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Previously published here.
When Emily Miller buys flowers, she never expects to be killed by a bullet. It's not long before Det. Mac Taylor (Gary Sinise) uses Dr. Sheldon Hawkes (Hill Harper) and Det. Don Flack (Eddie Cahill) to help find a solution. A tooth tells Hawkes there might be another victim. Two seconds later, this is confirmed.
Det. Jessica Angell (Emanuelle Vaugier Two and a Half Men) is already on scene when they arrive. She tells them deceased number two is Judge Julio Riverton (Roy Werner Power Rangers Time Force, Renegade). Unfortunately, Madison (Ashlee Gillepsie 7th Heaven), his daughter, was the one to discover his body. After she and the two young men with her, Charlie (Greg Mikurak) , and Jake (Jericho), are questioned, lab results help them pinpoint the killer.
Dr. Sid Hammerback (Robert Joy) gives Mac and Stella a strange cause of death. The judge was bludgeoned instead of simply being shot. This is odd, since a bullet would have been faster.
An arrest is made. Jake beat the judge while Charlie watched. The act was in retaliation for being in the foster care system when they were younger. Mac reminds them their impulsive act left two dead, a woman without a parent, and no future for either of them.
Meanwhile, Det. Danny Messer (Carmine Giovinazzo) raises an alarm for Det. Lindsay Monroe (Anna Belknap) when he doesn't show for work. She covers with Mac, but gets Flack to find out what the story is.
Once the super at Danny's apartment building lets Flack in, a quick look around sheds light on things. A program for Ruben Sandoval, Danny's young neighbor, is nearby. It doesn't take much to figure out Ruben's death has been affecting Danny's work. However, Flack eventually finds his friend. What Danny tells him, though, is chilling.
Rickie (Jacqueline Pinol Lincoln Heights, Resurrection Blvd), Ruben's grieving mother, discovered the man responsible for the robbery, Ollie Barnes (Al Santos The Help, Grosse Pointe), has gotten out of prison. Somebody else killed her son, but she is not letting truth stop her revenge. Danny unwittingly helps her when she steals his gun.
It takes both detectives before Rikki is found. Danny manages to persuade her to not go through with her plan, but Ollie cannot leave without calling her a foul name. Flack has to pull Danny off before the situation gets worse.
Danny eventually brings her in for booking. Flack is there to help smooth things over, and tells Danny he needs to stop blaming himself. Danny doesn't know how, and leaves.
This was not a one hour episode, rather, it turned into two half hour shows back to back. I never truly believed the substory. Why would a mother go after someone who didn't kill her child? Whoops! Ollie Barnes was harsh in his judgment, but I understand his thinking.
Lindsay stinks when it comes to cover ups. Mac was smart enough to pick up on it. My only thought as to why he didn't question her more closely was Danny's emotional state. He's too consumed with guilt to be effective.
Flack, on the other hand, has never been one for gut wrenching emotion. He's like Mac in a sense. He had enough forethought to not put Rickie in jail, but perhaps he and Jessica Angell need a soul shattering moment....
