[picspam] 1x06 Powerless
This was a picspam a long time in coming. One of my favorite, absolute favorite episodes in season 1. Took me long to finally get this done. I love, love this episode. This is the Dani Reese episode.
Everything fierce and badass and human about Reese is encapsulated in this episode.
Caution: This is not dial-up friendly. I... may have gone overboard with this episode.
Charlie joins Bobby and the other uniformed officers for training. I love Charlie in casual wear. Also, I think Juarez is kind of hot and it saddens me that he isn't Bobby's partner anymore.
...What?
Anyway, if you look real close to Juarez's shades you can see the film crew. Heh.
We cut to Dani, indulging in her favorite American past time - drinking and baseball picking-up men.
Dani catches Rick Larson's eye from the end of the bar and he salutes her. Dani responds with a smile.
Rick and Dani leave at the same time and appeared to be heading for the same place: Alcoholic's Anonymous. They share mints and Rick introduces himself to Dani. Dani's smile quickly falls at this introduction. Either it's because he introduced himself to her or because he freely admits he's an alcoholic too.
But I sort of sense that Dani likes him too and for more than just an anonymous encounter, which what makes what happens next becomes a little more personal for her.
Meanwhile, Charlie is shooting the breeze with the boys, or appearing to. He has another motive, he always has another motive. Charlie steers the conversation to the Bank of LA shootout. Previously in Fallen Woman, Roman implied that his partner knew something about the shootout and what's more, that it has something to do with his frame job.
Of course, Roman never named which partner and since the shootout happened years before Dani entered the Force Charlie concluded it had to be his former partner, Bobby Stark. Stark who had a story about the shootout that he's apparently repeated to anyone who would listen.
I love the story and because I've rewatched it eleventy billion times I actually could follow the retelling word for word.
Isn't Charlie just luminous?
Dani and Rick enter AA. Dani clearly thought Rick would be sitting with her, she even had an extra chair for Rick but Rick sat with the blond girl and Dani watched as Rick and the girl made their hellos. The expression on her face, she's resigned and seemed to be thinking: 'Of course he's attached.'
Oh, Dani.
Dani leaves, bored and antsy but she's drawn back when Larson stands up and speaks. She's intrigued to hear what he's going to say, only what he says wakes-up her cop instincts and she's interested in a different, professional way. Rick confesses to hurting women when he drinks and then states that the people in AA help him from doing it again. Almost everyone eats it up.
Except Dani, whose ingrained skepticism and instincts tells her there's more Larson's story than he's letting on.
Dani waits for Larson.
Okay, I love Dani and all but at this moment she's totally in cop mode and even though she's just standing there even without knowing who she is and what she does I'd know she was a cop. Her posture screams COP! I'm surprised Larson isn't running away from her.
Dani gives Larson the opportunity to come clean but he hems and haws and Dani knows he's lying and again you can see the disappointed look in her eyes and see that she's thinking: 'Way to pick another winner, Dani.'
CREWS: Hey. How was your meeting?
REESE: Required by my employer.
CREWS: Every moment you spend wishing you were someplace else is a moment you can't get back.
REESE: What about every moment wishing you were someplace else?
CREWS: It would hurt my feelings if I though you meant it.
Dani returns to the station thinking, still troubled by what she thinks she's heard Rick say -- that he sexually assaulted someone. Apparently, in offscreensville, after Roman dragged Reese's history with drugs out of the bag Reese decided to tell Charlie that she also attends AA.
CREWS: Besides, those meetings do a lot of good. I've seen a lot of guys who were self-aware as this piece of fruit. Although, it's not entirely clear how aware fruit is. You know plants recognize their relatives.
REESE: (Still nothing)
CREWS: Everything okay there?
REESE: I heard something. I heard a guy confess to a rape. I mean... he acted like he wanted help staying sober but he was drinking right before the meeting.
CREWS: (cautious) You saw him drinking? Which means... you were in a place where there was drinking? Like a bar?
REESE: Focus on the words I'm actually saying. Okay? This guy gets up and says he was hurtful to a woman the last time he went on a binge. That was a year ago. And he's drinking again.
CREWS: Hurtful could mean a lot of things.
REESE: Yeah, but he means this thing. He blamed the victim for making him do it, he said that he could get into a lot of trouble for it and he stopped talking when he got too close to saying what happened. And he has a record. I ran his plates, Richard Larson: misdemeanor sexual assault conviction in 2002. I bet it was a plea bargain.
Charlie immediately notes Dani is troubled about something and asks her, Dani confides her theory about Larson and in a shift in their usual position Charlie becomes the voice of reason cautioning Dani. A change I'm sure he finds a little strange since usually he's the one with the outlandish theories and Dani was the one keeping him grounded. But that's what partners do, drive the other partner to the middle when they go too far.
They don't disagree with each other in front of other people but they still have disagreements in private.
I love how Charlie looks like a chastened kid whenever Reese gets mad at Charlie. He likes to annoy Dani but he doesn't like it when she's really mad at him.
The press conference! I love this. Also, I always notice that reporter guy on the second cap because my God he's a striking man.
I love how amused Charlie is with the whole proceedings and how he doesn't waste any opportunity and quickly inserts himself in a situation where he could ask Lt. Davis about the Bank of LA shootout.
Loved Davis put-upon expression on the sixth cap, it's like she's thinking: 'Why do I always end up with the nut jobs?'
And Charlie on the last cap: he's so adorable!
I've had this theory, that in season 1, LA at night is representative of Dani Reese while LA at sunlight represents Charlie and the first cap above seems to support that. In fact this whole episode is characteristic of Dani. The surroundings and the sparse use of music in this episode seems to reflect Dani's internal landscape.
Whereas we're always privy to light and open spaces with Charlie, in this episode we were introduced to Dani inside a sparsely lit bar and whenever Charlie isn't with Dani the surroundings reflect that-- closed spaces and a lot less light. It's almost claustrophobic. It's not any wonder Dani doesn't mind sitting outside when shes' witch Charlie.
We meet Dani's ex-boyfriend, in the casting sides they call him Detective Bloome. Bloome is also aware of Dani's history with drugs and it seems their relationship ended badly and one Dani doesn't wish to re-visit again.
One thing we're never told though is when their relationship happened -- before or after she came out of rehab.
