Cracking Ice

Cracking Ice
	Season 3, Episode 08
Airdate:	April 27, 2004
Actual length	46:30
Production Code:	5012-03-308
Written by	Charles H. Eglee & Diego Gutierrez
Directed by	Guy Ferland
Previous:	"Safe"
Next:	"Slipknot"

"Cracking Ice" is the eighth episode of Season 3 and the 34th episode of the series as a whole. It was originally broadcast on April 27, 2004. The previously on segment is voiced by CCH Pounder.

Summary[]

Vic is enlisted to help save his rivals on the Decoy Squad from having their undercover operation exposed.

Plot[]

Shane Vendrell and Curtis Lemansky play video games at the former's apartment, and Mara Sewell leaves annoyed when Shane says a passive goodbye to her. Ronnie Gardocki calls Shane from the Strike Team's money storage locker in a panic. Vic Mackey gets Lauren Riley out to a motel with a false claim of a drug dealer being there. As the two have sex, Vic's cell phone rings but he ignores it. The Barn receives a call from an undercover Trish George, posing as a stripper to get in with Farmtown Twelves gang member Kaliel Wilks, giving Claudette Wyms a coded message that Walon Burke, posing as a man looking to place a hit, has been found out as an undercover cop. Wilks orders Trish to stick close to him until the situation is resolved.

Vic arrives at the locker and learns that, while Ronnie got rid of the marked bills, he discovered $7,000 missing, some of which was marked. Shane, Lem and Ronnie all deny taking from the stash. The Strike Team is called to the Barn, where Claudette explains that Burke is set to pay the Twelves later that day and needs to be warned. As Vic complains about the Decoy Squad getting gang cases while the Strike Team is sidelined, Shane reaffirms that he did not take any money and wonders if Tavon Garris could have been responsible. He informs Vic that he plans to get Mara an engagement ring through Taylor Orrs. The pair approach one of Vic's informants Desirae, the girlfriend of Twelves leader Raheem Pyrums, who she is cheating on with a rival gang member, and threatens to tell him unless she finds out who in the Twelves are acting as hitmen.

The police trace Trish's call to the back room of a store but find it empty when they arrive. Desirae calls Vic and gives him Wilks's name, which he gives to Claudette while she informs of the address of Burke's handoff. Dutch Wagenbach and Danny Sofer stake out the area where the "Cuddler" rapist could be, with Dutch suspecting the man uses his day job as cover to find victims. Vic meets Lem and Ronnie in the Clubhouse, now believing no one in the Strike Team took the money, but orders them to recount the money and check the locks for signs of a break-in. Shane gives them Wilks's information, revealing him as a former Marine who was dishonorably discharged. As the information is giving to Claudette and they discuss plans, Tommy Hisk enters the Barn and David Aceveda motions for them to meet in his office.

Hisk asks what he has to do to return to the LAPD, believing he will win his trial for hiring Soren Arnovic despite his sister-in-law testifying against him. He pleads with Aceveda to talk to the district attorney, but Aceveda refuses to take him back despite promising to try and keep him out of jail. The Strike Team finds Hisk cleaning out his locker and he asks to help find Trish, but they turn him down. Dutch and Danny stop a man who is masturbating while looking into a house's window, but realize they have accidentally interrupted a cuckolding session.

Shane, Ronnie, and Decoy Squad members Annie Price and Eddie stake out the site of Burke's dropoff. The Twelves arrive without Trish or Wilks, and Vic intercepts Burke before he can meet with them. Burke warns him that, if the Twelves are arrested, Wilks will suspect Trish and kill her, so Claudette calls the Strike Team and Decoy Squad off. Trish overhears Wilks discussing the incident on the phone, as well as mentioning that he needs to fulfill another hit contract before he can hide out. He asks her how she met Burke, but she resists his intimidation and convinces him she did not know about Burke being undercover. Wilks drugs her, intending to have sex with her for the first time. Back at the Barn, Burke claims the Twelves have a mole in the legal system and argues with Claudette about missing his information in his case notes. Enraged, he threatens to get Claudette fired if Trish is not returned safely. IAD gives Claudette the location of the mole at a courthouse, and she leaves with Vic to find them.

