- Brenda Johnson arrives in L.A. where she faces resentment from her peers and squad during her first investigation - a woman beaten to death, whose suspected murderer has disappeared along with all evidence of his existence.
- Robbery/Homicide is answering the call to the home because there is a deceased woman lying face down, naked, on the bedroom floor, with her hair shorn. Ellen Parks, sits with her coat on, telling Detective Flynn her boss is on vacation in Hawaii, staying a few extra days. Her boss is Dr. Elliot Collier, a computer scientist, and Ellen was his secretary. Detective Waters comes to get Flynn to review the body. Flynn asks if there was any identification on the body and Waters tells him two driver's licenses, two passports, all fake, with the pictures cut out. The maid called police when she returned to work and found the body in the bedroom. She sits talking to a policeman. Four or five blows to the back of the head is what killed her, even though she was shot in the face, all according to Dr. Tanaka, where he says the naked body lie for twelve days.
Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson is introduced by Det. Sgt. Gabriel to the doctor, acknowledging again both Detectives, Flynn and Waters. She excuses herself to Det. Lt. Flynn, she bending down to examine the victim. Tanaka comments, I'm just here to declare the victim dead and write it up as a homicide, something a Coroner's attendant usually does, but some ass-hole at Parker Center insisted on a doctor. Brenda acknowledges the ass hole to be her. Brenda notices vomit on the victim, sniffing the stains on the floor, where someone tried to clean up. She asks the doctor to expedite the autopsy, stating she will follow him to the morgue when he is ready to leave. The bullet in the victim needs to be hand delivered to Firearms Analysis for a quick turnaround.
Flynn is irate Brenda is taking the case over, loudly expressing his opinion. Chief Johnson explains to Flynn there has been a change of plans, Priority Homicide has been assigned the case. She also insists a warrant will be needed to search the garage and car, since it is detached from the house. She asks Ellen if Dr. Collier gave her permission to allow strangers into the garage and car; Ellen shakes her head no. She orders everyone out of the car and garage. Det. Waters disagrees with her, calling her a bitch. She retorts, excuse me, Lieutenant, if I'd like being called a bitch to my face, I'd still be married.
At HQ, Captain Taylor of Robbery/Homicide, takes issue with the manner she treated his officers at the crime scene. Deputy Chief Pope tells Captain Taylor, we tried running the department your way, and we had a twenty-year veteran indicted for lying under oath and the murderer being interviewed by Larry King. Bottom line, it did not work, therefore, they brought in Brenda, the closer. Pope continues with Collier developed an anti-piracy computer program CEO Dr. Brown values at over a half-trillion dollars. Dr. Harlan Brown is Collier's boss, fourth richest man in America. The department needed more specialization, Pope declares to Taylor. It is no reflection on anyone's ability to do their job. Pope further adds, Brenda's qualifications include her CIA employment. Before a jealous and disgruntled Taylor left Pope's office, he handed him a folder with some snide remark.
The house is rented by Dr. Elliot Collier, who is missing, Sgt. Gabriel says Dr. Collier deleted his entire employment record; Brenda stipulates we have no picture and no fingerprints. Gabriel says Collier had himself listed as a Christian Scientist employee, thus no medical record on file. Brenda states this disappearance was likely premeditated, but the murder was not. Brenda, in the car with Gabriel, states the victim's prints are everywhere in the house, in his office, in his car, but Collier's prints are nowhere to be found. At HQ, Detective Tao explains he was doing some background on Dr. Collier, and he talked to his mother. Tao informs Brenda with a certificate, Elliot Collier died when he was nineteen, according to Social Security records. Brenda then asks, who is this guy?
Pope shares with Brenda those folder contents which are requests for immediate transfers back to Robbery/Homicide from every single member of her squad. Brenda's response is they'll have a whole list of other reasons to hate my guts. Gabriel has been showing the autopsy in the murder room at the same time Brenda listens to Pope, taking the Taylor-folder from Pope. Twelve years ago, the woman had breast reduction surgery, work on her jaw line and likely a nose job as well. Brenda adds to Gabriel's information, which means she was serious about changing her appearance. She discards each transfer request in a wastebasket as her orders are directed to each of the officers with a final comment, all we have now is a woman we cannot identify murdered by a man who does not exist.
