Directed by: Steve Robin
Written by: Jim Leonard
First aired: November 25, 2013
Two high school students are found dead in their grandmother’s house. What looks like a drug overdose at first glance turns out to be cyanide poisoning from a bad batch of drugs. A teacher with highly questionable judgement and some jealousy complete the mix. Meanwhile, Rusty is presented with some options for his future, and he has to make a decision.
As disgusting and troubling as this week’s case is, there are some pretty amusing moments in the episode, which need to be talked about before we focus on the resolution of our mid-season cliffhanger. First of all, we have a cute reference to Charlie’s Angels by our favorite, snarky pathologist. It’s cute how all three ladies stand there the exact same way and turn in perfect synchronicity. And then, after Morales’ comment, they look at one another in this adorably confused way.
A little later, Morales steps out into the hallway to brief them on the toxin, and he calls them “angels.” That’s already pretty funny, considering that they’re all professionals at work, but the fact that all three women react and turn as one once again makes it even more amusing. Not one of them even looks confused or annoyed by their new nickname. It shows how close their working relationship has become.
We all know that Lieutenant Tao likes to give very detailed explanations of everything. We also know that his colleagues do not always appreciate his thoroughness. However, when he gives a very detailed and graphic explanation of how a teacher’s fingerprints got on the headboard of her student’s bed, everyone is amused. Well, everyone except his captain. She does seem to be a little squeamish about that topic (of which we will see more in season 3). I find that interesting, because she does not strike me as the kind of person who shies away from any conversation. Why is sex such an issue for her, and does that only apply to work or to her private life, as well?
Before we dive into the ongoing saga of Rusty Beck and the letter writer, let’s take a brief look at DDA Rios. When we were introduced to her at the beginning of this season, she was brash, annoying, and rather lacking in experience and tact. Over the first half of the season, there has already been some marked improvement in her attitude and her relationship with the team. This episode shows her as being a lot more compassionate than we’re used to. In the beginning, when Sharon reveals to Rusty that she won’t be part of his conference with Assistant Chief Taylor, during which Rusty’s future will be discussed, Rios suggests that she voluntarily passed on being part of that meeting to make things easier for Rusty. Now, Sharon said that Chief Taylor requested to speak with him without the two women, but I’m pretty sure—and Rios’ phrasing suggests it—that they could have insisted on attending. As a minor, Rusty should have the right to have his legal guardian present, and that is Sharon, not Provenza. Why he steps in for her in this case is a bit of a mystery to me, apart from the fact that it is necessary in order to bring up Rusty’s third option, which Sharon would not have allowed. I guess this is the precedent of Sharon being written out of the way to tell the story that they want to tell…
Once they close their case, Rios shows even more of her compassionate side when she offers to deal with the teacher, considering they’re talking about a woman who had sex with a minor. I love that she seems to have accepted Sharon’s role in Rusty’s life and how important he has become to her.
So, what’s happening with young Mr. Beck? The mid-season finale sort of suggested that DDA Rios would finally get her way and he’d be sent into the witness protection program. It was Rusty’s fear and why he hid the letters in the first place. Then again, we know that Sharon Raydor is a top-notch deal maker, and that she would do everything in her power to hold on to Rusty. (Also, since Rusty is Duff’s little Gary Stu, no one truly expected that he would be written out of the show, even for a little while.) Towards the beginning of the episode, we already learn that he now has a protection detail that follows him wherever he goes—and, in true Rusty style, he hates every second of it. When he finally has his talk with Chief Taylor, he is presented with two options—to go into witness protection and go back to school or to stay with Sharon with online class and his new security friends. Are we really surprised that it takes him no time at all to make his decision? I think not. Although Provenza does hint at a third option, which he seems very eager to introduce into the conversation. Of course, Rusty latches onto that and figures out what it is eventually, much to Sharon’s dismay.
That Sharon is violently opposed to sending Rusty out on the street as bait goes without saying. Equally unsurprising is the fact that she has not told Rusty that she is getting threatening letters, too. First of all, I’m sure she doesn’t want him to worry, especially since she doesn’t seem all that worried herself. A second consideration could be that Rusty might choose to go into witness protection not because he wants to, but because he wants to protect Sharon. Rusty’s attempt to get Sharon to agree to option 3 by threatening to go for witness protection is clearly a desperate move. I love how she hesitates for a moment, seeming a bit taken aback, or maybe even shocked, that he would even suggest that. But then she calls his bluff. The way her voice goes up a notch as she starts to point out the advantages of going to boarding school has me tear up a little. On the one hand, this could just be her calling his bluff, and I’m sure that that is what it’s mostly about, but on the other hand, she would absolutely support his choice if he really chose that option, no matter how much it would hurt to let him go. That this scene conveys both those layers is truly beautiful.
