Tao (Michael Paul Chan) tells her Harris was arrested for rape and Brenda emphasizes he had two room keys, meaning he had a partner. Morales (Jonathan Del Arco) must look at the Tox screen before he can determine what she was drugged with and she has bruises on her face. She was handled and dragged. Claire Baldwin (Amanda Mason Warren) the DDA states the pathologist's report has already been admitted and that she was drugged with rohypnol. Brenda can only focus on Stroh.
Claire asks Brenda why she thinks Gweneth was murdered and Brenda replies since Harris was the last one to see her alive and he left his driver's licence behind. Provenza finds the same scenario exists between Gweneth's rape and an earlier case involving Natalie Gilbert who has disappeared. Perhaps she could ID Harris's partner. The charges against Harris were dropped as far as Natalie (Julia Whelan) was concerned. Flynn (Tony Denison) tells Brenda Stroh represented him back then and Provenza asks why he did that?
Stroh says the case gave "purpose to his life." Brenda knows how to find Stroh and she tracked him using GPS since the Johnson Rule came into effect. Stroh says they're his clients. Brenda tells him DNA could prove useful in court and he places the dishes in the bowl of water in the restaurant. Raydor (Mary McDonnell) reminds Brenda of the Federal law suit which has just been settled; seems everyone's still harping on about it though. Raydor is still unable to prove who the leak is, cos it's going to be dragged out! Stroh was also part of the lawsuit.
Tommy (Alex Solowitz) the doorman recalls Harris was the taxi driver and he picked up Gweneth. Brenda shows him mugshots with Stroh and he recalls Stroh left the club earlier on. Pope (JK Simmons) is angry at Brenda's investigation after he is approached by Claire. Telling Brenda Stroh is representing the suspect. Taylor (Robert Gossett) adds Stroh likes blondes. Brenda reminds them of the creation of the Johnson Rule. Claire says if the DNA confirms it then she can make a case for rape. Brenda wants Harris charged with murder and so he'll give up Stroh. She must prove it. Taylor says the case won't go to court for a year so Brenda will have all that time, er, not really she won't. Brenda will be able to get evidence. She must find the Vic first. Pope insists, practically orders Brenda to treat Stroh as a defence lawyer. Brenda:" you're always clear."
Fritz (Jon Tenney) finds Natalie in a mental institution as Marilyn Monroe. Her licence matches Natalie. She's back on her meds. Brenda is so annoyed with Claire and calls her so competitive. Fritz will see if Natalie is lucid and Brenda wants him to signal her in court. Brenda is cross examined. The DNA sample doesn't suggest that Harris raped her and Stroh tells Brenda it's only her opinion that she was drugged. She can't determine when the drug was taken. He tells her to read out Gweneth's COD, which was OD and the manner of her death is 'undetermined.'
Stroh tells the court he has two keys to his car, his house, "does that make me a rapist." Well that was a rhetorical question cos everyone knows the answer to that, especially Brenda. Brenda says 'yes' and points to Stroh. Claire is angry and Brenda has "guaranteed us a mistrial." Well that's what she wanted all along so she would have more time to find evidence against Stroh, or at least get Harris to give up his partner. The Closer in the courtroom, my kind of episode! At least this episode fooled us into believing they were closing the case with Stroh so Brenda was tying up all her loose ends in the last season. Brenda is still determined to get her man.
Brenda tells judge Crosby (James B Sikking) that Stroh really is a suspect in the investigation. Gweneth ODed on drugs but as a nurse she would know the drugs would kill her, which is what Claire says. Brenda replies murder suspects aren't always told they are such. The judge orders a mistrial. Claire agrees to a bail at $25,000 and not $75,000 as asked for by Stroh. The case will resume in one month. Brenda asks the judge for a removal order for a witness.
