Tuesday, December 9, 1997

Defenseless - 48

[This was an odd show with an awkward, barely believable ending.] Harm was selected by Chegwidden to investigate, and "wrap it up quietly and quick," the shooting of Turkish military attaché to NATO, Col Behrouz Hasan. Ensign Elizabeth Lane, a data systems officer assigned to the Turkish embassy 2 months previously for upgrades, shot Hasan in her apartment and was not in confinement- "in a daze." H took Bud with him and, when Mac said she was upset over not being assigned, he took her along too saying that "C didn't tell me I couldn't." They spent the entire episode investigating and defending Lane who claimed a poor memory- M opinioned due to post traumatic stress. M believed that "women's intuition" for danger was a valid defense. H tried to visit Lane's apartment but was chased away by a DEA reject dog who didn't like men in uniforms. H was summoned into Cs office to face pressure for "quick resolution," and M was jealous. She told B that it "feels like a 15 year-old again, getting grounded for stealing cars and drinking." She gave B the credit for screwing up her courage to storm into Cs office and demand better treatment. And she did, saying, "I know you believe I should be punished but I believe the clients welfare to be more important than teaching me a lesson." C asked her if she knew the "difference between initiative and insubordination?" She pointed out that a "woman's instincts were on overdrive 24 hours a day." Women leave buildings differently, she said, "you go out and drive away. We pay attention to shadows with our keys in our hands for escape and weapons." The case demanded a woman's perspective, she told him. C called to her that his instincts "tell me that I wouldn't recommend this approach in the future!"

H took Lane back to her apartment and she babbled about not having "real" friends. H said "I'll be your friend." With flashbacks, and progressive disclosure, it was revealed that Hasan hadn't paid any attention to her before he appeared unannounced at her apartment, buzzed twice, let in by mistake thinking it was neighbor, peeked through door dressed only in a towel, dog barked, closed- but not locked- door to get dressed, came inside anyway, heard metal click, closed windows, went into kitchen, put plate of food on floor to stop barking dog, took phone off hook so couldn't call 911, got full bottle of wine from cabinet and wrapped it in towel, came into her bedroom - where she shot him feeling afraid for her life. H got her out of confinement and delivered her to her apartment where someone shot at her. He took her to his apartment for safety. The SECNAV and C were shown talking in his office saying that "the Turks expect a conviction, it's not going per plan, C unhappy at deceiving his people, and if this doesn't go as planned YOU become MY problem!" H saw the SECNAV and Imes (the prosecutor) coming out of the office and wanted to know why. When C said he couldn't tell him, H threatened that he "refused to let her be sold out by the Navy, or anyone else… sir." H conjectured Lane found something without knowing it, Hasan's predecessor expelled for spying, but C wouldn't let him involve the Turkish govt. When H asked "is politics more important than the truth?" C replied "find another way."

Imes acted arrogant, haughty and demeaning. H reconstructed: Back door locked, key in purse in kitchen with Hasan, Front door key in lock for emergency, but needed to get key from purse to let police in- so it was locked- by Hasan, key found in Hasan's pocket, all prints had been wiped by Hasan. Lane was acquitted and H insisted on a celebratory dinner in his apartment. She didn't show and neither he or B could find any trace of her in any computer record. C called him into his office and said that Lane was really a Naval Intelligence agent working to infiltrate a spy ring- "you were supposed to loose"- and she was to be convicted for life, on paper. The Turks deny involvement in the sniper but have recalled some staff. "Only you could have gotten her acquitted," C said. [What makes this unbelievable was the weak rationale for Hs love interest AND why, if she was supposed to loose, Lane would progressively help exonerate herself.] H met her back in her empty apartment and asked why she came back. She said that "she didn't know," she could usually just walk away. "What made this different," he asked and she just walked out.

Bud's apartment was being fumigated and he went to a skuzzy hotel room. It was beneath Harriet's standards so she invited him to stay with her. He found out that she was wealthy when he couldn't play with her Hummel figurines. M bet H $20 that the two were "hot bunkin' it." She asked B where he had "slept last night- and remember officers never lie." He quickly claimed to see admiral Drake and ran the other way. Ht and B snuck around in the library whispering that "they know what we're doing."