Title: Workaround
Directed by: Alex Zakrzewski
Written by: Elle Johnson and Mitzi Roberts
Air Date: June 25, 2021
Previous: The Greater Good
Next: Por Sonia
Guest Starring: Natalia Castellanos, Adrian Bustamante, Moronai Kanekoa, Julie Ann Emery, Linda Park, Iliza Shlesinger
"Workaround" is the seventh episode in the seventh season of Bosch.
Maddie buffs her father’s boots to wear to Judge Sobel’s funeral service. Harry is not happy to be wearing his “funeral” attire again so soon. He tells Maddie the weather should be rainy, given the sad occasion.
They meet Donna's daughter Bella Winslow at the funeral reception. Bella shares how fond her mother was of Harry. Maddie and Bella talk of meeting up before Bella leaves town. Maddie mentions to her dad in the car that she and Bella have a lot in common, presumably meaning the loss of beloved mothers who were involved in the justice system. In better news, Harry tells Maddie that Chandler's condition is now considered stable, even though still critical, and she's still in a coma. He uses the phrase “day by day” in regard to Chandler's recovery. We also see Jun and Irv happily carrying baby James from the car into their home.
At Hollywood Division, Billets makes several stops at local businesses as part of the outreach program Cooper assigned her to. She visits a jewelry store, Gift of Gold, owned by one Andrew Patterson. She makes recommendations about installing actual surveillance cameras and a panic button, as a way of deterring thieves given the pricey merchandise he sells. Patterson asks Billets if there is anything in particular that she is fond of there. She admits that she's fond of some of the earrings he has on sale. When Patterson offers to give her a deal on a pair of them, Billets makes it clear that she is not looking for any preferential treatment as a cop. She tells him that she needs to go visit the next business on her list.
On the Franzen case, Robertson and Bennett get a break when the hitman is identified through his fingerprints. He's an ex-military policeman named Charles Kipps, stationed out of Las Vegas. He and Bennett travel out to Las Vegas to see what evidence they can find at his house. Robertson updates Bosch on their plans as he and Bennett prepare to hit the road, with Bosch telling him to look for any connection to Willy Datz while he is there, given it's looking clearer and clearer that Datz probably hired him for the hits. Harry also supplies them the name of LVPD Detective John Iverson (from season 2) as a contact to liaise with while they're there.
Later, Harry receives information about the gunman's burner phone. It's determined that the "Is it done?" text was received from Las Vegas at the same time that Robertson and Harry were exchanging gunfire with Kipps in the parking garage. This leads Harry to believes the text was probably from Willy Datz, seeking confirmation that the hits on Sobel, Fowkkes, and Maddie were completed.
Bosch eventually hears back from Sylvia Reece about her findings on Mickey Pena. He appears to be planning to leave the gang life behind. He owns food trucks and restaurants in addition to multiple properties for rent. Interestingly, the rentals are in neighborhoods undergoing gentrification. Harry does not understand why the FBI is not going after Pena given the crimes he's committed. Reece says she was unable to dig any deeper because she was explicitly ordered to stop making inquiries. Harry explains that he will not give up easily, and concludes that for some reason Pena has favor among the Feds.
Harry updates Detective Collins, who is surprised to learn that Pena was a federal informant. Collins believes this brings Harry's case to an abrupt halt. But Harry is not giving up. He tells Collins that he wants to meet with Trejo. Collins feels certain that Trejo will not reveal any information given he's a high-ranking shotcaller, but Harry tells Collins he has something that that Trejo will be interested in seeing.
Later, Harry talks to Edgar about the Feds allowing Pena to go unpunished for ordering the fire. Edgar suggests that there has to be a workaround. Harry replies that he is looking into that, but does not want Edgar involved any more than he needs to be in case there's blowback. As they drive past the East Hollywood apartment building, they notice that the memorial is already gone. Jerry assumes the owners removed it.
Billets is surprised when she gets a call from her longtime friend Captain Marsha Macken (last seen in season 2). Billets is happy to hear from her, but confused when Marsha wants to meet privately without anyone knowing. They meet that night at the Griffith Observatory. Billets thinks Marsha may be reaching out about the 128 complaints that she's filed against Leonard and Norris, only for Marsha to reveal that actually, it's worse: someone has accused Billets of accepting bribes. Marsha is surprised that Billets does not immediately become outraged, as she suspects it to be a further case of retaliation from Leonard and Norris. It's then Billets' turn to be surprised when Marsha tells her that the complaint was from a civilian.
That same evening, we find Maddie looking for boxes at the house, as she's decided to move in with Antonio. She believes she needs a change and a break from college given recent events. Harry is pleased to learn that Antonio is becoming a jazz enthusiast but wonders how Maddie will pay her portion of the bills with Antonio. Maddie believes she will probably resume working with Honey again once she's recovered. Harry points out that it could be a long road ahead for Honey and could take awhile. Maddie says she can use some of the money her mom left for her. Some of the money is not available if she is not enrolled in college, but Maddie explains that she has saved some.