There's a line in Farthingale, '...he would have to look for some statistical anomaly... or something that didn't belong in the tax database but the patience to do that its thousands of hours.'
Most fans immediately attribute the above to Charlie but I thought it was also something Dani shared with Charlie, this relentlessness and determination and patience to sift through all the 911 calls on record.
The detectives listen to the tape Reese found the following morning (or later in the day for Reese) and while they're listening you can see they're affected by what they've heard. They've seen and done of a lot of things but they still have empathy for other people.
And Ted! Poor Ted. He's just walking down the street with his grocery and suddenly his face is plastered over books.
Its only doing this screencap did I realize that most of the scenes with Dani start and end without any of the characters talking directly to each other or at all. Here we have Dani entering AA, meets Larson's eyes and settles in her seat and then she moves forward in disbelief, not quite believing what she's seeing and the camera finally pans to let the audience see what Dani's seeing -- Charlie walking up on the stand.
You could see Dani briefly go: 'Wait... is he?'
CREWS: Hate is a prison, anger is the warden. Rage, rage is the guard who takes a piece of you everyday. You all know what it's like you fall, you hit the bottom. The bottom breaks, you fall some more.
REESE: (facepalms)
CREWS: (Looks directly at Reese) You get lost.
REESE: (returns the look, almost defiantly)
CREWS: And now I tell myself, it is what it is. And I'm... I'm doing my best. I hope. Thanks.
Before this episode I wondered if Dani frequently face palmed whenever Charlie did something outrageous and then this episode came and we actually see Dani face palm and kind of simultaenously wish the Earth would swallow her up and wishing bodily harm on Charlie's person.
This is another scene that illustrates the ways Crews and Reese communicate without actually directly talking about it. He begins the speech in a general vague sort of way but then midway into it he focuses on Reese and tells her, shares with her that he knows part of what she went through. How you get lost, how you fall. Reese catches on and looks at him directly, she doesn't like it but she's there and she's hearing what he's really trying to say.
Dani demands what the hell Charlie was doing in her AA meeting after she specifically told him (in not so many words) that this part was hers to do. Charlie expresses his concern that he only wants to watch her back but as far as Dani could see he was meddling. She didn't need help and if she did need it, she'd ask.
Larson interrupts their discussion and goes to make nice with Charlie saying things about how he understood about hate being a prison and then backtracking when Charlie said: 'No, not really.' And then Larson notices the tension between the partners and remarks that he doesn't want to interrupt anything. Dani quickly denies this and shoots Charlie a look. Charlie follows her lead but stil expresses concern again Dani reminds him that he doesn't know what she could deal with.
I really find it interesting and refreshing that nowhere in season 1 did anyone mistake Charlie and Reese for a couple, looking at season 1!Reese it was clear she was a cop. This scene is the closest thing where Larson misinterprets the tension between Charlie and Reese but its low key and soon dismissed.
REESE: Yesterday, that story about that girl... what did she do to you?
LARSON: Some women, (huffs a laugh) make me so mad that...
REESE: That...?
LARSON: Only when I'm drinking.
REESE: You are drinking. You were at that bar.
LARSON: So were you. You drink and then you go into a meeting. You know what that is?
REESE: It's a lie. It is livin' a lie.
LARSON: Both liars, aren't we, Dani? It's the one thing I can always be honest about: I am a liar. What can you be honest about?
REESE: I was a social drinker, I did a little blow. My boyfriend dumped me, lost the job and then I got it, y'know? It was time to clean up.
LARSON: That's the whole story?
REESE: Yeah, that's the whole story.
LARSON: (laughs)
REESE: Something wrong?
LARSON: I don't think that's the whole story. I know what you're doing. You're messing with me. You think you're different. You're just like every other women.
Dani's mistake here is that from beginning to end she was in cop mode, she's not using her undercover skills. Her whole body language is distant, her questions leading, all that's needed is if this was placed in an interrogation room. It isn't a wonder Larson catches her out, or almost does. Larson prides himself on reading people, he is right about Dani on somethings but not everything.
But what really amazed me here is how Dani calmly took to being accused, about being caught. She doesn't freak out or give too much away, you can see there's a flicker of fear, of apprehension but also something else, something steady. And it just calls to mind something I read in The Legion of Extraordinary Gentlemen, when Hyde is questioning Mina Harker about her lack of fear towards him and Hyde deduces its because Mina's faced something far, far terrifying than him.
It's the same feeling I get here. Yes, being caught here by Larson is unnerving but it's not the worst thing that could happen to her because she's already faced something far, far worse and it isn't Larson.
Another interesting aspect in this discussion is lies. It's something there... a sort of theme. Stark lied about his involvement in the shootout, and now we have Larson proudly admitting he was a liar and Dani, though not proudly, admitting the same. Dani is a liar by training and inclination. Yeah, she would tell the truth bluntly when needed but Dani was an undercover cop where lying was a necessity-- 'It is living a lie' and for however long the undercover op went she's lived a lie and she's never actually stopped living a lie.
Especially once she realized she became an addict and an alcoholic.
The story she tells Larson isn't necessarily a lie, nor is it necessarily the truth. Undercover agents are taught that the best lies they could make are lies they tell with a grain of truth. So part of the story is true, which part we'll never know. It does ring true though that Dani started out as a social drinker what follows after that sentence... we'll never know (until the writers choose to tell us that is).
Since they couldn't get what they want from Larson directly they decide to focus on the missing victim who went off the grid Charlie decides to try his hand using technology and starts reciting all the social networking sites he knows asking Reese: 'Don't you want your friends know where you are all the time?'
The expression on Reese's face suggest: 'No. I do not.'
Unfortunately for Charlie he is still very much a noob when it comes to this chatting thing leading to a hilarious scene where Davis comes in and reads the message right off his shoulder. Apparently, the girls noted he's an Old Man. Judging from his expression he doesn't like being called an old man.
Davis probably came forward to tell Charlie that since he promised to solve the pooping crime he was going to accompany Davis in the stakeout too.
CREWS: I IM'd a couple of Nancy's girlfriends. Y'know there's a whole new language out there we don't even know.
REESE: (Translation:) So you got nothin'
CREWS: Not from them but I found out Nancy's screen name was canceled.
REESE: Mmm. Great.
CREWS: Too bad people don't have GPS.
REESE: Computers do.