In Brenda's office are Collier's boss and the company attorney. CEO Dr. Brown tells Brenda, Elliot Collier is a genius, continuing to prattle on about Collier, trying to compare his idiosyncrasies with Steve Jobs of Apple Inc. Brenda inquires how much will your company be worth if we can't find him? Attorney Banks says he will not be intimidated by Brenda's accusations. Brenda says the man who created his identity was stolen from a teenager who died in 1989. Banks objects to searching Elliot Collier's office records and computers. Brenda comes back with how a company whose entire reason for existing is to make things secure, cannot locate or correctly identify their most valuable employee. What would that do to the value of your stock? Brenda gets a signature from Dr. Brown for permission to search the records after threatening a press conference.
Provenza is downstairs near the Firearms Analysis entrance arguing with Taylor to get the bullet from the victim identified. Taylor refuses to allow Brenda's team to go to the front of the line. Pope intervenes by continuing the shouting match with Taylor. Finally, Taylor begrudgingly relents to Pope in a face to face confrontation. Pope wins, entering the lab with the bullet taken from the victim's head.
Collier transferred all his money into accounts of his victim's aliases, according to Det. Garth, furthermore, Collier rented his house and car. Brenda asks why would he transfer money to her if he planned on disappearing. Tao speaks, he didn't get rid of everything. Tao says there is one identity he missed, no one entered his office secured area without an iris scan. Tao shows Brenda security pictures of Collier's scanned eye, and adds in the land of no evidence, the left eye is king. Tao also shares mash notes, in e-mail, from Collier to his Secretary Ellen. Brenda requests Tao run a check on our Miss Ellen Parks, with a little cross around her neck. Gabriel asks Brenda what if Ellen found out Collier was living with another woman, and Brenda responds, killed him in a jealous rage. Gabriel speculates what if he was taking off with this woman and Ellen killed them both. Provenza pokes his head in her office asking what she wanted. Brenda says what about the bullet and Provenza answers didn't college boy tell you.
Brenda confronts Pope in the parking garage as he is going to his car and she is noticeably mad at not getting cooperation, accusing him of playing with her livelihood. She screams, I want that report and that bullet back. He promises to get the results from firearms analysis asap.
Brenda invites Sanchez to sit in on the interview with Ellen since he has been with her since her arrival; she sends a disgruntled Gabriel home to rest while Daniels listens from the hallway and others listen from the control room. Brenda's initial interview with Ellen has her admitting Collier would give me the keys when he would go on vacation, but the relationship was not romantic. Ellen says she has never dated anyone, ever. Brenda asks Ellen, did you know Dr. Collier was living with the victim? Did he ever mention that? You never met her or saw her? Dr. Collier had a relationship of some kind; we found her fingerprints all over the house and at work. Ellen responds with that is really surprising, because there are very strict rules about that. Brenda adds, it very surprising when someone we really care about does something like this. I know Dr. Collier was your friend. If Dr. Collier gets in touch with you again, you must let us know. Brenda concludes the interview.
Fritz meets Brenda in the hotel bar, renewing their friendship. Brenda has her Merlot and Fritz has his water. He offers her an FBI report on the mystery woman, saying you were right, the victim's got a record, in fact, she is wanted for murder. Brenda looks with surprise at the paperwork.
At HQ, Brenda reviews the contents of the FBI packet with the detective team. The victim's name was Alana Devin, she would have turned forty next month. In 1991, she shot a security guard outside a pharmaceutical company during an ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) protest. Alana Devin was a lesbian. Like Collier, she was a computer scientist and she changed her identity. The gun that fired the bullet into her face is the same gun used in the original crime, as Brenda holds up the evidence bag containing the bullet. Detective Garth informs Brenda the day Collier leaves, Ellen closed her checking account, the day he went missing, she reopens it. Brenda says she needs to take another look at Alana's body. Gabriel takes a call, telling Brenda the morgue released the body. Taylor explains the moment the victim identification is out, the coroner certifies the body, and it is released by law to the family, common procedure for releasing bodies from the morgue, which Brenda wants back to conclude her case. She tells Taylor you have no right to share the victim's identification. The family has been waiting fifteen years for Alana to come home, they can wait three more days. Taylor asks why the body is important to conclude the case. She tells Taylor she doesn't report to him so your question is irrelevant. Pope quiets the heated conversation between Taylor and Brenda. You will have the body back tomorrow morning.
