Conviction – #StayWoke

By: Marie Thong

The episode starts with a group of protestors walking down a city street chanting “We want justice,” as they approach a police blockade. As they reach the cops someone is shot. The protestors scatter as a female cop collapses to the ground clutching her neck – blood pouring through her fingers.

At CIU, the team watches a police report where Wallace (Eddie Cahill) appears giving a media conference about 15 year old boy who was shot and killed. Hayes (Hayley Atwell) enters the room to catch Wallace’s final words about the shooting. After a question from Maxine (Merrin Dungey) regarding her lack of casual attire today, Hayes informs her team that her brother (Daniel Franzese) let her back into the apartment. Sam (Shawn Ashmore) comments that Wallace may not be able to completely handle the media outpour; however, Hayes has a solution – hitting it head on. She presents her team with several case – all of which have a theme, each of the convicted were black and possibly prosecuted unfairly. Frankie (Manny Montana) pitches the case of Porscha Williams (Susan Heyward), which Hayes finds perfect but Sam is a bit more apprehensive. The suggestion causes the team to argue as Sam worried that after the police shooting of the young boy such a racially charged case might be tough to take on. But Hayes takes a stand, explaining the city needs to know that the CIU are fighting for justice before formally accepting the case.

At the murder board, Sam and Maxine begin explaining the case. Porscha Williams had organized a rally to protest racial inequality six years prior. Sergeant Kelsey Blake was assigned to crowd control. After heated exchanges, a shot was fired and Blake was shot with him dying soon after. Several witnesses saw Porscha wielding a gun with one saying he saw Porscha kill Sergeant Blake. Frankie adds that the gun and bullet were never found. This prompts Sam to inform the group that Blake was shot with a 9mm, the same type of gun that Porscha owned and had GSR on her. Hayes points out that with over 150 protestors more than four should have seen something, but no one wanted to be involved. Frankie now realizes that six years ago everyone was on social media, taking pictures with their smartphone, so he gets to work on finding the pictures. Sam goes to talk to the prosecutor while Hayes and Maxine visit Porscha in prison.

At the prison Portia immediately admits her guilt; however, she says she is not guilty of what we initially think. She is guilty for seeking equality and quickly denies killing Sergeant Blake. She’d gotten rid of her 9mm one year before the rally when she discovered she was pregnant and swears on her daughter’s life that she didn’t kill the Sergeant.

Tess (Emily Kinney) is at a coffee cart where the vendor catches her off guard by remembering her regular order. After handing her change, Tess decides to put it in the tip jar which the man notices, thanking her for her “monster tips.” (If you ask me, this man is going to play a bigger part in this show in the near future. Just saying.)

Back at CIU, Tess and Frankie stand in the front of dozens of monitors as pictures flash across, aptly described by Tess as “Facebook exploded” across the monitors. Using a software, Frankie stitches the pictures together to create a virtual location, a 360 view of the moment Sergeant Blake was shot.

Meanwhile, Sam is at the prosecutor’s office who doesn’t quite appreciate the CIU taking a look at the case again, taking it as an insult to her work. They begin discussing her tactics and the way in which she won the trial ending with her saying that her job is to win.

In the meantime, while waiting for the software to finish Frankie gets up from the steps to go get more coffee when he notices something on the screen, Charlie Rossmore (David Patrick Flemming). He is the witness who saw Porscha shoot Sergeant Blake. However, the picture shows him bashing a police car one block away thus making it impossible for him to have seen her shooting the police Sergeant. The next day, when Maxine and Sam interview him, after confirming he saw Porscha shoot Blake as Maxine shows him the picture proving otherwise. But it’s only after Sam gets up to call the officer does Rossmore concede. Wanting an alibi for vandalism, he lied about seeing Porscha kill Sergeant Blake. The team go through the latest evidence while Rossmore’s account is no longer valid Hayes still wants to speak to the other witnesses.

Having forgotten to inform Wallace of the new case, Hayes arrives at his building and enters his office to find Naomi (Ilfenesh Hadera) there. The two make some pleasant small talk, bantering back and forth. Hayes turns to leave, but not before inviting her ex-girlfriend out to drinks to catch up an invite which Naomi accepts. The camera settles on Wallace who sports a sly grin.

At CIU, Sergeant Blake’s husband, Daniel (Nick Coleman), meets with Maxine as he is perplexed as to why they want to reopen the case. Their conversation appears fairly normal as he recounts the day, tears falling from his face as he describes the final moments with his wife. The conversation quickly shifts as his next few sentences filled with racist undertones leaves Maxine stunned by the comments.

Meanwhile in his office, Sam talks to the other witnesses. All of them are certain that the altercation was heated, two more certain that she had a gun but one man is more open to the idea it may have been a phone. Back at the monitors Tess, Frankie and Maxine go through the pictures. Tess points out a woman who she believed was Porscha yet it was a different woman who looked very similar that was in clear shot of Sergeant Blake. Having got the two women confused themselves, the witnesses very well could’ve too.

