‘BOSCH’: Investigating episode 508 ‘Salvation Mountain’

Harry fights to survive when his cover is blown.

Episode 508: ‘Salvation Mountain’

Written by: Tom Bernardo

Directed by: Ernest Dickerson

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The stakes are extremely high in Bosch episode 508. Scot Anderson’s article in the Los Angeles Times blows Harry’s cover and forces Harry to fight for his life. Harry and Maddie are reunited, but all is not well as Maddie deals with the trauma of almost losing her father.

Elizabeth “Lizzie” Clayton helps J. Edgar identify the location of the pill mill compound in the Imperial Valley. Bosch and Edgar rescue her from a dirtbag doctor and take her to Charlie Company for a chance at recovery from her drug habit. Dalton Walsh and his remaining minions flee the camp leaving behind all their product and supplies.

Jerry thinks he knows where Bo Jonas is hiding and Harry figures out how Cronyn obtained Olmer’s DNA. Meanwhile, Grace struggles with what to do about her knowledge of the compromised crime statistics.

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A race against time

Jerry meets Liz Clayton at the Tehichapi police station to find out all he can about the location of the pill shill campsite. Liz remembers a lake. Jerry asks her to close her eyes suggesting that may jog her memory. She falls asleep, but when she wakes up she does recall more details. Liz remembers painted mountains with a cross. Liz and Jerry work together to identify the landmark as Salvation Mountain. The “lake” turns out to be the Salton Sea.

Jerry requests satellite images so they can narrow down where the actual campsite is. He knows that Billets will not be able to hold off much longer in reporting Harry’s absence to command. Little does Jerry know that Billets has discovered a newspaper article that will prompt her to make the call even sooner.

A worrisome discovery

Grace is eating breakfast with Cheryl. They are talking about the crime stats being altered. Cheryl presses Grace to do the right thing, but Billets waffles (breakfast pun!) on the subject. She doesn’t agree with “juking the stats” but does not want to lose her career over it.

The couple says goodbye as Grace heads to work. As she leaves the restaurant, Grace sees a newspaper article on the counter with Harry’s photo. She knows this can put Harry’s life at risk and she must intervene.

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Fight or flight?

In this case, it’s both.

Walsh’s goons Carter and Stones wake up the shills and tell them they are heading out in the van early today. The van stops at the plane and only Reilly is asked to exit the van. They tell him to board the plane because he is going home. The van leaves with the rest of the shills. Reilly looks unnerved.

The plane gets close to the Salton Sea. Stones pulls out a newspaper with the article about Bosch. He tells Bosch he has to jump out of the plane. Bosch is sandwiched between Carter and Stones. He takes out Carter with the knife hidden in the cane. Stones and Bosch wrestle to the edge of the plane’s opened exit door. Stones has Bosch on his back about to push him out of the plane. Bosch manages to hold on by grabbing a seat belt in his left hand. He uses the other hand to stab Stones in the eye with his thumb. Bosch has the leverage and flings Stones out of the plane into the Salton Sea.

Bosch enters the cockpit and tells the pilot that he is a police officer. Harry calls in to report the events and the plane’s approach to Whiteman Airport. He requests that Hollywood Division be contacted to meet him at the airport.

Harry arrives to the airport

Just as Billets is about to report to command that Harry’s undercover mission has been compromised, Mank tells her about Harry’s call. She is relieved and asks Mank to keep the news on the down low for now.

J. Edgar and Grace greet Harry at the airport. DEA Agent Charlie Hovan is also there to talk to him now that he knows a Fentanyl operation is involved. Jerry gives Harry his belongings and Harry calls Maddie before anything else. She is relieved to know he is home but is on her way to the trial for which she has been helping. Her dad tells her they will talk that evening.

Harry washes up and needs to talk to FID (Force Investigation Division). The pilot’s recollection of events matches Harry’s debrief. Bosch then meets with Hovan who believes he knows who Walsh is – a British CIA agent who switched sides to work with the cartels and then betrayed them to go out on his own. Hovan had presumed Walsh dead.

