
than he was bargaining for
going after this lieutenant.
I'm so sick of the hate
on the streets right now.
Well, we don't know
it was a hate crime.
We don't know much of
anything yet. Want a water?
Yeah, sure.
I mean, it fits
the recent patterns
of Asian American beatings.
And they target
women, the elderly.
They sucker punch
them from behind.
I mean, hitting
an old person?
And then beating them
after they hit the ground?
That is pure hate.
Mm.
Well,
you started off
not wearing a hijab.
Then you found religion.
Now you're a young woman
living in L.A.,
and you wear one.
It's a big transition.
That's an understatement.
You know, growing up in L.A.,
I never really felt
like an outsider.
And contrary
to what 90210 tells you,
there are a lot of Persians
at Beverly Hills High.
But in the last few years
wearing the hijab...
I don't know, I've had
some really awful things
yelled at me.
But I've never experienced
violence like Lieutenant Tanaka.
Well, it starts off
with words.
Then they become more brazen.
Then words turn into violence.
So, you do think
this was a hate crime?
A good agent doesn't allow
their personal views
to steer the direction of a case
before the evidence comes in.
Yeah.
You've had
certain specific experiences.
They've shaped
your frame of reference.
Your gut instincts
could be valuable in this case,
so don't ignore them.
Hmm?
You know, it's a
little out the way,
but I was thinking maybe we
stop at La Perla Tapatia.
Grab some carne
asada for the grill.
Sure, whatever you want.
Or maybe after that
we go to Petrossian
for a small tin
of Baika caviar.
Yeah, that sounds good.
Who knows, maybe
finish off the night
with a nightcap
of illicit drugs.
Okay.
Look, I know you're mad.
What?
Because I'm mad, too.
Oh, no. No, I'm not mad.
I mean, don't get me wrong,
I'm so pissed, but more
than anything, I'm just...
sad. I'm just deeply sad.
I know. Me, too.
A 73-year-old Vietnam vet
was literally fighting
for his life
in a parking lot
in America.
Like, how does that happen
in the most powerful,
greatest country in the world?
Um...
Fr-Frustration.
Anger.
Fear. Hate.
You know, I don't know
if I told you this,
but after I quit being a lawyer,
I bought this van.
And I lived in it
for six months.
I went everywhere.
And I loved
every single mile of it
because I love this country.
I love the ocean
and the mountains
and the canyons
and these big cities
and small towns, but the thing
that I love the most
was all these amazing people
that I met everywhere.
Americans.
Yeah, Americans. Exactly.
But then I have to reconcile
with the fact
that this happened in America.
On our soil.
That a man that fought
for this country
was beaten to the ground
because of the color of his skin
and where his ancestors
are from.
We're better than this.
I mean, we have
to be better than this,
'cause this is not the country
that I know and love.
Enter.
Sir, Lieutenant Tanaka's
out of surgery,
but we don't have an update
on his current condition yet.
Got it.
There something else?
Yes, sir.
Well...
I wanted to know, um...
Well...
You practicing a TikTok
or asking a question?
No, sir.
I wanted to know why
the Office of Special Projects
got assigned this case.
I could tell you
that Lieutenant JG Tanaka
was a well-respected
volunteer docent
at the National
Submarine Memorial, West.
But that's not
why we got assigned this case.
No, it isn't.
I requested this
directly from SECNAV
because it might be
a hate crime directed
against a Japanese American
naval veteran.
Okay.
Sit.
I grew up in Oregon,
and my best friend
was a guy named Ralph Sakamoto.
Lived next door.
And every Sunday,
Ralph's family would cook us
these huge meals.
Every Sunday.
And one day, I asked my mom
why they did that.
And she told me that back
when the U.S. government
imprisoned
all the Japanese Americans
back during World War II,
that people started to loot
and vandalize
their empty homes.
Damn, that's messed-up.
That's what my dad thought.
And he told Mom that nobody,
nobody was gonna touch
the Sakamotos' home
while they were locked up.
But, sure as hell,
looters trying to steal
and racists just full of hate
tried that house.
My old man
sat on the front porch
with one shotgun across his lap
and another one at his side.
And he sat on that porch
every night after work
for two years
till the Sakamotos were freed.
Sounds like your father
was an incredible man.
That he was.
And what kind of a son
would I be
if I didn't track down
the son of a bitch
that did this
to Lieutenant Tanaka?
