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Riceburner

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Riceburner
Season 3, Episode 12
Airdate: May 25, 2004
Production Code: 5012-03-312
Written by Adam E. Fierro & Scott Rosenbaum
Directed by Scott Brazil
Previous: "Strays"
Next: "Fire in the Hole"


"Riceburner" is the twelfth episode of Season 3 and the 38th episode of the series as a whole. It was originally broadcast on May 25, 2004.

Summary[]

The pursuit of a gang hitman pits the tight-lipped Korean community against the police.

Plot[]

David Aceveda asks Vic Mackey how the sting with Louis Sperling is going, and Vic asserts that Ronnie Gardocki is taking care of the warrants. Aceveda takes him to Rodriguez who gives him information on Charlie Kim, a violent enforcer for the Korean gang K-Town Killers. The owner of a hotel he burned has agreed to testify against him, and Aceveda wants Kim publicly arrested so Farmington's Korean population will be encouraged to testify about more crimes. Curtis Lemansky arrives late to the Clubhouse, reporting that Tavon Garris is steadily healing. Ronnie notices Shane Vendrell's wedding ring, and he explains that he and Mara Sewell got married. Aceveda asks Danny Sofer and Julien Lowe to track down a pair of expensive chairs that were stolen from the wife of a police commissioner.

The Strike Team arrives at Kim's last known location, an apartment complex, but he escapes on a motorcycle, shooting out the windows of several cars as he goes and hitting a pair of kids in the process. He kills the boy, but the heavily wounded girl is still alive. Aceveda arrives on the scene and Rodriguez informs him that none of the Korean locals are talking to the police. Learning that building owner John Cho let Kim stay at the apartment for free, the Strike Team tracks him down and detains him. Dutch Wagenbach observes that Claudette Wyms is smiling and attributes it to her recent dates with James Freeman. Claudette notes that he looks tired, asking if "that cat still keeping you up all night?" to which he simply responds "no." He gets a call reporting an armed robbery, and asks if her relationship with James is getting serious, to which she rebuffs him. Arriving at the robbery scene, the store clerk notes that the female robber was extremely nervous.

Aceveda sits down with his college friend Thomas Choi, who explains that the Koreans trust the K-Towns because they keep other gangs out of the neighborhood. He advises Aceveda to wait for things to calm down before picking up Kim, but Aceveda is adamant that they need to pick him up before he kills again. Taylor Orrs is brought to the Clubhouse and Vic asks for an in to the Korean community. Danny interrupts, asking Vic for help with the chair case, and he introduces her to Orrs. As Vic and Shane drive, they have an awkward discussion about his sudden marriage, where Vic warns him "don't make the same mistakes I made." They arrive at the store of Orrs's associate Tracy Pok, who runs an identity theft business, and demand that she get them information on Kim.

Danny and Julien take Orrs with them to find the chairs. As Dutch observes the store's low quality security footage, he informs Claudette that Crosby Nell called informing him that a suspect in the money train robbery was picked up. Claudette informs him that she picked up a report of another robbery by the same young woman. Vic and Corrine Mackey sits down with a man from the company that Owen Thigpen worked for, who warns them that there may be difficulty in finding a new therapist for Matthew and now Megan Mackey.

As Dutch walks in on Claudette calling James, he gives her three possible matches to the partial license plate taken at the second robbery scene. They note that young Angie Deets matches the description of the robber, while her husband Hank has a series of domestic abuse charges and owns the pistol that was used in the robberies. Vic watches as Neil O'Brien is brought into the Barn and he informs the Strike Team, who is elated at the news. Dutch and Nell explain to Aceveda that O'Brien deposited his marked money into a few banks, one of which was in Indio, and Aceveda instructs them to tie him to the Armenian murders. Choi, having been talking to Cho, tells Aceveda that he let Kim stay out of fear of retribution, and gives Aceveda a list of apartments Kim could be in. The Strike Team arrives at one apartment to find that all the complex's curtains are drawn. As they find Kim's apartment empty, they come back outside to find their car burning.

Orrs takes Danny and Julien to a fence associate that previously spurned them, and he gives up a man who tried to sell the chairs to him that morning. Dutch and Nell interrogate O'Brien, who repeatedly lies about the source of the money. Vic informs the Strike Team of Megan's autism diagnosis and that Corrine will have to stay home to take care of her and Matthew, stating intent to use the money train cash to support then, but lets the others approve or disapprove of his plan as part of their new system. He leaves, and while Shane approves the plan, Lem, still paranoid, disapproves of it. Ronnie, meanwhile, is on the fence.

