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‘BOSCH’: Investigating episode 509 ‘Hold Back the Night’

Harry Bosch gets his day in court and J. Edgar gets closer to the truth about Gary.

Episode 509: ‘Hold Back the Night’

Written by: Eric Overymyer

Directed by: Aaron Lipstadt

Harry does not get much of a break from his brush with death during the undercover mission. As soon as he returns to Los Angeles he has to convince Terry Spencer to testify at Borders’ habeas hearing, once they find him that is. Maddie uncovers some intel that may be helpful to Honey Chandler.

Drama ensues inside Judge Sobel’s courtroom as Honey Chandler reveals the scheme behind Olmer’s false confession. Borders loses his temper and his secret marriage to Rita is revealed in the courtroom.

Pierce and Vega make a gruesome discovery. J. Edgar finds Bo Jonas and learns that Marcos and Arias never showed for their meeting with him, but someone else did.

Harry adopts the dog he saved at Walsh’s camp. Maddie gives notice at the D.A.’s office and plans to return to college early.


Sorry to ‘alarm’ you

Investigator Hector Bonner identifies Terry Spencer’s hiding place. Terry is the property clerk believed to have switched the handkerchiefs in the Border’s evidence box. The Cronyns sent Terry to stay at one of Kathy’s properties after the suspicious phone called placed by Harry.

Harry and Honey pull up to the house and see Terry entering. Knowing he most surely has been instructed not to open the door, Harry activates his car alarm by pushing his foot against the car’s bumper. Honey stands at the door covering the peephole with a piece of paper. Terry is forced to open the door to see what’s going on.

Bosch and Chandler come into the house and explain to Terry that the Cronyns are using him for their own personal gain and will not protect him. They plea with him to testify and assure him that he is not the one they are trying to implicate.

A Hovan to Hart talk

DEA Agent Charlie Hovan interrogates Hart in Bakersfield asking him about the various murders resulting from Walsh’s message of “don’t rat” to Jose Esquivel Sr.  Hart blames Stones for all of them. Hovan then points out that Stones is dead (after Harry flung him out of the airplane over the Salton Sea). Hart dismisses Stones’ death without emotion. Hovan reminds Hart that he is supposed to be cooperating. Hart tells Hovan that he knows about another body.

The body is that of Cleek, the original getaway driver at the pharmacy. Hart and Stones shot Cleek in episode 2 and set the vehicle on fire. Hovan and Jimmy Robertson discuss the findings from the burnt vehicle. They also bond over their shared native tongue with Jimmy having a Cuban heritage and Hovan being from the Dominican Republic.

A gruesome discovery

Pierce and Vega are called to the scene of a mysterious suitcase that is leaking blood. Word of the suitcase came from an anonymous caller. The detectives open the suitcase and find multiple severed limbs. They cannot tell if they are all from one body or what the gender is.

Later, Vega pulls footage of a stolen van stopping at a nearby alley. Christina suspects that the killer drove there to dump the suitcase of body parts. They decide to visit the vacant building that is in close proximity. The landlord walks them upstairs as they all comment on the stench from the old building that has been out of commission for the last 6 years. Pierce discovers a bloodied bathtub in one of the apartments.

photo courtesy of Bosch season 5 campaign on epk.tv
Mason Dye and Madison Lintz in Bosch season 5
photo credit: Aaron Epstein/Amazon Prime Video

Let the games begin

Everyone prepares for arrival at the Borders habeas petition hearing. Christina asks partner Ed what he will be wearing in court. She tells him it better not be a Hawaiian shirt.

Tom consoles Maddie who is struggling with the anniversary of her mother’s death. The young clerk suggests that Maddie take the day off from work on her mother’s birthday, which is coming up soon. Maddie continues with her deliveries as Tom walks in a different direction. Before placing an envelope on Tom’s desk, she spies a folder about the Borders case. She opens it to find a memo from Christina Henry recommending investigation into Harry Bosch’s cases in the event that the Borders conviction is overturned. Maddie snaps a photo of the memo.

Honey and Harry meet at a restaurant where Honey tells him about a “leaked” memo written by Christina Henry that a source sent her from the DA’s office. She asks Harry about his personal history with Christina. He explains that although the relationship ended, he did not think there were lasting issues until Christina was being considered for a promotion. He refused to weigh in on her qualifications since they had been in a personal relationship. Christina blames Harry for not getting the job. Chandler explains that she thinks she can use this personal aspect as leverage in her comments at the hearing.

Surprise, surprise!

All parties settle into the courtroom. Scot Anderson is on hand from the Los Angeles Times. Maddie sits next to her father. Hector arrives and indicates that there is no sign yet of Terry Spencer. Rita is stationed at the front as court reporter. Borders walks into the courtroom wearing a suit and sits with his attorneys Lance and Kathy Cronyn. DDA Alex Kennedy sits with Christina Henry, Ed Sung, and Tom. Terry does end up arriving on the scene with his attorney. Finally, Judge Sobels enters her courtroom.

