Case #4.02: "Say It Ain't So, Pete"

The episode opens at a bar called Rosalita's. It looks like a pretty cool place to hang out: football on the TV, a big dance floor, pool tables, gold records over the bar, and even a pinball machine. A music video is playing on a different TV, the female singer's lyrics are bizarre: "I look in your window and watch you undress...I'm looking forward to a tiny plastic knife." 

Everyone there seems to be having a great time, except for the guy arguing with his girlfriend. We can't hear what they're saying, but it's heated; the boyfriend accidentally knocks his beer glass onto the floor. The bouncer comes in and grabs the boyfriend. His girlfriend seems to work there, because she goes behind the bar and gets ready to pour a drink. 

Outside, the boyfriend is lying on the sidewalk with a cut next to his eye and a bloody nose. He tries to pull himself to a standing position using a nearby wooden pallet. Two young ladies happen upon him. The curly-haired one shouts for her friend to call an ambulance. The guy tells her, "I'm fine. Leave me alone." The girls leave. Theme song.

In the Chapel squadroom, Blowfish collects money and a sheet of paper from Doug for the office football pool. Judy says to count in her in too. Funnily enough, Holly Robinson wound up marrying Rodney Peete, who was playing quarterback for the Detroit Lions at the time this episode originally aired.

Judy is studying 10-codes and keeps screwing them up. She gets frustrated, worrying she won't pass her detective promotion exam. Doug tells her, "You're cramming, turning your brain to guacamole. You gotta learn the material." That's a bit rich coming from him because he comes right out and says he's gonna wing it on his own exam. 

Judy asks if Tom is taking the test too. Tom rudely responds, "Yeah, I got a letter of recommendation from my cell block captain." Cap'n Rufus turns in his football pool money; he doesn't know why he bothers because he never wins. He asks how the investigation of Rosalita's is going. Doug has been hired at the bar and Tom is getting close to the last beating victim.

Blowfish asks why Cap'n Rufus has two sets of football picks. Rufus explains that the first sheet was based on logic, stats, and handicapping; the second is a reverse of the first.

Just then, Harry reports for duty, walking with a cane. Everyone goes over to greet him. The credits announce that all songs in the episode were performed by The B-52s; I wonder if they'll play "Love Shack." Fuller asks how Harry is feeling. He's better, but it still hurts to breathe deep. He's glad to be back at work. Harry is holding the Bruce Lee poster that someone brought to his hospital room; he hangs it back up over his desk.

That night, Doug stands outside Rosalita's checking IDs. He's wearing a Patrick Swayze style bouncer uniform: tight jeans and a plain black T-shirt. We can hear the intro to "Love Shack" playing inside the bar. Tom is next in line. Doug asks if it's a real ID and when Tom's birthday is. Tom answers, "April 4th, 1968." "What's your sign?" asks Doug. Tom puts on a flirty voice and says, "Why? You wanna buy me a drink?" The other bouncer tells Doug to keep the line moving. Doug says to Tom, "Have a good time, Judy." Tom makes a kissing noise.

Inside the bar, the beating victim introduces Tom to the blond bar employee we saw earlier. He says Tom lives in the same dorm as him. The blond bar employee is Laurie the assistant manager. Tom offers to buy them drinks. Laurie asks the bartender for 3 beers.

Outside, the other bouncer shows off his boots to Doug. They're Army-issued steeltoes. He recommends Doug buy a pair because "those sneakers ain't gonna do you any good." Bouncer also advises Doug not to carry a knife or anything; a standard size Maglite will do the trick. "You hit somebody with this, they ain't gettin' up." He hands the Maglite to Doug and tells him to cover the door so he can go inside to watch the football game.

Inside, Tom, Laurie, and Beating Victim are discussing the game. The bouncer comes in and tells Beating Victim he has a present for him. They step outside. Laurie asks Tom what his major is. Even though Tom has been going undercover for 4 years at this point, the question catches him off guard. He tells Laurie that he's undeclared. Laurie is in grad school for business. Tom excuses himself to the men's room. Laurie tells him where it is.

Back outside, we see Bouncer walk off with a male patron following him. Doug is checking IDs and doesn't notice. Tom doesn't follow Laurie's directions and heads down the street. He sees the male patron giving a stack of cash to Bouncer.

After closing, Tom and Doug discuss the case. Doug thinks someone named Darryl may be a dealer; he heard Darryl tell Lennie the bouncer to come to his dorm at 1:00 AM. But drugs wouldn't explain the beatings. Oh yes, it would; drug dealers don't exactly make collection calls. Tom speculates there may be a girl involved. Doug tells him nothing suspicious is going on at the door; he hasn't seen anyone get too rough with anyone they bounce out.

Tom tells Doug that he's thinking about quitting. "You mean turning in your badge? You just got it back." says Doug. Law enforcement is in Tom's blood. Tom says he's gonna check his options. Doug asks him not to do anything crazy without talking to him first. Tom agrees and tells Doug he's hungry.

They go to a pizza parlor for takeout. Doug pays for the pizza with $50 "compliments of the Cleveland Browns." He got the money to bet from Lennie. "The bouncer?" asks Tom. Doug says, "We prefer 'door security.'" When the cashier starts to hand Doug his change, he adds, "Keep it, babe."

Later that night, Tom is lying awake in bed when he hears something outside. He sees Lennie's car in the dorm parking lot; Lennie takes a briefcase out of the trunk. In the dorm hallway, he greets Laurie and says he'll be with her in a minute. Lennie knocks on someone's door; the student lets him in. Tom comes out of his room to investigate. 

Lennie is showing something in the briefcase to the student. "That is beautiful, man!" the student exclaims. "Let's do it," says Lennie. Lennie and the kid walk through a set of blue double doors. Tom follows them. He finds Laurie, Darryl aka Beating Victim, Lennie, and some other students gathered around a poker table in a lounge area. Darryl invites Tom to join them, but tells him there's a $200 buy-in. Tom reaches into his pocket.

In the Chapel squadroom, Judy asks Harry why he's passing up the opportunity for a new rank and better pay. Harry doesn't feel up to the detectives' exam. Judy reminds him that it's only given once every 2 years. Harry loses his temper: "What is it with you and this exam? Why is it so important to you that I take it?" Harry takes a bottle out of his pocket, tips a couple of pills into his hands, and swallows them.

Judy repeats that she doesn't want to see Harry pass up a good opportunity. Harry appreciates that, but he still doesn't want to take the test. Judy says, "You took the damn thing 2 years ago." "Things were different then," says Harry, limping away.

In Cap'n Rufus's office, Doug is lying on the couch. Tom says, "I think we're on a gambling case. Lennie and Darryl were in a high-stakes poker game at the dorm last night." Tom couldn't afford the buy-in. "You think those kids gettin' beat up had somethin' to do with gambling debts?" Doug, surely you've heard of leg-breakers. Rufus thinks it's impossible and finds it hard to believe a bouncer is running the whole operation. He peevishly asks if he can get Doug anything. "Cold soda would be nice," Doug replies.