Sam was able to identify the woman as Layla Benson. Going through her file, he finds her rap sheet – assault and a fire arm possession charge for a 9mm. The team have now brought her in to the CIU headquarters where Maxine and Sam are interview her. She explains her rap sheet, from the assault to the possession charge yet the duo is still unconvinced. Prompted by Maxine, she provides an alibi. When the shot went off she went down and broke her leg, unable to have shot Sergeant Blake as the gun would’ve still been in her hand when paramedics arrived.

In the lab, Frankie explains to Tess that the GSR particle count on Porscha was only 50 when the count is usually closer to 1000 for a close range shot. At that level it could have been a number of causes or it couldn’t have been GSR at all. He shows her that all it takes is lighting a match to cause the remnants on Porscha’s hand. Tess tells Frankie about her aunt getting shot when she was twelve years old. Having witnessed the crime, she gave the police a description, but made a vital mistake in his identification sending an innocent man to jail for 5 years before DNA exonerated him. It turns out that the man owns a coffee cart, the same coffee cart she goes to everyday (What did I say? Called it). Realizing Tess is looking for forgiveness, Frankie advises her to simply ask for it.

That night Hayes is joined by Naomi in her office who hopes Hayes knows what she’s doing and is worried for Wallace. Hayes asks if she knew why Wallace hired her and is given a diplomatic answer in regard to her skills, but Hayes rebuts by saying Wallace wanted to hurt her. While Naomi knows this, it doesn’t bother her seeing herself as a player rather than a pawn. The two exchange some flirty banter, something which could have become more if not for Naomi being called away by Wallace leaving Hayes seething.

Cut to Tess in another part of the office walking away with a man and a little girl. Maxine rushes out of the office and informs her that Layla’s alibi checks out. Tess introduces the two to each other who exchange pleasantries. Sophie, Porscha’s daughter, thanks Maxine but the moment is ruined when David turns up drunk. The two husbands exchange heated words before Maxine steps in. Lance leaves Maxine with a bitter Daniel. He makes more racist comments to her; however, she gives him a pass due to his inebriation. Before leaving, he throws Maxine a picture of Porscha holding a large gun at a firing range.

Back at the prison Hayes and Maxine confront Porscha about the picture who claims it was taken a long time ago, before she “changed.” The conversation between Maxine and Porscha grows hot and aggressive when Maxine’s son is brought up, deciding to leave instead of brawl she storms out of the room. Hayes is now left alone in the room with Porscha who turns her attention now to ridiculing Hayes. The meeting is not completely fruitless as Portia inadvertently gives Hayes a clue.

Now at a bar, Maxine is talking to her father (Nigel Gibbs), confiding in him about what happened. She sometimes forgets that race is all anybody sees, worried for her son, Ashton. She doesn’t know how to keep him safe in a society that often can’t look past skin color and he tries to comfort her in the best way he can.

Back at the monitors, Hayes and Frankie are with Dr. Kassar who is helping them figure why the ME’s van was there hours after the crime when Maxine arrives. They find that the van had a major coolant leak which effected the body in a significant way. Taking another look at the report, Dr. Kassar finds that the entry wound could in fact have been the entry wound. This means that the killer could have been standing behind her instead of in front like Porscha was. Hayes informs Wallace of the developments ready to release Porscha, but Naomi advices them to catch the real killer first.

After going through the events step by step, Frankie realizes the police were looking in the wrong direction for the bullet. He finds a wall which had been patched up and after a bit of digging he pulls out the bullet. Tests show neither Daniel nor the officers shot Blake, but actually one of the witnesses. Sam and Maxine approach George at his job and he immediately senses what’s happening. They are pushed aside and George takes off, but he’s soon chased down when he reaches a dead end where he pulls a gun on the duo. Maxine’s efforts to talk him down are eventually rendered fruitless as the weight of his actions were too much to bear so George ends his own life. Porscha is released from prison soon after, greeted by her husband and young daughter as Maxine watches on.

That night, Tess is back at the coffee cart and she approaches the man, introducing herself. He cuts her off, pleased that she’s finally starting a conversation. He gives her a coffee on the house as a thank you for the tips she always gives. He introduces himself, Matty (Alex Mallari Jr.) and they engage in some small talk before she leaves, not being to admit to him who she really is. Back at office Hayes finds Maxine working and attempts to comfort her along with some scotch. Maxine turns her down due to her addiction. Maxine leaves, but not before extending a fist-bump to her colleague which is accepted with gusto. Hayes tries to find Naomi but her office empty, leaving her a voicemail in hopes they could pick up where they left off the other night. She walks to Wallace’s office only to find the two of them kissing. Hurt she falls back against the wall, but quickly gathers herself and leaves.