Dutch is called to the murder scene of mother and daughter Crystal and Debbie Reisse, the elderly Crystal having been raped, who were three blocks away from where he and Danny were investigating. He interviews Crystal's neighbor Louise, who saw the rapist leaving the house. Shane brings Orrs to the Barn, who offers him several rings to buy. Vic tells Claudette not to blame herself for missing the mole, but notes that she should have let the Strike Team handle the Twelves. They arrive at the courthouse and Vic rounds up the black employees, pressing one into admitting her connection with Pyrums. The judge arrives to ask what is happening, and Claudette asks her for a warrant.

Shane chooses a ring and shows it to Ronnie, who wonders if Vic took the money for himself, noting that he had done it before. Ronnie notes that another woman's name is engraved into the ring. Vic, Lem and Claudette arrive at Pyrums's house, where, under threat of Vic exposing her infidelity, Desirae pressures him into giving them Wilks's location. Louise has a sketch artist draw the rapist, but she is only able to recall the side of his head. As Hisk complains about Aceveda, he asks Danny to help him get his job back.

As Wilks finishes having sex with Trish, he gets a call from Pyrums before he can leave to complete his hit, where Pyrums confirms the address. As Wilks aims his gun at the man, Trish grabs his arm and causes him to miss the shot. The two fight and he gains the upper hand before driving off just before Vic and Claudette arrive. Shane confronts Orrs on selling him a stolen ring, claiming that a clean one will be more expensive.

Wilks is caught after Trish gives her colleagues his license plate, and Vic holds off on handcuffing him so she can be the one to do it. Burke is furious when he learns she had to have sex with Wilks to keep her cover, while she rejects Aceveda's offer of a doctor or therapeutic treatment. Claudette apologizes to Trish, but she brushes her off and leaves with Burke. Lauren comes to the Barn with her boyfriend Hunter, who she admitted her infidelity to, and she asks that Vic not contact her further.

Dutch and Danny discuss the murders, and he wonders that if the presence of semen indicates that killing allowed him to finally achieve orgasm. Toby Rosner, unable to find his gun, confirms with Danny that he put it in his locker. She finds Hisk in a squad car outside with the gun in his lap. She tries to talk him out of whatever he is planning and promises to talk to Aceveda. Unable to get Hisk to surrender the gun, she goes inside to get Aceveda and he shoots himself in the head as soon as she leaves. Danny derides himself as a coward and argues with Julien Lowe about it, and she declines Aceveda's offer of counseling. Lem and Ronnie confirm to Vic that they are $7,000 short, the two believing Shane to be responsible.

Dutch tells Claudette that he has to dismiss the Reisse murders as a Cuddler case, but his instincts say that the rapist killed Debbie when she showed up in the act, became aroused, and killed Crystal as well. He wonders if, because Louise saw him leaving well after the time of death, he left and came back to survey his work. As Hisk's car is towed away, Danny asks Julien to go to the counselor with her, but he declines. He goes to get his sperm tested to see why he is having trouble getting Vanessa pregnant. Burke waits by Claudette's desk until Vic pulls him aside, noting that she has been playing the Strike Team and Decoy Squad against each other. The two agree to an alliance against her.

Julien tries to achieve orgasm to a picture of Vanessa, but finds he can only do so to a gay porn magazine. As Vic goes to confront Shane, he gets a call from Lauren, who apologizes about Hunter. Shane presents Mara with a catcher's mitt for their baby, with the ring hidden inside. She is moved by it and apologizes for her recent behavior. Vic knocks on the door, but sees the tender scene and leaves them alone. Claudette answers her desk phone and answers casually, but changes to a more professional tone when an officer notices this.

Cast[]

Cracking Ice

Contents

Summary[]

Plot[]

Cast[]

Starring[]

Guest Starring[]

Co-Starring[]

Uncredited[]

Featured Music[]

Episode Title[]

Notes[]

Continuity[]

Quotes[]

External Links[]