Yes, sir.
That is all.
Hey, guys.
This is LAPD RHD
Detective Jack Tanaka.
Thanks for bringing
him down, Castor. Hi.
No problem.
Special Agent Hanna.
Special Agent Namazi.
So sorry that this happened.
Our thoughts are with you
and your family.
Thank you.
Please, have a seat.
So, uh,
we appreciate you taking
the time to speak with us.
We know you'd much
rather be out there
on the street
finding these people.
No, I don't want to do that.
If I want the men
that beat my father prosecuted,
I can't be
anywhere near this case.
Wow, you have
incredible restraint.
Yeah, well,
people, uh, friends of ours,
they would use words
to describe Dad
like "kind, funny, loving."
Only word I would ever use
to describe him is "discipline."
I respect your father
even more now.
Yeah. Well,
if my lack of discipline
let whoever beat him
off the hook,
my old man
would never forgive me.
We understand you can't be
involved in the case,
but can't just turn off 15 years
of detective experience,
so you have anything
that could help us
find these people?
I mean, my-my father's
a creature of habit.
Every day was the same.
Uh, he worked out hard
in his backyard,
volunteered at the Naval Weapons
Station Seal Beach,
then cast a few lines
surf fishing at night.
On weekends, he and his buddies,
they would drink beers
in Dad's garage.
Man, I'm at a loss.
I got no idea who'd want
to hurt him.
Do you think
this was a random attack?
Random as far as him
being Asian American?
Wrong time, wrong place?
I think this was
a racially motivated hate crime.
But you don't have
any evidence of that?
With all due respect,
finding that evidence
is your job.
So, Rountree said there are
no security cameras positioned
at where Lieutenant Tanaka
was attacked.
And based on the injuries,
there's no way to tell
what the initial blow was.
Well,
considering the recent
Asian American attacks,
I'm gonna say it was
a cowardly sucker punch
or kick to the back.
It's crazy.
This beach that time of day
would have been blown out,
so you got no surfers.
Too windy and cold to
lay out and get a tan.
I mean, it would have
been empty here.
In that case,
I think it's safe to say
that they didn't follow him up
from the beach
because he would have
spotted them.
Meaning they had to have come
from the parking lot.
So, maybe they saw him
when he was fishing,
knew the parking lot was empty,
made their move when
he walked to his truck.Hmm.
Know what's crazy about this?
In this massive city
with all these people,
in this parking lot
at that time of day,
he might as well be fighting for
his life in the Sahara Desert.
Hey, guys?
L.A. Sheriffs just got a call
into their tip hotline
from a woman who heard
about the attack on the news.
She was jogging
down at Dockweiler Beach
yesterday at sundown.
Please, tell us she saw
Lieutenant Tanaka at his truck.
We need a firm time
of the attack.
No.
It's better. Two guys
in dark jeans and hoodies
came running up the hill
from the parking lot
towards Vista Del Mar.
She remembered thinking
how odd it was
these guys
were running in jeans.
Two of them.
Cowards.
Did she see
if they went to a parked car?
No. She just kept on jogging,
never saw them again.
All right, get this info down
to Kensi and Deeks at the beach.
Copy that.
Oh, I just got this
from the Naval Weapons
Station Seal Beach.
The C.O. is in New York
but wants to speak to us
about Lieutenant Tanaka.
The C.O., huh?
Safe to say not many C.O.s even
know their volunteer docents.
Hmm.
What do you got?
Oh.
Uh, Rountree says
a witness saw two guys
running up that hill.
Where'd they go
after they hit the street?
I don't know.
She didn't see.
Well, then, we should
probably run up that hill.
Shall we?
Why do I need
to run up the hill?
Okay.
Just saying, running is silly
'cause you're a sucker!
Oh, my God. You're the world's
biggest fifth grader!
That's very helpful
information, Captain.
Thank you
for speaking with us.
Of course.
And if I wasn't traveling,
I'd be there in person.
Lieutenant Tanaka
is someone that all of us
at Naval Weapons Station
Seal Beach hold in high regard.
If you don't mind me asking,
as C.O. of the base,
how did you become familiar
with a volunteer docent?
That may be Lieutenant Tanaka's
official title with us,
but that man is a
very important part of my base.
He takes his volunteer duties
more seriously
than many of my commissioned
naval officers take theirs.
Rain or shine, he is with us.
