NCIS: New Orleans (2014–…): Season 7, Episode 4 - We All Fall... - full transcript

NOPD!

[gunfire]LAUGHTON:
Officer down.

TAYLOR:
Mark Palmer,
a 12-year veteran of the NOPD.

The D.A. is taking a fresh look
into some excessive force cases.

This is the first time I've ever
had the mayor get involved.

Not trying to step on any toes.You can step on
anything you want

if it helps me get to the truth.

Then these cops show up
out of nowhere,

started beating
the hell out of me.

PRIDE:
These three guys had
multiple complaints

filed against them
over the years.



This is starting to soundlike it wasn't just
a random cop killing.

struggle like this
makes me wonder

how any of us are gonna
get through it.

HANNAH:
NOPD spotted the man who
killed Officer Palmer.

Yeah, I was in fear for my life,
so I took appropriate action.

HANNAH:
We're too late, Pride.BLAKELY: None of this

has anything
to do with you.

You abuse the badge

and that reflects on
all of us who wear it.

So get ready.

I'm coming for you.

World is falling apart,
I'm telling you.

Walls are closing in.Relax, Lenny.

Since when do cops investigate
other cops for doing their jobs?



Don't get emotional.Blakely,

they're not gonna stop
until they get us fired.

Or sent to prison.

No one's getting fired.
No one's going to prison.

You don't know that.

Relax, Yates.

I got some ideas.

♪ Boom, boom, boom, boom

♪ Bang, bang, bang, bang

♪ Boom, boom, boom, boom

♪ How, how, how, how

♪ Hey, hey

♪ You gotta come on.

Sounds like y'all
had your hands full.

Quentin Carter, meet
Investigator Maya Hidalgo,

NOPD Force
Investigation Team.

Yeah, I heard you got
a bad cop problem.

More like bad cops.And another
officer's dead because of it.

Yeah. Why don't you fill him in?

HIDALGO:Officer Mark Palmer was killed

by career criminalLamont Russell on what was

a routine B and E call.

But it's pretty clear
Russell was coerced

to kill the officer by DetectiveBlakely and Officer Yates.

Which we can't prove sinceBlakely shot and killed Russell

while he was supposedlythreatening his life.

Do we know why
Blakely and Yates

would set Officer Palmer up?

Palmer was gonna offer testimony

on a series
of excessive force complaints

involving all three of them.

Again, we can't prove that.

He never said a word to anyone.

Wasn't there another officer

that heard what Palmer
was gonna say?

If there were, they
wouldn't speak up.

They're afraid of being
blacklisted, harassed.

Or killed. Just like Palmer.

Yeah, no good deed
goes unpunished, huh?

HIDALGO:Face it all the time.

It's why good cops don'tcross the thin blue line.

And how bad cops stay protected.

I'm being told
to close the case.

Well, we're not doing that.

Palmer had something to share.

Something worth
killing him over,

and when we find out what,
these guys are going to jail.

HIDALGO: They brutalized
God knows how many people

with excessive force.

But even if we got a lot of
these victims to testify,

how can we make
sure it'll stick?[phone beeps]

I may have an option.

The Racketeer Influenced
and Corrupt Organizations Act.

You want to make it a RICO case?

Isn't that usually used
against the mob?

In recent years,the Justice Department

has been using itin more creative ways.

They've gone afterstreet gangs, corporations.

Police departments.

RITA:
Full disclosure,

it's only been successful once
against a police department.

Rampart in Los Angeles.

This is a long shot?

Long shot, Hail Mary,
last stand.

For this to work, you'd
have to prove three things.

That the officers were
coordinated, like a gang,

that they conspired to commit
illegal activity

and that they benefitted
financially from it.

We go RICO,
we keep the case open,

continue to investigate
on a federal level.

And hope you find something.

Gonna get pushback
from the department.

They'll say it's a witch hunt.PRIDE: Yeah.

Of course you will, but Zahra,

this is our chance

to hold these men accountable
for their actions.

Okay. I'm willing to try it.

Where do we start?Well,

problematic officers
tend to be problematic people.

We do enough digging,
we're bound to find something.