Brenda and Gabriel leave Pope's office while Pope tells Taylor to sit down, we need to talk. Gabriel confides in Brenda, he was the one giving Taylor the ID to release the body. She acknowledges because he is your friend. Gabriel asks her, have you been able to figure out how Dr. Collier was able to get rid of his fingerprints everywhere? Brenda replies with a yes. Gabriel continues with that bit about bringing the body back, was that true or are you bluffing? Brenda answers, I never bluff, I just express my optimism forcefully. You had Ellen Parks picked up and held overnight. We don't have the gun, and no witnesses. Ellen will be very helpful with that, I promise. Is this more of your forceful optimism? Brenda comes back quickly with oh no, it's my experience. Because as any good interrogator will tell you, as hard as a secret is to uncover, it is even harder to keep. Goodnight Sergeant. Goodnight Ma'am.
Pope is questioning Brenda's actions and intent by keeping the suspect Ellen Parks held overnight and not seeing her all day. Pope insists if Brenda does not get what she needs from Ellen, then she's going to get a lawyer, and we are screwed. Brenda response is I know a little something about admiring the boss and finding out he is not the guy you thought he was. Pope leaves her office.
Brenda goes into her final interview with Ellen dressed very conservatively. She is immediately met with a confrontation telling Ellen to sit down, telling her she lied about her relationship with her boss. Brenda shows Ellen the email correspondence between Collier and her. Ellen agrees with Brenda that she was emotionally intimate with Collier, but not physical. Brenda consoles then confides in Ellen, she loved Dr. Collier and he loved her, and were you aware he changed his name from Alana Devin. Did he tell you he was living under a false identity and he had shot a security guard? Ellen answers yes to all of the questions. You kept that information from the police, why? He showed you the gun? The shooting was an accident, he didn't mean to shoot anybody. Yes, he showed me the gun.
Brenda discloses Alana was Dr. Collier. Brenda shows Ellen the pictures of Alana before and after the surgeries. The iris scan of Alana's left eye matched the scan of Dr. Collier's left eye; a confirmation they were the same person. Let's go back to the night you were leaving. That is when you met Alana Devon, right? These things have to said. She had plastic surgery that changed her jaw line and her nose and reduced her breasts. She proceeded to live her life in permanent disguise. Brenda shows Ellen the pictures of Alana before and after the surgeries. She always turtlenecks because she had no Adam's Apple. She also claimed to be a Christian Scientist, so she would not have to take the company physical. That's why we only found Alana's fingerprints at Dr. Collier's house, and in his office and in his car, not because Alana was living with Dr. Collier, but because she was Dr. Collier. Do you know how I can prove this Ellen? The shot that was fired into Alana's face missed her left eye, and when I took her body back to the morgue, I found the iris scan of the left eye matched exactly the iris scan of Elliot Collier's left eye. The man you were having an affair wasn't a man at all, he was a woman. That night you were leaving, he told you the truth, he showed you who he was. I have it right don't I Ellen, or are you a lesbian?
Ellen slams her hand on the table declaring I am not a lesbian, while she points her forefinger to the ceiling, to emphasize her sexual preference to Brenda. Ellen is offended by Brenda's remark about being a lesbian, stating how could you say that? Brenda comes back with the statement, but you didn't mean to kill him, did you? Hadn't planned on that, but just for the record, just so it is clear, could you please say that out loud. Ellen states, I didn't mean to kill him. I was kissing him and she pulled my hand down against her and I picked the paperweight up off the desk and I hit him over the head with it. I just beat her head in.
Sgt. Gabriel tells Brenda, while she is packing to leave for the night, you know you were right from the beginning, looks like love.
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What is the broadcast (satellite or terrestrial TV) release date of Pilot (2005) in Australia?
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