At Rosalita's, the crowd is much more rowdy. Everyone is thrusting money at Lennie. A man in a tuxedo announces that it's one minute to post time. A banner overhead reads SANTA ROSALITA'S, THE HOME OF TURTLE RACING. The turtles in question have different colored bands of duct tape around their shells to distinguish them. Tom bets on a turtle fresh off a 2-week suspension for steroids. They're giving steroids to turtles? Seriously? That's so cruel. Darryl tells Tom to bet $50 on the favorite. Tom bets $20. 

A bell rings. And they're off and crawling! Two turtles start in the wrong direction. The crowd cheers wildly for the remaining ones. A turtle with a red-and-yellow band named Charlie Hustle wins. I laugh. 

Historical note for non-sports fans: Charlie Hustle was Pete Rose's nickname. Back in '89, he was managing the Cincinnati Reds. He's best known for being banned from the sport and the Baseball Hall of Fame for, you guessed it, illegal gambling. That, plus the episode title, is quite the dig.

Lennie goes through the crowd, distributing money to the winners. Tom tells Darryl he wants real action. Darryl asks if Tom bets football and how much he's willing to bet. Tom says $300-400 and he wants to put it on UCLA. "Forget UCLA, bet Arizona State," Darryl advises. Darryl himself can't bet on football because he's "a little tapped out." He wants a cut of Tom's money if Tom wins.

A sports announcer comes on the TV to report on the college games. UCLA lost and Arizona State won. A different TV is showing horse racing. Tom gives Darryl 20% of his winnings from football. Darryl asks what Tom is doing the rest of the afternoon.

Tom, Darryl, and Laurie go to a racetrack. Kentucky Derby style fanfare plays over the race. Their horse wins. Laurie hugs Darryl. They go to the betting window to collect their winnings. Darryl knows how he can double them: betting on the LSU/Mississippi State game that night. "Just go with me on this, you won't regret it," says Darryl, promising the game is a lock. Football is pretty unpredictable; the Seahawks were favored to win 2 Super Bowls in a row and look what happened there. 

That night, Tom and Doug walk through campus. Tom is amazed about Darryl turning his $300 into $2,000. He accuses Doug of only betting on LSU because Darryl did. Doug says it was his own gut feeling; he's been on a hot streak and knows he'll ace the detectives' exam.

The next day, we see a classroom full of police officers, some in uniform and some in plainclothes. Harry is there and looks like he has a headache. Tom is waiting in the hallway. Doug comes out and says it was "nothin' but net." He asks who won the Jets game. Tom says the Jets lost by 10 points. Doug cheers, then realizes how close to the classroom they are. Doug can't believe they gives these exams on Sundays and says he has to make a phone call before his interview.

Doug's interviewer asks if Doug would like to remain on Jump Street if he makes detective. Doug would, but understands the possibility of being reassigned. 

Harry's interviewer mentions his medal for conspicuous bravery; Harry replies, "That sorta came with the bullet." To Harry, making detective means a pay increase, rank change, and more responsibility. He shoots himself in the foot by asking "Are we almost done?"

Judy's interview is next. She talks about being Officer Milk Carton for the school safety program. The interviewer says, "And you're also a college graduate?" "Oh, you have to be to be Officer Milk Carton," Judy smiles.

In the dorm, someone is knocking on Tom's door. He opens it to find Darryl. Tom asks where his money is. "I'm afraid I got some bad news," says Darryl. He bet on a Giants game instead of LSU like Tom asked and the Giants lost to the tune of $4,000. Tom is not happy that Darryl bet his money on a team without asking him. "We gotta talk, partner, he says, shutting the door. 

In a bar (presumably Rosalita's), Doug asks what's wrong with making extra money on a football game. "It's illegal," Tom points out. They argue about the lottery vs. sports betting. Doug says he's very hot and knows how the teams are playing; the lottery is just a numbers racket. He wants to know what the difference is between this and playing cards with Blowfish. "Blowfish isn't gonna break my kneecaps if I lose," says Tom.

In the Chapel squadroom, Judy opens the envelope with her test results. "I got it! I got it, Harry!" she cheers. They hug. Harry doesn't want to open his results. Doug opens his letter and his eyes give away the outcome. He congratulates his coworkers and adds, "I didn't make it." Harry didn't either. Doug asks what Judy got on the written exam. She graciously declines to give a number. "I got an 810. 810, that's really high," says Doug, crumpling up his letter.

Outside Rosalita's, Lennie tells Doug a joke about a guy who went to his bookie after losing $30,000 in a year; the bookie advised the guy to bet on hockey. He asks why Doug is down. Doug tells him that he failed a test. Lennie tells him it's not a big deal. He then asks if Doug wants to "kick some ass tonight" on "some puke who owes money." "To who?" Douh asks.

Lennie won't say. He just tells Doug they'll get 20% of what they collect. Doug would rather know who he's working for. Lennie asks if Doug is a cop. Doug responds, "Yeah, I work undercover. I fail tests by day and at night, I check IDs at a beer joint." He wants to know who the puke is.

It turns out to be Darryl, who asks not to be hit; he can get the money in a few hours. Darryl goes to the bank. His credit card has a $1,000 line of credit, but he can only advance $200 in cash. He goes to a gas station and a guy says, "Let me get this straight. If I give you $20, you'll give me $25 in gas [on your credit card]?" A motorhome pulls in and Darryl says, "Jackpot!"

At a university office, Darryl asks, "$1,200 a semester? I thought we were getting an increase." The male worker tells him it's only for grad students. Darryl tells a woman in financial aid that his student loan check hasn't come through, his parents are out of town, and tuition is due; she agrees to give him a one-week extension, but he can't continue classes if he doesn't pay by the next Friday.

Darryl meets Tom at a diner. Tom asks, "Are you kidding? You cashed out your tuition check?" Darryl says there's almost $2,000. "It's only money." "It's your tuition, man," says Tom. He suggests they make a partial payment. Darryl doesn't think they should pay at all. "You wanna get your head beaten in again?" asks Tom. Darryl wants to bet $4,000 on Monday Night Football. 

Tom is incredulous. "You lose, this guy's really gonna hurt you," he warns. Darryl says being on the edge is a rush. Tom thinks Darryl has a gambling problem. Darryl thinks he doesn't have anything to lose; he's not married, no kids, no house, and is putting himself through school. He knows who's gonna win the game.

"Do you realize you don't do anything but gamble?" asks Tom. Darryl doesn't think so. He skis, plays tennis, and collects stamps. Tom thinks he's out of his mind to even consider this bet. Lennie and Doug enter the restaurant. Darryl hides his money. 