♪ I'll be on the block
with the homie so dope ♪

♪ Every time you see me
I be chilling with my folks ♪

♪ You can catch me trippingwhen I'm thinking of a million ♪

♪ How to get them Jacksons
like I'm Remy on the low ♪

♪ Climbing to the top like I'mtrying to reach the ceiling... ♪

CJ!

♪ Don't worry about no hater
'cause it's sweet... ♪

CJ, turn it down! It's
giving me a headache.

[lowers volume]Oh. Hey, Ma.

Sorry, I-I was getting hyped
for tomorrow.

Check it out.
Drama in the front...

comedy in the back.

What is all this?

It's for the protest tomorrow.

What protest?

Through the French Quarter.

Marching to City Hall.
Told you last week.

You said I could go.
I said maybe.

And it was depending
on COVID numbers.

No. You said that I need
to go with friends

and wear a mask but that
you were "cool" with it.

Well, I'm no longer cool.

I'm the one who organized
my friends.

Everyone's expecting me.
What am I supposed to say?

Say that I changed my mind,

and they can march
just fine without you.

Have another glass,
maybe you'll change it back.

You're out of line.

Whatever.
CJ.

CJ![door slams]

I don't understand.
So she's ghosting you?

No. We talk every day.

Then there's something
in her tone?

Tone is the same.

Well, then, what is it?

What's what?What nothing.

Something's going on with
Tammy's new girlfriend

and she won't tell me what.

There's nothing to tell.
It's just a sense I get.

Oh. I thought we liked Kara.

We do. That's the problem.

Well, it's only a problem
if she's married.

[laughs, gasps]

She's married.Guys, she's not married.

And I'm not getting bored
or scared, which is a first.

I really want her in my life,
which is also a first,

and things are really great,
which is really problematic.

Why?

Because we've been dating
for a while and I really want

to introduce her to my family
and that's not an option.

Because your mom
doesn't know you're gay.

Yeah.Okay, well, then just tell her.

[exhales]
Okay.

I'm gonna.

Wait, really?Yeah.

That's great!What an amazing step.

Yeah, it's great and amazing,
except I feel like

I'm gonna vomit or pass out.

I-I really don't know
how she's gonna react.

Hey, can we just focus
on the bad cops

we're trying to catch, please?

I guess.Fair enough.Okay, great.

So the archives allowed us
to see the entirety of Palmer,

Yates, and Blakely's
complaint history.

And we found something
a little odd.

Typically, with officers
who have a record of complaints,

the incidents are sporadic.

Here and there, usually later
in the officer's career.

Yeah, but in the case of
Palmer, Yates and Blakely,

they were getting complaints
filed against them

right out of the police
academy, as rookies.

Well, that could be
a coincidence.

We thought that, too.
So we randomly picked files

of officers who had a high
volume of misconduct complaints.

Same force pattern.
Right out of the academy.

Yeah, and we
think we know why.

The common thread
is their academy instructor,

Commander
Pat Campbell.

You think he's the reason
they're coming out aggressive?

So there's this concept
in police academies

called "warrior training."

It teaches this "us
versus them" philosophy.

Campbell's been
teaching this

in seminars
all across the South.

Suggests these behaviors
of the officers

is not an isolated incident
but systemic.

And more importantly, organized,
which is a bar for Rico.

I'll let Pride know
to check out Commander Campbell.

CAMPBELL:
Our current modules
include psychology,

criminology, investigation
and evidence.

But the curriculum changes
every year.

Would you say
any of your modules

make for officers who are more
forceful or combative?

Ah. Warrior training.

No, we don't do that.PRIDE:
Really?

Because you've taught seminars
on the subject.

I did. Few years back.

But like I say,
we change with the times.

There's been
a significant number of officers

accumulating
excessive force complaints

right out of the academy.

It suggests that the times
haven't changed much.

I was told I had
to talk to you.

Got to ask why
a couple of Navy cops

are so interested
in our training.

We're just trying to determine
whether there's a correlation

between what your
officers learn here

and their actions
on the streets.

Any particular officers
you have in mind?

'Cause I've trained hundreds.

Let's just keep it
general for now.

Oh, well, general,
you might want to talk

to the field training officers.

First thing most FTOs say
to a rookie

is "Forget everything
you learned at the academy."