Sanchez (Raymond Cruz) says they re-arrested Harris for raping Natalie, after his mother posted bail, which is why it was set so low. Flynn says Natalie knows her real name. Brenda sees Natalie as a Vic but Claire calls her a witness and wants to question her, with Gabriel and Tao present. Brenda wants Gabriel to get Natalie to look at the photo of Stroh. Raydor reminds Brenda she doesn't have much time to speak with Harris before Stroh arrives. Claire wants Tao and Gabriel with her as they're great on the witness stand.
Brenda only wants to make Harris aware of the charges against him. Sanchez tells him they found Natalie and Brenda knows Harris didn't drug her. His partner made Gweneth OD which is murder. Natalie doesn't recall the club or how she got there and recalls a room in a motel. Gabriel is sorry for what happened but she can put away who did this. She didn't disappear as she was told when the jury heard she was taking drugs for her bi-polar disorder, they wouldn't believe her. She doesn't know what happened. Her life is destroyed and Claire doesn't give Gabriel a chance to show her Stroh's photo.
Claire tells her all she has to do is go to court as a witness and tell them she had sex without consent. Brenda wants to offer Harris a reduced sentence in return for his partner, who drugged Gweneth. He shouldn't take the fall. Stroh tells Brenda she's the "worst loser I've ever met." He found the GPS tracker and figured he was being followed by her, not Harris. He calls her arrogant considering the lawsuit was settled. More mention of that dreaded lawsuit.
Tao finds Natalie woke up early cos of the drug she was taking as the rohypnol was blocked by the enzyme and she woke up quickly. Thus they upped the dose on Gweneth. Raydor says Natalie refuses to ID him. Provenza says Natalie is homeless so Brenda takes her home under the Johnson rule, for someone who wasn't happy with the Rule, she finds every opportunity to use the rule to her advantage. As she needs protection. Brenda is concerned about what will happen to Natalie when she's not here and the man will come after her again.
Fritz doesn't think Brenda is being fair dragging Natalie through the rape again since the GPS shows Stroh wasn't at the bars or the motel. Brenda wants Harris and Stroh. Natalie remembers she was at Stella's - the nightclub. Flynn takes Stroh there and tells him "it's ladies night." Natalie recalls the doorman, Tommy and then recalls Charlie, the bartender. Harris's partner. Brenda is livid, knew something like that was going to happen. Stroh tells her he can't understand the point in drugging women to have sex with them, they should be free to fight. Brenda says she can't make deals with murderers. Stroh: "lighten up, you got your man, as always." Hey I said that earlier on about Brenda getting her man, but she hasn't. Not the one she really wants to get!
Harris tells her Charlie met girls and agreed to hook him up. Brenda gives Stroh dirty looks. She was choking and he shook her. She wasn't breathing and Charlie put too much rohypnol in her drink. Brenda shakes Stroh's hand. "you'll see me again, count on it." Would have thought she would have got his DNA or something, you know she could have scratched him or something. Claire has told Pope how Brenda behaved towards her, condescending and harmed the prosecution of her case. Raydor tells Brenda Pope believes she needs to bring the prosecutors into her cases earlier on. Brenda is adamant she didn't provoke a mistrial. The DA's office wants more open access to Major Crimes and Brenda can no longer investigate Stroh without Pope's approval. She has to take his orders seriously and Brenda replies she is.
There Pope goes again, covering himself in light of this case. Whether or not Brenda provoked the mistrial, made no difference in the end cos she didn't get Stroh and he was the one who was so arrogant, especially when he he knew he didn't rape this time but it doesn't absolve him of his crimes. He's still guilty and I hope Brenda does nail the slimy criminal!
Although Brenda mentions the Johnson Rule for the GPS on Stroh's car, she still has a warrant for it. Provenza; "Pope know about this...I take that as a 'no.'"
Brenda; "The Federal lawsuit is settled, Goldman is ancient history. Who does the leak have left to inform - you?"
Raydor: "wouldn't that be great." Isn't Brenda at all curious about who the who's been betraying her. Great episode, every enjoyable. Hated Claire though, ugh, she was also arrogant in showing she knows how to do her job. In that respects, she was no better than Stroh.
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