Episode 207: Rough Seas

Rough Seas
Season 2, Episode 7

Air date	August 21, 2008
Written by	Alfredo Barrios Jr. & Michael Horowitz
Directed by	Jeremiah Chechik
Episode Guide
previous Bad Blood	next Double Booked

Rough Seas is the seventh episode of the second season and the nineteenth episode overall.

Notes[]

Clients: Marcela Flores
Bad Guys: Gerard, Evan, Pavel, Feldman

Synopsis[]

Michael is hired to track down nearly a million dollars worth of pharmaceuticals that were stolen by thieves on their way to Tanzania.

Spy Facts[]

When you work with people, you wanna know everything about them: their history, their associates, who's contacting them. Although sometimes there are details you'd rather not know.
If you're driving a sports coupe, you're not going to be able to lose an off-road vehicle off-road. Your best bet is to get them on the road, where you have the advantage. It's less about speed than it is about maneuverability. You need to put yourself in a position where you can do something they can't.
For certain kinds of criminals, partying hard serves an important management function. You can keep your eye on your employees during the off-hours and keep them spending money so they're hungry for the next score.
Bar fights aren't just a way to blow off steam. They're a great way to showcase your leadership skills and they're a team-building exercise. There's also no better way for someone new to get noticed.
Dealing with an aggressive adversary isn't always about showing strength. Sometimes it's best to show weakness. If they believe they can dominate you, they'll drop their guard. Of course, that means getting dominated.
When you need to distract someone without raising suspicions, it helps to play to preconceptions. Tourists are fat, old people are cranky, and girls can't drive.
Counterfeiting pharmaceuticals is pretty straight forward; fill some vials with your choice of beverage. The trick is to keep people from looking closer; with some compressed gas from your local farming supply store, and a few cryogenic containers, you can convince people if they get a little too curious they could loose a finger to frostbite.
Dealing with a trained operative is like playing chess with a master. Dealing with criminals, on the other hand, is like playing checkers with a three year-old: they like to change the rules.
Using a Zodiac to catch a yacht has certain advantages. It's low to the water, so it's hard to see coming. It tops out at a brisk 60 miles per hour and it's designed to turn on a dime. Of course, the one disadvantage is it can make for a bumpy ride.
Navy S.E.A.Ls are trained to hold their breath for three to five minutes under water. If you're an ex-Navy S.E.A.L. you probably still have the chops; but, there's only one way to find out.
Need the police to respond right away? Call ahead. If you've reported a few minor crimes within a six block radius, you can be sure someone will show up when you need them.
Most people think that shooting the gas tank of a vehicle makes it explode. Unless a car's on fire, you'll just spill a few bucks worth of gas. An explosion requires something extra like a few bags of acetone peroxide taped to the gas tank.
Anyone who played soccer knows there's a long nerve that runs down the shin. Hit that nerve and people lock up in pain.
Arms dealers keep gunpowder handy to manufacture custom-made rounds but gunpowder doesn't need to be in a bullet to be dangerous. Even muzzle flare can set it off. So when dispersed through a room, anyone with half a brain puts his gun away.

Full Recap[]

Prologue[]

Michael and Fiona are standing next to her car parked at an isolated beach, waiting for Seymour, a Miami-based arms dealer of her acquaintance. Michael asks where Seymour is, and she assures him he'll show up, he's just (like most gun dealers) a little paranoid. Michael gripes that he doesn't want to date Seymour, he just needs someone who can track down information on the sniper rifle that Carla has had brought into the country. Fiona assures him that if anyone can, it will be Seymour.

When you work with people, you want to know everything about them; their history, their associates, who's contacting them.

Michael notices Fi receive a text on her cell phone, and asks if that's Seymour. She says no, it's a guy she met who just asked her out.

Although sometimes there are details you'd rather not know.

Seymour and his bodyguard arrive in a flashy convertible. After exchanging greetings with Fiona, Seymour invites Michael to walk down the beach with him, Seymour carrying a large bag. As they go, Seymour asks Fiona to keep "Jackass" (his bodyguard) company.