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Harry heads home

As Harry approaches his house, he receives a call from Honey Chandler asking where he has been. Harry answers her question and then brings up the newspaper article saying it blew his cover and he was almost killed. She is glad he is okay but points out that the article will provide good justification for Harry’s standing at Borders’ habeas hearing.

Chandler also updates Bosch on Terry Spencer and reveals that Terry is missing. Hector is trying to track him to one of the Cronyn properties. She says they need to find Terry and convince him to testify about the DNA transfer. Chandler ends the call by saying she hopes Harry’s brush with death was exaggerated. (No, Honey, it was not!)

Harry sits alone in the kitchen waiting for Maddie to come home. He is drinking in the dark. Maddie arrives late saying she “had plans”. She asks Harry a few questions about the mission and if he had to kill someone. She points out that every time he has to defend his life, she has to worry about losing him.

Harry asks about the outcome of her trial. She points out that he is changing the subject and leaves to go to her room.

Rescue mission

Harry and J. Edgar go to Louis’ house to find out where Liz is. Louis is shocked to see “Reilly” wearing a badge. They tell Louis they have video showing that he gave Liz a ride back to Los Angeles from Tehichapi. Louis reports that she probably went to see Dr. Rohat a.k.a “Chemical Ali” for her next fix. Louis insists he did not give her money because that’s not the currency she uses with this doctor.

J. Edgar and Harry go to the clinic and find Dr. Rohat with his shirt tail hanging out. They search the office and find Liz doped up and taken advantage of. When Rohat refuses to tell Harry what he gave her, Harry slams Rohat against the wall.

The two detectives rescue Liz and take her to Charlie Company for the night. Bosch says goodbye to Liz and implores her to get clean for Daisy, her late daughter who was murdered. Bosch leaves and Jerry reminds him that Liz will have to want to get clean for it to work.

In other news:

• DDA Alex Kennedy asks Christina Henry about the Scot Anderson article. He wonders if she may have leaked the details about the DNA. Christina insists she did not. She did refuse to speak with Scott Anderson; we saw that last episode.
• The Chief offers DA Hines the idea of not filing on the officer involved shooting, even after telling her that Robson and Vasquez have a documented previous encounter.
• Pierce and Vega tell Hart that his DNA is present on one of the ski masks worn in the pharmacy murder. It looks like he may start talking after all.
• Walsh, Vardy, and the guy who goes by “The Sheriff” are on the run and have obtained fake passports to cross the border into Canada. They are uncomfortable, however, with the loose end that is Harry Bosch.
• Maddie apologizes to Tom for leaving his party without saying goodbye. She also tells him that the things in the article about her dad are not true.
• Crate uses the CAPs assignment to guilt Billets into chipping in $100 to help fund Barrel’s retirement bash.
• Mank shares a drink with Barrel and prompts him to think about how he is going to retire AND still pay alimony to his three exes.
• J. Edgar thinks Bo Jonas is hiding out at Crosley’s church.
• Chief Irving meets with Lt. Billets and Captain Cooper. He calls them out on their b.s. account of the timeline of Harry’s undercover mission. He wants the truth.
• Harry talks to corrections officer Sanchez and learns that Cronyn used a handkerchief to wipe Olmer’s sweaty hands before he signed the “confession”. Cronyn then placed the handkerchief in a paper bag since Olmer had MRSA (and so he could use the DNA in a scam to exonerate Borders!)

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While we are grateful that Harry made it home alive, many questions still remain. Will Liz try to get clean? Will Hector find Terry Spencer before the hearing? Will Maddie be able to forgive her dad for putting his life at risk? And what will Barrel do when he retires?

There are two episodes left in season 5. Let’s hope we get all our questions answered. If not, we can try to take solace in knowing Bosch season 6 will begin filming soon!