What are his duties?
He maintains the bright work
and plaques
on the World War II
Submarine Memorial
and guides wildlife
viewing groups on the base.
But really, he is a wealth
of knowledge and inspiration
to every sailor and officer
on that base,
including myself.
Please find the people
responsible for his attack.
Yes, sir.
Well, no enemies or
conflicts at the naval base.
It's looking more and more
like a random attack.
Yeah.
Hey, Sam, Fatima.
Couple different things.
Lieutenant Tanaka's doctor said
that the surgery went as well
as it could.Has he regained
consciousness?
No. It's gonna be a waiting game
to see if he pulls through.
What's the other thing?
I just got Lieutenant Tanaka's
banking information.
Checking account shows that
he's been getting a paycheck
from an LLC every week
for the past three months.
He has a job?
Yeah. Contacted the LLC.
Said he's been doing
part-time carpentry work
on some of their properties.
How many properties
has he worked at?
Three.
But for the past
two and a half weeks,
he's been working
on one restaurant renovation.
She mentioned
the job's been delayed
because someone threw a brick
through the window.
All right. Fatima and I
will check it out.
Actually,
Callen is 20 minutes away.
Uh, Admiral Kilbride
wants you to meet Callen
at the restaurant.
Fatima, report back to Ops.
You got it.
Just sent
the address to your phone, Sam.
It's a perfect view of the
parking lot and Tanaka's truck.
The attackers could have
been hanging out up here,
saw Tanaka alone
in his truck, moved in.
Yeah.
Maybe.
What?
What are you thinking?
Well, it's just
that if they did park up here,
it would make
for a pretty easy getaway.
I mean, that-that access
ramp hits the main road.
High speed limit, and
if they head north,
they got two
different freeways.
Wait, so you think
the attack was premeditated?
I don't know.
But if they did,
it wouldn't be a bad
idea to park up here
considering the fast exit.
So, maybe they saw him
someplace else
and followed him here.
Yeah.
Thank you.
Sure.
This neighborhood
sure has changed.
Can you believe
what they're getting
for rents around here now?
Yeah, it's crazy.
I don't know
how they expect the young people
to save up for a down payment
with rents like this.
The rent to square footage ratio
is just...
Don't need a full discussion
on rental economics.
I was merely making
an observation.
So, there was no way
you and Anna
could have stayed in Napa
for another week?
I tell you,
this Lieutenant Tanaka's
an artist.
Not a lot of people using
these type of tools anymore.
Takes too much time,
too much care.
When did you become
a carpentry aficionado?
One of the foster
homes I was in.
Woman was an alcoholic.
Horrible person when she drank.
But her husband
was a great guy.
He turned their garage
into a woodshop
and used to make
custom cabinetry,
nightstands, that
sort of thing.
So, I'd hang out and watch.
So, let me guess. He took you
under his wing, and a rival,
a bully carpentry club,
challenged you to a build-off.
At the all-valley
carpentry tournament.
You know, you can just admit
that you missed me.
You don't have to lash out
'cause you feel
like I abandoned you.
You abandoned me?
Yeah.
Cuckoo.
You're crazy.
Mm-hmm.
G.
Check this out.
Fresh paint.
Yeah, and there's
something under it.
It's faint, but I can see it.
Yeah, looks like
they were trying to cover
up something that was
in red. And they were
gonna do another coat.
Well, company said
somebody threw a brick
through the window.
Maybe they came in and
vandalized the inside, as well.
Let's see
what they painted over.
Hey, Kens. I just got word
from Jack Tanaka
at the hospital.
It turns out he didn't know
about his dad's carpentry job,
but it didn't surprise him.
His dad has taken
jobs like that through the years.
Okay.
And do we have an update on
Lieutenant Tanaka's condition?
He still hasn't
regained consciousness,
but the doctors have seen some
positive signs in his vitals.
All right. Well,
keep us posted.
Will do.
What an awful spot
for Jack Tanaka to be in.
You're sitting there
by your dad's side,
and there is nothing
you can do to help him.
Yeah. I think that he
knows he's by his side.
Right.
You know, I-I know that...
we said that we were
open to, um...
I guess my-my point is
that I don't think
we put the proper thought in...
I mean, we haven't even begun
to have the conversation.
It's more of a discussion...
What, about the fact
of being open
to raising a child
outside of our race?
See, there it is. Right there.
