False Face, False Heart is the third episode in Season 1 of Shades of Blue. It premiered on January 21, 2016.
Overview
Harlee refuses to give Stahl incriminating evidence against Wozniak but hands over a fully resolved unofficial investigation that Tess and Espada initiated when they moved a body by Tess' house found to be murdered with a 3D printed gun. Wozniak confronts Harlee who executes a dangerous bluff.
Recap
Believing she passed Wozniak’s polygraph test, Harlee wakes the next morning feeling refreshed, relaxed, and ready for a new day of underhanded police work. She’s taken to see Stahl’s supervising officer, Gail Baker. Harlee is surprised Baker is running this operation because they already know each other, though the extent of their relationship remains a mystery. Baker gives Harlee just one day to bring her something she can use to prosecute Woz.
Over at Casa de Woz, the lieutenant is spending his morning reassembling his sizable handgun collection. This activity transitions abruptly into a conversation with his wife, Linda, about their deceased daughter, who committed suicide when she was 19. This loss explains a lot about Woz’s close relationship with Harlee, whom he sees as a surrogate daughter.
This morning is also not going so hot for yet another detective on the squad, Tess Nazario. Tess calls her partner, Det. Carlos Espada to help her out with a little problem: She found a dead body in the alley outside her house this morning. Worse yet, she moved it.
After she’s released from her FBI interrogation, Harlee meets Woz for breakfast to talk about their plans for Zepeda’s new trial. Harlee’s worried her doctored evidence won’t stand up in court and her abusive ex will get released. Woz assures her that, as long as he testifies, it’ll all work out. After breakfast, Woz goes from one clandestine meeting to another. He slides into Donnie the Dirty Internal Affairs Agent’s unmarked car so they can discuss what to do about their Harlee problem. Donnie is ready to take her out that very night, but Woz still wants to believe she’s loyal. Donnie reminds him they’re about to move a lot of illegal cash, so they need to get this issue resolved.
When everyone finally gets to the station after their extremely busy mornings, Stahl calls Harlee for an update. In desperation, she tells him about the little black book Woz keeps on all his unsanctioned activities. It’s in a locked filing cabinet in the lieutenant’s office, but she knows where he keeps the key. Stahl wants Harlee to bring him the book, but she can’t go through with this betrayal. Anyway, she’s interrupted mid-burglary by ADA Nava. Harlee doesn’t have time to straighten up Woz’s office before he gets back, so she’s stuck with the cabinet key, which he immediately realizes is missing.
As if she doesn’t have enough to deal with, Harlee overhears Tess and Espada discussing the problem of the dead body. Espada found the victim’s NYU student ID: he’s Amir Abbas, the son of a boardmember of a local mosque that was recently firebombed. Suddenly, Tess is at risk of becoming a suspect in a hate crime. Harlee’s wheels start turning: If she gives Stahl evidence of a religiously motivated murder to occupy his time, maybe he’ll get off her back.
Before Harlee leaves to help Tess sort out Amir’s body, she tries to placate Woz by nonchalantly handing him back his key, saying she needed to go through his files to make copies for Nava. It’s a lame excuse they both know he doesn’t buy. Woz goes to the district attorney’s office to check up on Harlee’s explanation, and of course Nava unwittingly blows her cover immediately. Woz then tails Tess and Harlee to Tess’ house. In turn, Stahl and Chen follow Woz to the same location.
Harlee and Tess investigate the spot where Amir died, and Harlee discovers shells and other evidence of the shooting. She quickly pieces together what happened: Amir inadvertently shot himself, when a bullet he fired during target practice ricocheted off a dumpster. Then, she finds something else: the “murder” weapon — only it’s not your typical Glock. This gun is white plastic and looks like the product of a 3-D printer. Both cops are relieved no crime was committed, but they can’t do anything with their evidence, because then they’d have to explain why Tess moved the body and never reported the crime.
Still waiting for Tess and Harlee to reappear on the street, Woz glances in his rearview mirror and spots Stahl and Chen. He’s been doing this long enough to know undercover Feds when he sees them, so he splits. He goes to meet Donnie in the hotel room where the agent has been hiding out before their big play. Finding the FBI on his tail has finally convinced Woz of his worst fear: Harlee must be working with them behind his back. Donnie says they have to get rid of her tonight. Woz agrees, then steps toward Donnie, and they start making out.
Harlee gets a call from Woz, asking to meet her at the marina in two hours. Before Harlee goes to get dumped in the Hudson, though, she has a date with Nava, whom she’s hoping to sweet talk into upholding Zepeda’s conviction. Stahl follows her to the restaurant and corners her in the bathroom. Harlee’s pissed he’s tracking her and compromising her cover, but Stahl has more pressing concerns: He’s listening to Woz’s phone calls, and he knows where she’s going after her date.
Stahl demands Harlee undress so he can wire her for the meeting with Woz. Obviously, Harlee feels less than comfortable getting naked in a tight space with a man she loathes and who has complete power over her. But she’s got nowhere to turn, so she strips to the waist. Stahl reaches to attach the recorder, but she slaps his hand away and tells him never to touch her. He grabs her arm and forcefully pulls it behind her, before pushing against her and whispering, “I will touch you whenever and however I deem necessary. Because I own you.”
Cut to Harlee arriving at the marina. Woz is waiting for her, and he wastes no time before pulling his gun and announcing he knows she’s the mole. The truth has caught up to her, but Harlee doesn’t give in. Instead, playing the hurt friend, she invites Woz to search her bag. No recording devices in there. Doubting himself, Woz is considering letting her go, but Harlee needs to fully convince him of her loyalty. She takes off her dress to show she’s not wearing a wire. Ashamed, Woz turns and leaves. We then see Harlee from behind: a red recording button blinks on a box attached to the back of her bra. She was wearing it the entire time.
Having narrowly avoided getting shot by her boss, Harlee invites herself over to Nava’s apartment to blow off some steam. She quickly seduces him, knowing all the while that the wire is still recording, and Stahl can hear her having sex with another man. The message is clear: Harlee gets to decide who touches her, and Stahl never will again.
Cast
Starring |
Guest Starring
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Co-Starring
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Multimedia
Soundtrack
| Title | Artist | Scene |
|---|---|---|
| "Bad Things" | Isaso | Loman goes to the funeral fundraiser for Jamarr Malcolm and meets Erica and Jay-Jay. |
| "Just Like Blood" | Sharon Vanetten | Loman gets Erica's phone number; Tess watches over the victim's body in the morgue; Molly follows Matt to a bar and reports back; Robert follows after Harlee; Harlee heads to James' with food. |
| "Closer" | JMR | Harlee suggest James that he should kiss in lieu having nothing to do which he does; Harlee slides her mic off as she and James have sex; Robert listens to Harlee's mic feed. |