Walt however thinks this is serious since he recalls the girl said Neel didn't scream, so he was attacked from behind, knew his attacker or had his mouth covered. He tells Branch (Bailey Chase) to check any registered sex offenders since an amber alert can't be issued until they know what Neel was abducted in. Walt asks Vic if she ever ran away and she did when she was 13, but she wore shoes, Walt adding he wouldn't run away with one shoe and he'd just be going round in circles. Walt and Vic visit the real parents on the Res and find a broken down car outside. The father(John A Lorenz) is clearly angry since their son was just taken away by Family Services from school, based on false allegations and lies. They're not addicts and couldn't afford White man's justice in a White man's court. But he's working two jobs and working on the car and when it's fixed, they'll have money to hire a lawyer as he'll get a better paid job.
At the station, Ruby (Louanne Stephens) hands Walt his mail, including a letter from the Denver police department which Walt pockets. Funny that letter didn't fall out of his back pocket, considering the number of places he went with it, ha. Branch gave details at the press conference, good to know they had one for a missing Cheyenne boy since it's usually the White children who get more press coverage, also maybe it was cos he was being adopted by a White family that there was a press conference. Neel's parents don't have much of an arrest sheet and Walt comments their only crime was being poor. Which really isn't a crime when you think about it, it's just circumstance. Vic mentions her grandmother had more arrests, is that really true then or was she being sarcastic. Branch is sent to the childrens' home.
Cady (Cassidy Freeman) tells Walt she can't give away privileged info about the adoption, but Vic tells her it was she who asked and not Walt. Walt agrees adding she can't help Neel but that works making her feel guilty and she's able to help without risking disbarment or breaking privilege, since public records will help. At the home Branch questions the director, Ryan Shank (Noah Harpster) who was so suspicious and nervous that he had to be involved. Suspicions confirmed when later that night he too disappears, after telling Branch he doesn't have Neel's file here. Branch leaves his card with him. next morning as Vic and Walt turn up he's not around but are called since two boys have gone missing and Vic finds Neel's file in the office, along with Walt checking his shelf, cos there's plenty you can tell about a person by what they read. That goes for Walt too I guess. He takes his yearbook and adds it to the box of files. Luke (Gage Michael Petrone) the boy drawing in his sketchbook doesn't say anything.
Earlier that night, Walt looks at the letter and has a flashback to a rainy night and driving to Denver but is rudely disturbed, yeah and so were we! Ruby tells him there's a sobbing woman, Mrs Thompson (Nancy Linehan Charles) whose son, Jeremy (Jason Matthew Smith) is missing. He's 35 and he is a sex offender but she didn't register him as such. Walt has Ruby put out an amber alert on his truck.
In Durant town square, Jacob Whitehorse (A Martinez) gives a speech about their children being forcibly removed and how the sheriff hasn't done anything about it. Branch listens, of course he would, more ammo for his campaign perhaps. Walt hears him talk about a paedophile on their streets and if he was Cheyenne then the sheriff would do more. Walt doesn't have time for politics but asks Branch if he still wants to be sheriff. Well we know that answer. He tells Branch to look into Shank and to contact the real parents of the other missing boys. Walt talks with the social worker, Crystal Shoemaker (Rebecca Tilney). Another one who looked suspicious. She's the one who linked all the children and acted upon the allegations of abuse and neglect. But not so quick to remove White children from their homes for the same reasons. She tells him Shank called her about 10.30pm and she had an altercation with a Cheyenne man. Walt realizes that was Henry (Lou Diamond Phillips).
He was angry with Crystal cos she took Cissy's son saying she was a drunk, when infact she was his employee. He knows her son is missing cos Jacob told him and thinks Jacob is ensuring Walt does
his job and not interfering. He then apologizes but recalls that once it was said that you can't take the Indian out of the man or something along those lines. Branch brings Cady coffee and he knows how she likes it which puts Vic's ears on overtime. Vic finds Shank and Jeremy went to high school together and are in the yearbook. Ruby tells them they found Jeremy. His truck is stopped and inside it's empty of children but he has an alibi. Of course Walt had to fire his gun to get their attention since that was the only time a gun was used in this ep. Walt takes Jeremy's pic with a Polaroid camera. (Ha, still got my Polaroid Image System camera and it still takes excellent pics too! Slight digression!)
Jacob barges in and asks what's happening, Walt adding Jeremy has rights and he's not talking. Jacob adds children have rights too and explains how Walt's government is allowing children to be taken away cos they're paid double the money for being adopted by White parents. Walt tells Branch to talk politics with Jacob as he takes Vic to the home with Henry. They talk with Luke and he tells them about Hotametaneo'o: the Dog Soldier, the Native Indian myth that he would come at midnight and take him away of he didn't behave, a man being able to transform into a dog. He saw him and he had a scar under is eye. Henry explains that they were heroes and were hunted down by the army, there's one that remains, Hector (Jeffrey De Serrano). He's a mercenary for hire.