Seems counterproductive.

We try to teach our cadets to be

thoughtful members
of the community.

FTOs try to teach them how
to survive in the real world.

Well, what about the, uh,
the recruits themselves?

Any patterns of belligerence?

Are some recruits more
aggressive than others? Sure.

Takes a particular type
of person who wants to be a cop.

And it's a struggle
for New Orleans

to find quality candidates.

People who can
not only do the job,

but who want to do the job.

So you just rubber-stamp anyone
who comes through the door.

Was that a question
or a statement?

We're just trying to understand
what you're telling us.

Recruiting's a challenge,

but we weed out the hotheads
and the gun nuts

to put the best men and women
on the streets.

Now, unless there's
any specific officers

you want to ask me about...

Yeah, we do.

What can you tell us
about these two?

CAMPBELL:
Hmm. Blakely and Yates.

Middle-of-the-pack candidates.

Made it through
without a problem.

There's been nothing but
problems since they graduated.

We're investigating them
for excessive force,

You know how many complaints get
lodged against every one of us.

No. I've never put anyone in the
hospital for "resisting arrest."

No, me neither,
but Blakely and Yates,

it's like a revolving door
at the ICU.

I told you what I know.

They were good cadets.
No problems here.

As far as I understand,
they sacrifice a lot

to keep the public safe.

Now, if you'll excuse me.

Got a difference
of opinion on that one.

[piano music playing]

♪

[lock clacks, door opens]

♪ When we are apart

[chuckles]♪ I will remember

♪ The summer

♪ Remember when everything

[safe beeps]♪ Was bright and new...

[sighs]

Rita?

What is that
incredible smell?

It's crawfish étouffée.

And, yes, I know the risk I take

cooking one of your specialties.

I have no doubt that
it will be amazing.

You know that's
not necessary.

All I need is for
you to be here.

[chuckles]
Well, it's been a few months.

And, you know,
you won't let me

give you any money
for rent or...

Well, that's
the Southern gentleman in me.

So I put it all on the line
with my étouffée.

[laughing]:
Okay.

So I want you to have a taste,
but be kind.

♪ I will be wishing

♪ On starlight...

Mmm.

Mmm.

That's nice.

Really?
Mm-hmm.

Mm.

NOPD! NOPD, get on the ground!

On the ground now!Fingers behind your head!

Show us your hands!Rita, stay down!

Down, down!

Ollie Harris, we have
a warrant for your arrest.

My name's Dwayne Pride.
I'm a federal agent with NCIS.

My credentials are
in my back pocket.

I'll show you right-- [grunts]Oh, Dwayne!

Okay, this is Rita Devereaux.

She's a former attorney
with the Department of Justice.

Handcuff the suspects.

Look, if you'll just lookat my credentials

that arein the back pocket...

You're about to make
a huge mistake here.

What the hell is this?

It's what I told you!

I'm NCIS!

No Ollie Harris?

No! No, no!

There's no Ollie Harris here.

It's just the two of us
that you've handcuffed

on the floor of my apartment.

Uncuff them.

You okay? You okay?No.

My heart is beating
so fast, it feels like

it's gonna explode.It'll be okay.

Your credentials, Agent Pride.

What the hell was that?

We were executing a no-knock
warrant on an Ollie Harris.

Wanted on gun possession
and manslaughter.

C.I. gave us
this address.

And you didn't think
to double-check?

My God, Dwayne's owned
this building for years.

He's well-known
in the community.

And your department!

Who's the lead detective
on this case?

I couldn't tell you that.

Commanding SWAT officer
gave us that assignment.

I'm gonna want his name.And your supervisor.

Pack it up, team.

Sorry for the mix-up.

Rita?

Rita, are you sure
you're okay?

No, I'm not!

I'm gonna call and find
out who's responsible

for this and
raise some hell.

Don't bother.

This was Blakely.

Dwayne!

[indistinct chatter]

I mean, I don't know what...Hey! Hey!

[grunts]

Get your hands off him!

You want to come after me,
fine, I can take it.

That's felonious assault,
Special Agent Pride.

But you come after the
people I care about,
you're gonna get hurt.

He seems upset,
doesn't he, Yates?

