Saturday, April 9, 2011

US Television: Blue Bloods, Episode 1.19 "Model Behavior"

Blue Bloods
Season One, Episode Nineteen:  Model Behavior
Original Air Date:  April 9, 2011


When Linda Reagan's niece, Sofie, an aspiring model, collapses on the runway during Fashion Week, and a former model turned reality television star dies at the same show, they find the two women were poisoned with the deadly death cap mushroom.  While information about the dark side of the modeling world is revealed during the investigation, truths about the relationship between Linda and her sister, Wendy come to light as well.  Meanwhile, Frank and Henry Reagan are distressed over news their parish priest is being transferred to Bolivia.

Linda (wearing a dress she plans to return the next day!), Erin and Nicki attend a fashion show where Linda's niece, Sofie (Sonya Harum), is modeling.  Linda goes backstage with her sister, Wendy, to see Sofie as the models prepare for the show.  An ex-supermodel (with a T.V. show), Milli Sky (Karolina Muller), comes through and warns Sofie not to fall down since it's her big day then huffs off after demanding a mineral water from her assistant, Cameron (Marina Squerciati).  Sofie's mother advises her to not let the woman jinx her.  Wendy sends Linda back out to the audience so Sofie can 'focus'.

Frank is on the phone over a photo in the newspaper of one of his officers behind the wheel of his cruiser while texting.  He wants the officers boss to come to his office immediately.  Henry Reagan brings lunch and word that he received some unsettling news while working the breakfast line of Comforting Community at the church that morning.  The parishioner heard Father McMurray was leaving as he's being transferred to Bolivia.  Frank finds it a bit of an odd move and Henry doesn't want to think about St. Luke's without McMurray as he's meant so much to their family.

The models take the runway amid loud music, lights and flashing cameras.  Sofie comes out wearing a shimmering gown.  When she turns to walk back down the runway, she pauses then collapses to the floor.  Wendy and Linda stand and run to her.  Linda tells Erin to call 911.  Sofie is unresponsive.  They hear a scream from the audience and Linda gets up and runs to where the scream came from.  Milli Sky is on the floor, dead.

At the hospital, Wendy feels guilty for pushing Sofie knowing she wasn't feeling good but Erin tells her she shouldn't blame themselves.  Wendy feels that Millie being dead cannot be a coincidence.  Atlanta (Ann Markley), arrives at the hospital asking about Sofie, who is in a coma.  Wendy introduces Atlanta, who has been a big sister to Sofie since her modeling career started, to Linda and Erin.  Sofie's doctor (Stacy Yen) comes to speak with Wendy and tells her the tox screen of Sofie's stomach revealed a poisonous mushroom, amanita phalloides (death cap).  Now that they know what affected her, they can focus on restoring her liver function.  Milli had the same mushroom in her system, only in a larger amount than Sofie.  Atlanta questions who would do such a thing and Erin remarks that is what the police will have to find out.

At St. Lukes, Frank lights a candle then goes into confession.  His sins were losing his temper at Sunday dinner and swearing before his grandchildren as he was angry at his son (Danny, the priest provides his name).  Father McMurray (John Dossett) tells Frank they've talked about the temper.  Frank tells the priest he hears he's leaving St. Lukes.  McMurray remarks "so much for keeping the transfer quiet".  Frank asks if it is something he really wants and McMurray replies that he's had a good run at St. Lukes and would find Bolivia an invigorating challenge.  Frank then asks if there's anything he can say that will change his mind.  McMurray tells him he's a parish priest and goes where he is asked then closes the confession window.

Danny and Jackie arrive at the hospital and speak with Atlanta wanting to track Milli and Sofie's whereabouts for the past 12-20 hours, the length of time it takes the mushrooms to take effect.  Jackie brings up information given by Wendy that Sofie was at a party at Milli's.  Atlanta admits they all were there as it was an annual party given by Milli to kick off Fashion Week.  She knows of no one at the party who would want to hurt Sofie as she's the sweetest girl in the world and hasn't even been in the business long enough to make enemies.  Danny next asks about Milli to which Atlanta replies "everybody".  Harry (Hank Chen), Atlanta's best friend and Sofie's hairdresser, arrives and asks if Dorian knows about Sofie being in the hospital.  Dorian (Andrew Pastides) is Sofie's new boyfriend.  Atlanta tells Harry the police want to know if anyone at the party would want to see Milli dead and Harry, too, says "everybody".  At the precinct, Jackie expresses her doubts about the case as she knows nothing about fashion and models.  Danny doesn't either but he's working the case for Linda and her sister (the sister Jackie notes she never hears anything nice about).