The bouncers join them at the table. Lennie grabs Darryl by his shirt and asks for his money. Tom says they want to bet it. Doug elbows him in the chest. Tom adds that they want to do it through the book. "All bets go through me," says Lennie. Tom doesn't think Lennie's boss would be happy to lose a $4,000 bet. Doug thinks they should take the bet.

Tom and Darryl walk down the street later. Tom wants to make the bet himself without Darryl getting involved. Darryl agrees. Tom will bet on the Cincinnati Bengals minus 2.5 points. Ah, the old days when the Bengals didn't totally suck. Darryl and Tom high-five outside Rosalita's. Tom goes in to make his bet. At this hour of the day, the bar is deserted. Tom waits with his money. "I understand you wanna make a large bet on Monday Night Football," says Laurie. 

Cap'n Rufus, "What do you find so unusual, that she's a woman or that Darryl didn't know who he was betting with?" "Both," Tom replies. Rufus thinks Laurie probably bets a lot of what she collects. Tom asks his boss how he knows so much about gambling. Rufus has made a few bets in his day. They talk about how no system ever works and that the odds always favor the house. "Not last night," says Tom, meaning he won his bet. 

Bookmaking isn't a serious crime, so Laurie will likely get a slap on the wrist. They can charge Lennie with assault if someone loses big enough.

Out in the squadroom, Doug and Judy are arguing: "Why don't you go ahead and say it? You think I only made detective because I'm a woman, a black woman." "Double minority," Doug reminds her, "What else could it possibly be?" Judy adds that she has a college degree. Doug says he has twice as many busts and scored 810 on the exam. Judy suggests the interview might've been the problem.

"You didn't even study," she goes on. Doug says he didn't have to. Judy thinks he's arrogant. Doug demands to know what she got on the written exam. "950," she says. She adds that it's nobody's fault but Doug's that he didn't make detective.

Tom goes back to Rosalita's. He asks Laurie to cut Darryl off. Laurie says Darryl came in earlier to bet on the Dodgers: "I'm a bookmaker, not a guidance counselor." Nobody makes Darryl bet. Laurie is using the bookie business to pay for school. Tom asks to bet $2,000 on Tampa Bay. 

Back in the dorm, Darryl is on the phone with his mom. He promises to be home for Thanksgiving and asks her to send more money. He lies that he spent what she already gave him on books. Darryl wants to be a sports reporter. He says he needs $5,000 and suggests she cash in savings bonds to get it. He swears he's not in trouble.

Tom and Doug appear in the doorway, but Darryl doesn't see them. Darryl says, "I know Dad works hard, but you always said you were saving those bonds for college." He asks her to think about it. "Mom, please don't say no." He hangs up. Tom and Doug push the door open. 

Darryl wants to know what's going on. The Dodgers lost and Darryl's tuition money went with it. Darryl asks why Doug is there. Badge reveal. Darryl's next question is, "Am I getting arrested?" Tom repeats that Darryl has a problem. "I think we need to have a talk, partner," Darryl agrees.

At Rosalita's, Lennie tells Tom that he owes. Tom says he's decided not to pay. Lennie grabs Tom by his jacket and drags him outside. Doug follows. Outside, Lennie slams Tom against a brick wall. "What're you gonna do?" Tom asks, "Beat the money outta me with a flashlight? ...If you think I'm gonna give 2 grand to some chick, you're outta your mind." 

Lennie threatens to kick Tom's ass. Tom flashes his badge. "You believe this crap?" Lennie asks Doug. Doug replies that he does; he's a cop too. "You got a gun?" asks Lennie. "No," says Doug. 

Lennie punches Doug in the stomach, then the jaw. Doug picks up Lennie and slams him into the wall; Lennie hits him in the head again. Doug throws a metal trashcan at Lennie, but he just catches it. Doug hits Lennie with a trashcan lid, momentarily stunning the bouncer/leg-breaker. "You aren't even gonna help me?" Doug yells angrily to his partner. "You're doin' fine," Tom assures him. Doug manages to knock Lennie senseless so they can arrest him.

Tom and Doug go inside to tell Laurie she's under arrest for assault, conspiracy to commit bookmaking, bookmaking, extortion, and robbery. "You think I'm all alone in this?" Laurie asks, "Let's just say there's people behind me and people behind them." Doug asks for names. Laurie says that someone will be at the bar tomorrow to take her place. As they leave with a handcuffed Laurie, the crowd is oblivious because they're all watching football.

Blowfish comes around the squadroom with Week 4 sheets for the football pool. Doug crumples his up. He stops Judy on her way out, apologizing for the way he acted. Judy understands that Doug said what he said out of frustration. Doug agrees that not studying is something he shouldn't have gambled on. Judy tells him good night. "Good night, Detective," Doug says, no sarcasm this time. They smile at each other. End of episode.

Case #4.01: "Draw the Line"

The episode opens in a hospital room decorated with a Bruce Lee poster and Polaroid photos of the Jump Street crew. Harry lies in bed, comatose but no longer on a ventilator.

In a prison, the cons locked in their cells are taunting someone: "Hey, fish! We're gonna kill you, fish! We know who you are and we know what you are!" A prisoner with a beard and a Bob Ross haircut tells the others to shut up. A chant of "Skin the pig!" begins. The Bob Ross clone warns his cellmate that he's on his own if he gets attacked. Tom is lying on the bottom bunk. Apparently I was wrong about us having seen the last of Johnny Depp... Cue theme song.

At Casa de Penhall, Doug is trying to hook up some electronics. Cap'n Rufus tells him that he's trying to put a cord in the phone jack. "The VCR don't take messages?" Doug quips. Judy wants to leave because visiting hours end at 8:30. Doug has to set up the VCR first; his building just installed cable and he wants to tape the Outlaws vs. Vikings football game. 

Cap'n Rufus asks if Doug saw the Vikings beat the Saints. "Don't tell me! I haven't watched the game yet!" says Doug, his hair shorter this season. Fuller says, "That game was last week." Doug defensively tells the captain that he's a little behind on his home viewing. He adjusts a few more wires on what looks like a sophisticated (by 1989 standards) entertainment system. 

"Can we go?" Judy asks. Doug hands Fuller a Polaroid of Harry and Tom that he promised to bring to Harry. Judy asks if they should invite Booker. Cap'n Rufus wants to ease Booker back into the Chapel. Judy isn't sure Booker will want to come back. Rufus wants to talk to him about it. "Don't bother," says Doug as they all leave.

In his apartment, Booker's listening to the half-time report on the Outlaws/Saints game on headphones that are plugged into the TV. The cord is ridiculously long; it goes all the way into the kitchen where he's finishing cooking. Booker goes into the living room with his TV dinner.