I'm trying to be delicate,
and you just stumble
right through it
like a big old drunk elephant.
Drunk elephant?
A big old drunk elephant.
Excuse me.
I'm serious.
Yeah, no. I know.
I've been feeling the same way,
and I do think that this is
something we need to talk about.
I mean, I
didn't even think twice
when we filled
out those forms.
I would love to raise a child
no matter what race,
but I... yeah,
there's-there's obstacles
that we need to talk about.
Right.
Like, how do we educate
a child about a race
and a culture
that we're not a part of
and obviously have
no expertise in?
Like, how do we do that?
I don't know yet.
I don't know.
Uh-huh.
But I do know
that we can't avoid
or neglect it.
You know, we can't pretend that
the child's race and culture
aren't a massive
part of who they are
and-and why we love them.
Of course.
You know?
But also how the
world perceives them.
Uh-huh.
I mean, so, we're...
offering what, then?
We offer a safe home.
Yeah.And a means
to an education.
Yeah.
We offer and promise
to raise them with love.
Of course.
Nothing would
break my heart more
if they never felt
like they fit in with us
or anyone else
who looked like them.
Lots to consider.
Yeah.
I'm gonna need
some more caffeine
if we're gonna have
a conversation this woke.
Ready?
Yep.
Let's do it.
Of course. Happy to help.
Thanks.
Yes.
She said Tanaka told her
about the brick
coming through the window
two days ago.
He never mentioned anything
about the racial slurs
on the wall.
He kept it to himself,
repainted.
I had Rountree
check it out.
There's no cameras
on this street
with an angle on the diner.
Hey.
Let's see if he
saw anything.
Excuse me. Hi. We're,
uh, federal agents.
We were just wondering if we
could ask you a few questions.
I don't know nothing.
Didn't see nothing.
You don't even know
what I was gonna ask you.
Don't matter.
My answer would be the same.
So, you didn't see
the diner across the street
get vandalized
a couple of nights ago?
Look, I already told you,
I don't know nothing.
Look, this is my neighborhood.
It's not yours.
All right? Let me be.
Mm-hmm.
So, in your neighborhood,
is it cool for people to come in
and paint racial
slurs on walls?
Hell no.
Wait, where?
Diner.
Oh, man.
Tanaka's gonna be pissed
when he sees that.
You know Lieutenant Tanaka?
Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah,
he's a good dude.
Funny as hell, too.
He'll be here any minute.
You can talk to him
about the diner.
Lieutenant Tanaka's
in the hospital.
What?
He was assaulted yesterday.
Is it bad?
Yeah. It's real bad.
Damn.
We think
his attackers
may be the same people
that spray-painted the wall.
Wait. Wait, let...
Let me see that picture again?
Red.
I found this across the street
in the bushes yesterday.
Might be the same can
they used in the diner.
Thank you.
Crime lab
has the spray paint can.
They're running prints now.
Cool.
Can you imagine
what must have been going
through Lieutenant Tanaka's mind
when he saw that crap
spray-painted in the diner?
After serving this country
as a Vietnam veteran.
I... I know
he was just boiling.
You know, wanted
retribution.
But instead he just painted
over it and went about his job.
Probably didn't want to
risk rocking the boat
and losing his job.
Yeah.
You know, a few weeks back,
this ignorant dude
yelled some racist stuff at me
in North Hollywood.
It took everything
for me to just walk away.
Yeah. It was only really
two moments in life that I
felt like race didn't matter.
You know, like we
were one family
no matter what we look like.
It was when I was playing ball
and here. Now. Being
a part of this team.
Yeah, when it's about
a common goal...
Yeah.
Yeah, well,
maybe we'll finally realize
humans are one big family
when the aliens come down
and attack.
Yeah.
Wait, what?
Aliens? Aliens?
Oh, nice. They got an ID
off the prints on the can.
Jason Quinn.
I guess we can all agree
this is a hate crime.
Yeah, if we can tie the
racial slurs from the diner
to the attackers.
We do that,
we prove it wasn't
a random attack.
Lieutenant was targeted.
Okay, but if he was targeted
for renovating the diner,
why would they attack
him at the beach?
Well, maybe Tanaka knew
that Jason Quinn was responsible
for those racial slurs,
and he confronted him.
Things escalated from there,
and Quinn followed
him to the beach.
Hey, guys. So, we got an address
for Jason Quinn,
but what's even more interesting
is who he lives with.
