| Breakpoint | |
|---|---|
| |
| Season 2, Episode 12 | |
| Airdate: | March 25, 2003 |
| Actual length | 46:10 |
| Production Code: | 5012-02-212 |
| Written by | Glen Mazzara |
| Directed by | Felix Alcala |
| Previous: | "Inferno" |
| Next: | "Dominoes Falling" |
"Breakpoint" is the twelfth episode of Season 2 of The Shield and the 25th episode of the series as a whole. It was originally broadcast on March 25, 2003. The previously on segment is voiced by Cathy Ryan.
Synopsis[]
As his own life starts crumbling around him, Vic pitches in to help Dutch in the search for a deadly pedophile.
Plot[]
Tomas is rejected by Julien.
Lanie Kellis's report is distributed around the Barn, and Tom Bankston informs David Aceveda that they will need to get rid of twenty percent of the precinct's officers and that he has to choose by that evening. Julien Lowe and Gary Parsons sit down with Tomas Motyashik to reject his advances once and for all. Tomas hits Gary and flees. As Dutch Wagenbach wonders if his failure in the Lindhoff case makes him eligible for firing, he and Claudette Wyms respond to the divorced parents of Jeffrey Cole, a teenager that has gone missing. His father William Cole blames himself for his disapperance.
The Strike Team inform Vic Mackey that the Armenian mob has moved the money train shipment up, now happening in two days instead of two weeks. He plans to abandon the plan, but Ronnie Gardocki and Curtis Lemansky convince him to let them figure it out. As Julien and Danny Sofer pass out flyers of Cole, Danny worries about Armadillo Quintero's murder being put in the report. A store owner notes that he saw Cole getting into a car. Dutch relays Cole's profile to Aceveda, believing his abduction is the result of a pedophile who is responsible for the recent murders of two boys. As Vic overhears this, Dutch graphically describes what the man could be doing to Cole and William attacks him. Vic pulls him off and forces him to calm down as Bankston watches.
Vic takes William to the Clubhouse and promises to save Cole. He offers to help Dutch, who notes that all three abductions took place in the same neighborhood and that they should check local porn shops. Aceveda asks if Dutch has learned anything, and he notes that the officer handling the pedophile case missed one of the registered sex offenders in the neighborhood. Bankston introduces himself to Claudette and notes Kellis's recommendation that she be made captain. She again rejects the position.
Vic asks Tavon Garris to get more information on Cole from his friends, and Lem carelessly mentions the money train in front of him, which Vic bluffs off as part of Cole's case. Shane Vendrell privately berates Lem and again voices mistrust of Tavon. Ray Carlson and Paul Jackson inform Julien that Gary may have vision damage. He gives them Tomas's information and they leave to arrest him.
Vic and Shane enter a porn shop and force their way into the back, where they find child pornography. They use this to press the owner into giving up a list of the videos' purchasers. Dutch and Claudette bring in a pedophile who they believe to be the owner of the car Cole got in, though he has an alibi. When Dutch criticizes him, he insists he is different from and disgusted with the more sadistic pedophile. As he relays to Aceveda that the man's attitude seems to prove innocence, Aceveda informs them that another teenager, Lydell Crouch, was abducted in the same neighborhood. Dutch wonders if the predator kidnaps in pairs, meaning Cole could still be alive.
As Shane moves to run the client list against DMV records, Vic asks William about Cole's reported depressive behavior and where he would run away. William can only think of Cole's mother. Carlson and Jackson bring Tomas in as he shouts for Julien, outing him to those in earshot as Danny drags him away. She follows Julien outside to ask if he is alright. Huell informs Vic that Corrine Mackey has frozen and emptied their bank accounts, and Vic explains that he found out he was sleeping with Emma Prince. Huell insists that this makes his job harder and tells Vic to go to Cassidy Mackey when he brings up having to meet with her. Vic knocks on the Mackey house's door, but Corrine and Cassidy are busy giving Megan Mackey a bath. When Matthew Mackey doesn't respond to Vic asking him to open the door, he breaks in and tries to turn the alarm off, but finds Corrine has changed the code. As the alarm goes off and he and Corrine argue about having to go through her lawyer to see their children, Cassidy leaves Megan unattended and she is burned under the hot water. Corrine pulls her out and Cassidy tells Vic to leave, but he picks up the phone as the security company calls and has the alarm shut off. He notices Matthew cowering in the corner and tries to calm him down.
Aceveda asks Claudette why she turned down captain, and she responds with "because I really don't want to be you right now." He reprimands an entering Vic for taking the hour off, and Vic presents him with a possible match from Shane's list to the car. Aceveda allows them to pick up any possible people of interest. The Strike Team abduct Adam, the current suspect. William rushes him as they bring him back to the Barn, but Vic stops him. Dutch and Claudette interrogate him as he denies any guilt. Jackson informs Vic and Aceveda that a patrol found one of the missing teenagers' bodies. Dutch and Claudette identify the body as Crouch's, as Dutch wonders if the pedophile made Cole do it. Ronnie informs the Strike Team that he found where the Armenians moved the money train, having done so so they could hold the larger amount of money they are bringing in. When Vic insists that they are done, Ronnie notes that the holding company they ship to just filed for bankruptcy, meaning this is the last run of the train in the area.