You sent SWAT to my home.

Oh, I heard about that.
Hit the wrong address?

Hell of a mistake.It was no mistake.

You got a lot of accusations.

But not a lot of proof.

I know it was you.

And what are you gonna do
about it?

Let's go outside, I'll show you.HIDALGO: Hey!

What the hell are you
thinking, Pride?

Let go of him!

Excellent timing,
Hidalgo.

This isn't over.It's absolutely over.

Start walking!

Now!

What were you thinking?

I'm already out on a limb

keeping this case open
and now you pull this?

They sent a tactical team
to my house.

They terrorized Rita.

Yeah, I know.
Confronting him might feel good,

but it only screws you.

I got plenty of witnesses
who saw you

put your hands on Blakely.

You've got nothing to prove
they swatted you.

You're jeopardizing
our credibility.

They're not getting away
with this.They will...

unless you act smart.

Think about it-- they're scared.

Why else would they
harass you like this?

Whatever path you're on
must be the right one,

so stay on it.

Stay out of their way
until you can put cuffs on them.

It's nice tonight.
Stars out.

Mosquitos aren't
sucking us dry.

[both laugh]

Where's CJ?

Usually he'd be trying to dip
in our conversation about now.

Well, he's in his room.
He's mad at me,

'cause I won't let him go
to the protest tomorrow.

March to City Hall--
why can't he go?

Because he's 16

without a clue
about the world

and the dangers
that lie out there.

It's a peaceful protest.

Even I'm participating.

These kids think
that they will live forever.

But this expert will tell you
they will not.

That's a lot to carry, Loretta.

Mm.

That's what I keep
telling him.

I'm talking about you.

Me? I'm fine.

I'm a strong Black woman.

I can't be anything but fine.

Well, this strong Black
woman is struggling.

[chuckles] Arguing
more with my husband.

Getting three hours
of sleep at night.

And when I can close my eyes...

I can't rest for worrying
about the city.

I'm running on fumes.

And I'm not too proud
to admit it.

Now that's the brave face
our mothers force on us.

Heaven forbid a woman,
especially a Black woman,

show the least bit
of righteous anger.

It just shifts so quickly
from strong, Black woman

to angry Black woman
in these people's eyes.

And a thin line
between them.

I swear...

sometimes I can't breathe.

Pressure's so crushing.

This will help.Oh, no, no, no.

Loretta, look...

Does it?

Well, takes the edge off.

Keeps me sane.

But does it give you peace?

Well, gee, that sounds...

less like a question
and more like a judgment, Zahra.

No judgment.

Just observation.

I don't think
the wine is helping.

I don't think
it's none of your business.

You know,
it's getting pretty late.

[clears throat]

And we both have
a long night

of not sleeping
ahead of us.

Of course.

Take care, Loretta.

♪

[beeping]

You know...

Carter,
you have a really unnatural

relationship with that machine.

What's wrong
with regular coffee, huh?

Mm-hmm, you're not fooling me.

You're the one
who clogged my milk frother

while I was gone, weren't you?

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

You use it,
you clean it.

That's the rule.[phone ringing]

[sighs]

Everything okay?

Call I have to make
and I don't want to.

Traditionally, this is where you
ask me what call I have to make.

Mm, uh-uh.

See, that's complicated.
I keep it simple.

You want to tell
me, you will.

Well...

I'm telling my mom I'm gay.

Roman Catholic?

Oh, yeah, real old-school.

My cousin married a Protestant
and was practically disowned

by the whole family.

I'm not even sure
how she's gonna react

to this, but I'm sure
it's not good.

How do you deliver bad news
to your family?

With unbridled joy.

[laughs]
I live to piss them off.

But the difference
between our situations

is your news isn't bad.

It's not good.

You're telling your mom
who you are.

That's all-- not bad, not good.

Just the truth.

Yeah, well...

the truth is that my mother
had really high expectations

for me, Carter-- I'm not sure
I lived up to any of them.

Well, if she doesn't, screw her.

Respectfully.

I mean, you're
a beautiful, confident,

capable woman-- any parent
would be proud to have you.

If your mom needs time
to catch up to that fact,

that's on her.

That's nice, Carter.

Thank you.