CREWS: How's that work?
REESE: I find a friend in internet crimes who'll run down the url if Nancy didn't ditch her computer it'll take us right to her billing address.
I love seeing them eat together whether its inside or outside, enjoying the sun and outdoors.
While Dani is no computer expert she knows enough and while Charlie knows a lot of people on the outside Dani knows all kinds of people inside the police station. Narcotics and Internet Crimes it turns out.
...and it turns out Dani's methods turn out results. I kind of love that in the middle of the investigation Reese doesn't say no to a good cuppa Joe.
Nancy is reluctant to testify and Charlie tries to convince Nancy by saying that she's the one forced into hiding because of Larson and not the other way around and the only way to be free is to testify or wait until he dies. The last statement gets a look from Reese because she knows you shouldn't put ideas into Nancy's head.
I really love the casting in season 1, the guest stars really look like ordinary people.
Awkward tiems. Charlie and the LT is comedy hour. Davis expressions and reactions to Charlie are hilarious particularly when Charlie reacts in disbelief about her married status.
Charlie wins a laugh from Davis when she asks, after all his attempts at conversation fails, if girls/cars/weather is all Charlie and Reese talk about and Charlie respons with: 'No, mostly we talk about how lucky we are to have you as a boss.'
Charlie then broaches the Bank of LA shootout conspiracy and Davis shoots it down, not from any malice, I don't think. The thing about it is I think for all intents and purposes Davis is black and white about some things. She has certain absolutes and her bafflement over Halloween and candy illustrates that. If it isn't practical she doesn't see the point.
Also, I kinda sense that a rapport is building between Lt. Davis and Charlie. Davis is starting to treat Charlie just like any junior detective in her stable, a headache inducing constant pain in the ass junior detective but her detective nonetheless and as for Charlie much as he has another motive he does seemed to genuinely respect Davis. He has a deference to her that I don't see with, well, you know who.
I always find hilarious that after 'No eating in my car' Davis we cut away to daylight and the first thing we see is Dani's messy surveillance vehicle. Heh. I bet Davis and Dani had some epic fights when Dani was growing up and she hitched a ride with Davis when Jack Reese is off somewhere.
It's also these subtle things that point out how perfect fit Crews and Reese are as partners. Crews likes to eat, Reese likes to eat during stake outs too and she doesn't mind making a mess in the car.
I miss how in season 1 when people do 24 hour surveillance they look like they've undergone 24 hour surveillance. They look haggard, the clothes look messy and the hair is all over the place.
Also, please note, this is where undercover experience comes in because instead of using her own car Dani uses another vehicle, an SUV to stakeout Larson's place. Unlike some other person who can't seem to switch from his flashy, recognizable car for a simple stakeout. Even though he has tons of money. Yes, Charlie, I mean you.
REESE: What'd you think you were doing?
NANCY: 'I can't live until he dies' (points to Crews) You told me that, you said I would stay in prison until he was dead!
REESE: Yeah, but he didn't mean you were going to kill the guy yourself. (To Charlie) That's not what you meant. Tell her that's not what you meant!
CREWS: It's not what I meant.
I love interrogation scenes, I love the way they're lighted. I love the way Crews quickly said 'It's not what I meant' after Reese ordered him to.
God, I miss the leather jacket.
I really love Dani's expressions throughout this scene. Particularly the first cap. Charlie once again attempts to get through to Nancy and Dani is watching if it's working.
CREWS: Did you ever think you would have the strength to survive what he did to you? That's your secret, Nancy. Larson doesn't know it. Larson doesn't know how strong you are. Prison doesn't know how strong he made you.
REESE: (looks at Charlie)
NANCY: (confused) You said 'prison'? You mean 'Larson'?
REESE: He means Larson is your prison.
Unfortunately Charlie lets out a Freudian slip which Nancy catches, fortunately for Charlie he has a quick partner and makes a quick save to which Charlie goes: Uh. Oops.
I love how Sarah allows Dani to slouch and doesn't look self conscious doing it.
Also, I like it whenever Charlie expounds on something and looks like a happy, perky student and Dani recieves it all in a vaguely interested sort of way.
Again, the role reversal. Usually it's Dani who prevents Charlie from doing something stupid or crazy. Here it's Dani who gets the crazy idea and this time makes it clear to Charlie that going back to AA to search for Larson leaving Charlie to worry.
Y'know, as cranky Dani often was... she's actually pretty chill most of the time unless Charlie does something completely annoying she's calm. The above scene illustrates this, she made her point to Charlie and made it clear that 'this' was her part but she said it in a gentle, assuring kind of way. 'This is my part and if anything happens, I'll call you.'
Dani forgoes her anonymous status and reveals that she's after Larson but Lou is reluctant to give away information of another AA member, especially to a cop. Lou mentions how Larson is doing well even sponsoring a member, at this Dani realizes the way to Larson is through the blond girl he was talking to earlier.
LOU: Dani, I don't know why you came here to begin with but what you're doing now, how you're going about it... Seems very dangerous to me.
If there's one thing Dani doesn't appreciate it's unsolicited advice. Dani has the same annoyed, rebellious expression she has on during that short scene in Tear Asunder when Davis was cautioning Dani against backsliding.
Davis reveals to Charlie that Stark wasn't anywhere near the Bank of LA shootout but gives him another nugget. SWAT was on a nearby building and it just so happens they were training there.
Hahaha. Look at their identical expressions of disbelief.
Since her cop mode thing didn't work, she went back to a little of her undercover thing.
See, this is the reason why I love Dani's hair up in a bun because when she lets it down, she looks different. It's like she's shedding cop mode. Also, I miss her straight her. I really miss it. Like the jacket.
Hah. The first time I saw that scene and Dani took Larson's hand I went: 'OMG, did she just--' and Larson's expression seemed to be bemused version of my reaction.
Y'know what I find interesting here? It's Dani's detachment. Yeah, she has that 'searing your dirt under my boot' look down pat but there's also a curious detachment there. It's like after this relentless pursuit of Larson she's slowly extracating herself from the Larson case. She's still mad but from what we've learned about her time in undercover where she became too attached to her cases, she's detaching herself.
I love how Charlie's taking his cues from Dani here, because he knows this is her case more its 'their' case and that he knows what to do with Larson all with Dani not saying a word to him.