Michael starts to ask Seymour where he can find a shop that would service a certain type of rifle, but is nonplussed when two Bulgarians approach Seymour from the other end of the beach. One, Pavel, hands over a briefcase and demands the bag Seymour is carrying, but Seymour insists on counting the cash in the briefcase first. Opening it, he sees $50,000 instead of the expected $100,000, and refuses to hand over the bag. Pavel declares that "no one short-changes me!" and his companion pulls out a pistol, which Michael disarms him of. Seymour is impressed - "Fiona said you were a badass." Even as he is holding the two Bulgarians at gunpoint, Michael protests that "this is really none of my business." Seymour says it is now, and they should start running. As they do, Pavel and his friend pull back-up pistols from ankle holsters and start shooting at them.

As Seymour jumps into his car, he yells to Michael that they'll talk later, even as Michael jumps into the passenger seat of Fi's. Both cars speed away as the Bulgarians' sport-utility vehicle roars up behind them.

If you're driving a sports coupe you're not going to be able to lose an off-road vehicle off-road. Your best bet is to get them on the road, where you have the advantage. It's less about speed than it is about maneuverability. You need to put yourself in a position where you can do something they can't.

Once she puts her car on asphalt, Fiona executes a feigned 180-degree turn that the Bulgarians attempt to mimic, before turning a full 360-degrees and speeding off, leaving the Bulgarians marooned and half-aimed in the wrong direction.

Act One[]

Michael returns to his loft to find Sam sharing beer and memories with his old SEAL buddy, Virgil. Michael is not pleased, reminding Virgil that the last time they spoke, Virgil was going to get out of Miami and stay away, since there were angry people with guns after him. Virgil breezily says that particular situation has blown over, and besides, he needs Michael and Sam's help again.

One of Virgil's old buddies from the repo business, now deceased, had a daughter, Marcela Flores, who works with a humanitarian aid group. They organized a shipment of pharmaceuticals to the Third World, but it was hijacked, and she has no one else to turn to. Michael reluctantly agrees to talk with Marcela. That done, Virgil pulls out his cell phone and prepares to call Madeline, announcing that she knows he's coming to town and offered to put him up. Michael, pasting a fake smile on his face, "suggests" an alternative - Virgil will stay with him, and not contact her at all while he's in town, since, the last time he was around, he almost got her killed.

Michael's resolve to keep Virgil and Madeline apart is tested as soon as he steps out of the apartment, where Madeline is waiting with a pie. Michael quickly shuts the door behind him, and tells his mother he was already on his way out.

Mike, Virgil and Sam meet with Marcela, who says the hijacked drugs are desperately needed by a group of children in South America; Michael agrees to take the job, theorizing that the thieves have little use for the drugs and must be planning to sell them on.

Virgil comes up with a lead; a man named Feldman, who owns a store in Bal Harbour. He was arrested for possession of stolen property, after the police found him with drugs recently hijacked off a freighter in Tampa Bay, but his lawyer helped him avoid the charge. Feldman seems the most likely buyer or distributor for the stolen drugs, or at least most likely to know who the thieves are. Remembering his resolution, Michael vetoes Sam's proposal that they stake out the shop, and decides to take Virgil along instead.

After surveilling Feldman's storefront for a few hours with a camera, Michael and Virgil enter, asking about the stolen drugs. Feldman acts baffled, saying he sells golf equipment and has no idea what they're talking about. Michael says the store's inventory is nice, but not so costly that selling it explains the Porsche Feldman has parked out back. Obviously, Feldman is selling something else... on cue, Virgil takes a practice swing with a golf club, shattering an opaque glass display case and upending shelves filled with pill bottles onto the floor. Feldman panics, and Michael lays a series of photographs on the counter, complimenting Feldman on his "clientele," which includes a banker and a Superior Court judge. Michael says they will begin "outing" Feldman as a drug dealer by sending each client a framed photo of himself walking out of the store.