In the prison dayroom, the same football game is on TV. Tom is playing pool with his cellmate. The cellmate advises Tom to come to terms with the fact that he killed a cop. "No, I didn't," Tom argues. Cellie points out that everyone in prison says they're innocent. Out of nowhere, another inmate tries to attack Tom with some kind of blade; Tom hits him with a pool cue. The rest of the inmates cheer on the fight. It takes quite a while before the guards are able to push their way through the crowd and stop it.

In Harry's hospital room, Cap'n Rufus tells Doug and Judy, "The doctors said it's good to talk to him. It stimulates brain activity." Judy holds Harry's hand. Rufus tells Harry that he missed him at the first Outlaws game of the season. Doug tells Harry about getting a good deal on his VCR. Judy misses Harry being at work.

Booker and his new partner Frank are hanging out in a parking lot watching some Gangsters (a local gang) party around a fire. Booker remembers a cop he knew being killed in a drive-by in this area. Frank announces that he's leaving the force; he got a job offer to be head of security for the Crane Company, which also owns the Outlaws football team. 

"Crane told me to always listen to your gut, no matter what your mind says. Your gut is telling you police work is all BS, I know it," says Frank. Booker asks Frank if he's gonna leave him "alone in this jungle." "Something tells me this place won't be a jungle for long," says Frank. Booker wonders if that's Frank's gut talking again. Frank doesn't answer. 

Booker goes into the Chapel squadroom and stops by Judy's desk. She asks if he's coming back. Booker admits that he's been avoiding Fuller's calls. Doug offers to give Booker the message: "Get the hell out of here." "Doug!" Judy chides. Booker wants to talk to Doug. Doug says he won't until Tom is free. They start yelling at each other. Judy tells them to stop. 

Booker has a gut feeling about Tom's case. "So do I," says Doug, "It makes me sick." Booker is sure he did the right thing and reminds Doug, "at least I didn't lie on the witness stand." That was the wrong thing to say; Doug calls Booker a son of a bitch and hits him in the face. Judy tells them to stop it. Booker claims he took the assignment to protect Tom from Frank. 

In case you didn't read the last couple recaps, Tom went undercover with a gang and wound up being found guilty of murdering a dirty cop who supplied the gang with weapons. Doug covered for Tom while he was a wanted fugitive. Frank was the dead cop's partner.

Anyway, Booker does leave the Chapel.

Booker and Frank go to what looks like the prison. Frank wishes he'd gotten to his former partner's house earlier; he could've shot Tom and his partner would still be alive. Booker later goes to the hospital and sits by Harry's bedside. Flashbacks of things Frank has said play. "It was Frank's gun," Booker says to himself.

Booker goes to visit Tom in prison. Tom punches Booker right in his rat face. For reasons unknown, both of them end up in the warden's office. The warden is 'Hey, it's that guy!' the principal from the Disney Channel movie Kidz in the Wood. The warden tells Tom that the state can furlough prisoners in special circumstances. Tom is being released into Booker's custody for 24 hours, supposedly to go to a funeral. How convenient!

Tom asks if it's Harry's funeral. Booker says yes and that Tom was listed as Harry's next of kin. Cut to them driving around, Tom still in his denim prison uniform, a look Johnny Depp would rock the following year in his spoof of '50s teen movies Cry-Baby.

At Casa de Penhall, Doug settles onto his couch with a large bowl of chips. He watches one of his taped baseball games. Booker knocks on the door. Doug calls, "I'm watching the game!" When Booker persists, Doug tries claiming that he isn't home. Doug hears Tom's voice and decides to open the door.

The three of them take a seat in Doug's living room. Tom's sorry about Harry. "It's okay, he'll snap out of it," says Doug. Tom looks at Booker and asks, "He doesn't know?" At this point, I have a flashback to being 16 years old and finding out my beloved grandma had died due to a conversation quite similar to this one. Doug's reaction is also quite similar to mine: a quiet, shocked "No."

Booker tells Doug that Harry is really still in the hospital. Doug is understandably pissed about the lie. Booker had to lie to get Tom out of prison. "What for?" Tom asks. They all bicker for a minute and Tom leaves to get a beer from the kitchen. Doug sums up Booker perfectly in one sentence: "You have no regard for anybody but yourself." 

Tom interrupts the argument to ask if the beer bottlecap is a twist-off or does he need a bottle opener. Booker repeats that he broke Tom out of prison to clear his name; the fake funeral was the only way: "Hanson didn't kill Buddy. It was Frank." Tom leans toward him interestedly.

At a bar, Booker goes into further detail. Yeah, that's not too public a place for that. They've thrown a baseball cap and jacket on Tom to disguise his prison duds. Doug wasn't the only person who lied at Tom's trial; Frank did too. Frank was paranoid about waiting in a parked car by himself, so there's no way he was in his car when Buddy was shot. 

Doug and Tom don't understand why Frank would kill his own partner. Booker suggests that Frank was in on the gun-running. He might've killed Buddy to take over the illegal operation or to shut him up. Frank's cushy job at Crane pays better than the police department and also gets him out of a war zone. Tom says it doesn't make sense for Frank to want out of a war that he kept going. Booker mentions Frank's comment about the neighborhood not being a war zone for long. Tom remembers seeing Crane on TV during the Outlaws/Vikings game.

At Casa de Penhall, the boys go through Doug's unlabeled VHS tapes, trying to find the right one. The first is a monster truck rally, the second a female bodybuilding competition, the third is Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons. The fourth tape is the charm. Crane talks about his plans to build a new 70,000 seat stadium that would double as a convention center.

Tom asks if Doug still has the list of names that he got from Bud's house. Doug tells him it's in the desk. Tom looks at the list and draws something in a different book. He announces his discovery. The list contains addresses of where Frank and Bud were selling guns. When you connect the dots on a map of the city, you get an area big enough to build a stadium.

The next day, Tom, Booker, and Doug drive around. Doug thinks the idea makes sense. If Tom was in jail, nobody would think to run ballistics tests on Frank's gun. Booker checks his watch; they have 8 hours until Tom has to go back to prison. Doug can't believe two cops would start a gang war that killed kids and innocent bystanders just so a stadium could go up. Booker comes up with an analogy about streets and beggars being like choosing right from wrong. Tom and Doug are as baffled as I am.

Booker gets out of the car and goes into some kind of police evidence room. He tells the property clerk about his partner retiring and turning in his gun, lying that Frank turned in Booker's gun by mistake: "If I don't get my gun back, my ass is grass." The property clerk advises Booker to get a lawnmower because the gun's been reissued. Booker asks who has it now. The computer is down, but Booker is free to look through a huge stack of paper forms.

The clock in the room reads 9:30 as Tom, Booker, and Doug go through the reams of paper. Tom finds a form with Frank's name on it and the gun's serial number. All they have to do is cross-check it against another huge stack of forms, which Booker divvies up. 