Dani doesn't even watch Larson's walk of shame. She's put him into another box and she's moved on.
Nancy thanks both Charlie and Dani.
Where Ted is a badass.
TED: 'Earley Warning: Inside the mind of white collar trash'?
WINSTON: That last, it was my publishers idea.
TED: You were my partner, Winston. Everything I did, you did.
WINSTON: Yeah, but you got caught.
It's curious that in an episode that solidifies the partnership between Charlie and Dani (or at least Dani's trust on Charlie) also has this bit about ex-partners and betrayal.
Dani returns home. Y'know Dani and Charlie's home are not so different, Dani might have furniture but it's not as lived in as it should be. She might as well not have furniture.
This is one of the few times where Reese goes home first while Charlie stays behind in the station. Davis arrives and asks after Reese and then informs Charlie that Larson made bail.
Again, another long wordless scene. Y'know I still can't figure out if the vodka's Dani or Larson's. Dani kind of contemplates the vodka with a bit of surprise or she's just contemplating whether to go ahead and drink or not.
Larson uses Reese's own gun against her and forces her to drink, hoping to kill her with alcohol poisoining. Again, I'm amazed at how together and calm Dani is. She doesn't overreact, the more dangerous the situation the more in control she seems to be. It's possibly why she was such a good undercover agent to begin with.
Reese secretly dials Charlie's number.
LARSON: (sing-song) You're not drinking!
REESE: I'm done.
LARSON: You're done when I say you're done.
REESE: (drinks) You're a big man with your gun out. Go on, Rick. Hit the jackpot. Kill a cop. It'd be better than drinking, better than forcing those girls to do what you need. C'mon do it!
Dani baits Larson into shooting her but Larson doesn't call her bluff. I don't know what to make of Dani baiting Larson to kill her but it's really worried Davis. A lot. I don't think Dani has a death wish. At least.. I don't think so.
REESE: What is it you want to do, Rick? You wanna know me?
LARSON: Oh, I do. I do know you! You're in a world of pain.
REESE: (smiling) You don't know pain.
LARSON: (pushes the bottle of Vodka) Finish it.
REESE: All of it?
LARSON: Yep! That's right! All of it!
REESE: (contemplates the bottle for a second) Okay. Gimme a moment. (removes her jacket) Just... just gimme a moment.
You can see the transformation of Reese here. The moment she removes her jacket there's a change in her. She's no longer all cop, she's part cop, part that Reese we see prowling the bars and part someone else. She's contemplated the bottle and saw her chance. It's like a blessing and a curse. This would give her an excuse to indulge her vice without getting a reprimand. It's also giving her an opportunity to give Charlie the Signal.
Calm under pressure and quick on her feet. She must have been one hell of an undercover cop before the drugs got her.
REESE: (O.S.) I can do what you want but I just need for you to gimme a moment. Do you understand?
CREWS: That's not for him. That's for me. She just needs a moment. (to Bobby) Do you want to help me give her one?
STARK: I dunno what the hell that means but if you're going there, I'm going there too.
It's fortunate Charlie finally figured out how to work his phone. It occurs to me... this whole thing is a big act of faith on Dani's part. The scene is kind of reminscent to Infernal Affairs, the Hong Kong move The Departed was based on where the undercover cop uses his phone to contact his fellow cops.
The thing is Dani doesn't really know if her call came in, if Charlie's listening, if he figured out what she was trying to convey. It's all down to faith in Charle that he gets it, that he's there to hear her message. It's just amazing how beautifully they were able to communicate here and how ably Charlie picked up on Dani's plan.
Also, can I just say? Continuity FTW!
Larson is getting an inkling that maybe he's chewing more than he bargained for when Reese downs the bottle of vodka and slams the bottle down.
The Fierce Dani Reese
REESE: You wanna know me? You never shot-up in a room where a guy blew his head off and you're thinkin' you're lucky because he didn't get his brains in your dope or find yourself lying in a pool of puke and crap. Only, you didn't care whose crap it was because the whole time you're thinkin' you were so sick. All you wanted was to get off and get well. You knew that about me? You think you hit bottom, Rick? You have no idea how far down this goes, do you? You think you're bad? You think you got a demon inside of you? You don't even know what that means. You understand that, Rick?
All this time Larson has been flaunting his inner pain to his victims, thinking he had the monopoly, thinking that his pain was better than the others. But in the face of Reese's fierce words his pain, his demons seemed like nothing, inconsequential... There's a gun in Larson's hand but he may as well not be holding it.
CREWS: Wanna tell me again about the Bank of LA, Bobby? Like a hurricane of bullets!
STARK: Streets full of blood and bullet casings, 38 minutes of non-stop free fire zone--
LARSON: What was that?
REESE: (daring) What was what?
CREWS: (O.S) 18 million in cash gone missing. And you were right there when it happened!
STARK: Yeah, I was right there when it happened.
And the moment Larson stands up in panic, Reese takes advantage of his distraction, hefts the bottle and slams it into Larson's head.
The cavalry comes riding in just as Dani retrieves her gun. She didn't need the rescue but she needed the back-up. I love the look of relief on her face when she saw Charlie. Relief that he was there and it's done. I loved the little hand pat. Such a small gesture but it's something. She's handing over her weapon to Charlie.
I stand relieved.
The Walk
CREWS: (catches her arm) You need some help.
REESE: Just... (holds his arm) just make sure I don't fall.
And that in a nutshell is the whole center of their partnership: 'Make sure I don't fall'. It works either way. It's the mandate and vow they both have to live by.
One thing that struck me here is the courage it took Dani to walk out that door and to look at everyone in the eye. If her drug history was once secret, just a rumor now it's all confirmed. Straight from her mouth and that's something for such a private person like Reese and still managing to walk out and face them. Fortunately, she doesn't have to do it alone.
That's zen, isn't it?
I love how Reese keeps repeating, 'That's Zen isn't it?' when not to long ago she threatened to shoot Charlie for doing the same. They've come a long way as partners. And how they continue to smile at each other from across the ambulance.
Stark finally comes clean about the Bank of LA shooting, that he wasn't in it in the first place and Charlie answers it doesn't matter because he was in the middle of this one and he was right there at his back helping him with Reese. The episode ends with everything all right in Charlie's world... his former partner is exonerated, his current partner is safe.
