The scene opens with a frat party where one of the boys sleeps with a girl. Zoe (Jennifer Beals) wants Cal (Tim Roth) to find out whether her client, Cabe, (Chadwick Boseman) knowingly spent the night with Susan, (Allie Gonino) an underage girl, as he is being charged with statutory rape. Susan had fake ID and Zoe needs to show if Cabe knew she wasn't underage she can have the charges dropped or reduced. Cal is reluctant at first but he concedes only if he can share the info with the prosecution as well. When Zoe and Cal arrive at the jail, they find Cabe has been beaten. Cal asks if he likes to sleep with minors, whilst his parents and Ria (Monica Raymund) watch from the other room
He thought she was older and high school girls usually crash frat parties. Cal believes him. Zoe tells Cal that Pollack is prosecuting the case and it's all about race with him. Susan's father, Reed (John Carroll Lynch) confronts Cabe in the garage and Cal tells him he's a concerned bystander and he should go home.
Gillian (Kelli Williams) and Eli (Brendan Hines) have a court order to see if anyone living at a religious compound is evading taxes if they don't believe in the teachings. The compound is run by Jamie (John Pyper-Ferguson) who tells them the boys leave when they are sixteen, leaving him as the dominant male. He's fathered twelve children. They sit through one of his sermons, which Eli films. Gillian is satisfied he believes himself to be a prophet.
Cal asks Emily (Hayley McFarland) if she knows Susan as they're at the same school, small world, and Emily admits she's been to bars to listen to the music. She stands by the chest of drawers in her room, allowing Cal to suspect she's hiding something. He pushes past her to find two fake IDs and birth control pills. Cal talks of the consequences to her using these and Zoe says there are consequences for not using them and reminds him of how they were at that age. That's no excuse or basis for comparison; they used to live in different times. Zoe doesn't come across as a concerned mother and as a lawyer and she should be warning of such dangers, not condoning. Besides after the fact, it will be too late. Cal analyzed Emily, something he promised he wouldn't do and she's furious. Sorry love, circumstances warranted it.
Cal shows Cabe photos of girls, scantily clad and gages his reaction. Later with Zoe and his parents around he tells them one was underage and Cabe was attracted to women who lied and said they were older. Cal believes Cabe wouldn't knowingly have sex with underage girls. Gillian watches the video footage of the sermon and determines Jamie believes he's God. One of the women at the compound appears not to believe in his sermon.
Pollack (James Marsters) informs Zoe and Cal that he has a recording from the events of that night, as Cabe recorded his 'session' with Susan and it was posted online. Zoe is outraged and bursts out Pollack's got something against Cabe cos he's black and he was the same way towards her, she wasn't black or white, but brown. That came as a revelation for us too, as up until now, Zoe has been easily passing as white. Cal questions Cabe about the video, more like gives him the third degree. Ria calls him into the room to show him how Cal's losing control of his emotions. She's been watching him, but Cal is certain Cabe isn't lying. Cal takes Ria to the frat party and claims to have been a fraternity member there. Ria mixes with the crowd and finds finds three who could have made the video as they were all roused. One, Wayne, (Grant Alan) admits he posted the video but he didn't film it.
Gillian and Eli talk to Katherine (Gretchen Egolf) and Gillian is outraged none of the children can read. Jamie accuses her of coveting his children cos she can't have any but if she comes to the compound, she'll be able to conceive with prayer. Zack (Colton Shires) says Katherine is afraid Jamie will take her children if she leaves. That Katherine is also a non-believer. Ria finds a photo of Emily and some senior girls from her school on the camera, showing she hangs out with them. Emily shows Cal the photo was taken before the party.
Katherine tells Gillian about being a drug user and how Jamie helped her. Gillian wants to help them, but Eli is adamant she should report Katherine for tax fraud. Which is what they were hired to do by the IRS. Kate (Crystal Young) and Dori wanted Susan to film her night with Cabe for proof and she forgot the camera there. Pollack is dropping the charges against Cabe, causing Reed to get angry. Cal warns him not to do anything stupid. He thinks he'll go after Cabe. Pollack tells Zoe he's not a bigot and he didn't like her at college/uni cos she made Law Review and he didn't.
Gillian called in a safehouse van to pick up Katherine and the children but she's reluctant to leave. Zack takes the children and wants to leave and she changes her mind at the last minute too. The IRS agent asks if she called the van and Gillian denies it. She then asks Eli, who follows suit and tells her the same thing. She threatens to have the Institute audited. It took Gillian to figure out Reed would go after Pollack , who is shot, as he wasn't the one with police protection, as Cabe had. Ria comments Reed is at peace now he's killed Pollack. How would that help his daughter now she can get up to whatever she wants, so was it worth it.
Cal tells Emily not all consequences are apparent and that's what he worries about with her. He returns her pills and reminds her "to be good." Great twist at the end of the episode, well two, one where Cal gets the wrong Vic in danger , since Reed was clearly angry at the system, that much was obvious. Cos he could have got to Cabe anytime. Also the way Eli backed, or was he forced to, back up Gillian's story of not knowing about the van. That's four lies he's told now. One in season 1, Do No Harm, where he told Ria he didn't love Farida, then he lied about not turning in the woman to the SEC. (In Depraved Heart). Then he got Ria on side to cover for him and finally he lied at the lawsuit Cal feigned to weed him out. Now he's lied again for Gillian. Though again he wanted Gillian to turn Katherine in for tax fraud. He's got something against women who flout the law and clearly those who are older. He knows this will mean a lot to Gillian. Wonder if his pay will be reinstated, ha.
Similar reactions from Cal and Gillian who both struggled to do what was personally and professionally right. Cal with Emily and 'invading' her privacy, searching through her stuff and Gillian wanting better lives for Katherine's children and taking the decision to do that. Putting the Institute on the line - potentially and going for personal feelings above her job. Cal did the same as far as the job was concerned but he stuck with it. His judgement though clouded, wasn't tainted when it came to making the right decisions about Cabe. I'm liking Gillian's new found boldness and assertiveness, whereas she wouldn't have Eli report the woman to the SEC last season, here she took a risk herself and lied. Probably cos children were involved.
There's the danger of overstepping the mark too much, when will their decisions have more serious consequences. Cal asking Ria if she's drunk at the frat party. She didn't go to college and wonders if this is what happens, now she knows. Emily is no longer that sweet girl as portrayed in season 1, even if she did lie about going to parties and sleepovers. We didn't see any of her 'deceptions' firsthand. Also how come their were no commentaries over Susan's actions and how women can get away with such lies without consequences?
This was a story where Cal gets emotionally involved (when is he not) but is still able to focus on the job and remain objective. Everything he puts Cabe through shows he ends up telling the truth regardless. This episode Gillian lies and Eli backs her up, he has to put his faith somewhere so it may as well be in her. Cal gets to have a go at Zoe and Ria together telling Ria he's the boss and he reminds Zoe of her college hang-ups. Last time, Cal had hang-ups of his own when he found Zoe wanted to leave the state and start her firm with smoeone he didn't like from their past.
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