Judge Sobel gives Honey the floor to argue standing for Harry. She brings up the newspaper article that is already a threat to his reputation. Judge Sobel grants the “leave to intervene”.

DDA Alex Kennedy objects saying they have not had any time to prepare for new witnesses. He requests 30 days for the people to review the information. Judge Sobel says 3o days will probably turn into 90 days given the volume on the court calendar. The judge asks Borders if he is okay going back to prison for three months. He agrees if it will provide the information needed to “get it right”.

Chandler objects saying that Detective Bosch’s reputation could be irreparably damaged in the course of those three months. She recommends that the media and other observers leave the courtroom and she will give proffers for all the witnesses she plans to call. The judge agrees.

She explains they have evidence indicating that Olmer’s DNA was planted and accuses the Cronyns of trying to collect millions of dollars from the City. Chandler brings up the memo from Christina highlighting the personal nature of her investigation. She says she plans to call Terry Spencer, Christina Henry, and Rita Tedesco to testify.

The judge is stunned to learn that Rita has been married to Borders for 16 years. The Cronyns are stunned that Terry Spencer is at the courthouse. Borders loses his temper and says he will reveal all the details of Cronyn’s plan. As expected, Kennedy withdraws the petition for a habeas hearing and the judge demands a public apology from the City to Bosch.

As Borders is escorted out of the courtroom he again accuses Harry of planting the pendant while simultaneously confessing to the murder saying the pendant was taken from his backpack. Wait a minute, Irving had access to that backpack!

The aftermath

Bosch is in the clear. Borders goes back to life in prison without parole. Rita has a lot of explaining to do. CIU suffers some embarrassment. The Cronyns are in big trouble.

Maddie congratulates her dad and goes to pick up her personal items before heading home. Chandler tells Harry they lucked out on Spencer who apparently was only there to “take the fifth”.

Tom confronts Maddie about sharing the memo with Chandler. She does not deny it. Tom respects her honesty with him but does not yet know what he will do with the information.

Back at home, Maddie tells her dad that she will be returning to college the next day and that she has turned in her notice at the DA’s office. He presses her for the reason and she explains that she needs some time away from him. He asks her to at least stay through Eleanor’s birthday, but she refuses.

The truth gets uglier

J. Edgar surprises Bo Jonas who is vacuuming at Crosley’s church. Jonas reveals that Detectives Marcos and Arias never arrived at the meeting as planned. Instead, he reported that some Jamaicans arrived and it looked like a trap. He ran but Gary did not. He also tells Jerry that Gary had been holding a gun for him that he had purchased from these Jamaican gangsters. Even though Bo could identify the killers, he refuses to do so.

J. Edgar sees Arias and Marcos enter a club. He follows and sees them at a table with whom may be these same Jamaicans. Jerry later goes to a pawn shop to speak with Mama Roux. She recognizes Jerry, or Jerome as she calls him, from his youth. He asks her about Jacques Avril. Her countenance become serious.

Jerry goes to Jacques Avril’s home. Jacques remembers seeing Jerry at the coffee shop days before meeting with Arias and Marcos. Avril also reveals that his “people” spotted Jerry at the club the night before. Jacques makes what appears to be a reference to he and Jerry both being Haitian. Jerry asks him if he is the “secret police”, “The Butcher of Petion-Ville” who killed Jerry’s uncle, Antoine Hector. Avril reports that it was not him but rather his father who killed Jerry’s uncle. Jacques closes the door and Jerry leaves. The conversation is peppered with veiled threats and evokes a sense of danger.

In other news:

  • Charlie Hovan delivers the dog from the pill shill camp to Harry. Harry now has a dog!
  • DA Hines announces that her office will not be filing charges against Officer Robson in the officer involved shooting of Vasquez. She expects a thorough investigation into the matter by the LAPD.
  • Jun meets Irving at his office to leave for dinner. As they walk out he tells her that he is “seriously” considering entry into the mayoral race. Jun is pleased.
  • Crate asks Mank to contribute to the “Cheers & Beers” retirement celebration for Barrel.
  • Billets asks Lt. Thorne if he has noticed anything fishy about the crime stats. He says they are accurate. The pair meets with Captain Cooper and Grace reminds the captain that she is a “team player”.
  • Later, Grace calls Cheryl to tell her she will be home soon as she sits at the bar waiting for reporter Scot Anderson. Grace passes an envelope to Anderson and exits leaving him to pay for her drink.
  • Maddie looks at newspaper articles about her mother’s death. She sees the photo of Shiwei Chen whom Harry accused of having Eleanor killed.
  • Ray Scales at Charlie Company tells Bosch that Lizzie Clayton left the facility.

What an episode! It feels like a win for Harry until Maddie tells him she’s leaving early for school. It was gratifying to see Borders and the Cronyns squirm. Jerry’s inquiry with Jacques Avril makes me nervous for his safety. Meanwhile, Pierce and Vega appear to be on to something very disturbing.

But Harry has a dog. I repeat, Harry has a dog!

 

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