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Okay, either there was a big time jump between episodes four and five, or I missed something last week. Oscar Rivi is now out of prison? And sitting in the offices of Reddick & Lockhart? Meanwhile the case against Kurt seems to have not budged at all. And there was absolutely no sign of Judge Wackner this week, so Marissa was back to being an investigator for Diane? Even though it’s all a bit confusing, it was still a very interesting episode.
So we have to assume Carmen’s work on the Rivi case was a success, getting the other guy to finally confess that Rivi was framed, thus his conviction for murder was overturned. And now he sits in the law office with a new case — a lawsuit against the hospital that he claims allowed his daughter to die from COVID because she was brown-skinned. And the hospital, fearing it would lose the case, brought in a new lawyer that Liz described as a ‘mercenary’, a lawyer who loves to refer to himself as ‘Racehorse’ (and how funny is it that Liz referred to him as ‘Mr. Racehorse’?). His attempts to fluster Carmen only raised red flags, but Oscar Rivi’s wife — who happens to be deaf, a plot device that comes in very handy here — knows that ‘Racehorse’ Diaz wins every case. And she doesn’t want Carmen working on the case alone. And she lip read one of the associates calling her husband a ‘wetback murderer’. Liz was aghast and promptly fired three associates since none of them would admit who said it. It was head-spinning how fast she spring into action.
The case itself hinged on the notion that the hospital favored rich and/or white patients over those with brown or black skin, with a key point being the preferential treatment given to the chief of staff’s husband. Seeing that Liz and Carmen were destroying his case, ‘Racehorse’ threatened to call Rivi himself for questioning, hoping to turn the whole case around on his lack of connection to his daughter. What Diaz wasn’t counting on was that the firm had a ringer in the room — Jay, who was battling COVID at the same time Rivi’s daughter was in the same hospital. Jay’s been having COVID-related after effects, hallucinating Frederick Douglass, Karl Marx and Jesus Christ (and now a nude woman outside the office window), but mainly Frederick Douglass. Diaz is also attempting to paint a doctor at the hospital in an unfavorable light because of her social media posts that he claims paints her as an opportunist seeking followers and fame rather than someone actually concerned about her patients.
But one of the dance challenge videos she posted (and said doctor is now deceased from COVID) triggered a memory in Jay, a beeping sound. Searching the hallway in which the video was filmed, Jay found the beep — an empty candy machine. Other images in the video also triggered his memories of his time in the hospital, including seeing a white board and having conversations with another patient who told him they were in comas and dying. One of the things Jay remembered was the number of COVID patients being halved by the hospital, classifying them as dying from pneumonia or heart attacks. There was also the sentence ‘No visitors in the pit’ on the board. Bringing these up in the depositions, it was learned ‘the pit’ was the staff break room that was converted to a space to put terminal patients. Which meant Jay was put in that room to die, and while in a coma the staff was unaware that he and the others crammed in the room could hear them. The man he was talking to while in his comatose state was the same man he conjured up as Frederick Douglass, and that man died. But this revelation about ‘the pit’ actually helped the hospital’s case because they admitted Rivi’s daughter was never sent to the pit, instead she was given first class treatment because they knew who her father was and were and are still terrified of what he might do to them. It was a blow to the Rivi case, but it also opened up a new door for Jay, who remembered hearing that the hospital got a call to move him to a room to get treatment.
But who made that call? Liz and Diane both claimed ignorance, apparently not even aware that Jay was that sick. Liz suggested it might have been his sisters, but Jay didn’t really think they had that much pull. When asking Diane, a voice behind them asked why Jay isn’t asking him. It was David Lee, and he told Jay he kept tabs on all the employees and he made the call that basically saved Jay’s life. Jay tried to thank him, but Lee said it was purely a business decision and that time has now passed. But at least Jay has closure now, and perhaps he’ll stop hallucinating.
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As for Kurt and Diane, I suppose I may have been a bit pre-mature in calling their relationship unrepairable at this point. Agent Starkey did her best to try and rattle Diane with photos of shotgun shells with initials on them and zip ties and a manifesto and a sworn statement from the man Diane turned in, all of which she claimed proved Kurt was not only the ringleader of the group at the insurrection, but was planning a run-through at the Illinois state capital, citing the initials on the shells were the initials of state representatives. Diane reminded Starkey that she’s a high-powered trial lawyer and none of Starkey’s tricks would work on her, but she certainly needed to be back inside the loop with Kurt and Julius.
Julius refused to tell her anything but suggested she talk to Kurt and get his permission. In the end, the three of them had a sit down and Kurt explained that the initials on the shells were descriptors of the type of shell or buckshot, not people’s initials — why would they be all the same if they were marked to kill someone? The zip ties are too thin and too short for a human, they’re used to bind a deer. Well now that that’s all cleared up … what about that manifesto? And if there were other people present who know Kurt did nothing to even hint at storming the Capital, he needs to name names … which he won’t because he’s being too ‘John Wayne’ about this situation. Unfortunately, without corroboration he’s likely going to take the fall.
And that’s where Marissa comes in. Diane needs her to follow someone — Kurt, as we learn later. Kurt has been making the rounds to the members of the gun club to ask for their help but none of them will talk. There is one more person, a woman, who also refuses to get involved but after Kurt left her at the gun range, Marissa snapped a picture of the woman and gave the info to Diane. Using the magic of social media, Diane was able to pinpoint the woman and discovered it was she who typed up the manifesto, and paying the woman a surprise visit in her car, Diane made it quite clear that if the woman does not voluntarily speak up on Kurt’s behalf, she will turn over all of the information she has on the woman to Agent Starkey. Diane makes it bluntly clear that she is not to be fucked with. Later that night Kurt gets a call from the woman who has had a change of heart and will tell the FBI that Kurt is completely innocent. Diane feigns surprise when Kurt gives her the news, but the couple finally has something to laugh and dance about again.
What did you think of this episode? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below.
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