And then their conversation is suddenly no longer about his future, but about Kris and how he can’t seem to forgive her for telling Rios about the letters. It seems as if Sharon shares my astonishment about his disregard for his own safety. He doesn’t care that Kris might have saved his life? Really? Wow!
We knew that there would be a conversation about Provenza mentioning option 3 to Rusty. I’m not sure, however, if Sharon imagined that she would be the one on the losing end of that conversation. This scene is so beautiful, though! It starts out with Sharon being very much at odds with both Taylor and Provenza, as they are a united front, trying to convince her to let Rusty help catch his pen-pal. Look at how they are both standing in front of her desk, while she’s sitting, all defensive with her arms crossed. The visual is brilliantly done, and Sharon’s expression throughout this scene shows just how conflicted she is. And then comes that one sentence—very much unintended, obviously—that is at the heart of her conflict: “My primary concern as his mother…” The way she pauses after that word, clearly startled, before she corrects herself, makes me so happy! Yeah, she’s no longer objective. But then, has she ever been objective in the first place? I wonder if she had never really thought of herself in those terms in relation to Rusty or if she simply hadn’t ever said the words out loud before? There clearly is a moment when she’s beating herself up a bit for saying them in this context. Is it possible that the words have been there for a while already, and she has struggled not to let them slip—especially in front of Rusty? Provenza and Taylor, at least, don’t seem to be surprised by her words. Their use of the term “parent” suggests that the idea of Sharon as Rusty’s mother is not a new one to them.
When Provenza asks her what she thinks Rusty would want to do, Sharon’s “Help. He’d want to help.” sounds so sad, and her expression feels almost a little helpless. Because she knows that Provenza is right. She can only continue to protect him as long as he’s a minor. After that, she needs him to work with her on that. To give him what he wants while it’s still hers to give is a good idea, especially if it means that she can get something she wants in exchange. What exactly that is, we’ll find out later, but it is pretty clear that she already has an idea.
I love that Provenza uses both “parent” and “deal-maker” to refer to Sharon’s role in this situation. It acknowledges the feelings she has for the kid and validates them while at the same time being sensitive to the fact that it is too early for her to be open about those feelings. In addition, the deal-maker part also subtly reminds her that she is not only a mother in this situation.
And may I point out that he called her Sharon for what I believe to be the first time? With Andy, it made sense, as she made the offer when she invited herself to his daughter’s wedding, so it feels kind of natural when he uses her first name in a private moment at the end of “Poster Boy.” I find it fascinating, however, that Provenza uses her first name here. While they are discussing Rusty and she is, for the most part, there in her role as his guardian, her boss is also in the room. I feel like it conveys compassion for the emotional toll the situation takes on her. It also highlights that the decision she has to make is very much not a professional one, even though it will have an impact on her job.
When they have their second talk about option 3, Sharon is ready to make a deal. Rusty can help catch his pen-pal if he agrees to be evaluated by a therapist. Since the very beginning of their relationship, she has tried to get him to see a therapist, but so far, he has always refused. As Provenza predicted, however, he wants an active role in the search for the person who is threatening him badly enough to agree to her condition. We already see in this scene, when she tries to explain to him the risk option 3 would pose to him, that she still isn’t happy about this, and that she might have some concerns about how seriously he is taking those risks. I wonder if she might be approaching this conversation as some sort of win-win situation. If Rusty agrees to see a therapist, she’ll have to allow him to participate in that police action, but at least he’ll get the help she feels that he needs. If his dislike of psychologists is too big to consider it, he at least won’t we going out on the street where he’ll be in danger. Either way, she gets one thing she wants.
I love Sharon’s reaction when Rusty mentions that he has his own condition. The way he beats around the bush at first has Sharon (and the viewer) suspect that he’s finally going to talk about his sexual orientation. That is clearly what Sharon expects, but she doesn’t want to say it, because first of all, she can’t be sure, and second of all, it is a step he has to take by himself. Whether or not that was what he originally intended to say remains unclear, but Sharon’s surprise when he mentions chess is impossible to miss. Kudos to her pretty quick recovery, though. When Rusty then claims that Sharon always gets what she wants, her expression is not exactly that of a winner. Rusty obviously doesn’t understand just how scared she is for his safety. I’m pretty sure he manages to make her forget about that for a little while, at least, when he tells her that he’s only agreeing to the deal because he loves her. We see her surprise, but once again she recovers quickly and doesn’t make a big deal out of his words and what they clearly mean to her. Assuming that this is the first time he says it, it is a big step, and I bet Sharon would love to hug him and return the sentiment, but that would be too much for him. Once again, she gives him the space he needs. I love these early steps in their relationship!