When Dutch tells O'Brien that the money was stolen from the Armenian Mob, he tells the truth about finding the money on the street, but Dutch and Nell do not believe him. Danny and Julien find another man who was offered the chairs, who the seller left a phone number with. As Danny leaves to interview nearby storeowners, Orrs, attracted to her, asks Julien if she is single. Vic runs into Lauren Riley at the Barn, and invites him to a seminar the following weekend, to which he accepts. He gets a call from Pok, who gives him Kim's location at an arcade. The Strike Team busts in to find that they missed him by a few minutes. Vic goes to arrest Pok, believing she tipped off Kim, but he realizes she is innocent. Dutch and Claudette interrogate Hank, who claims Angie is at work and demands to call his lawyer.

Vic returns to the Barn and attacks Choi, accusing him of tipping off Kim. Choi admits to it, wanting to keep police activity out of Koreatown, and refuses to give Kim up. Aceveda orders all available units to arrest Koreatown citizens for any infraction. Vic goes to the Strike Team, and learns that they voted not to let him have the money, which he accepts. Hank's lawyer arrives. Dutch points out that Hank recently bought bullets for his gun, though he insists he is not involved with Angie's actions. Claudette theorizes to Dutch that Hank could be threatening her into committing the robberies, but Dutch wonders if she did them without Hank. Vic and Shane shut down a Korean restaurant for health code violations. Danny rebuffs Orrs's advances.

Choi demands that Aceveda call off his men. He asks if Aceveda will want to protect LA's Mexican population if he gets on city council, but Aceveda ignores him and demands Kim. Choi gives him up, and Aceveda gives his location to Vic. The Strike Team arrives to find Kim hiding in a closet. Dutch and Claudette brings in Angie's friend, who admits that she is robbing stores and use the money to get away from Hank. Claudette informs Hank and, repulsed by his behavior, orders him to leave the Barn. Danny, Julien and Orrs track down a pair of old men who are using the chairs, learning that the thief, unable to sell them for anywhere near their value, sold them for ten dollars, so Julien buys them back.

Dutch and Claudette arrive at the scene of another robbery to find Angie shot dead by the clerk. Vic brings in Kim and asks Aceveda to give him overtime if anything comes up. Dutch and Nell release O'Brien. At home, James joins Claudette in the shower and observes that she seems troubled, but she promises she is fine. Vic encounters Lauren in the restroom and kisses her. Danny again rebuffs Orrs, and he finally leaves.

Corrine informs Vic that she found a therapist for their children, but bristles when he expects her to quit her job to take care of the kids. Vic returns to the Clubhouse, and the guilty Strike Team tries to explain why they vetoed him, but he insists that it is fine. Ronnie offers to take him out for a drink, but Vic rebuffs him to finish Kim's paperwork. Shane leaves to go home to Mara, clearly disapproving of their decision. Lem insists to Ronnie that they did the right thing.

Cast[]

Starring[]

Guest starring[]

Co-starring[]

Uncredited[]

Featured Music[]

  • The Peasants - Forty Lines
    • Ronnie noticing Shane's wedding ring
  • Ziroq ( as [1] and [2] )- Pobre Corazon
  • Opeat Got - Belief ( artist translated from South Korean to english )
    • Vic and Shane break into Tracy's illegal credit card theft operations room
  • Korean Folk Music Ensemble - Shinawi
    • Strike Team goes back to Tracy, Vic is about to arrest her but changes his mind
  • Deux - Forever ( artist translated from South Korean to english )
    • Strike Team goes through a store front before breaking into a video game room
  • Kim Kwang Jin - Solveig
    • Coming from the house where Charlie Kim allegedly is hiding in, Vic catching him from the closet
  • Gordie Sampson - Hangin' By A Wire
    • Coming from the house when Vic and Corrine talk about their custody time

Episode Title[]

Notes[]

Continuity[]

Quotes[]

External Links[]

The_Shield_on_FX_Season_3_Riceburner_(2)_promo

The Shield on FX Season 3 Riceburner (2) promo

The Shield Riceburner 1 minute FX original promo

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