Yeah, his roommate's
a guy named Billy Strauss,
whose family was
the longtime owner of the diner
that Lieutenant Tanaka
was renovating.
So, the Strauss family,
they lose the business.
They get angry.
They get frustrated.
Then they go after the...
Wrong guy.
Tanaka isn't the buyer. He's not
the one forcing them out.
He's not even capitalizing
on the new diner.
Just a guy doing a
part-time carpentry job
when Strauss and Quinn
decide to beat him up.
Which is why they decided
to beat him up at the beach
and not the, uh, diner, because
if they do it at the diner,
that's a pretty direct line of
investigation back to Strauss.
We just got a hit on Quinn.
He just used his credit card
at a coffee shop
near Riverfront Park.
Sam and I'll check out
the house they shared,
see if Strauss is there.
Why don't you guys
go to the coffee shop,
see if you can find Quinn.
On it.
Jason Quinn? We're NCIS.
We need to
ask you some...
Ugh!
Runner!
Whoa!
He's coming at you!
Speed bump.I got it. I got
it. I got it.
Hold on.
Get ahead of him.
Cut him off.
I got it.
Oh!
Huh.
So, I hear you like
beating up old war vets.
♪ Now I cannot decipher
what all the static is ♪
♪ But I got a pretty good read
on your black thoughts ♪
♪ The passion that makes me
feel alive again ♪
♪ It's gonna be the death,
the death of us ♪
♪ The passion that makes me
♪ Feel alive again
♪ Oh, it's gonna be the death,
the death of us ♪
♪ The death of us...
One. Two.
♪ No blood and no fingerprints
♪ No!
♪ No blood and no fingerprints ♪
No!
♪ No blood and no fingerprints
♪ No! ♪ No blood and no fingerprints
Clear!
Clear.
♪ I never crossed that line.
Looks like someone
had a pretty good scrap.
Burgers and fries
are still warm.
Whatever happened here,
we just missed it.
Hey, don't hurt me.
I didn't touch that old man.
As much as we'd like to,
we're not gonna hurt you.
You people put a beatdown
on my roommate, Billy.
I heard the whole thing.
Again, as much
as we'd like to,
we didn't touch Billy.
What are you talking about?
My girlfriend works
at that coffee shop.
I was there, and Billy called.
Said someone was trying
to break into our place.
Guy said he was a cop.
He started hitting Billy
with something,
and the last thing I heard
was Billy screaming
before the line went dead.
How long ago was this call?
I don't know. Maybe 20 minutes
before you guys rolled up.
I got scared and ran.
You talked about an old man.
What old man are
you talking about?
Japanese guy. Guy fixing up
the restaurant on Jefferson.
That's really interesting.
Why do you think
we're here about him?
Because, uh...Look at me!
Billy said he got him good.
Oh.
So, you painted racial slurs
on the walls
that Tanaka was renovating,
but you want us to believe
you are not
one of the two people
that attacked him?
I was there.
I spray-painted.
I messed up the new walls,
but I didn't write those words.
You didn't write those words,
but Strauss painted those words?
Strauss did?
Yeah. But you guys said
two guys beat up the old man.
It was only Billy.
He never mentioned
anyone else being there.
So, it was Billy Strauss
at the beach
and an unknown accomplice.
Yep.
Well, whoever came here
for Strauss,
they knew what they were doing.
They got in the house
quick enough
to catch him off guard
and hurt him.
Then kidnap him.
Yeah.
Do you think
it was law enforcement?
I don't know.
But you know who I do think
we need to check up with?
Detective Jack Tanaka.
Fatima,
contact the hospital.
We need to speak
with Detective Tanaka.
Thank you.
Whoever came here,
how did they know to make
Strauss a person of interest
and get here before we did?
Could be tracking
our communications.
Hmm.
You speak to Detective Tanaka?
Not yet.
I spoke to the nurses,
and they said
that they saw him
headed to the commissary
and that they'll
page him right now.
I'm not seeing any inquiries
into our case
from any other
law enforcement agencies.
Systems checks are running
on all of our comm devices.
Should know pretty quickly
if any of them have
been compromised.
What's so funny?
You.
This setup
does not look comfortable.
That's because it isn't.
Look at this, will
you? They all got
their big, nice desks,
comfy chairs.
