A man spots another on an escalator and follows him. They argue in Albanian, then physically fight and the elder man pulls out a knife and is then pushed in front of an approaching police car. No one at Major Crimes wants the case as they all have plans for Christmas. Captain Raydor (Mary McDonnell) has a family event planned since her father is unwell and this may be his last Christmas. Brenda (Kyra Sedgwick) believes it's not a murder since the murderer is dead and the Vic was only slightly injured. The Vic, Armand Marku (Michael Aronou) is interviewed and states the Vic was his father, Shariq (Patrick Faucette) . Armand married a Christian woman and his father disowned him. He believes his father got angry when he saw him with Christmas presents. They are Muslims. He also has two sisters, but hasn't been in contact with them.
Brenda tells everyone they'll be out of here for Christmas, but since when has anything gone according to her wishes. She doesn't see it as a murder since he was killed by one of their own cars. Brenda's parents arrive and she introduces them to Raydor, as her friend. They're surprised she has a friend but then disappointed her 'friend' is a colleague. Gabriel's (Corey Reynolds) parents are taking him to Italy. Fritz (Jon Tenney) isn't happy about them being here, they have news for Brenda.
Pope (JK Simmons) is Acting Chief as Delk is away and he must sort out whose case it is. He tells them to work together on it. Tao (Michael Paul Chan) is assigned to help Raydor with the 911 calls, how about collecting video footage of the fight from the witnesses. Brenda's parents have decided to move to LA. That's their big news.
Flynn (Tony Denison) has located one of Armand's sisters and she too is dead with her throat slashed. Her apartment is sparse, there's baloney in the fridge and a dog, things not found in Muslim homes. A boy outside makes a getaway with the dog, he's her son. Provenza (GW Bailey) is charged with taking him in. Morales (Jonathan Del Arco) finds a bullet lodged inside Shariq's back and his daughter has signs of being raped and tortured in the past. Taylor (Robert Gossett) informs Brenda Child Services want Skander, (Aaron Refvem) the sister's son. But Brenda tells him he has a relative.
Skander doesn't say much and needs to be medically examined. Brenda asks him for his gum and gives it to Sanchez (Raymond Cruz) for DNA analysis. Armand is questioned with his wife, Joan (Margaret Easley) a lawyer and he is upset over his sister's death, then relates their past life in Kosovo. Everyone was either killed or taken and he survived. His father called him a coward. There is a code of honour going back centuries. Armand wants to take Skander but Joan argues over this. Skander's father is probably Serbian.
Fritz and Brenda agonize over Clay (Barry Corbin) and Willie Rae (Frances Sternhagen) staying here permanently and Fritz thinks maybe he can get a transfer to DC. Brenda sees they've brought Frosty the snowman with them and she's happy now. Gabriel reopens the case as he's found ATM footage of Armand's sister and she was still alive when her father was meant to have killed her. Sanchez doesn't find any records of a boy named Rudy at Skander's school, whom he said he was with, so he's lying. Joan has a change of heart and is now protective of Skander, what has she got to hide now, changing her tune so quickly. She says she was concerned for their other children before. She offers to be his lawyer and they leave with Skander. Brenda asks Pope to stop them from leaving. As they enter the lift, Pope grabs Skander and a policeman stops Armand and Joan from coming out of the lift.
Skander is arrested. That look Skander gave Brenda was pure evil, talk about Damien from The Omen, he'd have given the beast a run for his money. Raydor has to investigate Skander now and Brenda wants her own questions asked too since Raydor is allowed to talk to him. Joan is filing a civil rights lawsuit but Taylor says they did nothing wrong and Pope adds he was preventing the lift door from closing on Armand. Skander lies about being hit by Pope. Willie Rae makes a passing comment that they don't have to ask him questions they can just spy on his e-mails. That's what they do to Brenda's niece.
Skander goes online as soon as he's provided with a computer and with Provenza specifically telling him to not go on the Internet. He e-mails someone called 'Saramed.' She being the other sister. He types it's time for the 'blood food'. Which they think means 'blood feud'. Gabriel finds Sarah Miller Marku lives in LA. Arriving at her house, they too find her with her throat slashed...
More of a Christmas horror episode than the normal Christmas fare. Yet again about the war in Kosovo and how it affected people. Lots of possibilities behind who can be responsible for the deaths. It could be anyone including Armand. How do they know Armand is who he says he is? He could be a Serbian war criminal playing Armand, who has to kill before he's found out. Shariq could have recognized him, not as his son, but as a killer. As is normally the plot twists writers enjoy. How about Armand's cousin, was he really killed? Then there's Skander and his connection.
Well not the usual run of the mill episode but as obvious from the outset no one was going to get away and this wasn't going to be an open and shut case either. Will Brenda's parents end up staying? Some will be pleased as they gladly welcome the food Willie Rae brings them. At least there were some laughs to be had, which helped to ensure the story didn't become too heavy: Raydor leaving for the airport, changing her flight, coming back from the airport; whether FID or Major Crimes should investigate; Taylor and Pope watching TV and hanging out, not concerned about the lawsuit. Brenda's parents wanting to stay, being worried, then Brenda finding Frosty. Gabriel wanting to leave, re-opening the case. Wow the UK actually got a seasonal episode on time when this episode was aired.
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