CBC’s Caught
Episode 2: “Old Wounds”
Directed by T.J. Scott
Written by John Krizanc

* For a recap & review of the pilot episode, “The Break” – click here
* For a recap & review of the next episode, “Just Trust Me” – click here
Let’s go back to 3 months before, in Dorchester Penitentiary. Detective Roy Patterson (Paul Gross) visits with David Slaney (Allan Hawco), who’s currently in the hospital ward. We find out some backstory on Patterson; he “threw up over all the evidence” in court once, loaded drunk. This is the beginning of their tenuous deal, as the RCMP detective tries using the possibility of revenge against Brian Hearn (Eric Johnson) to get Slaney on board. Inside, the smuggler’s got men doing the bidding of Tommy Gabriel (Julian Black Antelope) beating him, looking to get info on his partner in crime. But Dave wouldn’t budge.
Skip to the side of the highway. Dave crawls out of the car he managed to flip with him and Patterson inside. The cop got tossed out of the ride pretty hard, and he’s already unhealthy enough, needing (nitroglycerin?) pills to keep him going; so, Roy is not doing so hot. These two men are at odds, which is dangerous for both of them considering their deal is not a deal at all leaving them each unprotected in so many ways. In the aftermath of everything, Patterson’s still got the possible help of DEA Agent KC Williams (Enuka Okuma). She’s decided to go along with him after all, maybe against her better judgement. This guy’s a walking mess of a human being. Perhaps redemption’s in the cards.
Then we’ve got Hearn, who’s contacting Mr. Andre Lefevre (Saul Rubinek). Brian is desperate to get someone on his side. So much so he has to offer the sick Lefevre “six points” to try garnering favour.
Williams has done her homework on Patterson; the latter’s a little over two years sober, albeit not without some slips off the wagon, obviously. Problem with a guy like him is you can’t be sure if he’s going to compromise himself in the name of trying to find a wave to ride towards better days, both professionally and personally. You want him to do better. But I’ll wait to see if he disappoints me before I get on his side.
In Mexico, Cyril Carter (Greg Bryk) and Ada (Tori Anderson) have gotten close. He seems to have fallen hard in love for the young woman, though it doesn’t look like she’s exactly on his page. She doesn’t like Brian, and we already notice a divide between Cyril and his friend; will this come to cause real issues? Looks probable to me. Hearn doesn’t know how to have a healthy relationship, as evidenced between how he treated Slaney, and continues to treat him. He treats Cyril exactly the same.
Poor Dave is haunted by his own choices, the path he took in life. He thinks of Jennifer (Charlotte Sullivan) and he still has a note from her as a reminder; not a particularly loving note. He doesn’t have much time for reminiscing before Dt. Patterson and Agent Williams are sniffing around the motel where he’s hiding out. He lucks out and cons his way into a room down the hallway trying to stay a step ahead of the law, literally, while Patterson and Williams are searching room by room. He almost gets nabbed, but slips out of the place.
Later, Williams and Patterson see an envelope from the letter at the hotel. An address in Montreal, Quebec, leading them to wonder if that’s where their fugitive is headed next. They anticipate his move and off they go. Of course they’re right. Dave is in Montreal, where he contacts Hearn via payphone. This begins the next step of their plan. Slaney’s got to go pick up some money from Lefevre. There’s also some shitty news for our man: Jen’s gotten married recently. That is one hell of a gut punch for a fella just busted out of prison. Now, what’s left for him to hang onto? He’s sort of adrift without an anchor to keep him right. What follows could become total chaos.
Skip back to ’71 in Newfoundland. Slaney and Hearn sit by the wharf, and they dream of a “weed empire,” girls, “swimming pools,” and all the typical stuff. This is when Dave runs into Jen for the first time in many years. They catch up, though it’s already obvious just by the look in his eyes he’s had a thing for this woman a long time. A first love-type of thing. Gives us a glimpse into their romantic history, why exactly Slaney’s been tortured by his lost love. So clear Hearn was perpetually a dark divide between the pair.
“Some eyes on ya. Like your mudder.”
In Mexico, Cyril does homemade dentistry on Hearn’s bad tooth. He uses pliers to rip the thing out. No big deal, right? Nothing some cocaine won’t fix. And there’s a nasty personality lurking in Brian, we see it momentarily here. He’s a dangerous, volatile individual.
There’s more to Patterson, as well. Williams knows that he has a missing daughter, so the two bond together in a way. She tells him about her troubled youth, including a “minor drug charge” that took her into the FBI, then the DEA eventually. So, there’s more than meets the eye to everybody. Adversity, if we’re able to survive its many abuses and trials, can make us stronger in the end, too.
“People sometimes, they need to reinvent themselves for their own reasons.”
Williams and Patterson are on the tail of Slaney. At the same time, Dave is gone to meet Lefevre. Things are sketchy. Not to mention KC is not far. The fugitive gets his hands on a means for a doctored passport, and then he has to go for another meet in the cemetery in a few hours to get his money. The detective and the agent don’t yet do anything, waiting for more developments before enacting their own plan.
KC goes to see Jen at her home, where she’s able to slip a bug under a picture frame, and they’re setting up a way to get an ear in on the place. Awkwardly but successfully, they’re monitoring. Not long before Slaney arrives, either. This is no joyous reunion, and it’s an emotional smack in the mouth for him to see Jen, young Crystal (Cali Erlichman) growing up. Certainly Jen’s not thrilled and she doesn’t have much time to revisit the past with him. However, she does admit to still loving him. Because love’s fucking complicated, man! Just because someone and their lifestyle’s bad for you doesn’t mean you can stop loving them. Nevertheless, it’s not like she’s running off with a fugitive. The crushing blow comes when we find out Hearn raped an unconscious Jen years ago, even before Dave went to jail. Yes; it means what you think.
This was an interesting scene that I LOVE – KC and Roy hear the whole emotion-filled conversation between Dave and Jen inside; a private moment that’s infiltrated to the maximum. Really well written. On top of it all, so human, so tragic, and all so devastating.
In the graveyard, Slaney meets Lefevre. They exchange the money, and the fugitive assures he’s headed for his old pal Brian. Not a good sign when Mr. Gabriel shows up. I’d say there’s some serious trouble coming down on our man Dave’s head. Look out!
Fantastic follow-up to the first episode, we’re getting into more of the character development now and the history of Slaney+Hearn+Jennifer is really starting to unfold. So, I can’t wait to see more. “Just Trust Me” is next week. I wonder what’s going to happen now that Gabriel’s got his hands on Dave. Possibly gonna get rough.