Frank pays a visit to Bishop Donovan (Peter Gerety) about Father McMurray's leaving St. Lukes.  The Bishop tells him it's a hard times for the church.  He's had to close six schools in the diocese, including St. Brendan's, the school Frank and his children attended.  The Bishop asks Frank if he spoke with McMurray and Frank admits he did and that McMurray told him he was fine with the move.  However, Frank thinks the issue is more what he didn't say and something is wrong.  Bishop Donovan admits to Frank that a woman accused Father McMurray of inappropriate behavior of a sexual nature.  Frank asks if the woman has any proof and the Bishop tells him in the current climate, proof isn't necessary.  He reminds Frank it wasn't too long ago Frank came to him to say St. Lukes couldn't sweep anything under the rug so they are facing the issue head-on.  Frank insists Father McMurray is a good man and the woman's allegations aren't possible and it is just as important to exonerate an innocent person as it is to convict a guilty one.  Frank blatantly states to Bishop Donovan he isn't facing the problem head-on, he's using another way of sweeping things under the rug.  Bishop Donovan makes it clear that McMurray leaves at the end of the month as ignoring the allegations would bring attention the Church cannot afford.

Jackie tells Danny the mushroom samples were sent to the DEA lab in Washington D.C. as they can tell what country they came from.  The police lab is going over everything found backstage at the fashion show.  Danny feels Milli's party is the best bet.  Milli's loft was completely cleaned out and the caterers disposed of all the old food.  A video from Milli's people arrived while he was out.  She had every minute of the party recorded for her reality show by a professional camera crew.  The footage contains every move Milli made that night.  As they're talking, an officer brings Cameron Swanson, Milli's personal assistant in to speak with them.  When she removes her glasses she has bruising around her eye.  She tells them she knew they would catch her anyway so she's there to report a crime.

In interview, Cameron admits she stole from Milli, but she didn't really consider it stealing since she felt the money was hers anyway.  The morning of the party, Cameron used soy milk for Milli's latte, as there wasn't any lactose free available, which caused her boss to scream at her.  Cameron told Milli she was quitting and wanted her money but Milli didn't give it to her.  Cameron tried to leave but Milli wouldn't allow her to go as she needed her for the party.  When Cameron tried to leave anyway, Milli smashed her cell phone into Cameron's face.  During the party, Cameron sneaked in and took the $1200 owed to her.  Jackie questions why she was with Milli the next day at the fashion show and Cameron admitted that Milli threatened to tell her (Cameron's) parents she was bulimic.  Danny asks if there was anything suspicious she noted when she was at the party.  She saw Dorian, Sofie's new boyfriend, shaving something onto Sofie's risotto.  Jackie and Danny leave the room to talk and he thinks maybe they have been focusing on the wrong victim.  When Jackie asks what they'll do about Cameron, Danny thinks she would probably walk anyway since Milli isn't around to press charges.

Jamie logs onto the NYPD Intranet and searches for Lydia Gonsalves.  A screen comes up telling him the information is restricted.  He tries searching again but receives the same message.  His partner comes in to get him and he quickly shuts the Intranet off, grabs his hat and leaves the office.  When he's gone, Renzulli (Nicholas Turturro) goes to the computer and finds that Jamie was searching for Gonsalves.

Frank once again goes to see Father McMurray at the church.  He tells him he went to see Bishop Donovan.  McMurray tells Frank the woman was a member of the parish years ago and didn't have an easy life.  She imagined she was in love with him.  She sent letters and gifts then finally made a physical advance which he deflected and thought that was the end of it.  It was until her marriage failed and she moved back into her parents home and into the parish.  Frank asks if he told this to Donovan and McMurray says the Bishop is between a rock and a hard place.  The woman has a history of psychiatric illness and if they use that information in their defense it will only focus on the Church's recent history of having turned a blind eye to legitimate claims of abuse.  Frank insists the situation isn't right and McMurray falling on his sword isn't the answer.  Father McMurray tells him he's at peace and Frank says he wishes the Reagan family could say the same.

Danny and Jackie watch the footage of Milli's party and comment that everyone hated her but were all at the party, like a nest of vipers.  They see Sofie and her boyfriend, Dorian, at the party and he is indeed putting something on Sofie's food.  Cameron can even be seen in the background.  They continue watching and see Sofie take a bite of the food.  Milli wants some of what was put on Sofie's food as well but Dorian doesn't give it to her.  When Sofie sits her plate down on a table to talk to Atlanta, Milli puts hers down next to Sofie's then picks up Sofie's and eats from it.

They go to Dorian's apartment and hear loud music.  When the door is answered, they go in, Danny showing his badge, and he tells everyone to put their hands where they can be seen and to turn the music off.  They hear a toilet flush and Danny enters the room to find Dorian flushing something.  Danny takes the baggie from Dorian and takes him to the other room.  He holds up the back so Jackie can see:  it's full of mushrooms.