Harry reminds her that some of the money left was for rainy day purposes. Maddie counters that her current circumstances feel like an emergency and that she really needs time to make some decisions about the future. Later at Antonio's apartment, he and Maddie joke about the custody arrangement for Coltrane. Antonio gives Maddie his extra key.
Irving's aide reports her findings about the Lopez FBI file to Irving. Lopez's campaign paid a consulting fee of $150,000 to the head of Federated L.A. Labor, Henry Myers. The payment was funneled through a dummy corporation associated with the labor organization to look like a consulting fee. In reality, however, it appears to have been a payment to ensure Myers' support of Lopez's campaign and a quid pro quo relationship. The file, however, was closed due to "insufficient evidence to prove a quid pro quo". Irving, though, thinks the FBI decided to abandon the case because they felt that further inquiry might be too controversial given that this was the first term of Los Angeles's first Latina mayor.
Irving later pays a visit to Lopez. He tells her that he thought they had "an understanding" between the two of them after he endorsed her for mayor during the election. Lopez counters that nothing was explicitly promised to Irving. Then Irving drops his bombshell and asks her who else there might be like Myers. Irving demands Lopez provide full support for his next term as Chief in exchange for his silence, and swaggers out of the office.
That evening, Irving and Jun celebrate the homecoming of baby James with a champagne toast. Irv also tells Jun that he will be getting a second term. She asks what made Lopez have a change of heart about Irving. Irving chalks it up to his "unparalleled powers of persuasion". Jun agrees that he is indeed persuasive.
Billets confides in Mank about the bribery accusation and what to do about it. She knows that going through the chain of command with Cooper will yield nothing as he doesn't like Billets. But if she goes outside the chain of command, there are other risks involved. Either way, she is determined to not let Leonard and Norris get away with harassing her. But things get worse at that exact moment, as Crate and Barrel barge into her office to inform her that Internal Affairs are searching her car without a warrant (due to the car being city property). Billets rushes down to check it out, and watches as the IA investigators find a gift bag in the trunk. Billets immediately denies any knowledge of the gift, which is a pair of expensive earrings. As Billets turns around, she sees Officers Leonard, Norris and Rodriguez standing there watching.
Billets meets with Cooper in his office. He reveals that Patterson, the owner of Gift of Gold, is the complainant. He's alleging that Billets accepted the earrings in exchange for “enhanced police services”. Billets insists that the jewelry was planted by Leonard and Norris. Cooper scoffs at the idea and sends Billets home until the investigation is completed and the outcome determined. He even has the gall to tell her that she is lucky she is not being booked into jail right now. Billets is livid as an officer escorts her to get her things. Vega offers Billets a ride home. Billets requests that Vega dig up dirt on Patterson to see why he'd conspire to frame her.
Sonia's father, Hector Hernandez, arrives at the East Hollywood apartment building where his daughter died. Hector speaks with Senor Rulfo asking for the whereabouts of Miguel Pena. Rulfo does not have any information. Suddenly, Pena's bodyguards roll up in their vehicle. They exit the car and begin to chase Hector. Hector is unable to escape and they brutally beat him and walk away.
Later, Harry gets a call from Officer Morgan, who is stationed outside Hector's room at the hospital. Hector explains to Harry that he wanted to see Pena's face so he could know if he was the guilty one. Harry promises Hector justice for Sonia's murder, a tall order with the Feds protecting Pena.
Harry pays Irving a visit at his office. Irving advises that he's received a call from SAC Brenner, who is more than irate about Harry continuing to poke around. Harry believes Pena ordered the fire and wants Irving to "demand cooperation" with the FBI. Irving says he cannot do that. He tells Harry to forget about Pena, and settle for stopping the investigation at Trejo and Alvarez. Shocked, Harry asks Irv how long he has known about Pena’s federal protection. Irving feigns ignorance and orders Bosch to make the necessary "compromises for the greater good". This is something that doesn't sit right with Harry, who thinks Irving would understand Hector's pain...especially considering what it was like for Irving when his own son George was killed in season 2. Clearly stung by Harry's comment, Irving uses a strong expletive as he demands that Harry leave.
Robertson, Bennett and Iverson make progress as they search Kipps' house. Under his bed, they find a ledger listing all the hits he's ever committed, along with the names of the employers who ordered them. They theorize that Kipps had this ledger on hand as leverage if he ever got arrested or killed, so his employers would go down with him. It's ultimately established that Rogers ordered the hits on Franzen, Chandler and Maddie through Fowkkes. But Fowkkes didn't hire Kipps directly. He reached out to Willy Datz, and Datz hired Kipps. It was Datz who ordered the hit on Fowkkes to eliminate the middle man.