Jorge Machado confronts Aceveda on missing the rallies he set up, but he insists that saving Cole is more important. Carlson and Jackson ask Danny if Julien is gay, but she avoids their questioning. With Adam's lawyer incoming, Vic asks for uninterrupted access to him to make him give up information. When this is denied, Vic offers to follow him upon release in hopes that he leads them to Cole, which Aceveda agrees to. Dutch releases Adam. Vic and Lem tail him back to this home, where they know they cannot follow him until they get a warrant.
Julien finds that mocking posters implicating him as gay have been put up around the Barn, which he tears down. Aceveda notices them and orders those present to come clean, noting the risk it puts on the Barn when Bankston is watching them. Vic and Lem are joined by Shane and William. William insists that they need to charge in, but Vic reminds him that he is a cop. William notes that "I'm not a cop," and Vic considers this before letting him go. He begins beating Adam as soon as he comes to the door, and the Strike Team runs in to find him admitting to having Cole in his car. He explains that he propositioned Cole, who feigned agreement so he could rob and beat him as Shane and Lem haul the enraged William out. As Vic returns to the Barn with William, Claudette asks what he did but he ignores her. He informs William that Tavon found out that Cole has been committing crimes and wonders if he killed Crouch. Vic arrests him for assaulting Adam when he refuses to help find Cole.
Lem shoots at Jeffrey Cole.
Aurora Aceveda confronts Aceveda for skipping his rallies, but he insists that saving Cole is more important than both his job as captain and his political career. Aurora accepts this. Claudette goes to Adam's house and finds him beaten. He refuses to answer any questions and shuts the door on her. She confronts Vic, who insists it is justified because of his pedophilia. Tavon brings in Kyle Hutton, Jeffrey's close friend and an avid racist. Hutton tells Vic that Crouch was bullying Cole and explains that he and Cole often take advantage of pedophiles to rob them, insisting insists that the Aryan Brotherhood will protect him if he goes to prison. Vic gets under Hutton's skin by using a slur to describe Cole's black father as Claudette watches on the cameras, and threatens to take him to meet William himself. Disgusted with Cole being half black, Hutton gives up his location. The police surround the house Cole is hiding in, but he gets the jump on them and shoots Shane in his vest. Lem kills him by shooting him through the window. As Aceveda arrives, Vic gives him a hit list he found in Cole's pocket, having killed him before he could start taking his targets out.
Danny notices Julien in distress, and he explains that someone called his house and told Randall Lowe about his stepfather's sexuality. Vic informs William of Cole's plans and death. Dutch reviews the files of the initial pedophile case, knowing the perpetrator is still out there. Claudette approaches Bankston at a dinner and tells him that she will take the captain position if offered, not wanting the position but knowing she had to do something about Vic. As Shane tries to get Vic to get back on the money train, he agrees without argument, knowing they need the money with the way things are changing in the Barn. Aceveda gives Bankston a list of only five names, that being the Strike Team and himself, having also sent the list to several newspapers. Bankston points out that the primaries are tomorrow and this will tank him, which he is unfazed by, more determined to have Bankston deal with the Strike Team.
Vic offers Julien his support as he leaves and is approached by an IAD detective, Corrine having filed a complaint against him for breaking into her house. As the accompanying officer takes out handcuffs, Vic asks to wait until they are outside, but they refuse. Ronnie and Shane notice, the latter covering Vic's hands with his jacket and leading him out himself, where no one seems to notice.
