1. Goldie Willis. He's not in the episode much, but he makes maximum use of his time. He leads Holder and Reddick (who are staking him out) to the retaining pond where all the bodies were discovered and throws a makeshift press conference with his mom at his side. He claims he is not the serial killer (giving the killer the media-friendly nickname of the Pied Piper) and that the cops aren't even telling anyone about Kallie being missing and likely with the actual serial killer. This causes the expected problems with the Seattle police, and indirectly reunites Linden and Holder. Which may not be the best thing for Goldie in the long run (they'll figure out if Goldie's involved well before Reddick ever would), but for now it throws the heat off of him.
2. Sarah Linden. Is back partnering with Holder after Goldie's press conference and a chance to dish back to Reddick what he's been dishing to Holder (and presumably others) about her. She's also able to make some connections that help her and Holder figure out who is making the sex tapes in the motel (more of whom anon). She's not made the leap she most wants - connecting all of this to the Emery killing - but she's back with her partner and making headway.
3. Francis Becker. Emery continues to manipulate things on the cell block - he doesn't obey the junior guard's order to take antibiotics, and is developing a friendship with his chatty block-mate, Hill. None of this is to Becker's liking, so he invites the junior guard home for dinner (they're both working double shifts, Becker's house is closer to the prison, and the junior guard doesn't really want to go home). There Becker's wife and son quickly give a picture of how unpleasant life is at casa Becker, and Becker quickly gets the other guard to admit that Emery didn't take his medicine. Becker then kills two birds with one stone by beating Hill until Emery takes the pill. Hill tries to get Emery to not give in, but he does. So Becker's back in charge, for now at least, though Emery's unlikely to be done challenging authority (he's acknowledged that the system has already bested him, so what does he have to lose?) and Becker's wife is pretty clearly willing to give the younger guard some of what Becker's not been around the house to get (by which I mean sex). So, like Goldie, this may just be a short term win.
Honorable Mention: Bullet. She's still working with Holder on finding Kallie, and is able to give him information that leads to the raid on the motel. She also shows how deeply protective she is of her fellow street kids when she goes with Twitch to the park to score, because she knows what a bad idea that is and that Twitch will need someone there, if just to pick up the pieces. We see more of what's behind Bullet's brave face in this episode, and it shows that there is a difference between her and the other street kids, even if she has to hide that to survive.
2. Sarah Linden. Is back partnering with Holder after Goldie's press conference and a chance to dish back to Reddick what he's been dishing to Holder (and presumably others) about her. She's also able to make some connections that help her and Holder figure out who is making the sex tapes in the motel (more of whom anon). She's not made the leap she most wants - connecting all of this to the Emery killing - but she's back with her partner and making headway.
3. Francis Becker. Emery continues to manipulate things on the cell block - he doesn't obey the junior guard's order to take antibiotics, and is developing a friendship with his chatty block-mate, Hill. None of this is to Becker's liking, so he invites the junior guard home for dinner (they're both working double shifts, Becker's house is closer to the prison, and the junior guard doesn't really want to go home). There Becker's wife and son quickly give a picture of how unpleasant life is at casa Becker, and Becker quickly gets the other guard to admit that Emery didn't take his medicine. Becker then kills two birds with one stone by beating Hill until Emery takes the pill. Hill tries to get Emery to not give in, but he does. So Becker's back in charge, for now at least, though Emery's unlikely to be done challenging authority (he's acknowledged that the system has already bested him, so what does he have to lose?) and Becker's wife is pretty clearly willing to give the younger guard some of what Becker's not been around the house to get (by which I mean sex). So, like Goldie, this may just be a short term win.
Honorable Mention: Bullet. She's still working with Holder on finding Kallie, and is able to give him information that leads to the raid on the motel. She also shows how deeply protective she is of her fellow street kids when she goes with Twitch to the park to score, because she knows what a bad idea that is and that Twitch will need someone there, if just to pick up the pieces. We see more of what's behind Bullet's brave face in this episode, and it shows that there is a difference between her and the other street kids, even if she has to hide that to survive.
Three Down
1. Danette Lutz. The mother of the year campaign kicks into high gear
when Linden stops by again to ask Danette if she's seen Kallie, and in
revealing that Kallie's been hooking gets the response from Danette that
it's a phase and she'll grow out of it (which makes one wonder how
Danette conceived Kallie in the first place). Danette also admits that
she locked Kallie out of the trailer the night she disappeared, an act
which finally seems to work a chink in Danette's armor (something the
sex tape didn't even seem to do). The capper is that Danette's boyfriend
is none other than the man behind the sex tapes, Joe Mills (who Kallie
previously said creeped her out and whom Lyric has provided certain
services for in the past). There is like not a single choice Danette has
made that's working in her favor.
2. Twitch. One clean drug test before moving to L.A., but Twitch's PO has some bad news - he failed his last test. That, of course, is a lie, but the PO knows how to rig the system to his own advantage. Which, in this case, is teaching Twitch a lesson by sodomizing him in the back of his car. Clearly, there are issues here, but we don't dwell on them but instead see that Twitch (who is not into dudes) is driven right back to heroin due to this. He later goes out to a park to score and gets beaten by some punks for his trouble. Lyric tells him that she'll nurse him back to health, so if nothing else he still has the love of a girl that he doesn't really deserve.
2. Twitch. One clean drug test before moving to L.A., but Twitch's PO has some bad news - he failed his last test. That, of course, is a lie, but the PO knows how to rig the system to his own advantage. Which, in this case, is teaching Twitch a lesson by sodomizing him in the back of his car. Clearly, there are issues here, but we don't dwell on them but instead see that Twitch (who is not into dudes) is driven right back to heroin due to this. He later goes out to a park to score and gets beaten by some punks for his trouble. Lyric tells him that she'll nurse him back to health, so if nothing else he still has the love of a girl that he doesn't really deserve.
3. Ray Emery. His attempt at making a connection with Hill, and then taking the pill so Becker will stop beating Hill, shows that he still can feel and connect. The only problem is that it allows others to manipulate you and derail your attempts to manipulate others. Emery will figure out a way to get back at Becker, but for now Emery has to reflect on the fact that all of his beatings and injuries at the hands of his father and various gangs may not have made him the hardened character he tries to be.
Honorable Mention: Mama Dips. The (manager? owner? madame?) of the Queens Motel, she quickly finds herself on the wrong side of the law when Holder is able to connect the motel to the sex tapes and get a warrant. Things get worse when it's found that she has a warning buzzer to the hidden room where the taping took place. She's putting on a brave face for the cops - saying she's the voice on the tapes, and where is the soda she was promised? - but you have to think she's lying to cover for someone who can do her real harm. She is, at least, entertaining about it.
