Tar Baby

Tar Baby
	Season 4, Episode 05
Airdate:	April 12, 2005
Actual length	46:27
Production Code:	5012-04-405
Written by	Charles H. Eglee
Directed by	Guy Ferland
Previous:	"Doghouse"
Next:	"Insurgents"

"Tar Baby" is the fifth episode of Season 4 of The Shield. It was originally broadcast on April 12, 2005. The previously on segment is voiced by Walton Goggins.

Summary[]

As Monica is forced to defend her crime-fighting tactics, Vic's pursuit of a killer creates problems for Antwon, while Dutch's secret deal with the D.A.'s office gets him and Claudette assigned to a murder investigation.

Plot[]

David Aceveda roleplays raping Sara Frazier. Afterwards, he gives her a gift and she claims that their sex is a healthy way to release "that energy," which he brushes off. Monica Rawling hosts a forum to inform Farmington residents of the forfeiture program as suggested by Aceveda, which he attends. She promises that the program will help keep kids away from drugs and gangs, which seems to garner approval. Vic Mackey arrives on the murder scene of Romeo Barnes, who a witness claims was arguing with a woman before someone on a motorcycle pulled up and shot him.

Rawling and Antwon Mitchell argue about the fairness of the seizures and rehabilitation. Julien Lowe intervenes, claiming he joined the LAPD to make Farmington a better place, but is met with the crowd's disapproval. Aceveda speaks up, warning that the forfeiture program has historically been used to extort citizens but promises to make it fair with regulations, which the crowd cheers for. Afterwards, Rawling calls him on suggesting the conference only to undermine her, and he reveals that he was promoted to the vice chair of the police committee, giving him authority over the program.

Vic informs Rawling that Barnes was a former dealer and addict who was sober for a decade, and she suggests that Shane Vendrell be brought into the case, as his vice intel could connect the case to Mitchell. Curtis Lemansky comes to the Barn with Angie Stubbs, a young girl he is friendly with that often steals for her addict mother Hoda. Angie explains to the adults that Barnes was Hoda's sponsor that was trying to keep her dealer from selling her black tar heroin, but all she knows about the dealer is that he rides a motorcycle. Vic asks her to take them to Hoda. Vic explains the case to a reluctant Shane and Army Renta, then shows them a video of Dutch Wagenbach being rejected by a date that he and Ronnie Gardocki recorded by sneaking a camera from the Louis Sperling case. The men laugh hysterically before Vic asks Shane and Army to track down the dealer. The two give the dealer's information to Mitchell, and Halpern White recognizes him as "Freebo" as Mitchell warns them not to lead the police to his operations.

Rawling gives Dutch and Claudette Wyms a homicide case of a woman who was killed during a home invasion. Claudette confronts Rawling on Maurice Webster's house being confiscated and asks if she is part of a deal, but is brushed off. She and Dutch go to the murder scene, where the victim, Margo, was found by her husband Warren and stepdaughter Donna, who claims to have seen a car of Mexican men watching the house before she and Warren left Margo alone. Angie takes Vic, Lem and Rawling to Hoda, who is high. She mentions where she got her drugs from, which Angie identifies as a specific house. Vic and Lem stake the house out and identify it as a massive drug distribution center for the One-Niners. Vic moves to call it into Rawling, and he and Lem debate about who should get credit, as well as Shane being officially on the case but Lem being out. Claudette asks Danny Sofer to ask neighbors about the car, while Dutch notes that some of the expensive jewelry was left in the house. He relays the case to Vic, who insists Dutch can handle it and teases him with a reference to the video.

Vic and Rawling inform the Barn of their plan to raid the center. Vic asks Shane to accompany him while Army goes with Lem and Ronnie, giving Shane no time to call and warn Mitchell. The raid is a success, with a massive quantity of heroin and a cache of weapons. Vic demands that one of the caught One-Niners give up Freebo, and one of them privately identifies him as "Freddie Bokamp" but asks to be brought to the Barn with his friends to maintain his cover. As an officer finds a meth lab in the center, Rawling uses this as an excuse to evacuate the street in hopes of flushing Freebo out. Marwon, a father with a sick child, shoves Danny when Julien Lowe tries to take the boy to the hospital, and is beaten by officers. Dutch and Claudette sit down with Donna, who recounts her mother dying in the same room as Margo nine years earlier, and Dutch notes that only Margo's jewelry was stolen.

