| The Quick Fix | |
|---|---|
| |
| Season 2, Episode 01 | |
| Airdate: | January 7, 2003 |
| Actual length | 52:48 |
| Production Code: | 5012-02-201 |
| Written by | Shawn Ryan & Glen Mazzara |
| Directed by | Scott Brazil |
| Previous: | "Circles" |
| Next: | "Dead Soldiers" |
"The Quick Fix" is the Season 2 premiere of The Shield and the fourteenth episode of the series as a whole. It was originally broadcast on January 7, 2003.
Synopsis[]
As Captain Aceveda tries to fend off a city council investigation, Vic looks to stop a pair of brutal drug lords from moving into Farmington.
Plot[]
Cuca burns alive.
Five weeks after the events of the first season, a group of men restrain two men to wooden poles, place tires around their midsections and necks, and cover the tires in gasoline. One man approaches the stoic one and sets the tires ablaze, quickly burning him to death. The other man pleads for his life as the firestarter stands before him next.
T.O. and his men are stopped by the police.
Vic Mackey meets outside a motel with private investigator Gordie Liman, who reveals he has tracked Corrine Mackey there, checked in under the fake name "Jan Murphy". He notes that another man has been visiting her regularly, his license plates identifying him as Steven Linfield. Vic charges into the room and violently breaks up the couple having sex, only to realize that the woman Linfield is with is not Corrine—Jan Murphy isn't a fake name. As Vic leaves, Liman blames his mistake on the motel's manager, pointing out that Corrine has left no money trail and her and Vic's children have not been in school. As he wonders if he should start checking hospitals, Vic orders him to "just find them." The rest of the Strike Team pick up Mexican cocaine from Theodore Osmond. As they leave behind T.O., a sheriff's department car pulls him over for speeding. Shane Vendrell pulls up behind them and explains that T.O. is his informant and they are driving to a bust. The sheriff insists on calling David Aceveda to verify. Claudette Wyms and Dutch Wagenbach investigate the scene of the burnings, with the latter noting that the method of murder has become popular amongst cartels. Vic arrives and tries to sell Shane's story, only for Aceveda to pull up. He surprisingly covers for them, getting the sheriff to back off, and sends the team on its way. He then orders Vic to talk with him immediately.
At the Barn, Aceveda notes that Vic has been putting in less hours and his arrest numbers are down. He notes that civilian auditor Lanie Kellis is coming to the Barn and warns him to get it together, as him jeopardizing the Barn is a problem for both of them. Vic brushes him off and leaves. Dutch holds a briefing where he identifies the burned men as Toros lieutenant Christopher "Cuca" Reyes and Los Magnificos lieutenant Pablo "Bang-Bang" Fernando. As Vic cracks wise and leaves, Aceveda reminds the room that Kellis starts today in the wake of the Grove riots and Ben Gilroy's arrest. The rest of the Strike Team bring in a couple of drug runners that work for T.O.'s supplier Alvarez so their bust story looks legitimate, who Vic decides to investigate given how much cocaine the men had on them. He gets a call.
The team hurry to T.O.'s drug lab, where one of his men is vomiting blood. Henchman Big Forty explains that the man did cocaine behind T.O.'s back, and Curtis Lemansky realizes the man is having a heart attack and tries to revive him. Vic orders T.O.'s men to drop the man off at a hospital and leave quickly, and they pick him up and leave. Big Forty explains that he only did a couple lines, and Ronnie Gardocki takes a sample for narcotics to test. T.O. wonders who would disrupt his stash, and Vic points out that he may have a new contender. Vic and Lem abduct Alvarez off the street and drive him out to territory of the One-Niners gang, Alvarez's enemy. As Vic calls the gang over by claiming Alvarez insulted one of their sisters, Alvarez denies tampering with the cocaine, but explains that the "Quintero brothers" out of Tijuana, Armando or "Armadillo" and Navaro, told him to supply the streets with cocaine. Vic relays what he learned to Claudette, believing they may be behind the burnings. As Liman arrives to talk to Vic, Aceveda asks his administrative assistant to check who he is. In the Clubhouse, Liman offers to relay Corrine's info to his PI connections for a fee. Vic agrees to pay within the hour.
Dutch and Claudette interview Cuca's brother Topo, who insists he has no helpful information. His little sister Mayda recognizes the name "Armadillo" despite Topo's defiance. The detectives leave. Vic calls Shane to a meeting in a storage facility, where he asks to make a withdrawal from the "retirement fund." Shane reveals that the fund is empty, having taken it to invest in the drug trade with Lem and Ronnie while Vic was busy looking for Corrine. Vic is enraged that Shane spent his quarter of the money without telling him, and when Shane tries to boast about his efficiency in working with T.O., Vic reminds him that they are not drug dealers. He erupts that he needs the money to find his family.