Booker tells them they're looking for serial number 9923532. Doug thinks aloud about how to remember it. I have to chuckle because it reminds me of how my dad would go about this: "99, Wayne Gretzky. 23, Michael Jordan. Who's a famous 5?" "Johnny Bench," Tom answers. Doug mutters that there's a lot of famous athletes who wore the number 32. "Why don't you just write it down?" Tom asks, annoyed. Doug ignores him and decides his 32 will be Magic Johnson. 

"Gretzky, Jordan, Bench, Johnson," Doug repeats. When you're trying to memorize something, it's actually a really good idea to come up with a way for the information to make sense to you, even if it makes sense to no one else.

The clock now reads 11:10. Booker finds the serial number and learns the gun was reissued to a cadet named Mortalaro. In the car, Doug tells Booker the fastest route to the academy. Booker's police radio crackles; Fuller wants him to report to Jump Street immediately. Booker replies that he can be there around 6:00 that night. "You can be here in 10 minutes. And that's an order, Officer," says Cap'n Rufus. Booker tells Doug and Tom he'll be in and out in 5 minutes.

At the Chapel, Doug's desk clock reads 1:07. He toys with a pencil. In Rufus's office, the captain is asking Booker why he was at headquarters looking up gun serial numbers. Booker doesn't answer.

Tom is outside in the car by himself. Blowfish comes out of the Chapel to throw some trash in the dumpster. Tom looks eager to call Blowfish over, but seems to think better of it. 

Judy asks if Doug wants to visit Harry later. Doug agrees, nervously clicking a pen cap over and over again. She asks if something is wrong. Doug says no. Booker comes out of the office.

The three of them file down the police academy hallway. Doug peeks in the window of the administrative office. "Damn, it's Winegate, he'll remember us," says Doug. It's not clear if that's good or bad. He and Booker go in. Doug greets Winegate with a friendly long time no see. Winegate is considerably less friendly, asking, "Who the hell are you?" Doug smiles. Meanwhile, Tom wanders the halls and finds the graduation photo of his academy class. He stares broodingly at it.

Back in the administration office, Winegate tells Doug and Booker that the cadets have all been dismissed for the day. They inquire about Mortalaro's home address. Winegate can't give it out without a form signed by their superior officer, even though Doug explains they're investigating a homicide. Outside in the hall, Doug checks out the phonebook hanging from a payphone but doesn't find the name Mortalaro listed.

Booker suggests they wait until the office closes and then snoop through the file cabinets. Tom sighs, "Take me back." Doug says Tom would only be a couple of hours late. "I can BS the warden, no problem," Booker assures him. Tom insists that the unofficial investigation has to stop now. He gestures at his slightly younger self in the academy photo: "I feel sorry for that stupid kid up there. He had no idea." 

Tom's drawing the line. Oh, he said the thing! (Episode title reference). Tom gets dropped off at the prison in handcuffs. Back in his cell with the Bob Ross clone, Tom asks, "Why don't they just come and do it?" It's not clear what he means by "it." Not Bob Ross says, "Anticipation is half the fun." Someone taunts Tom and tosses a live fish down from an upper tier. Where the hell did that guy even get it from?

Booker and Doug meet with Cadet Mortalaro and ask for his service revolver. Mortalaro says they'll have to pry it from his cold, dead hands. They tell him that his service revolver may have been used in a murder. He unholsters it. The serial numbers, of course, match. Mortalaro grins, twirls his revolver like a Wild West gunslinger, and holsters it. "Let's go get the collar," the cadet says, putting his sunglasses back on.

In the gang neighborhood, there's a fairly nice house with a SOLD sign on it. Frank confronts the old lady living there, saying she has to vacate or she'll be removed by force. He purposely breaks her candy dish. Booker comes in and says he had a gut feeling that led to a sticky situation. "You're under arrest for the murder of Bud Tower," says Booker. Frank insists that Tom killed Bud. Booker tells him they have ballistics evidence. Frank's sure they can work out a deal.

Frank and Booker start fighting. They end up rolling all the way down the front porch stairs. That's a couple of cracked ribs at least. Frank gets up first and runs. Booker follows. Doug is waiting around the corner; he ambushes and tackles Frank. Frank gets away. Booker catches up and fires a shot. 

Frank freezes with his hands over his head. Doug handcuffs him. In an interrogation room, Booker asks Frank why he killed Bud. Frank's lawyer arrives and says his client will be exercising his 5th Amendment rights. 

At the Crane Organization, Doug in a suit and tie walks past a model of the proposed stadium. He goes to the front desk and demands to see the man in charge Raymond Crane. Another suit approaches Doug. Doug says he wants to talk to Crane about one of the employees, Frank Farrell. The suit says nobody by that name works there, but Doug is free to check the records for himself.

Doug asks if the records show how many guns were sold or if it was all Frank and Bud's doing. The suit insists, "We're not familiar with their alleged crimes." The company believes people are innocent until proven guilty. Doug breaks an expensive-looking vase and insincerely says, "Gosh, I'm sorry."

In court, a judge grants the petition to release Tom. Doug cheers. In Fuller's office, the captain reads off a long list of department rules that Booker broke. The review board has reassigned Booker to be the microfilm clerk in the basement of headquarters. "That ain't being a cop," says Booker. No, but you should consider yourself lucky that they're not kicking you off the department.

Booker reaches into his pocket, takes out his badge, and lays it on Booker's desk. He also hands over his gun. Fuller feels that Booker thinks rules is a dirty word, but "it's not the rules that are dirty, it's the people who abuse them for their own gain." People like Booker, in other words. Fuller goes on, "But for every Farrell and Crane, there's a Booker and a Hanson." "There's a Penhall too," says Booker, also admitting, "This whole mess was my doing. I worked totally alone." 

In prison, the inmates taunt Tom as he walks out of his cell. Things like "Y'all come back now, ya hear?" and veiled threats from inmates who are getting out soon. Tom goes down the front steps of the prison, wearing the suit from his trial. Doug is waiting in the parking lot and gives his best friend a bear hug. "Can I drive?" Tom asks. Doug holds up the keys and says, "It's your car."

Doug adds that Tom owes him money for getting the Mustang washed. Tom gets in the driver's seat, cranks up the radio, revs the engine, and peels out of the parking lot.

Cap'n Rufus seems to have informed everyone that Booker resigned. He asks Tom if he's sure coming back is what he wants. Tom nods. Fuller asks if Doug taped the Yankees vs. Orioles game. Doug did, plus Jets vs. Bills and preseason hockey. Judy starts talking about how the Yankees pulled off their victory. Fuller wants to watch the game anyway.

Doug asks Tom if he wants to come over too. Tom just stares morosely at Booker's newly vacant desk and sees Booker's nameplate has been thrown in the garbage.

At Booker's apartment, the disgraced cop is eating a bowl of Captain Crunch. A news anchor announces that the mayor has finalized plans with the Crane Organization to build the new stadium. 

