Cold Case – Recap & Review – Jurisprudence

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Cold Case
Jurisprudence

Original Air Date: Oct 11, 2009

Amanda – Senior Reviewer
amanda@thetwocentscorp.com

Oh, Scotty. Always trying to be Superman and making promises he can’t keep. This week, we investigate the death of a kid who was on the receiving end of one of those promises, but the truth, it turns out, is much bigger. Also, Dougherty’s on the warpath, and Lilly traces some mystery phone calls… to Cupid!

We begin with the 2004 sentencing hearing of Alex Caceres, who’s in front of the hard-nosed Judge Alvarez pleading guilty to a minor offense, but a decorated detective is on his way to put in a good word. The cop doesn’t show, Alvarez sentences Alex to 18 months at Havenhurst Academy, we see a closeup of Alvarez’s pen (conveniently bearing this week’s episode title)…and then we meet the detective: It’s Scotty. “I got your back,” he promises Alex, but it’s too little, too late. Alex dies in an “accident” at Havenhurst…but now Michael Rodgers, another Havenhurst inmate, says it was murder.

Worried about repercussions from Dougherty, a reluctant Stillman asks Scotty what this case means to him. Scotty says Alex’s mother was supposed to testify against a dealer in one of his Narcotics cases, but she and Alex’s brother were killed in a drive-by. After that, Scotty tried to look out for Alex, but then got transferred to Homicide. When Scotty convinces him it’s not just the guilt talking, Stillman reopens the case.

Lilly and Scotty talk with Havenhurst’s headmaster, Evan Price, and Laticia, a counselor. Laticia recalls Alex defending the “runt” Michael from the much larger Ray-Ray. On pain of losing girls’ phone numbers to a paper-shredder named Kat Miller, Ray-Ray admits to the fight, but says he and Alex were friends. While swapping escape strategies, Alex told him it wasn’t about muscle, but finesse, which he illustrated by slipping a screwdriver out of his sleeve. Unfortunately, he was caught by Jimmy, the shop teacher he stole it from…who also did time for assault. Meanwhile, Dougherty’s heard about the reopening of the case and orders Stillman to shut it down. Stillman agrees, then promises his detectives anything they need on the case.

Jimmy remembers urging Alex to do the time before it did him, then asked Alex about blood on his clothing. Alex wouldn’t talk, and Jimmy, thinking he was getting bullied, called Marci, Alex’s lawyer. However, she says it wasn’t Alex being bullied, but Michael. On hearing this, Marci convinced Michael’s lawyer to petition for his transfer. The request was denied, but somehow, Michael was transferred anyway.

Scotty finds Michael, who’s at the jail “being processed,” and escorts him away for a talk. Over eggs in a diner, Michael reveals that it wasn’t the other students he feared, but the staff. While Laticia watched, he received a vicious beating from another student for stealing a “Jurisprudence” pen from Price’s office. Alex stopped it, insisting he stole the pen. Michael wonders why Alex would do that. “Maybe he was doin’ for you what no one ever did for him,” Scotty replies. Ouch.

Meanwhile, Dougherty’s heard of Stillman’s end-around. After Stillman accuses Dougherty of trying to hide something, Dougherty delivers his punishment: Stillman must sacrifice one detective to fill an opening at East. That detective, we later learn…is Kat.

Lilly learns that Laticia applied to the Police Academy and Havenhurst simultaneously, allegedly to serve, but Lilly knows her true motive: revenge for being kidnapped by neighborhood thugs at age 12. The Academy knew this and rejected her, but Havenhurst didn’t. Laticia admits that her confrontation with Alex got physical, and he shoved her to the floor right as Jimmy arrived, caught him, and dragged him away.

Confronted with this, Jimmy insists he was just trying to keep Alex from trashing his future when Alex revealed the stolen Jurisprudence pen, instructed Jimmy to make sure Scotty got it, then asked for a phone call. Jimmy let Alex into Price’s office, but doesn’t know who Alex called.

Armed with the pen, Google, and proof that Alex’s call was to Alvarez, Scotty finally figures out what Alex knew: “Jurisprudence” is actually a ski resort, co-owned by Alvarez’s sister-in-law…who also owns Havenhurst, and gives Alvarez a cut for every kid he sends there. Scotty confronts Alvarez, who says Alex blackmailed him: transfer Michael, or he’d tell the media about the scam.

Finally, Lilly and Scotty revisit Price, and he confesses, saying Alex ordered him to call Alvarez and fix the situation. When Price refused, fearing the loss of his “passion,” Alex picked up the phone to call the news, and Price beat him to death with the phone. The montage shows the arrests of both Price and Alvarez…who’s one of Dougherty’s golfing buddies. Guess he really did have something to hide.

In other news, in the midst of her perpetual Daddy-dodging, Lil’s been getting mysterious calls from a blocked number. She traces them to a cruddy apartment…which turns out to be Saccardo’s undercover lair. He’s heard about Moe and is worried. Awwww. She admits to putting a boot on Moe’s car, and Saccardo promises to help her think of something better. I have to admit, Saccardo’s growing on me. Lil’s a lot less whiny when he’s around, and that’s definitely worth something.

When I heard this episode featured one of Scotty’s Narcotics screwups, I was thrilled, because I love Scotty-centric episodes, and skeptical, fearing it might just be a lazy re-do of Season 3’s spectacular “Sanctuary.” However, this one had a completely different outcome. Yes, Scotty screwed up…but this time, that wasn’t the real issue. Alvarez would’ve sentenced Alex to Havenhurst whether Scotty showed up or not. Scotty’s scenes with Michael and his interrogation of Alvarez were outstanding, and it was wonderful to see him finally get that something wasn’t his fault.

So that’s my TwoCents…but I want to know yours. Did you peg Price? Are you looking forward to more Stillman v. Dougherty? Glad Saccardo’s back? Will you miss Kat? Anyone else think Scotty should wear jeans and forget to shave more often? Leave your TwoCents in the comment section!