Feldman cracks, admitting that a man named Gerard, who is "a total psycho," called him about the stolen shipment, but Feldman wasn't interested. His clients buy Viagra, Vicodin and tranquilizers, and none would be interested in anti-viral drugs, let alone in such quantity. Michael instructs Feldman to call Gerard back and say he's found a buyer. Feldman balks, and Michael wonders (in an exceptionally loud voice aimed towards the door of the shop) what Feldman's neighbors will say when they find out "they've been living next to a DRUG DEALER!" Feldman frantically shushes him, quickly agreeing to Michael's request.

Back at the loft, Sam compliments Mike on his progress, and Michael grouses that knowing their target is a "total psycho" is hardly uplifting, and jobs like this are one reason (among many) why he doesn't look forward to Virgil coming to Miami. Then he takes a call from Seymour – "another total psycho" – who wants to meet.

On a street in Miami, Michael climbs into the passenger seat of Seymour's convertible and complains that he never agreed to come along on Seymour's gun deal. Seymour explains that he was just "killing two birds with one stone" – his bodyguard is useless, and Seymour also needed a way to confirm that Michael isn't a cop. Michael starts to explain his request again, but Seymour appears not to hear him, pointing across the street to an SUV where Pavel is waiting. He explains that Pavel told him he was bringing the rest of the $100,000. Pavel slides out of his car, drawing a gun, and Michael slides out of Seymour's as Pavel begins shooting. Seymour throws the car into reverse, yelling at Michael (again) that they'll be in touch later.

For certain types of criminals, partying hard serves an important management function. You can keep an eye on your employees in the off-hours, and keep them spending money so they're hungry for the next score.

Gerard ("The Thief") and his men are enjoying themselves at a beach-side bar, taking turns buying rounds for each other and hitting on the bikini-clad girls. Sam appears, cutting a somewhat incongruous figure in his shirt and sport jacket, playing the shady international businessman. He approaches Gerard and introduces himself as "Chuck Finley." Gerard is skeptical, saying Sam doesn't look like the type of man interested in buying pharmaceuticals. "Finley" says he is interested in everything: he sells guns to both sides in a fight, then sells them medicines to patch themselves up and do it over again. Sam asks about the recently hijacked anti-virals, but Gerard says he's too late, those were just sold to another buyer. Sam shrugs and says he'll be in Miami for a few days, and may be in the market for some other things.

Bar fights aren't just a way to blow off steam. They're a great way to showcase your leadership skills and they're a team-building exercise.

As Sam is leaving, a drunken bar patron makes the mistake of pushing one of Gerard's men, causing him and his whole crew to gang up on the man. Gerard takes the lead, delivering a few solid punches to the man's ribs while the others hold him down. When one of Gerard's men at the bar decides to pitch in with a smashed beer bottle, Sam drops him with a quick punch to the small of his back, and disarms him of the bottle.

There's also no better way for someone new to get noticed.

Sam raises a mock toast with the smashed bottle, warning Gerard that someone could get hurt by bringing broken glass into a bar fight. Gerard is not pleased, but forced to re-evaluate his assessment of Sam's toughness.

Act Two[]

Michael, Sam, Virgil and Marcela meet at Michael's loft. Now they know Gerard has the drugs, but they don't know where they're being kept, or when they'll be moved, and they need to act fast before he delivers them to his buyer. Michael decides that the best way to find Gerard's hiding place is to "recruit" him for another heist.

Chuck Finley approaches Gerard at the same bar, asking if he and his crew and interested in another shipment. Gerard, after haggling a bigger cut for himself and his men, agrees to partner with Mr. Finley. Finley warns that the drugs being shipped are extremely perishable and will require special handling, so he suggests that Gerard recruit a chemist; Finley happens to know just the guy, a recovering meth addict named Jackson...

Dealing with an aggressive adversary isn't always about showing strength. Sometimes it's best to show weakness. If they believe they can dominate you, they'll drop their guard.

Gerard and his crew corner "Jackson" (Michael) - slump-shouldered, shuffling his feet, and taking frequent puffs from an asthma inhaler – on his way home from work.

Of course, that means getting dominated.

"Jackson" tries to run, but Gerard throws him against a wall and "recruits" him for their latest heist. Michael stammers wildly, saying he is clean and wants nothing more to do with criminals, but Gerard jams a pistol into his face, reducing his choices to two: cooperate or die.