Reese who is now able stand in front of AA and tell the beginnings of her story.
Music to accompany: Go - Sparklehorse with the Flaming Lips
Everything fierce and badass and human about Reese is encapsulated in this episode.
Caution: This is not dial-up friendly. I... may have gone overboard with this episode.
Charlie joins Bobby and the other uniformed officers for training. I love Charlie in casual wear. Also, I think Juarez is kind of hot and it saddens me that he isn't Bobby's partner anymore.
...What?
Anyway, if you look real close to Juarez's shades you can see the film crew. Heh.
We cut to Dani, indulging in her favorite American past time - drinking and baseball picking-up men.
Dani catches Rick Larson's eye from the end of the bar and he salutes her. Dani responds with a smile.
Rick and Dani leave at the same time and appeared to be heading for the same place: Alcoholic's Anonymous. They share mints and Rick introduces himself to Dani. Dani's smile quickly falls at this introduction. Either it's because he introduced himself to her or because he freely admits he's an alcoholic too.
But I sort of sense that Dani likes him too and for more than just an anonymous encounter, which what makes what happens next becomes a little more personal for her.
Meanwhile, Charlie is shooting the breeze with the boys, or appearing to. He has another motive, he always has another motive. Charlie steers the conversation to the Bank of LA shootout. Previously in Fallen Woman, Roman implied that his partner knew something about the shootout and what's more, that it has something to do with his frame job.
Of course, Roman never named which partner and since the shootout happened years before Dani entered the Force Charlie concluded it had to be his former partner, Bobby Stark. Stark who had a story about the shootout that he's apparently repeated to anyone who would listen.
I love the story and because I've rewatched it eleventy billion times I actually could follow the retelling word for word.
Isn't Charlie just luminous?
Dani and Rick enter AA. Dani clearly thought Rick would be sitting with her, she even had an extra chair for Rick but Rick sat with the blond girl and Dani watched as Rick and the girl made their hellos. The expression on her face, she's resigned and seemed to be thinking: 'Of course he's attached.'
Oh, Dani.
Dani leaves, bored and antsy but she's drawn back when Larson stands up and speaks. She's intrigued to hear what he's going to say, only what he says wakes-up her cop instincts and she's interested in a different, professional way. Rick confesses to hurting women when he drinks and then states that the people in AA help him from doing it again. Almost everyone eats it up.
Except Dani, whose ingrained skepticism and instincts tells her there's more Larson's story than he's letting on.
Dani waits for Larson.
Okay, I love Dani and all but at this moment she's totally in cop mode and even though she's just standing there even without knowing who she is and what she does I'd know she was a cop. Her posture screams COP! I'm surprised Larson isn't running away from her.
Dani gives Larson the opportunity to come clean but he hems and haws and Dani knows he's lying and again you can see the disappointed look in her eyes and see that she's thinking: 'Way to pick another winner, Dani.'
CREWS: Hey. How was your meeting?
REESE: Required by my employer.
CREWS: Every moment you spend wishing you were someplace else is a moment you can't get back.
REESE: What about every moment wishing you were someplace else?
CREWS: It would hurt my feelings if I though you meant it.
Dani returns to the station thinking, still troubled by what she thinks she's heard Rick say -- that he sexually assaulted someone. Apparently, in offscreensville, after Roman dragged Reese's history with drugs out of the bag Reese decided to tell Charlie that she also attends AA.
CREWS: Besides, those meetings do a lot of good. I've seen a lot of guys who were self-aware as this piece of fruit. Although, it's not entirely clear how aware fruit is. You know plants recognize their relatives.
REESE: (Still nothing)
CREWS: Everything okay there?
REESE: I heard something. I heard a guy confess to a rape. I mean... he acted like he wanted help staying sober but he was drinking right before the meeting.
CREWS: (cautious) You saw him drinking? Which means... you were in a place where there was drinking? Like a bar?
REESE: Focus on the words I'm actually saying. Okay? This guy gets up and says he was hurtful to a woman the last time he went on a binge. That was a year ago. And he's drinking again.
CREWS: Hurtful could mean a lot of things.
REESE: Yeah, but he means this thing. He blamed the victim for making him do it, he said that he could get into a lot of trouble for it and he stopped talking when he got too close to saying what happened. And he has a record. I ran his plates, Richard Larson: misdemeanor sexual assault conviction in 2002. I bet it was a plea bargain.
Charlie immediately notes Dani is troubled about something and asks her, Dani confides her theory about Larson and in a shift in their usual position Charlie becomes the voice of reason cautioning Dani. A change I'm sure he finds a little strange since usually he's the one with the outlandish theories and Dani was the one keeping him grounded. But that's what partners do, drive the other partner to the middle when they go too far.
They don't disagree with each other in front of other people but they still have disagreements in private.
I love how Charlie looks like a chastened kid whenever Reese gets mad at Charlie. He likes to annoy Dani but he doesn't like it when she's really mad at him.
The press conference! I love this. Also, I always notice that reporter guy on the second cap because my God he's a striking man.
I love how amused Charlie is with the whole proceedings and how he doesn't waste any opportunity and quickly inserts himself in a situation where he could ask Lt. Davis about the Bank of LA shootout.
Loved Davis put-upon expression on the sixth cap, it's like she's thinking: 'Why do I always end up with the nut jobs?'
And Charlie on the last cap: he's so adorable!
I've had this theory, that in season 1, LA at night is representative of Dani Reese while LA at sunlight represents Charlie and the first cap above seems to support that. In fact this whole episode is characteristic of Dani. The surroundings and the sparse use of music in this episode seems to reflect Dani's internal landscape.
Whereas we're always privy to light and open spaces with Charlie, in this episode we were introduced to Dani inside a sparsely lit bar and whenever Charlie isn't with Dani the surroundings reflect that-- closed spaces and a lot less light. It's almost claustrophobic. It's not any wonder Dani doesn't mind sitting outside when shes' witch Charlie.
We meet Dani's ex-boyfriend, in the casting sides they call him Detective Bloome. Bloome is also aware of Dani's history with drugs and it seems their relationship ended badly and one Dani doesn't wish to re-visit again.
One thing we're never told though is when their relationship happened -- before or after she came out of rehab.
There's a line in Farthingale, '...he would have to look for some statistical anomaly... or something that didn't belong in the tax database but the patience to do that its thousands of hours.'