I mean, Kilbride's got
a whole glass office,
and Hetty basically has
a throne room, and we're
just supposed to make due.Yeah.
Sometimes I set up my laptop on
the Pilates reformer in the gym.
Well, at least somebody's
getting some value
out of that useless
but very expensive contraption.
Admiral,
I was just telling Fatima
that I think we'd be a
little bit more productive
if we had a personal
workspace to...
You want personal space?
Well, yes, sir. Like desks...
Desks? How about offices?
Mm.
Offices with windows,
little plants
scattered here and there.
I like plants.
Yeah.
I don't want to impose,
but that sounds...
Like it's never gonna happen.
You know,
I've never really taken stock
of this part of the building.
What is all this?
Looks like I'm backstage
at a Village People show.
What's a Village People show?
This is our wardrobe
for undercover ops.
Well, seems to me
like a couple
of industrious young agents
ought to be able to find
some other place
to store all this wardrobe crap
and make room in here
for a couple
of decent-sized desks.
Wait, you're telling me
you're giving us permission...
Don't speak. Just smile.
None of our comm systems
have been compromised.
Well, that's nice to hear,
but it still doesn't explain
how somebody
got to the Strauss residence
before us.
Special Agent Namazi.
Okay, how long
has he been gone for?
Okay. Uh, yeah,
if you could have security
check the tapes
and get back to me,
I would really appreciate it.
Thank you. Detective Tanaka
isn't anywhere in the hospital.
They can't find him.
Well,
I guess we just found
who beat us to Strauss.
Whether it's Detective Tanaka
or someone else,
they are definitely monitoring
our investigation somehow.
But we had Fatima
check our comms.
No interagency inquiries.
Right.
And Kilbride said he wouldn't
be transmitting any updates
to LAPD or the sheriff's.
But somehow, Strauss's
location was leaked.
Oh, no.
What?
Prints.
Prints?
The prints
on the spray can.
We sent it
to the crime lab.
Fatima,
pull up the records
from the crime lab
on the spray paint can
that we found.
See if anybody
accessed those results.
Copy that. Pulling them up now.
If somebody has access
to those results,
it's gonna lead them
directly to the house.
The results were accessed from
an L.A. sheriff workstation.
A Detective Matt Guerrero.
Nice.
Do we have a location for him?
His workstation's still online,
so he must be at the station.
Tell Castor
to head over there,
invite him to the boathouse
for a little interagency convo.
Sure.
But as soon as Castor shows up,
won't he know we're onto him?
Absolutely.
Which is why we're gonna
have Kilbride reach out
to Guerrero's superior, bring
him up to speed, and have Castor
ID himself as a federal agent
looking
for background information
on an old cold case.
You got it.
We're heading back
to the boatshed.
So, we know you tipped
off Jack Tanaka.
Who's that?
It's this guy
that your sister dated.
They may have broken up,
but it seems
like you two like
to go surfing together.
And then you went
to a Rams game together.
Yeah, and that
Foo Fighters concert
at the Forum
sure looked fun, huh?
If you've forgotten
all these details,
you could just check out
your own social media.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah, after Jack and my sister
broke up, we stayed friends.
And after you told him
about the fingerprints,
did he go to Strauss's home
and kidnap him?
Listen, we get it.
What Strauss did
to Jack's dad is horrible.
It makes us sick.
Right? But if Jack has Strauss,
we have to get to him
before he does something
that he can't undo.
As of today, his career
is probably over.
He, uh, called me
after he snatched them up.
"Them"?
Strauss and his dad.
He said
that when he got to the house,
it was pretty evident
that Strauss's dad
planned the attack.
He needed a place to take them
'cause he knew that, uh,
your team would show up
at the house any minute.
Where did he take them?
I busted
some gang members
at an auto body shop last week.
I knew the place
would be empty, so...
What's the address?
9389 Prairie in Hawthorne.
Callen, it's Detective Tanaka.
He's got Strauss
and his father. The auto
body shop is in Hawthorne.
On our way.
Dad, what's gonna happen now?
Billy, stop talking.
Please, just let us go.
You got what you wanted.
Please!
Just let us go.
Federal agents! Drop the gun,
Jack.
Jack.
Doing it now.
Help us!
Help us, please! Come
on! This guy's crazy!
Help us!
Shut up!
I'm-a need you
to get on your knees
and interlock your fingers
behind your head,
Jack. On your knees!
Dad, are they
gonna help us?
