Cal (Tim Roth) is at a Lovematch Connections singles mixer and this was a funny opening to the show so far, as we don't know why he's there. As he's also single he may be on the look out to meet other women, but we also know that's not really his forte. Also his heart really lies with Gillian (Kelli Williams). He pretends to be a furrier to ward off the woman who feigns to show an interest in him, more like his Brit accent (which she mistakes for Irish!) He meets another woman and asks if she was in a hotel room what would she order, chocolate cake, strawberries or warm honey. (The answer being obvious.) She's flustered and walks away.
Gillian calls telling him about the wife killer, Eric Matheson (Garret Dillahunt)who is on the run and the FBI are searching for him. Cal then meets another woman and in their conversation she admits she has never cheated on her ex. He leaves to pay his meter as we zoom to Ria (Monica Raymund) sitting in her car with a file on Eric. Ria visits Eric's sister, Gwen (Karina Logue) in search of his whereabouts and leaves the file on the seat and the car door unlocked. That was shown for a reason. Gwen doesn't know how to tell her children their uncle is a killer but Ria senses she's hiding something. Returning to her car, she finds the file gone. Eric has it in the backseat of her car and holds a gun to her.
Eli (Brenden Hines) and Ben (Mekhi Phifer) are already checking out other leads away from the office. Eric takes Ria back to the institute at gunpoint. Cal doesn't want anymore of these cheating spouse cases and Gillian reminds him he paid off his ex wife, but that was so he could keep his daughter here. Eric separates everyone and claims to be innocent. He doesn't want police involved and Cal substitutes himself for Ria. Gillian wants Eli and Ben to be called back but not told why. Cal believes Eric didn't kill his wife, whilst Eric watches the exits on the computer screens from Cal's office. Ben insist on calling it in since his job's on the line, but Gillian persuades him to wait. Well he's always got a job here and as you'll recall from 1.13 Sacrifice, he is practically assigned to the Lightman Group.
Gillian is given the name of Eric's wife's, Connie's boss, Tom McHenry (Sean O'Bryan) and she wants Ben to accompany her to make him talk. Ben refuses to leave so Eli takes his place and asks for Ben's tie, but he doesn't get his badge. Ria tells Ben she screwed up, what again? Tom denies killing Connie and they manage to tape his 'interview.' Ben suggests Gillian set up the tape in the lab so he can watch them from there. Cal watches and finds Tom is telling the truth, he didn't kill Connie. She was after a loan to pay off Eric's debt, $10,00 which he borrowed from a friend. Cal demands to know the name and Eric finally relents after threatening Cal with the gun again. Danny (Dean Chekvala) was out of town and he didn't give Eric the money, he just facilitated the loan. Ben loses his temper and demands to know who was behind the loan. Ria tells them Danny said Connie was always cleaning up Eric's messes.
Cal asks "Why feel guilty?" The man who gave the loan is spotted with his buddies outside a bar and Ben wants to call the police cos there's no way they can get him out. Gillian is adamant Cal will be killed. She freshens up her lipstick and goes in pretending to need help with a flat. Now we know why she wore the low cut dress. She asks him to fix the flat. Eric feels guilty Connie got involved with his problems. Cal convinces him to put the gun down and walk away. He'll tell the police Eric didn't kill Connie. Just as he's about to oblige, two policemen arrive outside. One of the employee's called in about a man with a gun and Ria improvizes saying a disgruntled employee who was fired this morning called in a prank. They check the office and leave after Cal speaks with them.
Ben and Gillian bring in Zancanelli (Billy Smith) and admits giving the loan. Ria recalls Gwen was hiding something and she tells her Connie came by wanting a digital recorder cos she had a fling with a married man and wanted it on record. Gillian tells Eric that Zancanelli sexually blackmailed Connie. Eric demands a confrontation with him, but they refuse and once again he threatens to shoot Cal. Eli comes up with a plan to impersonate Zancanelli and they all walk into the room with Eric. Eli tells Eric Connie told him something before she died, giving Ben a chance to get in a shot. Zancanelli finally confessed to killing Connie.
Cal meets the warm honey woman, Raven (Meta Golding) but leaves, he shouldn't be here. No, he should be with Gillian. He apologizes for their argument and Gillian knows what's best for the group. He asks if he can sleep in her spare bedroom and they finally hug and share a brief kiss. Oh it's so apparent Cal is so smitten by Gillian, wonder if she can tell? He turns to her for comfort rather than Raven, under the pretence of checking on Gillian. It had to be pretence, the emotional looks that passed between Gillian and Cal. There was also a moment back in the office, when she faced Cal and was in tears.
Cal getting beaten up again, that makes three thus far, one in season 1's Blinded, then season 2.1 The Core of It. Deciphering lies clearly comes at a price for all concerned. Cal actually volunteered to play hostage in place of Ria cos he knew he was better equipped to handle the situation. What now for Ria and her confidence which seems to be shattered? She wanted to branch out alone and yet made a serious error. Even though Ben reassured her it wasn't her fault. At least she came up with some quick thinking to stall the police. Wouldn't have pegged Eli as taking one for the team when he comes up with the idea to play Zancanelli, especially since he knew Eric's volatile state of mind and that he was gunning for Zancanelli. So in his agitated state he could have shot Eli.
Lots of pretense in this episode, playing someone who they're not: Cal in the beginning pretending to be on the look out for single women and ends up actually going for a drink with one of them. Gillian glamming herself up to seduce the suspect and get him alone, another thing she doesn't do. Then Eli pretending to be an FBI agent first and then Zancanelli and he's big on not lying. Although it was understandable he did it to save Cal and everyone else. Cal kind of shared an affinity with Eric due to the flaws of his own marriage and could understand where Eric was coming from.
Yet the part where Eli says Cal could just lie and tell Eric Tom is guilty of murder, it was so easy for Eli to say that and as I just mentioned, he doesn't normally go in for lying. Eli would be justified for saying that here as Cal's life was at stake, but it is also understandable on the other hand to see why Cal doesn't do that. He wasn't willing to turn away from Eric and make him wreck his life even further. He did the same in 1.11 Undercover, when he refused to let the innocent boy take the blame for the killing of a man, just so other lives could be saved in the process, when looking for terrorists. He refused to hand over an innocent boy. That's another reason he would follow through with this until the end. It's in Cal's nature and he wanted to get at the truth in the end. He was just doing his job.
As a rule I don't necessarily condone romances with lead actors in shows, but this is one show where something between Cal and Gillian would be welcomed. One of the outstanding episodes of the second season thus far.
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