Most fans immediately attribute the above to Charlie but I thought it was also something Dani shared with Charlie, this relentlessness and determination and patience to sift through all the 911 calls on record.
The detectives listen to the tape Reese found the following morning (or later in the day for Reese) and while they're listening you can see they're affected by what they've heard. They've seen and done of a lot of things but they still have empathy for other people.
And Ted! Poor Ted. He's just walking down the street with his grocery and suddenly his face is plastered over books.
Its only doing this screencap did I realize that most of the scenes with Dani start and end without any of the characters talking directly to each other or at all. Here we have Dani entering AA, meets Larson's eyes and settles in her seat and then she moves forward in disbelief, not quite believing what she's seeing and the camera finally pans to let the audience see what Dani's seeing -- Charlie walking up on the stand.
You could see Dani briefly go: 'Wait... is he?'
CREWS: Hate is a prison, anger is the warden. Rage, rage is the guard who takes a piece of you everyday. You all know what it's like you fall, you hit the bottom. The bottom breaks, you fall some more.
REESE: (facepalms)
CREWS: (Looks directly at Reese) You get lost.
REESE: (returns the look, almost defiantly)
CREWS: And now I tell myself, it is what it is. And I'm... I'm doing my best. I hope. Thanks.
Before this episode I wondered if Dani frequently face palmed whenever Charlie did something outrageous and then this episode came and we actually see Dani face palm and kind of simultaenously wish the Earth would swallow her up and wishing bodily harm on Charlie's person.
This is another scene that illustrates the ways Crews and Reese communicate without actually directly talking about it. He begins the speech in a general vague sort of way but then midway into it he focuses on Reese and tells her, shares with her that he knows part of what she went through. How you get lost, how you fall. Reese catches on and looks at him directly, she doesn't like it but she's there and she's hearing what he's really trying to say.
Dani demands what the hell Charlie was doing in her AA meeting after she specifically told him (in not so many words) that this part was hers to do. Charlie expresses his concern that he only wants to watch her back but as far as Dani could see he was meddling. She didn't need help and if she did need it, she'd ask.
Larson interrupts their discussion and goes to make nice with Charlie saying things about how he understood about hate being a prison and then backtracking when Charlie said: 'No, not really.' And then Larson notices the tension between the partners and remarks that he doesn't want to interrupt anything. Dani quickly denies this and shoots Charlie a look. Charlie follows her lead but stil expresses concern again Dani reminds him that he doesn't know what she could deal with.
I really find it interesting and refreshing that nowhere in season 1 did anyone mistake Charlie and Reese for a couple, looking at season 1!Reese it was clear she was a cop. This scene is the closest thing where Larson misinterprets the tension between Charlie and Reese but its low key and soon dismissed.
REESE: Yesterday, that story about that girl... what did she do to you?
LARSON: Some women, (huffs a laugh) make me so mad that...
REESE: That...?
LARSON: Only when I'm drinking.
REESE: You are drinking. You were at that bar.
LARSON: So were you. You drink and then you go into a meeting. You know what that is?
REESE: It's a lie. It is livin' a lie.
LARSON: Both liars, aren't we, Dani? It's the one thing I can always be honest about: I am a liar. What can you be honest about?
REESE: I was a social drinker, I did a little blow. My boyfriend dumped me, lost the job and then I got it, y'know? It was time to clean up.
LARSON: That's the whole story?
REESE: Yeah, that's the whole story.
LARSON: (laughs)
REESE: Something wrong?
LARSON: I don't think that's the whole story. I know what you're doing. You're messing with me. You think you're different. You're just like every other women.
Dani's mistake here is that from beginning to end she was in cop mode, she's not using her undercover skills. Her whole body language is distant, her questions leading, all that's needed is if this was placed in an interrogation room. It isn't a wonder Larson catches her out, or almost does. Larson prides himself on reading people, he is right about Dani on somethings but not everything.
But what really amazed me here is how Dani calmly took to being accused, about being caught. She doesn't freak out or give too much away, you can see there's a flicker of fear, of apprehension but also something else, something steady. And it just calls to mind something I read in The Legion of Extraordinary Gentlemen, when Hyde is questioning Mina Harker about her lack of fear towards him and Hyde deduces its because Mina's faced something far, far terrifying than him.
It's the same feeling I get here. Yes, being caught here by Larson is unnerving but it's not the worst thing that could happen to her because she's already faced something far, far worse and it isn't Larson.
Another interesting aspect in this discussion is lies. It's something there... a sort of theme. Stark lied about his involvement in the shootout, and now we have Larson proudly admitting he was a liar and Dani, though not proudly, admitting the same. Dani is a liar by training and inclination. Yeah, she would tell the truth bluntly when needed but Dani was an undercover cop where lying was a necessity-- 'It is living a lie' and for however long the undercover op went she's lived a lie and she's never actually stopped living a lie.
Especially once she realized she became an addict and an alcoholic.
The story she tells Larson isn't necessarily a lie, nor is it necessarily the truth. Undercover agents are taught that the best lies they could make are lies they tell with a grain of truth. So part of the story is true, which part we'll never know. It does ring true though that Dani started out as a social drinker what follows after that sentence... we'll never know (until the writers choose to tell us that is).
Since they couldn't get what they want from Larson directly they decide to focus on the missing victim who went off the grid Charlie decides to try his hand using technology and starts reciting all the social networking sites he knows asking Reese: 'Don't you want your friends know where you are all the time?'
The expression on Reese's face suggest: 'No. I do not.'
Unfortunately for Charlie he is still very much a noob when it comes to this chatting thing leading to a hilarious scene where Davis comes in and reads the message right off his shoulder. Apparently, the girls noted he's an Old Man. Judging from his expression he doesn't like being called an old man.
Davis probably came forward to tell Charlie that since he promised to solve the pooping crime he was going to accompany Davis in the stakeout too.
CREWS: I IM'd a couple of Nancy's girlfriends. Y'know there's a whole new language out there we don't even know.
REESE: (Translation:) So you got nothin'
CREWS: Not from them but I found out Nancy's screen name was canceled.
REESE: Mmm. Great.
CREWS: Too bad people don't have GPS.
REESE: Computers do.
CREWS: How's that work?
REESE: I find a friend in internet crimes who'll run down the url if Nancy didn't ditch her computer it'll take us right to her billing address.
