Battle Creek draws ever closer to its sad end. At double pace, as a matter of fact, because they decided to run two episodes back to back. I’m wondering how they’ll wrap up the series; I’m guessing they didn’t write a real finale, given the lead time on shows like this.
Anyway, the episode starts with Russ and Funkhauser driving to a community outreach in uniform. Russ hates doing community outreach, because he doesn’t like people and people don’t like him. They get interrupted by Funk receiving a text telling him that there’s been a shooting at the park, and they respond, since Russ hates community outreach anyway.
They arrive on the scene to find a man bleeding out, with a woman who tells them that she’s a doctor trying to stabilize him. Russ performs chest compressions on the guy to resuscitate him, and once he’s awake, Funk helps him load the guy into their squad car. Funk stays behind to watch the doctor’s daughter, and Russ floors it for the hospital. On the way there, you’re given the impression that the guy isn’t just some random victim to the doctor. They get him to the hospital and he’s admitted to the ER. Russ ask if she knows the victim, and the doctor says he’s her husband.
Milt shows up at the park to assist, and gets the confusing lay of the land from Funk, before heading off with the only meaningful clue; the direction the shooter ran off towards. At the hospital, we find out that doctor lady and her husband were separated, but things had just been improving. The only person doctor lady (her name turns out to be Rita) could imagine would do such a thing is their next door neighbor. There had been a fight over a tree on the property line, and their neighbor lost in court.
Milt catches up with an NSA acquaintance and asks a favor. NSA guy doesn’t want to help, because the NSA is already in hot water and they need to keep their focus elsewhere. Milt eventually gets him to give him the phone record of the shooter, on the promise that he will never ask such a favor of NSA guy again.
Milt walks in on Russ and Guziewicz’s conversation over the possibility that the neighbor did it. He informs them that the shooter was Bennet Kowalski, a man with almost no known connection to their victim, Derek Henderson. Amazingly, Russ doesn’t start an argument with Milt; the case is more important to him, and he’d rather move onto getting a warrant. Milt tells them that they can’t get a warrant due to the way he obtained the information. No one recognizes the shooter’s face. With the clock ticking down, Milt calls an audible, and they bust in the guy’s door to illegally search his apartment.
This ultimately leads to all the evidence they find being thrown out of court, and Milt getting suspended for a week. The Judge throws everything out after deducing that Milt’s info came from an NSA informant. Back to square one, Milt accepts his impromptu vacation while Russ starts picking the up the pieces of their case.
Switching to highlights. Milt makes artisanal jam on his first day out. Russ bugs him for some help, and he runs a program that should link the shooter and the victim. Ultimately, they figure out that Kowalski was hired to shoot Derek.
One of the interesting things about this episode is that the usual dynamic between Russ and Milt is turned upside-down. Russ becomes the optimist, while Milt becomes the cynic. Because of this, at about the halfway mark, women that would usually be giving Milt the googly eyes start doing so to Russ. And he’s almost oblivious to it. Russ believes in Dr. Rita’s story, while Milt is more and more certain of her guilt as evidence begins pointing towards her.
The “B” plot of the episode revolves around Holly’s dates with the guy she’s been seeing. Apparently, he can’t take a hint. Despite her best efforts, he apparently doesn’t seem to want to take it to a physical place. This leads to something.
I won’t spoil the twist of the episode. I will, however, spoil the end of the side plot. After the case is wrapped, Russ is in the squad room, and calls up one of the doctors (by the name of Steffi), but sees Holly all gussied up from her date and hangs up. He goes to take stuff into the evidence room, and on Jaycocks’ advice, Holly follows him in. Shit goes down.
This was a pretty standard episode for the series. It was nice to see the Holly/Russ UST resolved. And the flip between Russ and Milt was pretty entertaining to watch.
Final Thoughts:
- Artisanal jam and pumpernickel.
- Dinkwhistle.
- Still pissed that they’re cancelling this show.
About Author