Episode credits[]
Cast[]
Starring[]
- Michael Chiklis as Detective Vic Mackey
- Catherine Dent as Officer Danny Sofer
- Walton Goggins as Detective Shane Vendrell
- Michael Jace as Officer Julien Lowe
- Kenneth Johnson as Detective Curtis Lemansky
- Jay Karnes as Detective Dutch Wagenbach
- Benito Martinez as Captain David Aceveda
- and CCH Pounder as Detective Claudette Wyms
Guest starring[]
- Ron Canada as Chief of Police Tom Bankston
- Brian White as Detective Tavon Garris
- Cathy Cahlin Ryan as Corrine Mackey
- David Rees Snell as Detective Ronnie Gardocki
- Efrain Figueroa as Jorge Machado
- Brent Roam as Tomas Motyashik
- Frank Grillo as Officer Paul Jackson
- Joel Bissonnette as Adam
- Roy Fegan as William
- Don McManus as Blaine
- John Scherer as Gary Parsons
Co-starring[]
- Matt Corboy as Officer Ray Carlson
- Camillia Sanes as Aurora Aceveda
- Conn Barrett as Mary Kate
- Dean Lemont as Huell
- Simon Brooke as Porno Shop Clerk
- Nick McCallum as Kandle
- Eddie Espinoza as Shop Owner
- Barry Sigismondi as Sheriff
- James Martin Kelly as Internal Affairs Detective
Featuring[]
- Autumn Chiklis as Cassidy Mackey
- Joel Rosenthal as Matthew Mackey
- Jason Earles as Kyle Hutton
- Elijah Allan-Blitz as Jeffrey Cole
Uncredited[]
- (unknown actor) as Detective Mark Stone
- (unknown actor) as Detective Brent Kirkland
Production staff[]
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Featured Music[]
- Orchestra Heinz Kiessling - Martini Genie
- Unida - Thorn
- Grahame McLean, Pat Lee, Stephan North - Eensy Weensy Spider
- Michael Melvoin - Sunflower
Episode Title[]
The term "breakpoint" might refer to a point of change or cessation. It might also be a variation of the term "breaking point" which means a point when something gives up after stress or strain. Both terms might apply to several events in the episode, like Jeffrey Cole's killing spree, or his father's attempt on recovering him. It might also refer to the fall-out between Julien and Tomas, and the revelation of his homosexuality at the Barn.
Other possibilities are the strains in Vic and Corrine's relationship, Captain Aceveda's crossroads between his police and political career, the arrival of Lanie Kellis' report at the Barn, and the intention of Chief Tom Bankston of replacing Aceveda with Claudette Wyms.
Notes[]
- International airdates:
- Germany: April 22, 2006
- France: September 18, 2007
- Shane Vendrell is seen driving a Chevrolet pick-up truck with a 3PC1462 license plate.
- Shane refers to sexual perverts as "KY cowboys", possibly in reference to KY Jelly, a sexual lubricant.
- Huell tells Vic Mackey that "no one goes straight to DEFCON 5 the way she (Corrine) did" as they talk about her reaction to the divorce. DEFCON is an acronym for DEFense readiness CONdition, a measure of gravity of a crisis and the readiness level of the military. Huell also used the term incorrectly, as level 5 refers to the lowest state of military readiness.
- Vic says that the judge they're waiting on for a search warrant is "just left of Karl Marx".
Quotes[]
- Julien Lowe: Tomas, I am married now. I have a son. My life has to be about them and God.
- Tomas Motyashik: You fags can hide behind Jesus all you want... but you're not fooling anybody.
- Danny Sofer: What's your name?
- Kandle: Kandle. You can light me up at both ends.
- Vic Mackey: Look, Dutch-boy's people skills might not be first-rate, but his detective work is.
- Tom Bankston: How do you think things are here?
- Claudette Wyms: The Barn has problems as deep as the report indicates, but not as wide.
- Tom Bankston: Meaning?
- Claudette Wyms: I'd rather not elaborate.
- Tom Bankston: So, about the job, then.
- Claudette Wyms: I'm a detective, not a leader. I do my work. I go home. I like that.
- Curtis Lemansky: I forgot. Tavon feels like one of us.
- Shane Vendrell: Yeah, well, he isn't one of us. We don't know who this guy is yet, you understand?
- Porn Shop Clerk: This is all legal.
- Vic Mackey: Child bondage films.
- Porn Shop Clerk: No minors were used. The faces were just digitally morphed to make 'em look like kids.
- Shane Vendrell: Yeah, hooray for Hollywood.
- Blaine: I was at dinner at 9:30.
- Claudette Wyms: With whom?
- Blaine: A group of, uh, like-minded individuals. We talked about boys, but we didn't have any for dessert.
- Dutch Wagenbach: You're not funny. You're a monster.
- Blaine: Men who kill and torture are monsters. Not me.
- Blaine: I have never molested a child. I have only shared experiences with those that give consent, with those that yearn to experience life. These boys are flowers looking to bloom. I am their sun and their water.
- Dutch Wagenbach: Right.
- Tomas Motyashik: You can't admit who you are!
- Danny Sofer: Leave him alone!
- Tomas Motyashik: Your dick in my ass means you're gay.
- Danny Sofer: Shut up!
- Tomas Motyashik: My dick in your mouth means you're really gay!
- Claudette Wyms: You allowed an innocent man to get the shit kicked out of him.
- Vic Mackey: He's not innocent. He's a pedophile.
- Claudette Wyms: But he's innocent of this crime.
- Vic Mackey: Ah, I'm sure he'll think twice before cruisin' the school yard and committing his next crime.
- Claudette Wyms: But he's innocent now! You just don't get that, do ya?
- Tom Bankston: There are five names on this list.
- David Aceveda: Those are the real problems. The others are good, hardworking people who deserve to keep their jobs.
- Tom Bankston: Vic Mackey?
- David Aceveda: It all starts with him.
- Tom Bankston: Shane Vendrell, Ronald Gardocki, Curtis Lemansky... David Aceveda.
- David Aceveda: They couldn't have done it without me.