Doing it now.
Get us out of here!
Come on, what the hell
are you waiting for?
Do you know what he did to us?
I know what he didn't do to you.
He didn't attack you from behind
and beat you two-to-one.
Dad.
Of course.
Of course you people
would be siding with them.
You two should be thanking
this man right now.
Oh, yeah.
This situation could have ended
a lot worse for you.
Come on, Jack.
In my head, Jack did
what he should have done.
It just sucks that he's gonna
lose everything because of it.
So, if that was your
dad in the hospital,
you would've done
the same thing?
Hell no. Not for my dad.
You don't talk about
your family much.
Yeah. My family's
not like yours.
My little sister's my family.
She's everything.
Then I need to meet her.
Yeah, you do.
So, you going
to jujitsu tonight?
I mean, I should.
I just, uh...
Pizza at Mulberry's instead?
Hell yeah.
Let's go, partner.
Uh, you buying, right?
So, essentially, Papa Strauss
dedicates his whole entire life
into turning his son
into some sort of hate machine.
Yeah. Not exactly the best
version of a life well-lived.
But it's so crazy
when you think about it
from a parenting perspective,
right?
Like, if he wasn't
so full of hate,
if he wasn't so afraid,
if he wasn't so angry
and therefore
didn't poison his son,
then maybe none of this happens.
You know,
maybe Lieutenant Tanaka's
out there fishing on that pier
like he always does.
Yeah. And he's gonna be
out there fishing again.
Right?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Baby, it is just as easy
for us to raise our child
with love and acceptance
as it is to fill them
with fear and anger.
I hope so.
I know so.
Oh. Look at that.
Got to go.
Otherwise, you're gonna miss
your live Peloton class.
P-P-Peloton?
Yeah.
How am I am supposed
to manage that heart rate
after a quarter pound
of carne asada
from La Perla Tapatia?
Oh, my gosh.
You were listening?
Always.
Thank you.
I know bringing me here
before booking's
against some procedures.
Pretty much all of them.
I'll just wait out here.
No, no, please, come inside.
My dad'll never believe that
a real admiral came to see him.
Hey, Pops.
I know a little something
about tough fathers.
Don't always make
for the easiest of childhoods,
but, uh...
damn hard to kill.
My money says he'll
pull through this just fine.
You think what I did
was pretty stupid.
It was.
But I'm not one to judge.
It had to be done.
For the past two years,
Asian Americans have
been beaten, yelled at.
Even had acid
poured on them.
There needs to be a cost paid
for going after our elders
and the weak.
You're
an elite RHD detective.
Now, you could have
gone after these people
and stayed on the right side
of the law.
They needed to pay
for hurting my dad,
and I had the skills and means
to make an example of them.
I couldn't let
that opportunity pass.
I accomplished
what I set out to.
And what was that?
There's a video on my phone
of those two cowards
at the auto body shop.
Let's just say
they aren't the two tough guys
that kicked my dad in the back
and beat him down.
I posted it to a bunch
of social media accounts
about 30 seconds
before your team arrested me.
So, you sacrificed your career
to make a video?
They needed
to see that
there are consequences
when they attack us.
We're not just the silent,
docile, model minority type
that they think
they're targeting.
By now, the video's gone viral.
And if just one of these
beatings never happens
because some racist coward
sees it and thinks twice
about beating an elderly
Asian American person...
...then I am good
with those consequences.
"The way of the warrior is a
resolute acceptance of death."
Miyamoto Musashi.
♪
Dad?
Hey, Pops. It's me,
Jack. I'm right here.
Son.
Did you arrest them?
Yeah.
This man, this is...
This is Admiral Kilbride.
He and his team,
they found them.
Those punks are
going to jail.
No. No.
Easy, Lieutenant. As you were.
There is no need for that.
It's my honor.
Good work, son.
Excuse me.
I'm tired.
Sure, Pops.
Just rest.
♪
Who is 73-year-old
Lieutenant JG Craig Tanaka?
Please, let us go, man.
I just want to go home, please.
Man up, son. Stop
whining. Now.
Who is Lieutenant JG Tanaka?
The guy we beat up.
Billy, shut up!
Sorry!
Okay! Stop.
Did you sucker punch and
beat down Lieutenant JG Tanaka?
Yes! Yes.
I'm so sorry, man.
It should have never happened.
Just let us go.
I'm so sorry.