Vic makes a show of demanding Freebo's name from the arrested One-Niners, and the man who gave up Freebo mouths off to him. Vic takes him upstairs and forces him to give up Freebo's address, and he also mentions that he lives with his twin brother "Weebo". Vic informs Lem that they have found Freebo, and he asks Shane and Army to come with them as backup. Aceveda chides Rawling for not setting up an emergency shelter for the evacuated residents and presses her to consult him for future raids, but she counters that the raid was the precinct's most successful in a decade. Claudette informs Dutch that the bullets that killed Margo match bullets found in Warren's closet, while officer Jorge informs them that none of the neighbors claimed to see a car. Dutch and Claudette ask Warren about the gun, which he was stolen in a previously unreported robbery.

Beth Encardi comes to the Barn and Rawling asks about how the DA's office filed Webster's case, and she dodges Rawling's questioning. An irate Mitchell calls Shane about not reporting the raid, who blames Freebo for bringing police attention to the center. He aggravates Mitchell, who proposes they meet later to "work on our communication skills." As Vic and Lem wait for Shane, they observe the Bokamps moving to flee on their cycles, having been tipped off by Mitchell. Lem kills Weebo when he pulls a gun, while Vic catches and arrests Freebo. Shane and Army arrive on the scene.

Rawling informs Claudette that she is stopping the seizure of Webster's house, having learn about his involvement in the murder trial, the arrest getting him dropped from the witness list like the DA wanted. She wonders why Dutch and Claudette were put on the case in the first place. Vic asks Rawling to help him with IAD's assessment of Lem killing Weebo, as he brought Lem into the case and was under his command. Vic presses Freebo to give up Mitchell, and Freebo insists he has never met him, to an observing Shane's delight. Dutch and Claudette bring Donna in, showing her a "suspect" (Jorge) they claim to have caught, and she identifies him as the driver of the car. Dutch accuses her of killing Margo because she wanted to take care of Warren again, noting that he already lied for her and will be an accessory to murder if he lies again. Donna admits she killed Margo during an argument about her and Warren moving away, having thrown out the gun and jewelry, agreeing to give up the location if she can say goodbye to Warren.

As Julien overhears a trio of white cops laughing about busting a "soul brother," Rawling proudly announces the raid stats to the Barn before asking Danny about the hospitalized Marwon. Julien complains about his colleagues and Marwon's beating to Danny, who insists it was justified. He wonders why the only seize Farmington assets and not that of white collar criminals, and she counters that he backed Rawling on the program at the conference. As Donna is led out of the Barn in handcuffs, Dutch proudly notes his and Claudette's recent successes to her. She brings up Webster's involvement in the murder trial, accusing Dutch of making a deal with Encardi. He admits this is true as Rawling watches on the interrogation room's camera, but is firm that he did the right thing by saving their jobs. Claudette storms out as Rawling watches, who later confronts Encardi on manipulating Dutch and warns her to not interfere with her people again and threatens to reveal the corruption in the Webster case.

Julien informs Claudette of his issues with the seizures, who pessimistically asserts that her opinion will not doing anything against Rawling's newfound success. She notes that "breaking down black folks' doors to make the world safer is not a new concept," the only difference being that Julien now has the power to make a change. Before Lem and Shane can get in a fight about the latter being late to the Bokamp arrest, Vic stops them as Rawling approaches, who informs them that Hoda was found dead from a heroin overdose and Angie has run away. Lem sets out to find her and Vic goes with him.

Shane and Army meet face to face with Mitchell, who berates the former for costing him his distribution house. When Shane sarcastically calls him "homie," One-Niners grab him and Army, taking their guns and restraining them. White beats Shane in revenge before Mitchell cocks his stolen gun, though Shane remarks that he cannot afford to bring the attention of killing two cops. In response, One-Niners bring out a tied-up Angie and Mitchell explains that Hoda informed him that she went to the police in exchange for heroin, which he gave her an overdose of. Mitchell begins telling a story about Shane and Army taking sexual advantage of Angie before he kills her with their guns. He promises to have her body found by the police, a ballistics test matching the bullets to their guns, if they do not give him their total obedience.

Cast[]

Co-starring[]

Uncredited[]

Ruben Avitia as Background detective
Jesse Escochea as Older officer at scene
(unknown actor) as Officer Diane
(unknown actor) as June
(unknown actor) as Margo
(unknown actor) as Black Sergeant Officer ( background )

Featured Music[]

Episode Title[]

Notes[]

Continuity[]

Quotes[]

External Links[]

Tar Baby at the Internet Movie Database