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Episode Guide

Season 1, Episode 3

Episode Date: June 27, 2005

Writer: Nancy Miller

Director: Elodie Keene

Guest Stars: Don McManus (Danny Booth), Amy Hill (Franny), Stana Katic (Nadia Orwell), John Pyper-Ferguson (Andy Osterman), Seth Gabel (Nick Koslov), Elya Baskin (Priest), Dean McDermott (FBI Agent Steven Simms), Michael Woods (FBI Agent Bill Blackburn), Brent Hinkley (Morgue Attendant), Peter Haskell (Judge Weichert), Tom Irwin (Congressman Hilton), Carrie Minter (Zoya Petrovna)

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Episode Synopsis

Brenda must fight for justice for two Russian prostitutes murdered by the illegitimate son of a Russian mafia figure whiles she overcomes the prejudices of a department who sees one dead prostitute as pretty much the same as another. As she does, she confronts her own prejudices, and discovers the justice for these women in scarce in a world dominated by men. When the FBI steps in to take over the investigation, she shows the stern stuff she's made of, using highly unorthodox methods to finally bring the murderer to an unusual form of justice.

Meanwhile, Brenda's relationship with Fritz takes a new direction, as the FBI's involvement in this case hints at the challenges that will come when they must balance their work and professional lives. At the end of the episode, Brenda purchases one of the dead girl's house, and finds herself the owner of a cat she doesn't want, but who has ideas of its own.

EPISODE CASE FILE

Location of murder:

Zoya Petrovna's house

Victim names:

Zoya Petrovna
Vonya

What we know about the victims:

Both were Russian prostitutes, who were pregnant with Nick Koslov's child.

Cause of death:

Multiple stab wounds to the back with a 6 inch serrated knife

Evidence:

DNA

Suspects:

INS Employee, Danny Booth
Nick Koslov

Investigation complications:

The FBI Takes over the case of Zoya's murder as Nick Koslov was a snitch for them.

Killer:

Nick Koslov (Son of his father's second mistress who was killed under mysterious circumstances.)

Motive:

Both women were pregnant with his child. As he was the son of one of his father's prostitutes, he killed both women when they told him they were pregnant.

Brenda's closer tactic:

Brenda hinted to Koslov's defense attorney, in a subtle way, that Nick had been working with the FBI. Nick was released and killed by his own family because Brenda couldn't shake Nick's alibi with the FBI.

BRENDA'S PERSONAL LIFE

Personal conflict(s): This is the episode where we first meet "Kitty." Kitty was Zoya's cat and came with the house Brenda bought.

Family conflict(s):

Developments with Fritz: They go on a date but at the end of the episode, Fritz asks that they not talk about work for a while. He leaves telling her he'll let her know what he wants to talk about.

Work hassles: Pope asking her not to question Danny Booth. The FBI taking over her case and withholding evidence that her suspect was an informant.

Sugar junkie moment: She was eating Cheetos in the beginning while reviewing the case file. Later while cleaning her hotel room, she hid all her junk food in a drawer when Fritz arrived.

Episode Background and Trivia

Brenda makes her first visit to the LA County Coroner's morgue in this episode. The LA County Coroner investigates 20,000 cases annually to determine cause of death and/or identity of victim. The morgue is located at 1104 N. Mission Rd. in Boyle Heights, adjoining LA County/USC Medical Center. The Coroner's Office has found a certain maudlin humor in their task, operating a very successful gift shop known as Skeletons in the Closet ("for those of us of dubious distinctive taste") which can be accessed online.

The cemetery used in this episode is Evergreen Cemetery, located in East Los Angeles (Boyle Heights). It is one the oldest cemeteries in Los Angeles, established in 1877, as well as one of the largest. Among those interred there are a number of figures prominent in the early history of Los Angeles.

Brenda's house features a form of architecture typical of Los Angeles, and unique to the San Gabriel Valley, east of downtown. The houses are bungalows with wide eves that capture cool air. Decorated with the river rock readily available below the San Gabriel Valley canyons, what were once affordable family homes built in the 1920's are now highly desirable, and equally highly priced, residences. The house is probably located in Monrovia, California, a community immediately east of Pasadena.

The FBI makes its presence felt for the first time in this story. The FBI has a major field office in Westwood, near UCLA, at 11000 Wilshire Blvd, in one of two Federal buildings in the Los Angeles area (the second is downtown). The Federal Building in Westwood houses a range of federal offices from the US Passport Agency to the Social Security Administration. The FBI office in Los Angeles serves the six highly populous counties surrounding LA as well as Los Angeles International Airport. Among its briefs is the enforcement of RICO statutes used to prosecute Mafia figures such as those featured in the story.

Although the Italian mafia had little or no presence in Los Angeles after the WWII, there is some use of Los Angeles, the Port of Los Angeles, and the large open border with Mexico for human trafficking and drug running efforts by a variety of groups, among them the Russian mafia.

Best Episode Quotes

Pope: (after Brenda asks him to stall the FBI) "Okay, but when the black helicopters start hovering over the building, try to wrap it up!"

Brenda: "Oh no, no, no. You don't need an attorney because if you get an attorney I plan to sit down with your fiancee and have a nice long chat with her about what you've been doing with your penis."

Pope: "When did the FBI get back to you so fast? I'm still waiting to hear back on Oswald and Kennedy."

Provenza: (after hearing Gabriel say the hooker's website name) "Lollipop? Looks like an all day sucker to me."

Best Episode Moments

In the beginning, Brenda is looking through the morgue for an unidentified prostitute. When she gets Gabriel to help her, she accidentally knocks a corpse over and just misses him. And of course, she apologizes after.

Watching Provenza interview a Judge and a Congressman.

When Brenda interrogated Nick in front of his attorney, she asked the attorney if he had been with Nick while he was questioned for 10 hours by the FBI. This alerted the family attorney that Nick was an informant for the FBI. Nick tried to confess for both murders as he knew he was a dead man but his attorney lied and said he was with Nick. Brenda released Nick but not after he slammed her into the wall and had to be restrained by Flynn, Gabriel and Sanchez. The entire interrogation scene was intense.

After Nick was released, Pope went to Brenda and asked exactly what she had done, knowing Nick would be killed. Brenda said nothing but held up the photos of the two young women. Pope shook his head and walked away.

Fritz visited Brenda in her new home (Zoya's), which came completely furnished. When he talked about the FBI losing their informant and the family going free, Brenda gave them Booth to keep their case intact.

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Looking for a body in autopsy		Caught in the act by the Medical Examiner

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