Dutch and Claudette interview Cuca's ex-girlfriend Jessica Hintel, who has a white dove tattooed on her cheek. She explains that, a few weeks prior, she was walking with Cuca when Armadillo and his men approached them, asking Cuca if he'd "changed his mind." When he said no, Armadillo abducted and raped her before tattooing the dove on her. When she returned to Cuca, he called her a whore upon seeing the tattoo and broke up with her. Danny Sofer wakes up after a night with Vic, who is getting dressed. She wonders what he will say to Corrine, but he uses the excuse that she is "out of town." Vic promises that they will not let the tryst turn into a relationship when she asks before leaving. The Strike Team sit down Jasper, revealing that the cocaine was poisoned. He explains that the cocaine came from an organization run by Navaro.
Vic asks Liman to front the money for the PIs to him, but warns him that he is off the case if Vic cannot deliver the money by tonight. Vic orders the team to arm themselves, planning to go to Tijuana to get his money back from Navaro. As they prepare, Aceveda enters with Kellis, who Vic brushes off. Aceveda tries to stop him from leaving, but Vic ignores him. After crossing the border, Vic drops off Shane and Lem to purchase firearms. He and Ronnie are caught by local detective. He explains that the Quinteros are the biggest criminals in Tijuana and are wanted federally in the United States, and Vic asks for Navaro's address. Shane and Lem are robbed of their wallets and badges by the men they try to buy guns from.
Kellis asks Dutch for his notes on Gilroy with his bail hearing approaching. As he looks for them, Mayda arrives at the station with his notes, having forgotten them at her house. She tells him that Armadillo killed Cuca, having come to her house and demanded Cuca join him or be killed. Claudette interrupts, pointing out that Dutch is interviewing a minor without her guardian present and that her family may not want her to testify. Claudette leads her out of the Barn to take her home. Vic and Ronnie track Navaro to a rooftop bar and are met up with by Shane and Lem, who explain that they could not find guns. As Navaro and his men move to leave, Vic orders Ronnie to get the car and Shane and Lem to take care of Navaro's men. Shane and Lem take their guns as Ronnie pulls up, while Vic restrains Navaro and throws him in the back seat. They hustle in the car and drive away. A woman named Vanessa comes to the Barn to find her young son Randall in custody for stealing from a hardware store. Julien Lowe explains that the owner is pressing charges, but offers to try and help when he sees her clear distress. Despite Danny's insistence that Randall is headed for a gang, Julien is determined to do something.
As Navaro threatens to kill the Strike Team, they pull over and Vic places a tire around him, which Ronnie douses in gasoline. Before Vic can light the tire, Navaro agrees to give them $400,000 and Armadillo's location. Dutch and Claudette find Armadillo's address and bring him in for questioning. Armadillo denies involvement with the Toros and Los Magnificos, and Claudette realizes he was trying to unite them and become their leader. Dutch and Claudette relay this to Aceveda, and she continues to resist letting Mayda testify.
The Strike Team meet with Navaro's men in a cemetery, but when they put the money in the trunk, Vic speeds off with Navaro still in the car. Despite the team's resistance, Vic plans to drug Navaro and extradite him to the United States, where they will hand him over to the feds and keep the money. Claudette informs Dutch of what she founds about Armadillo's past: he was an orphan who scored extremely high on an IQ test as a young boy, but was kicked out of his gifted school within two weeks for raping his teacher. He has not been arrested since, and Dutch decides to call INS to see if the rape violates his visa requirements. Kellis demands Dutch's notes on Gilroy, threatening him with her power over the Barn. The Strike Team slowly make their way through the border line, having covered the bullet holes from Navaro's men with bumper stickers. Vic reminds everyone to stay calm.
Kellis asks Aceveda about Vic's whereabouts, and he realizes that she is after him, not Vic. She explains that his opponents in the city council are angry that Aceveda spun the riots and Gilroy into a positive for him, and they sent her to find something on him and get him in trouble. Julien takes Randall to an interrogation room, the owner agreeing to drop the charges if Julien can vouch for him. After he promises not to do it again, Julien reminds him that he will have to answer to him if he steals again. Vanessa thanks Julien for his help and he asks her out, which she accepts. Danny notices them and looks visibly uncomfortable. Dutch gives his notes to Kellis and notices Armadillo laughing to himself in the interrogation room. Dutch releases him, the time they can hold him having expired, and he smugly notes that "what I did when I was eleven doesn't stop me from visiting your country." Vic claims that the Strike Team were in Mexico for a bachelor party, and the border agents clear them. He returns to the Barn and puts Navaro in the cage.
Dutch notes that Armadillo laughing unnerved him and wonders what he was thinking about. Vic meets with Kellis, who congratulates him on arresting Navaro and agrees to meet with him tomorrow. Claudette wonders if anyone talked to Armadillo while he was in the interrogation room, and she and Dutch review the tapes. At one point, he notices Mayda's forgotten hat and picks it up, Claudette realizing he knows she was there. Vic drops the money in the Strike Team's storage locker, taking the team's keys for spending his cut behind his back. Dutch and Claudette return to the Reyes house, where they learn that Mayda is out with a friend. Topo is horrified to learn that Mayda went to the Barn, and her mother learns that she never made it to her friend's house. As Claudette hurries to the car, she notices Mayda walking home with a bandage on her cheek, removing it to reveal a fresh white dove. A horrified Topo grabs her and hurries her into the house, not answering Claudette as she pleads to let her take her to the hospital.