I love seeing them eat together whether its inside or outside, enjoying the sun and outdoors.
While Dani is no computer expert she knows enough and while Charlie knows a lot of people on the outside Dani knows all kinds of people inside the police station. Narcotics and Internet Crimes it turns out.
...and it turns out Dani's methods turn out results. I kind of love that in the middle of the investigation Reese doesn't say no to a good cuppa Joe.
Nancy is reluctant to testify and Charlie tries to convince Nancy by saying that she's the one forced into hiding because of Larson and not the other way around and the only way to be free is to testify or wait until he dies. The last statement gets a look from Reese because she knows you shouldn't put ideas into Nancy's head.
I really love the casting in season 1, the guest stars really look like ordinary people.
Awkward tiems. Charlie and the LT is comedy hour. Davis expressions and reactions to Charlie are hilarious particularly when Charlie reacts in disbelief about her married status.
Charlie wins a laugh from Davis when she asks, after all his attempts at conversation fails, if girls/cars/weather is all Charlie and Reese talk about and Charlie respons with: 'No, mostly we talk about how lucky we are to have you as a boss.'
Charlie then broaches the Bank of LA shootout conspiracy and Davis shoots it down, not from any malice, I don't think. The thing about it is I think for all intents and purposes Davis is black and white about some things. She has certain absolutes and her bafflement over Halloween and candy illustrates that. If it isn't practical she doesn't see the point.
Also, I kinda sense that a rapport is building between Lt. Davis and Charlie. Davis is starting to treat Charlie just like any junior detective in her stable, a headache inducing constant pain in the ass junior detective but her detective nonetheless and as for Charlie much as he has another motive he does seemed to genuinely respect Davis. He has a deference to her that I don't see with, well, you know who.
I always find hilarious that after 'No eating in my car' Davis we cut away to daylight and the first thing we see is Dani's messy surveillance vehicle. Heh. I bet Davis and Dani had some epic fights when Dani was growing up and she hitched a ride with Davis when Jack Reese is off somewhere.
It's also these subtle things that point out how perfect fit Crews and Reese are as partners. Crews likes to eat, Reese likes to eat during stake outs too and she doesn't mind making a mess in the car.
I miss how in season 1 when people do 24 hour surveillance they look like they've undergone 24 hour surveillance. They look haggard, the clothes look messy and the hair is all over the place.
Also, please note, this is where undercover experience comes in because instead of using her own car Dani uses another vehicle, an SUV to stakeout Larson's place. Unlike some other person who can't seem to switch from his flashy, recognizable car for a simple stakeout. Even though he has tons of money. Yes, Charlie, I mean you.
REESE: What'd you think you were doing?
NANCY: 'I can't live until he dies' (points to Crews) You told me that, you said I would stay in prison until he was dead!
REESE: Yeah, but he didn't mean you were going to kill the guy yourself. (To Charlie) That's not what you meant. Tell her that's not what you meant!
CREWS: It's not what I meant.
I love interrogation scenes, I love the way they're lighted. I love the way Crews quickly said 'It's not what I meant' after Reese ordered him to.
God, I miss the leather jacket.
I really love Dani's expressions throughout this scene. Particularly the first cap. Charlie once again attempts to get through to Nancy and Dani is watching if it's working.
CREWS: Did you ever think you would have the strength to survive what he did to you? That's your secret, Nancy. Larson doesn't know it. Larson doesn't know how strong you are. Prison doesn't know how strong he made you.
REESE: (looks at Charlie)
NANCY: (confused) You said 'prison'? You mean 'Larson'?
REESE: He means Larson is your prison.
Unfortunately Charlie lets out a Freudian slip which Nancy catches, fortunately for Charlie he has a quick partner and makes a quick save to which Charlie goes: Uh. Oops.
I love how Sarah allows Dani to slouch and doesn't look self conscious doing it.
Also, I like it whenever Charlie expounds on something and looks like a happy, perky student and Dani recieves it all in a vaguely interested sort of way.
Again, the role reversal. Usually it's Dani who prevents Charlie from doing something stupid or crazy. Here it's Dani who gets the crazy idea and this time makes it clear to Charlie that going back to AA to search for Larson leaving Charlie to worry.
Y'know, as cranky Dani often was... she's actually pretty chill most of the time unless Charlie does something completely annoying she's calm. The above scene illustrates this, she made her point to Charlie and made it clear that 'this' was her part but she said it in a gentle, assuring kind of way. 'This is my part and if anything happens, I'll call you.'
Dani forgoes her anonymous status and reveals that she's after Larson but Lou is reluctant to give away information of another AA member, especially to a cop. Lou mentions how Larson is doing well even sponsoring a member, at this Dani realizes the way to Larson is through the blond girl he was talking to earlier.
LOU: Dani, I don't know why you came here to begin with but what you're doing now, how you're going about it... Seems very dangerous to me.
If there's one thing Dani doesn't appreciate it's unsolicited advice. Dani has the same annoyed, rebellious expression she has on during that short scene in Tear Asunder when Davis was cautioning Dani against backsliding.
Davis reveals to Charlie that Stark wasn't anywhere near the Bank of LA shootout but gives him another nugget. SWAT was on a nearby building and it just so happens they were training there.
Hahaha. Look at their identical expressions of disbelief.
Since her cop mode thing didn't work, she went back to a little of her undercover thing.
See, this is the reason why I love Dani's hair up in a bun because when she lets it down, she looks different. It's like she's shedding cop mode. Also, I miss her straight her. I really miss it. Like the jacket.
Hah. The first time I saw that scene and Dani took Larson's hand I went: 'OMG, did she just--' and Larson's expression seemed to be bemused version of my reaction.
Y'know what I find interesting here? It's Dani's detachment. Yeah, she has that 'searing your dirt under my boot' look down pat but there's also a curious detachment there. It's like after this relentless pursuit of Larson she's slowly extracating herself from the Larson case. She's still mad but from what we've learned about her time in undercover where she became too attached to her cases, she's detaching herself.
I love how Charlie's taking his cues from Dani here, because he knows this is her case more its 'their' case and that he knows what to do with Larson all with Dani not saying a word to him.
Dani doesn't even watch Larson's walk of shame. She's put him into another box and she's moved on.
Nancy thanks both Charlie and Dani.
