Unchained - Recap

The scene opens with Lightman and Torres arriving at a prison in Virginia. Former Latino Gang Member, Manny Trillo has written a book and is up for a Nobel Peace Prize and parole. However, he is stabbed by another convict. He survives the attack and tells that it is the second attack on him since he said that he has reformed. Lightman and Torres are there to make sure that the “reformation” is true and not a lie. Meanwhile, Foster and Loker investigate the death of an African-American fireman named Eric Mitchell. He died fighting a fire that supposedly killed him before the blaze was even set. Eric’s grandfather tells them that there is something going on and wants to know if his son’s death was an accident or if it was murder. Eric’s grandfather is a retired fireman too and would like to know the truth no matter what.

Foster tells that firehouses are closed off and that they should look into Lt. Clayton, the supervisor of the firehouse. However they soon find out that their responses were planned in advance and that they are not going to get anywhere. Back at the prison, Lightman and Torres talk to Trillo. He says that he learned how to be reformed when he was reading while in solitary confinement. Lightman pulls out a hamburger and eats in front of Trillo. It is clear that Trillo is angry about it. Lightman says, looking over the tape, that Trillo felt disrespected and that is common for a convict. He also points out that Trillo is ashamed of something in his past because his body language showed it. Torres watches the tapes and says that she doesn’t believe that Trillo is converted like he is saying. Lightman says that Torres is only judging based on her past experiences that has her believe that no one is capable of changing their life around.

Back at the Lightman Group, Loker, Foster and Lightman watch the tapes of the questioning that Loker and Foster did. One of the firemen, Donovan, shows in his body language that he has remorse. A fake training exercise is set up by Foster and Loker to see if Donovan is able to rescue a fallen fireman. They re-interview Donavan and he says that he could have saved Eric, but didn’t. When they re-interview Wallace, another African-American fireman, he shows disgust when Eric’s name is mentioned. Foster walks out to the lobby and sees Carrie, the Chief’s niece. She sees her with her fingers across her lips and realizes that she is hiding something. She walks up to her and says that the men’s attitude towards women is not cooperative. She agrees with her and says that she believes that nobody wanted to hurt Eric at all. At the prison, Holly, the wife of the police officer that Trillo killed, says that she read the book that Trillo wrote and says that she believes that he is a changed man. However, Lightman watches and sees that she is shaking her head when she says it and her face is showing fear. Torres believes that Holly has been threatened.

Lightman talks to Trillo and mentions the threats that could have been made to Holly. He says that he doesn’t know anything about it, but it is clear that he is lying and Lightman calls him on it. Trillo admits that he has been trying to call a truce between the gangs. Torres thinks that Trillo is still lying. However, Lightman says that it is Holly who is the liar. Torres asks how he knows that and Lightman says that Holly is doing it for personal reasons, just as Torres is doing. Lightman says for Trillo to be released so that they can watch him. They agree and watch as he walks out to be greeted by his other gangster friends. Back at the fire station, Loker and Foster talk to Wallace, the fireman with the disgust on his face at the mention of Eric’s name. Wallace says that he is disgusted with him because Eric complained to the Black Firefighters Society about his “hazing” into the fire department and it made it look like it was racially motivated rather then fun. He says that the peanut butter incident, where Eric was almost killed due to a peanut allergy, and says that someone probably messed with Eric’s equipment.

Foster and Loker do an experiment to see what the level of racism is in the fire department. With showing pictures Foster and Loker find that David Caddick’s level of racism is triple then the norm. They question him and he completely denies the racism charage and says that he had no problem with Eric. Foster says that Caddick’s anger toward Eric was most likely from Eric having a relationship with a white girl and that is where Caddick is most racist. They asks Eric’s grandfather about his relationship with Carrie and he says that he remembers Carrie being upset when Eric died and that she visited him. Foster talks to Carrie and she tells her that Eric asks her to marry him even though her uncle didn’t want her to marry a fireman. She says that he didn’t know about the relationship she had with Eric. However, when Lt. Clayton watches the tape, he shows signs that he know about it. He says that Eric violated the “Fireman Code” and that he was just following what was needed to be done.

Meanwhile, Lightman follows Holly to Trillo’s home and sees her pull a gun. She is surrounded by the police and standoff with her. She says that she can’t forgive her husband’s killer no matter what. She starts to cry and Trillo puts his hands around hers and says that it is alright. The Chief gives Eric’s grandfather a medal after they put Eric’s picture with the rest of the firemen who died on duty. Carrie cries a little. Later, Lightman gives Torres Trillo’s book and says that even though most people don’t change, some do. He adds that her abuse made her a natural for picking up deception. Torres is confused and asks how Lightman became the man he is today. Lightman doesn’t answer. The episode ends.

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