CARTER:
I try.

Pride.

We heard what happened,
Pride.

You okay?

Yeah, I'm fine.

We need copies
of all the NOPD

archived misconduct files
on Blakely and Yates.

Yeah, I got them here.Good.

Hidalgo's getting us
their employment records,

psychiatric evaluations,
background checks-- we'll,

we'll cross-reference.What are we looking for?

I'm not sure exactly.

But Hidalgo had a good point.

Blakely wouldn't have come at me

unless we were on to something.

Well, last place
that we went was the academy.

Commander Campbell.

Pointing us
to the field training officers.

But something tells me
we need to look

for a connection to him.

Dwayne Pride?

Ned Jacobs, Blakely
and Yates' union rep.

What do you need?

Well, I need for you
to leave them the hell alone.

They're under federal
investigation.

Yeah, yeah, I heard all
about your wild accusations

of misconduct,
murder of one of their own.

You got no evidence.

Investigation's ongoing.

Yeah, well,
it's a witch hunt.

You're slandering
these officers'

good names
and reputations.

And Mark Palmer?

He was a cop, too.

Officer Palmer was killed
by a career criminal.

Who was killed by Blakely.

That doesn't seem
strange to you?

It seems like justice.

What is your agenda here, Pride?

Other than assaulting
my officers?

How about keeping bad cops off
the streets so the rest of us

can do our jobs and the
public doesn't live in fear?

Yeah, well, these men,
they're exceptional officers.

Brutally beating a sailor
for a misunderstanding?

Putting another man in a coma?
There's a pattern!

Yeah, well, let's talk
about patterns, Pride.

Because you don't have to go too
far into your past to see one.

Watch it.Maybe it's not official record,

but, oh, you dig deeper,

you hear stories.

Kidnapping elected officials,
questionable shootings.

That's enough!
That's enough. Leave.

Maybe take a hard look
at yourself, Pride...

before you come at
one of my guys.

Out! Now.

Go.

What was that about?

Nothing.
Listen, Pride...

You think that union rep
was threatening you?

[sighs]

More like a warning, I guess.

I try to stand by
the actions I've taken.

But...

I've done things.

You're a good cop.

A good man.

You're also your father's son,

which sometimes that can
manifest in unexpected ways.

You think I'm like him?

I think you've worked so hard
to not be like him

that maybe you've
overcompensated.

We are our actions.

I've crossed the line, Rita.

More than once.

Even if it was for
the right reasons.

I tried to adjust.

But when SWAT was cuffing you
on the ground, I saw red.

I'm okay.

And when I went
after Blakely,

I was ready to kill him.

Okay, you were angry.
So was I.

I'm not kidding.

I would've killed him.

But you didn't, Dwayne.

You got your head
back in the game.

This time.

I have so many doubts.

Look... you don't like
the way you act,

you fix it.

You get your house in order,

but you don't stop going
after Blakely and Yates.

They need to answer
for what they've done.

[playing jazz music]

What'd you get?

I'm the one that's
supposed to be doing

the emotional eating.

This is how I think.
I eat.

I got it, by the way.
Don't move.

Sebastian, I'm stuck.

I called my mom earlier
and I can't do this.

I don't know what to say.
Maybe I should, like, um,

send her a meme or a text
or something, you know?

Like, break her in.

Do they make "coming out" memes?

That's, like, the worst idea
I've ever heard in my life.

Well, then, what should I say?

Why don't you just
practice on me?

That way you can work it out
without any pressure.

Mm, I don't know.Yeah. Aw, it's gonna be great.
Come on.

Give me a second,
I've gotta... [clears throat]

[sighs]

[clears throat]
All right, I'm ready.

Mom, I'd like to talk to you.

Tammy, oh, my God,
where have you been?

I was so worried that something
had happened to you.

I've been praying for you
all week. Are you okay?

I've been worried that somethinghas happened with your job...What is this?

That was your mom.
Was that no good?

No, it's too good and
it's weirding me out.

All right, well, let's, come on,
take if from the top.

All right. Um...

Ma? Um...
Hmm?

I'd like to talk to you.

I'd really appreciate
if you'd listen to me and...

and let me finish
what I have to say.