Where Ted is a badass.
TED: 'Earley Warning: Inside the mind of white collar trash'?
WINSTON: That last, it was my publishers idea.
TED: You were my partner, Winston. Everything I did, you did.
WINSTON: Yeah, but you got caught.
It's curious that in an episode that solidifies the partnership between Charlie and Dani (or at least Dani's trust on Charlie) also has this bit about ex-partners and betrayal.
Dani returns home. Y'know Dani and Charlie's home are not so different, Dani might have furniture but it's not as lived in as it should be. She might as well not have furniture.
This is one of the few times where Reese goes home first while Charlie stays behind in the station. Davis arrives and asks after Reese and then informs Charlie that Larson made bail.
Again, another long wordless scene. Y'know I still can't figure out if the vodka's Dani or Larson's. Dani kind of contemplates the vodka with a bit of surprise or she's just contemplating whether to go ahead and drink or not.
Larson uses Reese's own gun against her and forces her to drink, hoping to kill her with alcohol poisoining. Again, I'm amazed at how together and calm Dani is. She doesn't overreact, the more dangerous the situation the more in control she seems to be. It's possibly why she was such a good undercover agent to begin with.
Reese secretly dials Charlie's number.
LARSON: (sing-song) You're not drinking!
REESE: I'm done.
LARSON: You're done when I say you're done.
REESE: (drinks) You're a big man with your gun out. Go on, Rick. Hit the jackpot. Kill a cop. It'd be better than drinking, better than forcing those girls to do what you need. C'mon do it!
Dani baits Larson into shooting her but Larson doesn't call her bluff. I don't know what to make of Dani baiting Larson to kill her but it's really worried Davis. A lot. I don't think Dani has a death wish. At least.. I don't think so.
REESE: What is it you want to do, Rick? You wanna know me?
LARSON: Oh, I do. I do know you! You're in a world of pain.
REESE: (smiling) You don't know pain.
LARSON: (pushes the bottle of Vodka) Finish it.
REESE: All of it?
LARSON: Yep! That's right! All of it!
REESE: (contemplates the bottle for a second) Okay. Gimme a moment. (removes her jacket) Just... just gimme a moment.
You can see the transformation of Reese here. The moment she removes her jacket there's a change in her. She's no longer all cop, she's part cop, part that Reese we see prowling the bars and part someone else. She's contemplated the bottle and saw her chance. It's like a blessing and a curse. This would give her an excuse to indulge her vice without getting a reprimand. It's also giving her an opportunity to give Charlie the Signal.
Calm under pressure and quick on her feet. She must have been one hell of an undercover cop before the drugs got her.
REESE: (O.S.) I can do what you want but I just need for you to gimme a moment. Do you understand?
CREWS: That's not for him. That's for me. She just needs a moment. (to Bobby) Do you want to help me give her one?
STARK: I dunno what the hell that means but if you're going there, I'm going there too.
It's fortunate Charlie finally figured out how to work his phone. It occurs to me... this whole thing is a big act of faith on Dani's part. The scene is kind of reminscent to Infernal Affairs, the Hong Kong move The Departed was based on where the undercover cop uses his phone to contact his fellow cops.
The thing is Dani doesn't really know if her call came in, if Charlie's listening, if he figured out what she was trying to convey. It's all down to faith in Charle that he gets it, that he's there to hear her message. It's just amazing how beautifully they were able to communicate here and how ably Charlie picked up on Dani's plan.
Also, can I just say? Continuity FTW!
Larson is getting an inkling that maybe he's chewing more than he bargained for when Reese downs the bottle of vodka and slams the bottle down.
The Fierce Dani Reese
REESE: You wanna know me? You never shot-up in a room where a guy blew his head off and you're thinkin' you're lucky because he didn't get his brains in your dope or find yourself lying in a pool of puke and crap. Only, you didn't care whose crap it was because the whole time you're thinkin' you were so sick. All you wanted was to get off and get well. You knew that about me? You think you hit bottom, Rick? You have no idea how far down this goes, do you? You think you're bad? You think you got a demon inside of you? You don't even know what that means. You understand that, Rick?
All this time Larson has been flaunting his inner pain to his victims, thinking he had the monopoly, thinking that his pain was better than the others. But in the face of Reese's fierce words his pain, his demons seemed like nothing, inconsequential... There's a gun in Larson's hand but he may as well not be holding it.
CREWS: Wanna tell me again about the Bank of LA, Bobby? Like a hurricane of bullets!
STARK: Streets full of blood and bullet casings, 38 minutes of non-stop free fire zone--
LARSON: What was that?
REESE: (daring) What was what?
CREWS: (O.S) 18 million in cash gone missing. And you were right there when it happened!
STARK: Yeah, I was right there when it happened.
And the moment Larson stands up in panic, Reese takes advantage of his distraction, hefts the bottle and slams it into Larson's head.
The cavalry comes riding in just as Dani retrieves her gun. She didn't need the rescue but she needed the back-up. I love the look of relief on her face when she saw Charlie. Relief that he was there and it's done. I loved the little hand pat. Such a small gesture but it's something. She's handing over her weapon to Charlie.
I stand relieved.
The Walk
CREWS: (catches her arm) You need some help.
REESE: Just... (holds his arm) just make sure I don't fall.
And that in a nutshell is the whole center of their partnership: 'Make sure I don't fall'. It works either way. It's the mandate and vow they both have to live by.
One thing that struck me here is the courage it took Dani to walk out that door and to look at everyone in the eye. If her drug history was once secret, just a rumor now it's all confirmed. Straight from her mouth and that's something for such a private person like Reese and still managing to walk out and face them. Fortunately, she doesn't have to do it alone.
That's zen, isn't it?
I love how Reese keeps repeating, 'That's Zen isn't it?' when not to long ago she threatened to shoot Charlie for doing the same. They've come a long way as partners. And how they continue to smile at each other from across the ambulance.
Stark finally comes clean about the Bank of LA shooting, that he wasn't in it in the first place and Charlie answers it doesn't matter because he was in the middle of this one and he was right there at his back helping him with Reese. The episode ends with everything all right in Charlie's world... his former partner is exonerated, his current partner is safe.
Reese who is now able stand in front of AA and tell the beginnings of her story.
Music to accompany: Go - Sparklehorse with the Flaming Lips