In the hospital, Harry is starting to stir and twitch. Finally, he opens his eyes. It's not clear if anyone from Jump Street is there. End of episode and also the run of the most loathsome character in the series. So long, Booker. This recapper won't miss you a bit.

Case #3.20: "Partners/Loc'd Out (Part 2)"

After the "previously on" montage and theme song, Doug answers the phone at his desk. Tom asks if his partner can talk, then tells him he can't come into work. "Ya gotta talk to the captain," says Doug. Tom hangs up. 

Cap'n Rufus informs the rest of the Jump Street crew that Tom was identified by a witness as the shooter and his Mustang was seen parked on that street. "Hanson wouldn't even cheat on his time cards," says Judy. Booker points out, "He broke into my apartment." Judy thinks Booker must love that Tom is in the hot seat; the two guys have never liked each other. Rufus says the evidence doesn't support Tom being innocent.

Judy asks why Tom isn't there and if Doug has heard from him. Doug lies through his teeth. He says Tom was only trying to get evidence about Harry being shot. "We don't know that Tower set up Harry," says Fuller. Doug explains that Tom had witness who could prove Tower ordered the hit. Fuller doesn't understand why Tom didn't bring him that information: "If he's innocent, he should be here." 

Tower's partner Frank meets with his captain, who's trying to determine if Frank can handle looking into Tower's death. Frank thinks he has leads. Frank's captain tells him to see if anyone from Tom's current case was connected to Tower. Frank has also been assigned a new partner: Booker. Booker claims to be a transfer who worked the homicide division in another precinct.

Doug storms into Cap'n Rufus's office, demanding to know why he wasn't partnered with Frank. Rufus says Doug's too close to the situation. Like Frank should be investigating his own partner's murder in the first place. "Booker is there to make sure Hanson doesn't get railroaded or shot by an overzealous partner," says Rufus. Doug repeats that Booker is as bad a choice because everyone knows Booker hates Tom. Rufus wants to think Tom is innocent, but, again, the facts aren't on Tom's side. He adds, "If he tries to contact you and you don't tell me, your badge is gonna go in the trash along with his."

In a interview room, Doug tells Booker and Frank he hasn't talked to Tom; he hasn't even seen him since two days before Tower was shot. Booker asks if Tom has a secret place he goes. "Well, if he did, I wouldn't know about it, would I?" Doug sasses. Frank doesn't like his attitude and grabs Doug's jacket. Frank hits Doug; the bigger man's chair topples over backwards. Doug gets up, grabs Frank, and shoves him against the wall. Booker separates them. 

Frank threatens Doug's job. Doug leaves. Frank slams the table around. Booker tells him to take it easy and that's like Andy Sipowicz suggesting you need anger management. "You don't take a stand when your brother gets killed, you're nothin'!" yells Frank. Booker reminds him that they're on the same case.

Doug and Judy go to visit Harry in the hospital; Booker is already there. Harry's still in a coma. Outside in the hall, Judy asks about Tom again. Doug repeats, "I don't know where he is." 

Doug goes back to Crappy Casa to search for clues. He finds Tom's jacket in one of the bedrooms. There's a hot dog wrapper from Rocket Dog in the pocket. Doug rides over to the restaurant on his motorcycle. He peers in the front window. Tom taps him from behind. The two head across the street.

Tom has traded in Crappy Casa for an even worse hotel room, bad enough to make Doug say "Oh God" when he sees it. He tells Tom a lot of people are looking for him. Tom, of course, knows; he admits to shooting Tower, but he was only trying to fire a warning shot. Doug can't believe it. Tom tells him Tower was "selling automatic weapons to half the barrio." 

Doug asks if Tom was out for revenge. Tom dodges the question, asking how Harry is doing. "Doctor says he might not make it," Doug says softly. He asks if Tom needs anything and tucks some money in his friend's shirt pocket: "You'd do the same for me.

Tom didn't find any guns in Tower's house, but there was a list in his lockbox. He asks Doug to find out what it means and to check out everything he can about Tower. Tom thanks his partner and hugs him.

Tom meets with Diaper Head whose actual street name is Psycho. Diaper Head Psycho (sounds like a good name for a punk or death metal band) informs Tom that the war is on. He also heard that Tom "wasted [his] connection" and wants to know if he'll get a homeboy discount. Tom shows Diaper Head Psycho the list. Diaper Head Psycho tells him the list is useless; one guy moved away and another just had his house repossessed. 

Doug puts his days in the Intelligence division to work and does some snooping. He discovers Tower only had around $2,000 in the bank. He had no history of complaints against him, satisfactory personnel evaluations, and had been a sergeant since 1981. Doug also goes to an address on the list and learns the previous tenant moved.

The ballistics team recovered bullets from 3 different guns in Tower's walls: Tom's, Tower's, and an unknown. The homicide captain tells them they have a new case: gang shootout at the 5th Street underpass. When they arrive, the crime scene is full of police cars and ambulances. Baby G and Diaper Head Psycho are both dead.

Later, Booker brings a report to Frank's desk. Bullets from Diaper Head Psycho's gun match the unknown bullets they took out of Tower's walls. It should not be a surprise that the bullets that killed Tower came from Tom's gun. Wow, the writers had to change basically every aspect of Johnny Depp's character within 2 episodes so he could get out of his contract.

Doug goes to Horror Hotel to update Tom about the ballistics reports. Tom claims he dropped his gun while running toward the woods; Diaper Head Psycho must've picked it up and shot the dirty cop with it. Doug promises to look for the other gun to prove Tom is innocent. Give it up, honey, Tom's gun has already been impounded as evidence.

Doug drives to the 5th Street underpass. He opens some kind of door in a wall and finds several AK-47s in a crevice, but no handgun.

That night, Booker and Frank stop at a store. When Booker gets back, Frank is standing out in the freezing cold smoking a cigarette. He gives him some story that waiting alone in a parked car at night makes you a sitting duck. Frank insists on driving. He babbles the gangbangers might kill him before smoking does. Frank offers Booker a cigarette, but Booker's quit. 

Booker asks what Tower was like. Frank describes him as a character, lots of fun to be around, but lazy. I've heard those same words used to describe my father. Frank spots one of the gangbangers who was injured during the underpass shooting.

In the interview room, Booker asks if the gangbanger Diaper Head Psycho and Tom ever talked about going to Tower's house. Frank says they could "accidentally" put him in a cell with rival members. The gangbanger pleads ignorance about any hits. 

In the Chapel squadroom, Booker asks Doug if he'd like to visit Harry with him. Doug's not having any of his feigned friendliness. "You turned on one of your own," he says. Booker tells him, "Your best friend killed a cop." It doesn't matter whether or not Tower was dirty. Doug insists Tom would've killed Tower inside, "not fire a warning shot and then dive out the window." Booker wants an explanation for why none of Tom's bullets were found inside the house. He thinks Tom is dirtier than Tower was.