In the interview room, Danny reads lyrics from Dorian's CD speaking of watching models 'die, die'.  Dorian maintains it's just a song but Danny points out how convenient it would be if Dorian's new girlfriend, a model, died when his new video was about to be released.  Dorian admits it would be "#1 with a bullet" bringing a slap from Danny.  Dorian says the mushrooms were psychedelic mushrooms.  Danny mentions the video showing him shaving something like mushrooms onto Sofie's risotto at the party.  Dorian tells him it was a truffle he paid $2,000 for at a charity auction.  He says he gave it to a lot of other people at the party and Danny should ask himself why they aren't dead too.  Danny does want to know why Dorian hasn't asked any questions about Sofie.  He says Sofie isn't really his girlfriend.  It was an arrangement between his management and her mother.  Wendy thought it would be good for Sofie's "rising star".  Dorian got protection from rumors of him being gay from the deal.  He was more interested in Harry than he was Sofie.  Jackie calls Danny out of the interview to confirm the mushrooms Dorian was trying to flush were psychedelic.  Danny wants to hold Dorian for possession until they figure the confusing case out.

At the hospital, Linda visits with Wendy and Sofie, who is breathing on her own.  Linda tells her sister Dorian is no longer a suspect and Wendy admits to the 'arrangement' between Sofie and Dorian.  Wendy becomes defensive and demands Linda leave the hospital room.

Around the dinner table, Frank explains the situation with Father McMurray to the family.  He asks what they think.  Danny feels the whole situation stinks.  Erin feels it isn't an issue of legality; it isn't a question of due process, it's an ethical issue.  Jamie asks the family if they are being selfish for wanting to lose Father McMurry and putting their needs before that of the Church.  Henry thinks they should have faith that Bishop Donovan will do the right thing.  Frank comments that "everything has a cost--even truth--but the reward for truth is a clear eye and a clear conscience", something Bishop Donovan said at St. Brendan's.  Frank hopes Donovan remembers that.

Danny brings Jackie coffee the next morning.  She has information that the mushrooms came from Morocco and were harvested no more than one month earlier.  She pulled passenger lists from the last six weeks from Marrakesh and Casablanca.  She gives Danny a list from Iberia Airlines.  She hasn't found anything thus far on American but she's checking Air France.  On the Iberia list, Danny finds a listing for Newark to Marrakesh via Paris for Harry Bell on seat 30A three weeks ago.  They go to Harry's apartment and hear loud music but he doesn't respond when they knock on the door.  They draw their weapons and Danny kicks the door in.  Inside the apartment, they find Harry dead in the bath from an apparent suicide.

Jackie and Danny find Dorian doing community service in the park and question him about Harry.  Dorian and Harry had 'their time' in Morocco but Harry said nothing to him about mushrooms.  Jackie mentions they didn't see Dorian's name on the manifests and he tells them he doesn't fly commercial.  He went to Morocco because Harry was working on a photo shoot for Atlanta's Marrakesh spread.  She flew to Morocco on Dorian's private plane with him.

They go to Atlanta's place of business and find her on the roof.  She warns them not to come any closer and threatens to jump.  She feels that, at 25, her life is over as she went from booking a dozen shows a year down to just one.  And she had to beg for that one.  She didn't mean to hurt anyone and thought the mushrooms would just make Sofie sick and she could close the show instead of Sofie.  She admits to putting the mushroom in Sofie's risotto when she wasn't looking but doesn't know what happened to Milli.  She feels guilty for Harry as she said he suspected her even though he didn't see her buy the mushrooms.  She told him if he said anything against her, she would say they did it together.  Danny tries to convince her Harry killed himself and that everything can be worked out.  He takes a few steps toward her and grabs hold of her hand, pulling her away from the ledge.  He and Jackie place her under arrest.

At the hospital, Linda arrives in Sofie's room.  Wendy apologizes for how she treated Linda the day before.  She tells her sister that if Sofie comes out of her coma, she's going to be making a lot of changes.  She feels guilty that she closed her eyes to the truth about the people surrounding her daughter but Linda tells her she was doing what she thought best, something every mother is guilty of.  Wendy admits she always envied Linda because she's known exactly who she was and never once pretended to be something she wasn't for anyone while she spent her entire life trying to forget where she came from and be something she wasn't.  The two sisters come to an understanding in their relationship and embrace.  As they are hugging, Sofie awakens and calls to her mother.

Bishop Donovan pays a visit to Frank in his office.  He makes small talk about knowing Frank had something great in him and how good their schools are.  He tells Frank he reminded him of something when they last spoke:  was he sacrificing truth for expedience in sending the problem elsewhere.  He felt he was.  Now, they will face the problem head-on.  That night, Henry arrives home from a Comforting Community board meeting with news there's enough funds in the coffers for the charity to last another year.  He also has news that Bishop Donovan changed his mind and Father McMurry will remain in New York.

Blue Bloods airs on Friday nights at 10:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on CBS.
For more information:
Blue Bloods Official Site:
  http://www.cbs.com/primetime/blue_bloods/
The Internet Movie Database:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1595859/
TV Rage:  http://www.tvrage.com/Blue_Bloods

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