Of course, my little Tammy bear.
What do you want to talk about?

This is really hard for me.

Yeah, I'm listening, baby girl.

And...

I've been keeping something in.Mm.

Not-not telling you something
because I love you

and I don't want to hurt you.

But it's like I'm living a lie,

a-and I don't want to live
like this anymore, you know?

What is it, sweetheart?

I...

I-I can't. I can't--

I can't,
I can't do this.

You're doing great.It's all fun and games

until I drop the bomb on her.

Nope.

T, you got this.
You're fine.I don't got this.

[phone chimes]

Is that my mother?

Is she texting you?

Why would your mother text me?

Because she's got this
sick sixth sense,

and she knows something's
going on.

It's not your mother.
It's a friend of mine in D.C.

I had him run
Yates' and Blakely's name

through a government database.
Looks like he found something.

[siren whoops]

Ordinance number 99.230
requires all persons

within the New Orleans
city limits to wear a mask.

I have a mask.

Wearing it around your
chin doesn't count.

I'm outside.
There's no one around.

Still got to write you up.
Step over here,

put your hands on the hood.Wh-Why, man?

Need to check
you for weapons.

Or drugs.You're on some BS
and you know it.

Just trying
to harass people.

Every word out of your mouth
makes this harder on you.

Hey. Officer Yates.

I'm gonna need you
to step over here for a minute.

Inspector Hidalgo was
kind enough

to provide us
with your detail authorizations.

Those are just a bunch
of permission slips

NOPD gives us
to work outside security.

Yeah. I know.

Nothing shady
about it.

Well, according to this,
you worked a substantial number

of hours over the last couple
of years at Cleo's Canteen.

Yeah. Worked security.

You got a problem with that?

No, I don't.

Internal Revenue Service might.

This is the last five years

of your tax returns.

A lot
of unreported income.

[scoffs]

This is a joke.

Well, there's nothing funny
about tax evasion.

Al Capone went to prison for it.

However,
if you are willing

to open up
about Officer Palmer's murder,

we might be able
to help you out with this.

You don't have the authority
to arrest me for tax evasion.

That's true. I don't.

But, uh...

he does.

This is Larry
from the IRS.

I flew him in
from D.C.,

special, just for you.

You Navy cops are a trip.

Yeah, okay,
bring him on.

Just make sure
to call my union rep first,

'cause I got nothing to say.

[door opens]

You get anything
out of Yates?

No, he's not gonna talk.

But he may not have to.

Happen to remember
Commander Campbell's tattoo?

Uh, the fire-breathing dragon?

Yeah, yeah,
kind of hard to miss.

[chuckles]:
Yeah.

Yates has the same one.

You know, secret societies
have flourished

among police departments
since before the Civil War.

Yeah. They used to call them
brotherhoods, fraternities,

but they're really just a gang.

If that's what
we got going on here,

we'll meet one
of the requirements for RICO.

PATTON:
I've been going through photos

on the NOPD's public website
as well as their social media.

Look what I found.

PRIDE:
Campbell, Yates,
Blakely, Palmer,

all with the same tattoo.

Call themselves
the Spitfires.

Their creed:
"Order by any means."

And there's a lot of them.
I counted 13.

They all graduated
from the academy

when Campbell
took command.

All with questionable
psych evals.

Campbell's passing them through
to feed the organization.

Sounds like conspiracy to me.

Ain't that another bar
to meet RICO?

We don't need Yates
to flip on Blakely at all.

We've met two of the three bars
needed for a RICO prosecution.

And if these Spitfires are using
their positions to make money...

We'd meet the third bar
for RICO.

Taking Yates and Blakely down,

and every other
Spitfire with them.

Anything yet?

We've been going through NOPD's
excessive force complaints

for members of the Spitfires.

They average
40% more complaints

than the others.How does something like that
not get noticed?

Police department's
not tracking data.

If you want to curb
excessive force at the NOPD,

start with
these 13 cops.

Rita spoke to the Organized
Crime and Gang Section

at the DOJ.

They're gonna hear
our RICO pitch.

That's good news.[chuckles]:
Yeah.

But it means
we have to have one.

I mean, we can make a case
that these Spitfires

are a gang involved
in a conspiracy,

but are they profiting from it?