At Horror Hotel, Doug tells Tom that he couldn't find the gun. Tom thinks Diaper Head Psycho dumped it somewhere. Doug says every lead Tom gives him turns up blank and besides, Tom himself confessed to shooting Tower. 

Tom wants to go back to Tower's house to find the bullet he fired as a warning. He can prove Diaper Head Psycho was outside and shot Tower. Doug tells Tom that he can't go back to the house. Tom wants to get caught: "After I find the bullet, I want you to come and bust me." Doug looks confused. Tom explains he wants to keep Doug from going down with him as an accomplice. 

That night, Tom sneaks under the crime scene tape into Tower's house. Frank and Booker pull up outside. The older cop says, "Somebody's here," though it's not clear how he knows that. Booker goes in. When Tom sees Booker, he runs out the back door. Frank fires a warning shot as Tom enters the backyard. Doug arrives with Cap'n Rufus. Booker handcuffs Tom.

In the interview room, Tom is wearing an inmate jumpsuit. Doug tells Tom he searched the whole house and couldn't find the bullet. "I did everything wrong, one thing after another," says Tom, "My whole life is going down the tubes." Doug understands why Tom did what he did. Tom hasn't seen his lawyer yet. Doug tells him not to worry; the police union will send someone good. Doug can't perjure himself if the prosecutor asks if Tom confessed to him. "I would never ask you to," Tom assures him. 

Tom's lawyer Stuart arrives. He'll move for a dismissal because the D.A. doesn't have a murder weapon. If he doesn't get a dismissal, they'll plead self-defense.

Judge Briggs asks the D.A. to make an opening statement. The D.A. says this is really a simple murder case, despite what the defense may state; Tom's motives aren't important. Tom going into hiding shows consciousness of guilt.

A ballistics expert goes over what we already know about the evidence. Frank is called next because he was the first officer on scene. Stuart asks to make a motion without the jury present; he wants a dismissal. Judge Briggs says it's up to the jury to decide if a case was proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Stuart cross-examines the ballistics expert about the missing warning shot. Doug has been called away in the line of duty, so Stuart asks to have Tom testify next. 

Tom explains that Tower was illegally selling guns to minors and that the guns might be at his house. He admits to breaking into the house. Tower shot at him first, then Tom fired a warning shot. The D.A. asks why Tom didn't arrest Tower or get a telephonic warrant. Tom claims there wasn't time. He knows he was committing burglary by being in the house, gets agitated, and says Tower was doing worse. The judge orders Tom to step down.

Stuart leans over to his client, telling Tom they're basically screwed if Doug testifies. Tom doesn't care. The bailiff swears Doug in. Doug isn't allowed to mention Tower's suspected gun-running because it's hearsay. Stuart has Doug admitted as an expert witness regarding police procedure, specifically using deadly force. "[Procedures] say if someone fires at you, you fire at them. That's what I would do," Doug says. He adds that he's seen Tom in situations "where most people would be tempted to lie," but Tom has always maintained his integrity.

The D.A. approaches and asks Doug if he would burglarize someone's house without a warrant. "In order to believe Officer Hanson wouldn't tell a lie, we've got to believe you, don't we?" she goes on. Stuart's objection is sustained. Doug says he wouldn't lie. The D.A. wants to know if Tom confessed to Doug about the murder. "No, he did not," Doug says firmly. 

Stuart's closing argument is that Tom was defending himself. The D.A. has a request of her own to make without the jury present; she wants them to consider the felony murder rule. This rule means that a death, accidental or not, can be considered a murder if it occurs during the commission of a felony. Nobody knew that Tom would testify about breaking into Tower's house. Judge Briggs instructs the jury about the rule.

Time cut to after deliberation. "Will the defendant please rise?" asks Judge Briggs. Tom and Stuart get up. Judge Briggs reads: "We, the jury, find the defendant guilty of murder, as charged." Widow Hanson chokes back a sob. Judy and Booker look shocked. Tom remains stone-faced. Cut to him wearing the same expression in a prison cell.

End of episode, end of Season 3, end of Johnny Depp's run on the series.

Case #3.19: "Partners/Loc'd Out (Part 1)"

At a gang hangout, teenagers dressed in black and a color that resembles those yellow/greenish highlighters listen to generic rap. They're the Queensboro Gangsters. Down the street, kids in a car don black ski masks. Harry, who is with the gangbangers, notices the car approaching and yells for everyone to get down. Parked cars are sprayed with bullets. Theme song.

In Cap'n Rufus's office, A detective named Crenshaw asks Harry if automatic weapons were used; Harry says no. Yesterday's drive-by wounded 5 teenagers and killed 1; the police department is under pressure to make more arrests for gang activity. Tom will be sent undercover with BL-13, a rival of Harry's gang, with the option to leave at any time. BL stands for "Barrio Loco." And I'm sure they didn't intentionally make the name really close to MS-13.

Doug gives Tom a crash course in throwing gang signs and quizzes him over gang terminology. ("Jumped in" means getting beat up by the members, "putting in work" means committing a crime, etc). Then he roleplays with Tom how to ask to join a gang.

At the Queensboro Gangsters hangout, a black kid named Baby G shows off his new revolver, which he stole from his sister. Harry gets out of the car, walks off to find Judy, and she gets in the driver's seat. They drive to a deserted lot under an overpass. Baby G is there and his fellow gangbangers are displeased to learn he's smoking angel dust instead of his usual weed. They demand to know who sold it to him. Baby G fires off a wild shot. The other gangsters tackle him and hold him down, telling him to calm down. 

At police headquarters, someone from the gang unit inspects Tom and says, "Don't look like no gangster to me." He and the gang unit detective role-play some more. Tom will be going undercover at Prospect High as Mad Dog 2. This could spell trouble as the first Mad Dog is dead. 

Back to the Queensboro Gangsters. Harry, Judy, and the rest gather around trash barrel fires, drinking cheap wine out of the bottle. Their dead homey will be buried in a few days, but "his mama said no colors" at the funeral. The kid also had a shot at a decent future before he died; he was an A/B student with scholarship offers. A mysterious guy in a black Trans Am pulls up. One of the Gangsters assures him they'll keep business up. Harry tries to see in the car, but it's too dark.

In his apartment, Harry takes a bulletproof vest out of his closet and puts it on. Judy knocks. He lets her in. She's dressed in black and yellow. Harry pulls on a yellow shirt. Judy asks why Harry's wearing a vest, even though she's been a cop for at least 3 years at this point. Harry explains that he's not taking any chances; he doesn't think anyone will notice the vest. Judy doesn't look so sure.

The case bothers Harry: "I'm driving around with a 13-year-old who has his own .357, bullets are flying everywhere and I'm trying to figure out how to keep one of them from hitting me." 