Shank's car is found miles away and so is his DB after he's been run over. Jeremy is released and Branch gets a call from Shank but it's actually Walt using his phone, wonder why he did that then, ha. Cady tells him Jacob was right about the money being paid for the children and Shank didn't report this extra money. Hector wouldn't have known about this and doesn't get paid that much for his mercenary work.
Crystal is involved in a hit and run and she describes the man with the scar. Henry is worried for Hector since Walt has warrants on him he could turn in to the US Marshall, but if he's clean he should come in. Later at home, Walt grabs a beer from his empty fridge, well aside from the beer and takes out the letter, still in his back pocket. He flashes to a motel room and he leans over the sink, shirtless, yeah another shirtless scene after so long, ha. Erm, he doesn't have any scars on his back yet either, but he's clearly preoccupied. Hector comes in and they fight. Walt still has flashes to himself looking in the mirror.
Hector's locked up and Walt has been beaten up but he brought him in anyway. Hector warned Shank to stop taking children but he didn't kill him, like Henry said, he's not a killer. Cady tells him the allegations of abuse were all made by one man but he's in hospital after being beaten. That's the man being beaten in
the opening scene. Henry calls and has found the children at the bar. Neel says it was the Dog Soldier but he came at 10. Walt doesn't call Family Services cos even if it's the law doesn't make it right. Walt ignores Jacob wanting Hector released and heads for Shank's phone. He tells Jacob that Hector was hired by someone with money, implying it was him. Hector is released but Walt snaps a shot of him too. He says sometimes the best way to catch a killer is to let them think they're free. Obviously not referring to Hector.
He puts on his shades and pays a visit to Crystal. Shank called her at 10.34 but why didn't he call his deputy when he was assaulted by Hector. He was warning her that her scam was discovered and that it was her taking the children for the extra money. He knows he paid the man off to make the allegations and she killed Shanks to protect herself. Crystal tells him a White jury won't convict her and he knows she's right. So he threatens her with Hector, or rather the story of the Dog Soldier. Reminding her the boys said the Dog Soldier was seen by them and he can take any form, animal, spirit or human. He will come for her and when he does he's a call away and 20 minutes away but he's not sure how long he'll take to turn up. He walks out the door and has another flashback. This time he puts his badge in the motel room safe and reaches for his gun.
Crystal comes out and he reaches for his handcuffs. Neel is returned to his parents. Walt burns the letter. Luke looks out of his window and sees the Dog Soldier, it's Jacob as he opens his hand revealing the teeth. He then makes a shadow across the skyline as he raises his arms in the air...in a bid to show myth can become reality, but maybe reinforcing he is powerful himself. Oh and for those mentioning it, Jacob has been seen before in the show, he was in 1.3 A Damn Shame in the sweat lodge scene at the beginning.
Another ep where it's the 'outsiders' in the from of Crystal and Shank who are the ones reeking havoc on
the community, particularly the Cheyenne Res by stealing their children for money. As always it's the system to blame to begin with and the greedy people who profit from it. Think a lot might be thinking jail would be too good for Crystal and she deserved a little of her own medicine. As always an element of racism running through as well with the Cheyenne children being the one stolen and everyone turning a blind eye.
Plenty of references to Walt and whether he's good enough to do his job and continue on as sheriff, which would have been music to Branch's ears. Even Henry remarks about it when Jacob is on his case, but takes that back and so he should. Yet more flashbacks to keep us intrigued, or some people bored, as they don't reveal much except that we know Walt had a vendetta of his own and must have something to do with his wife. Otherwise he wouldn't have driven to Denver, or needed to go after someone but without his gun. In the sense that guns can be traced and co can bullets. But using other weapons, including fists is much cleaner, to an extent. A bit of a similarity to the Dog Soldier and how Jacob beat up the man to leave their children alone, though it appears Jacob has an agenda of his own. He's rich so how much has he actually done for the Res and the very people he was so vocal to against Walt.
Walt and his 'good' eye after he was beaten and when confronting Crystal, a bit funny but serious too, since he was making a personal comment too, as well when talking about people being vessels for things they don't really understand. But can somehow make they come true in their own minds, or just by believing. He did appear menacing and she must have thought of how he got his bruises! Which managed to do the trick in the end.
It was funny seeing Walt with a Polaroid camera, taking pics for his, sorry, for the station records. But fun, as they're still being used. Hey reminds me I have a Polaroid of Robert when he was in Home and Away and it's waiting to be signed by him, ha. Yet more digressions. Seems I went a bit overboard on this ep review, never mind.
No comments:
Post a Comment