Might have something there.

We knew Yates was earning cash
on the side

doing security work, so we
looked into the other guys.

Got the detail authorizations
for the other Spitfire members.

They all have healthy
moonlighting gigs

across the city.More security work.

Well, that's not unusual.

Moonlighting as a cop
is voluntary.

Some want it
more than others.

True, but what stands out
about these authorizations

is that they all work
for one company:

Alpha Dog Security.

Commander Pat Campbell
established the LLC in 2017.

He owns the company

that employs every single
one of the Spitfires?

You two...
may have just proved our case.

It just never seems
to end, does it?

Uh, it's slowed down some,
at least.

Loretta, I want to apologize
for the other night.

Running my mouth.
I didn't mean to overstep.

I should apologize.

You were just trying
to help, and...

I am having a hard time.

I get it.
We're all suffering.

All looking for relief.

If you need
a little extra wine at night...Oh,

it helps quiet my mind,
let's me sleep.

I know.

It's just
not like you.

These are desperate times,
Zahra.

There's so much
needless suffering.

I keep trying to look
for the meaning,

why are they putting us
through this-- can't find it.

May be above
our pay grade, Loretta.

May be something
we just have to get through.

And we may need
support to do it.

Friendship and family.

Yes, of course.

But sometimes we need
to go to a professional.

Talk to someone.

I know you have in the past,
and it's been helpful.

Therapy? Who's got the time?

You make the time.

Okay. I'll drink
herbal tea at night

and just get my act together.

Sure, but being a
strong Black woman

sometimes means having the
courage to ask for help.

Commander Campbell pushes
these guys through the academy.

He cultivates them.

And if they're aggressive
and keep quiet,

they're Spitfire material.

"Order by any means"
is their motto?

They're nothing but a gang.

And Campbell's making
money off them,

hiring them out as security.

Gang, conspiracy,
racketeering.

You think it'll
make as a RICO case?

Rita's pitching it to DOJ now.

Listen,

when I went after Blakely...

You don't have to.

We all got something inside
that we try to keep at bay.

Sometimes it's
harder than others.

Far as I'm concerned,
Blakely and Yates are murderers.

As bad as any criminal
we ever go after.

Worse really, since we
have to jump through hoops

on the slim hope we can
take them down for racketeering.

I want to take
a swing at them, too.

Rita.

The Justice Department
understood what the team

was trying to accomplish,
they commended our work

and creativity for meeting the
standards of the RICO statute.

Uh, so we got
an "attaboy"?

They applauded your effort
to take down bad cops,

but they're declining the case.

The evidence just wasn't strong
enough to get a conviction.

They won't commit the resources.

Where does this leave us?

Back at square one.

Well, it's official.
Yates lawyered up.

He won't flip on Blakely.

He's willing to take
the IRS hit.

[scoffs] And let's face it, he's
probably not gonna get any time.

Which means Blakely's
gonna walk, too.

No justice for Palmer
or any of the other victims.

Yeah, this pisses me off.Me, too.

But all we can do is
keep working, the right way.

T-There's plenty of other cops
doing the same thing.

And these guys
just get away with it.

How are we supposed
to change the system

when the system
keeps getting in the way?

Honestly, I don't know.

But we can't give up.

Hey. I'm looking for Pride.

Got something he requested.

You know I'm willing
to help whenever possible,

but I'm still not understanding
why you wanted the time cards

of the Spitfire officers.

I had a hunch, but I wanted
proof before I said anything.

And I have the proof right here.

Pride wanted me to
cross-reference the time cards

with the Alpha Dog's
work schedule.

You notice anything unusual?

It looks like these officers
are working security

while on patrol.

Can't be two places
at the same time.

They're double-dipping,
and lying.

Either they're getting paid
not to work for the city

or they're getting paid
not to work for security.

Both ways are against the rules.

But not the law.
It's not a criminal offense.

But it is a fireable one.

So if we can't put
them behind bars...

We can get them off the force.

YATES: This is ridiculous.BLAKELY: Take it easy, Yates.

We'll be back.

Oh, I bet you think you
did something today,

but I got your number.

By the time I'm done suing,
I will own you, this department,

this entire city.Yeah. Until then,

the badge stays with us.