The gang unit detective gives Tom some advice: "Shut yo' ass up. Nothing is scarier than a dude that says nothing." I can vouch for that; I was scared of a guy who turned out to be a great friend because he never talked. Tom should have Latino affiliation because he wouldn't work out in a black gang. He coaches Tom on slang specific to the Latino gangs. His new gang name will be Calavaro and will be inked on him. Tom objects to the latter. Doug says, "Okay, we'll talk about it later." "I ain't gettin' no tattoos," Tom repeats. More role playing games. You can tell Johnny Depp has checked out of the series entirely at this point.

At the school where Harry and Judy are undercover, Judy notices a black van driving past the parking lot with all the doors open. "Harry, look out!" she screams. Bullets rip through the parking lot. Harry falls backwards over the trunk of his car. When the shooting stops, Judy goes to his side. Harry isn't visibly bleeding, but he's not moving. "SOMEBODY CALLS AN AMBULANCE!" Judy screams louder than before.

Harry is brought to the emergency room on a stretcher. He's been shot the chest. The trauma team goes to work. Harry starts to flatline.

Cap'n Rufus, Judy, and Doug sit in the waiting room. Booker is pacing. Tom arrives and asks how Harry is. Fuller reports that the doctors have been working on Harry for 3 hours. The doctor appears. Harry is in critical condition and on a respirator, but should be okay if he can survive the next 8 hours or so. The doctor tells the Jump Street crew to go home. 

We learn Harry was shot with a fully automatic AK-47 and that's why the vest didn't help. Fuller wants Judy to stay with the Gangsters; they probably know who's responsible. Tom is eager to avenge his friend.

Tom and Doug move a mattress into the crappiest looking rental house imaginable while the local gang watches.

Tom walks down the street in stereotypical gang attire. He looks about as Latino as Jonah Hill did in 22 Jump Street. Newsflash, hairnets are for lunch ladies, not gangstas. He's approached by gangbangers wearing green bandannas. They ask where he's from and one gangbanger pushes him. Booker and Fuller appear to purposely pick a fight with Tom. He lays them both out and runs down the street.
The gangbangers, the Lords, lead him to their rooftop hideout. They ask where Tom lives and Tom replies that he lives with his brother.

There's a pointless scene where the gangbangers go to the door of Crappy Casa so Tom can get a jacket.

The BL-13s are having a party much like the one the Gangsters had, only with refreshments. "Your brother looks like a damn bear," says one of the green bandannas, "They should call him Oso." Tom replies that they do. The bangers promise the gang will take care of him.

Doug opens the fridge at Crappy Casa, which only contains a 6-pack of Coke. He tells whoever he's on the phone with that he thinks Tom is in. Someone knocks on the door again. Doug puts down the phone. Two white guys are the porch and claim to be movers. "I don't wanna move out, I just moved in," says Doug. The date on their paperwork was 2 weeks ago. The movers apologize for the mistake and leave.

It's morning now at the BL-13 hangout. Tom looks over the edge of the roof. One of the BL-13s is talking to someone driving the same Trans Am we saw earlier. That night, the BL-13s in charge rally everyone to arm themselves because the Gangsters will be out for revenge; they have all the weapons you need in stock. One of them gives Tom a chance to "earn his stripes" at that night's drive-by.

Jesus, it annoys me that they don't bother to give half the minor characters names and we're at the 20-minute mark.

Harry's now stabilized, breathing on his own, but still in a coma. Tom doesn't think the kids he's been hanging out with did it. 

One of the Gangsters is booked into a jail cell with Tom. The episode will probably never name him so I'll call him Diaper Head because of how he wears his bandanna. Diaper Head asks Tom when he's getting out. Tom shrugs and goes back to sketching a skull and crossbones on the cell wall. 

At the Gangsters' hangout, everyone is dancing to generic rap, drinking, and smoking weed. Diaper Head invites Tom in and introduces him to Elena, girl in a yellow varsity jacket. He tells the girl to "take care" of Tom. Elena's mother arrives and drags her daughter out of the party. Outside, Baby G is upset that one of the members, who's 26 years old and married with children, is leaving the Gangsters. Baby G wants to be just like a member nicknamed Psycho "down with the set 'til they bury me."

Tom comes out. His reputation has already spread. He inspects a gun that's offered to him and asks if they have any AK-47s. Tom shoots out a streetlight. Diaper Head sells him an AK-47.

Tom follows Diaper Head around in his Mustang. He sees him talking to a middle-aged guy who then gets into a black Trans Am. A truck blocks Tom in before he has a chance to follow the car. 

The next day, he meets up with Diaper Head, who shows him a gun that looks nothing like an AK. Diaper Head thinks the Gangsters ought to initiate Tom; all Tom has to do is put in some work. Tom asks if there's a target in mind. There's a contract out on a girl who works at a local taco stand because "her old man was a snitch. Some Jap who looked like Elvis." According to Diaper Head, "everyone" was in on taking out her old man. Someone named Budman calls the shots. Tom agrees to do it.

Middle-aged Trans Am Guy/Budman goes back to his car and lights up a cigar. He asks his passenger for the time; it's 5:00: "That moron in Evidence probably locked up by now." So the gun connection is a cop. Things got a whole lot messier...

Tom tells Doug that the gun runner is the same person who put a hit out on Harry. Doug doesn't think they have enough evidence for a search warrant.

Tom and Diaper Head and nameless Gangsters sit in a car outside the closed taco stand. Tom declines the offer of weed because it makes him too sleepy. Their gun is broken but Tom offers to use his own. Tom gets out to knock on the door of the taco stand. "May I help you?" asks Judy. Tom shoots her. He and the rest of the Gangsters flee the scene. Judy, of course, isn't really dead or injured; Cap'n Rufus loaded the gun with blanks.

Diaper Head has a heated but silent argument with Budman about something. Budman leaves. This time, Tom is able to follow the Trans Am. Budman parks in front of a house in a nice enough neighborhood. After dark, Tom breaks in. He looks through papers in the home office.

Outside, Budman parks behind the Mustang and looks curiously at it. In a desk drawer, Tom finds a lockbox, which contains money and some type of list. Tom takes the list and replaces the lockbox in the desk. He finds a pair of handcuffs engraved with the name BUD TOWERS and his badge number.

On his way out, Tom is surprised by Bud. He points a gun at Tom and informs him, "You're trespassing." Tom tells Bud he's a cop. Bud shoots and just barely misses Tom's head. Tom hides in a bedroom. When Bud comes in, Tom hits the older man in the face with a telephone. Bud fires another shot, breaking a lamp. Tom repeats that he's a cop and shoots back before diving through a window.

Tom falls about a story, gets up, and keeps running. Bud keeps shooting as he chases Tom through the backyard. Tom fires again and runs into the nearby woods. We see Bud lying facedown in his yard. To be continued...