Epilogue[]

That evening, Michael and Fiona arrive together at Seymour's mansion. She says Seymour wanted to meet with both of them. Michael notices the elegance of Fiona's dress and asks if she was forced to cancel another date. Fiona chuckles and says she has no intention of canceling any more engagements on Michael's behalf – she is there because Seymour promised to upgrade her assault rifle's targeting system, and after they are done she is going straight to her date. Michael rings the bell, and tells her she looks beautiful. Fiona looks surprised, and is about to say something more, when Seymour's bodyguard opens the door and ushers them to the arms dealer's workshop.

Michael asks if Fiona's new beau is a nice guy, and she says he is, and that Michael would probably like him. Michael wryly says he wouldn't bet on it.

Seymour appears out of nowhere, hitting Michael in the small of the back with a baseball bat. Before Fiona can act, the bodyguard has drawn his gun and taken aim at her head. Seymour, furious and scared, demands to know what Michael is up to, waving the baseball bat and telling Michael to start talking before Fiona takes a bullet.

Anyone who's played soccer knows there's a long nerve that runs down the shin. Hit that nerve and people lock up in pain.

One swift kick from Michael, and Seymour crumples to the floor with a scream. Michael disarms him of the baseball bat while his bodyguard, unsure what else to do, keeps his gun aimed at Fiona's head.

Arms dealers keep gunpowder handy to manufacture custom-made rounds, but gunpowder doesn't need to be in a bullet to be dangerous.

While grappling with Seymour, Michael grabs a can off his worktable and flings it across the room. Fiona ducks out of the way and the bodyguard gets a cloud of gunpowder in his eyes, with an even bigger cloud dispersed throughout the room.

Even muzzle flare can set it off. So when dispersed through a room, anyone with half a brain puts his gun away.

The bodyguard continues blindly waving his gun around, and Seymour screams for "Jackass" not to shoot, before Fiona clubs the bodyguard to the floor with the butt of a rifle.

Michael slams Seymour face-down onto the worktable and asks him to explain himself. Seymour protests that he tracked down the shop that worked on the Dragunov, and a few days later, its owner was killed and the shop was burned to the ground; Seymour's natural thought was that Michael was setting him up somehow.

Seymour swears that he doesn't know who brought the gun into the country, all he knows is that a man named Bill Johnson picked up some specialized equipment for it. Fiona angrily racks the slide on the pistol she took from Seymour's bodyguard, but Michael motions her down, warning Seymour that he and Fiona were never there.

A few minutes later they leave, Fiona fondly cradling her newly-upgraded assault rifle with a laser-assisted targeting system. She asks Michael if he thinks the Dragunov was brought in by the people who burned him, and he says yes, they must be planning a high-profile assassination. One of the pieces of equipment Seymour mentioned was a fiber-optic camera, used to record the shot from the rifle's scope and prove the target's death. Michael says they'd better find Bill Johnson quickly, but finding one man in all of South Florida won't be easy.

Cast[]

Main[]

Recurring[]

Chris Ellis as Virgil Watkins
Silas Weir Mitchell as Seymour
Brett Taylor as Hoffman (a.k.a. Jackass)

Guest[]

Alexa Kuve as Marcela Flores
Max Martini as Gerard
Stewart J. Zully as Feldman
Jon Ecklund as Evan
Sergei Zelinsky as Pavel

Trivia[]

Virgil reappears after his introduction in Season One's "Unpaid Debts".
Michael's search for Bill Johnson begins in the next episode, "Double Booked", which also introduces Fiona's new boyfriend, John Campbell, referenced in this episode.
Seymour's first appearance.

Continuity Errors[]

When the thieves approach the boat, and Michael gets a gun from Gerard, he pulls back and releases the slide, thereby loading the chamber. When he then threatens Virgil with the gun, he does it again, but no bullet is thrown out of the chamber.
When Gerard first threatens Michael with his gun, the clicking sound of the hammer being cocked is heard, while Gerard makes the according gesture. However, in the next cut the hammer is still in its original position.
On the final scene after the cut from Fiona crumpling up the keycard logs you can see Jesse holding the logs in his hands.