You got my number too, right?

Feeling pretty good
about yourself?

You're a bad cop and a murderer.

And all you did
was lose your job.

I've had better days,
but it's a start.

Want to pick up
where we left off?

[chuckles]: No. I don't want
to kick your ass anymore.

I want to make you pay.

Full freight, for ruining
the reputation of the NOPD

and for killing two men.

This isn't over.

Not by a long shot.

Can't believe how
satisfying that felt.

Feel better when we
can put him in cuffs.

Problem for another day. Lunch?

If you're buying.

GREGORIO:
Okay. Yeah, no,
let me get back to you.

Let me think about it.

Okay. Yeah.

Bye.

Hey. Everything all right?

I think so.

What happened?

I just spoke to my mother.

You told her?

[exhales]
Didn't have to.

She already knew I was gay.

She did?
Yes.

All these years I've agonized
over telling her, like,

suffering in silence,
dreading the day she found out.

She knew it.

She knew it the entire time.

That's great.
You should be happy.

[exhales]

I am...

I guess.
Ah...

It's just, like, she wants
to meet Kara, like, now.

I've never had my mother
meet a girlfriend.

I've never had a girlfriend
for more than a few weeks.

Yeah, it's-it's... it's growth.

It's terrifying.

[door closes]

Oh. Hey, Mom. Another
late night at work?

Actually, I took off early
because I had an appointment

with a therapist.

Black people
don't go to therapy.

This one does.

It can help when
you're struggling with a problem

you don't know
how to solve by yourself.

Especially in these times
when life

just seems
so out of control.

I know I've been
a pain in the butt lately.

Been drinking more than usual.

I haven't noticed.[laughs]

Yes, you have.

And that's fine.
You're old enough to know

what's going on
in the world right now.

It feels like I have a lot
on my shoulders.

You don't have to explain.Yes, I do.

It's, uh, it's just that...

things have been enormously
stressful, and to cope,

I'd been using the wine
as a crutch.

That's not fair to you.
I'm sorry.

I can help take care of you.

[laughs softly]

Thank you, CJ.

But you're my son.

You shouldn't have
to take care of me.

I take care of me. And you.

And the first steps
are to be with these.

Need to get your signs together.

Protest happened
a few days ago.
Mm.

There's a Black Lives Matter
protest on Saturday,

and we're gonna be there.

Word?

Word.

Oh, Rita? Those go up there.

Okay. Got it.

[sniffles]

Uh-uh.

[knocking on door]

[safe beeps]

Ah, Mayor Taylor.

Yeah.
Come on in.

Sorry for the late visit.

PRIDE:
Oh, no. No-no
problem at all.

Can I get you
something to drink?

Uh, you want to sit down?Oh, no. No.

I'm fine, thank you.

Uh, this will actually be
a brief visit.

What's going on?

I just wanted to thank you
for all the work you did

on the Palmer case.

Oh, well, I appreciate that,
but it feels incomplete to me.

Blakely and Yates
are still walking the streets.

Don't sell yourself short,
Dwayne.

Due to your efforts,
they're off the force,

as well as 11 other officers
who had no business

wearing the badge
in the first place.

That's a great start.

Much more to be done.

That's actually why I'm here.

Loretta said something to me
about the collective trauma

New Orleans is going through
right now,

and how the city
deserves better.

I couldn't agree more.

I started thinking about
everything we need to rebuild

once COVID is over
and how to rebuild in a way

that serves all the
citizens better.

Well, what did you have in mind?

A lot of systemic issues
plaguing the city.

Not just over-policing,
but housing,

schools, health care,
childcare. It...

Ooh, each one of those
could take years of work

just to unravel
the problems.

Which is why I've decided
to create a task force

to look into
some of these issues.

Uh, recommend the big changes,
yes, but also the small ones

that could really make
a difference in someone's life,

and I'd like you
to join, Dwayne.

[laughs]
Well...

Oh, y-- No.

I'm-I'm flattered,
but I am no politician.

No, you are someone
who gets things done.

And that's why
I want you.

I need you, really.

I'd ask you to think about it,

but the Dwayne I know
already has an answer.

So, are you in?

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