Having paid Liman, Vic learns that Corrine was picked up running a stop sign in Colorado, his contact taking a photo of her with her children. At home, Vic eats a microwave dinner alone when Aceveda comes over, having learned who Liman is and concluding that Vic's family is gone. Not wanting their absence to affect Vic's performance, he asks how he can help so as to keep Kellis off their backs. Vic confirms that he will help Vic with his less legal dealings if he continues to work, and though they acknowledge that they cannot trust each other, Vic agrees to the deal. As Aceveda leaves, he affirms that "this doesn't mean I like you. Try to screw me on this, I'll bury you." Vic does not respond as he leaves.
Episode credits[]
Cast[]
Starring[]
- Michael Chiklis as Detective Vic Mackey
- Catherine Dent as Officer Danny Sofer
- Walton Goggins as Detective Shane Vendrell
- Michael Jace as Officer Julien Lowe
- Kenneth Johnson as Detective Curtis Lemansky
- Jay Karnes as Detective Dutch Wagenbach
- Benito Martinez as Captain David Aceveda
- and CCH Pounder as Detective Claudette Wyms
Guest starring[]
- Lucinda Jenney as Lanie Kellis
- Mark Rolston as Gordie Liman
- Danny Pino as Armadillo Quintero
- Monnae Michaell as Vanessa
- Emilio Rivera as Navaro Quintero
- Cedric Pendleton as T.O. Osmond
- David Rees Snell as Detective Ronnie Gardocki
- Elizabeth Rodriguez as Lita Valverde
Co-starring[]
- Jonathan Higgins as Jasper
- T.J. Hall as Randall
- Maurice Chasse as Efrain Lemus
- Stacey Ann Hollenberg as Jan Murphy (as "Corrine lookalike")
Featuring[]
- Kristen Bell as Jessica Hintel
- Omar Anguiano as Topo Reyes
- Yomi Perry as Mrs. Reyes (as "Mayda's mother")
- Chelsea Rendon as Mayda Reyes
- Fatal Instinct as Mo
- Terry Cooley as Big Forty
- John Marrott as Long Beach Sheriff
- Jose Vicente Huezo Suarez as Hustler
- Joaquin Garrido as Mexican Border Officer
- Eric Cubiche as Alvarez
- Bob Schulze as U.S. Customs Officer
- Damian Delgado as Nasso
- Emiliano Torres as Pablo Fernando
Uncredited[]
Production staff[]
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Mexico Crew
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Featured Music[]
- "Cuentan Que El" by Whitehouse
- Heard during the opening scene when Armadillo is "firenecklacing" Cuca and Bang-Bang.
- "Blue On Black" by Kenny Wayne Shepard
Episode Title[]
The title might refer to the temporary remedies that some of the characters apply to their situations. For example, David Aceveda makes a deal with Vic Mackey to keep him in line for the time he will remain as captain, while Vic remedies his need for money by extorting it from drug dealer, Navaro Quintero.
Notes[]
- International airdates:
- Germany: February 4, 2006
- France: August 8, 2007
- Vic Mackey drives a Dodge Durango with a 2PCE496 license plate, while Shane Vendrell and the Strike Team drive a GMC Chevrolet van. For their trip to Mexico, they drove a beige Second generation Dodge Intrepid that Ronnie Gardocki had leased.
- The Dodge Intrepid's license plate changes from 4YJU131 to 4YJU128.
- The scenes in Mexico where filmed in only two days. The scene where Navaro Quintero is kidnapped was filmed at one of the busiest intersections of Tijuana.
Quotes[]
- Gordie Liman: She's not alone up there, Vic.
- Vic Mackey: I know. She's got my kids with her.
- Gordie Liman: No kids. There's someone else. Ran the plates. Guy's name is Steven Linfield. He owns a yoga studio. She's probably takin' classes with him. When my gash of an ex-wife ditched me, first thing she did was got that ass real tight.
- Vic Mackey: Hey, thanks for cutting us some slack on that little paperwork snafu.
- David Aceveda: You've been logging less hours. Arrests are way down. Bad guys must be hibernating. Is everything okay with you?
- Vic Mackey: Sure.
- David Aceveda: Because you're a lot of things, but sloppy isn't one of them.
- Vic Mackey: Why don't you just give me a demerit and call it a night?
- Vic Mackey: Tio, I don't like being here. What's the problem?
- T.O. Osmond: That. He's puking up blood, man.
- Vic Mackey: What the hell did you call us for?!
- T.O. Osmond: Like I'm gonna call a bunch of paramedics to my drug crib.
