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Having
discussed his plans to become a reserve officer with Claire in the
previous episode, Russell announces his plans to the rest of the
family. Russell reports for training and encounters some friction
with the officer in charge, Roxie Kahlo, a feisty woman with a chip
on her shoulder toward Russell. Russell doesn't earn extra points by
overpowering Roxie during a demonstration on how to subdue a
suspect. He tries to clear the air but she insists it's nothing
personal. She has to weed out the candidates who can't handle the
pressure. But it become increasingly clear that Russell's capability
is not the issue when he shows her up by getting perfect scores
during target practice. Meanwhile, Russell has to contend with
Dinah's concerns with his becoming a cop. She knows that cops get
killed every day. Claire and Dinah are going over hairstyles for the
Spring Fling when she sees Russell remove his duty gun. Disturbed by
this, Dinah heads for her bedroom. Russell talks with her and tries
to explain what this means to him and why it's so important that she
try to understand. Later, Russell accompanies Roxie and Officer
Pearce on a ride-along. Roxie moves in to make an arrest (for
assault and battery) but the perpetrator escapes. Russell helps
apprehend the perpetrator. Russell grudgingly thanks Russell for his
help. Russell tries once more to set things right between them.
Roxie couldn't help associating Russell with her father who didn't
think she could handle becoming a cop. Russell gives Roxie credit,
saying her dad was wrong. By the end of the episode, Russell returns
home to find Claire waiting up for him. He tries to tell her it will
get easier, but she knows better. She tells Russell that Hattie
called and will be arriving next week with a big surprise. LT takes
photographs of a man who claims he's been robbed. But LT becomes
leery when the man says someone's stolen his eyes. Thinking they
might be in LT's camera bag, he knocks LT down and runs off with it
(the camera inside). The next day, LT goes to the police station to
recover his camera (and bag). LT learns that the man who stole his
camera is Leonard Trabant, a mental case who's always going off his
medication and has become a familiar face at the police station. LT
develops the film to discover someone took some excellent
photographs. Margot recognizes Trabant's name from a photography
book her mom owns. LT decides that Lennie doesn't need shrinks and
pills, he needs self esteem. LT goes to Lennie's hospital room to
show him the photos but Lennie doesn't want his help. LT persists,
undaunted by Lennie's resistance, and convinces Lennie to return to
the hospital for his follow up checkup. On the way back, LT
convinces Lennie to show him some tricks of the trade. LT shares
with Lennie how his own father wasted his life. On some
level,
LT is trying to save Lennie, since he couldn't save his father. But
ultimately, Lennie's efforts to recapture his craft are foiled by
his illness, his photos out of focus and overexposed. LT runs after
him, but Lennie throws the camera into a nearby stream and tells LT
he's not his father. At school, Claire notifies LT that Riverpark
Hospital called to let him know that Lennie has been hospitalized
again and that Lennie named LT as his emergency contact. LT goes to
the hospital and learns that Lennie told them that LT was his son.
But when they get to his room, Lennie is missing. Russell and LT go
in search of Lennie but there is no sign of him at his apartment.
They track down Lennie's sister who has washed her hands of Lennie.
She spent years trying to help him and it almost destroyed her
marriage. As far as she's concerned, he's better off in his own
world. LT notices a photograph in her house of a garden. LT makes
the connection. Russell and LT return to Lennie's apartment and find
him in the rooftop garden. LT is discouraged, feeling that maybe his
sister is right, that he will just continue sabotaging his own
recovery. Russell convinces LT to not be deterred by his own
expectations and simply be a friend. Dinah has Margot call Keith, a
boy she's interested in, to test the waters in the hopes that he'll
ask her to the Spring Fling. The next day at school, Dinah stages an
accidental meeting (actually bumping into him) with the object of
her affection. But before Keith can do the gallant thing and
retrieve her books, Mouse moves in and beats him to the punch,
spoiling the moment. Margot mentions to Mouse that Dinah doesn't
have a date to the Spring Fling yet. Dinah runs into Keith again,
but the moment is interrupted again, this time by an announcement on
the school's PA system to report immediately to the gym. She reports
to the gym to find a bouquet of flowers -- and Mouse -- who asks her
to the Spring Fling. Dinah lies, saying she already has a date. But
later, when Dinah runs into Margot and tells her she'd rather not go
to the dance than go as Mouse's date, Mouse overhears it. Keith
eventually asks Dinah to the dance and she accepts. Dinah apologizes
to Mouse who takes it in stride, but tries to warn Dinah that Keith
is a jerk. But Dinah doesn't want to believe it. The night of the
dance, Dinah realizes Keith has been drinking. Mouse shows up in his
checker cab and rescues Dinah, keeping Keith at bay with breath
freshener disguised as pepper spray. Mouse drops Dinah off at home,
explaining that he placed a tracking device on Keith's car. He
starts to apologize for being overprotective when Dinah surprises
him with a kiss. It is sweet and gentle and for a moment, Mouse is
transported.
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