The police raid Datz's house. He is not home, but conveniently his computer and messaging app are active. They see exactly what Datz is messaging about his itinerary. They learn that Datz is actually in Los Angeles and will be eating at the Musso and Frank Grill at 4:30 that afternoon.
Iverson insists that the LAPD take custody of Datz in Los Angeles to avoid any complications between the two jurisdictions (remembering his experience with Harry in Las Vegas in season 2). So Edgar goes to Musso and Frank's, posing as the limousine service, and arrests Datz there. Pierce goes with Edgar for the arrest because Harry is busy “working on [his] workaround”. While Edgar and Pierce arrest Datz, Bosch visits Trejo in prison. Harry shows Trejo the photos Edgar took of Pena talking to the Feds. Trejo becomes angry, confirming what Harry suspected.
Bosch and Trejo's lawyer, Connie Smith, meet with Deputy District Attorney Kennedy. They want to see if he can help go after Pena if Trejo spills about receiving the fire order from Pena. Kennedy asks if they have a recording of the call or someone who can corroborate Trejo's story. Unfortunately, there is no recording and the only person who was with Trejo is now unreachable because he (Pedro Alvarez) is in federal custody. As if that were not enough of a problem, Kennedy minimizes Trejo's credibility given his long history with the law and the fact that he participated in the fire. Trejo's lawyer explains that he is not requesting a deal, so there is no motivation for him to lie. Trejo just doesn't think Pena should get away with his part in the fire deaths.
Vega digs into Andrew Patterson on Billets' behalf and eventually gets some dirt. It turns out that he abuses his wife, and she eventually took out a restraining order against him. A condition of the court order in question was that he had to surrender all of his firearms, which he has failed to do. Also, a few years ago, he got a concealed carry license, and none other than Captain Cooper vouched for him.
With probable cause, the police search Patterson's store, confiscate the weapons and detain him. Vega and Pierce interrogate him at the station. It turns out he and Cooper are fraternity brothers with a long history of doing favors for each other. Cooper has facilitated Patterson's permit applications and cleared bureaucratic obstacles for the jewelry store owner. Therefore, Patterson believes he owes a debt to Cooper. Recently, when Cooper asked Patterson to give two officers the bag of earrings as a free gift for a friend, he obliged. His description of the officers is a perfect match for Leonard and Norris. With this ammunition, Internal Affairs opens a new misconduct investigation and arrest Cooper, Leonard and Norris. Pierce and Edgar get to be witness to the Perp Walk as the three officers are led out of the station in handcuffs while they arrive to book Willy Datz.
At Harry's house, things are a little more solemn. Harry misses Maddie's presence. He examines her empty bedroom, and puts Coltrane's bowls away since the dog is staying with Maddie at the moment. Harry soon gets a call from Detective Collins, who was just told to stop Harry's team from talking to Las Palmas because the RICO case is about to go down. Harry wants to know who ordered this. When Collins mentions that the orders are coming “straight from the top of LAPD”, Harry concludes it's Irving. The pair will talk more the next day, because Collins is meeting with an informant.
Tropes:
- The Bus Came Back: Iverson makes a reappearance for the first time since season 2, liaising with Robertson and Bennett to search Kipps's residence.
- Good Cop/Bad Cop: Pierce and Vega discuss this before going to interview Patterson the jeweler. Vega takes Bad Cop.
- Internal Affairs: Weaponized against Billets when Norris and Leonard plant the earrings in her car, followed by the civilian jeweler making a bogus complaint which leads to Lt. Klotz of IA searching the car. However, Pierce and Vega find out what really happened, which leads to IA arresting Norris, Leonard, and Cooper.
- Perp Walk: Norris, Leonard, and Captain Cooper are getting led out of the station in handcuffs when Edgar and Pierce bring Willy Datz in to be booked.
- Product Placement: A particularly glaring example. When Irving and Jun are toasting the arrival of their premature son home from the hospital, there is a closeup of the champagne bottle that Irving's holding, with the "Moet" label on the neck centered in the frame.
- Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: Turns out that Andrew Patterson is fraternity brothers with Captain Cooper, who pulled strings to ensure he could get a concealed carry permit despite having a domestic violence conviction (which would forbid him from possessing guns). Pierce and Vega get him to flip on Cooper.
- Spoonerism: Discussed Trope. When Harry asks Crate and Barrel for their help in the Pena case Barrel cheerfully says "We'll leave no turn unstoned." After Harry leaves Crate says that was a spoonerism, Barrel says he knows that and did it on purpose, Crate says that spoonerisms can be a sign of cognitive decline, and Barrel tells him to shut up.
- That's an Order!: Irving says this word-for-word when commanding Bosch to stand down on the Vega case.
- Title Drop: Edgar asks Harry what he's up to, Harry says "Working on my workaround", that being his workaround for the Pena case. His workaround is a pretty diabolical one: telling Trejo of the Mexican mafia, currently incarcerated for the firebombing, that Pena is The Informant for the FBI.
