Week 7: Keepin' it Real

Keepin’ it Real (Originally Aired November 2, 2009)

A party on a rooftop of a hotel hosted by Brandon Valdivia  He meets up with a friend and hands him something that looks like a counter.  Brandon takes a phone call and is upset about being accused of something.  We then see him falling off the roof.  

Callen and Sam walk into the building having a discussion/argument on if agents are made not born.  Hetty joins in the discussion then tells them that they are late.  Brandon Valdivia, Corporal in the Marines, fell to his death the night before.  LAPD is ruling it a suicide because three months ago he was diagnosed with PTSD after getting back from Iraq.  The reason why they are called in is because Valdivia’s family are close friends with a Congressman.  

He did not have any type of record, in service or out.  Sam and Callen go to the apartment he recently got off base. They find receipts for 160 copies of Guitar Hero.  He got them at “mom and pop” shops and paid for them in cash. They also find no sign at all of a suicide.
Eric tells them that when Brandon died he landed on his back with his arms out.  He also had a broken jaw with no bruise so the hit was fresh.  The suicide just became a murder.

Callen and Kensi go to the hotel to speak to the events coordinator, and she tells them that he’s had parties there for the past three weeks.  The last one cost about twenty seven thousand dollars and was paid in cash.  They didn’t question it because, “who questions cash?” Amy the waitress said that he was not drinking that night, was a nice guy and mostly hung out with his friend Alex.

Both Brandon and Alex were assigned to the supply unit of Camp Pendleton.  Sam talks to Gunnery Sergeant Jerrold Mulhearn or “Gunny Pallet”  who tells him that the men were not the brightest guys and a week ago they got into a fight about something.  He tells Sam that Alex went to sick bay this morning.  Callen checked sick bay, and Alex was not there.  Callen calls Eric to having him look for Alex’s car.  Kensi and Dom look into resale for the video games.  He has an account but was buying the games high and selling them at a low price.  The small operations that he bought them were all over LA and they are members of the Secret Service Counterfeit Currency Alert. Eric calls Callen and tells him that Alex’s car just went off a pier.

Sam and Callen go to the scene and see divers looking for the body.  They are informed by   Eric that someone from the secret service is there to talk to them. Agent Natalie Giordano looks at the bills and tells them that it is not photo shopped and the reason why they don’t pass is because of the paper. She flirts with Callen who turns her down. Callen tells Sam later that he doesn’t date law enforcement. Eric shows them the footage of the car going off the pier and there is no one in it.  Everyone is looking at the car in the water and one person is leaving, it’s Alex Walder.  They find him on the roof.  When they go to question him, he runs.  Sam gets him before he tries to jump off the building, and they find the counter that Brandon gave him the night before on him.

They question Alex at the boathouse.  Alex tells them that he wanted to honor his friend and did not throw him off.  Brandon was the one who got him through Iraq. He wanted him to stop having the parties and spending the money.  That’s why they had the fight the week before. Alex told him he was going to get killed for it.  Callen tells Alex about Jason who was his foster brother in one of the foster homes he was in as a kid.  Jason looked out for him one night the foster father got drunk and beat Jason to death.  Callen felt bad because he didn’t do anything to help him and he still does.  So who killed Brandon?  Rick Pargo.  Rick Pargo is well known for counterfeiting and has been charged for it but has gotten away with it.

Alex tells them that while they were clearing out buildings in Iraq they were in a print shop that was being used to print American money.  They took plates home with them.  Pargo found them and someone must have told him.  They gave Pargo the plates and printed off money but the paper wasn’t good enough so Brandon spent the money  The counter that Brandon gave Alex is a serial number generator
 
Kensi, posing as Alex's girlfriend, talks to Pargo.  She shows him a picture of the serial number generator and tells him that she knows someone who can get him the paper. He tells her that his partner is supposed to get the paper and that’s what got Brandon killed.

Callen poses as Gordon Taymis the one who can get him the paper. Hetty suggests that he take Agent Giordano out to dinner after everything is over.  Rick shows up at the bar. Callen tells him he can get the paper because he is a compliance officer.  Rick tells him that he needs a 3 foot stack (2000 sheets) and has a window every 90 days. Rick calls Callen after looking at the website and says that they have a deal.  Callen meets with Agent Giordano and tells her they need paper.

The next day Callen and Kensi go in to see Pargo.  Sam, Dom, and Agent Giordano are in the car waiting. They start printing while Sam and Agent Giordano argue about going in. She has enough evidence for her case, but Sam tells her no because they are working on a murder. Pargo’s partner shows up and its Gunny. Sam goes in telling Dom that if Gunny leaves to follow him.  Gunny gets in the truck and leaves.  Callen and Sam shoot everyone but Pargo who holds Kensi at gunpoint.  Sam gives her the word and Kensi kicks Pargo’s ass.  

Dom has followed Gunny back to Pendleton.  They are swapping the real money for the fake ones.  Dom goes in and gets Gunny to sign some paperwork. Gunny goes and opens up the stack and it is filled with blank sheets of paper.  After Kensi subdues Gunny, he is arrested. Callen gives Agent Giordano back the real money over at the boathouse. She asks him about going out to dinner he tells her that he has a rule about dating cops.  They joke about her taking early retirement.  As she walks out she says “She must have been some cop.” He replies with  “She was.”



Hetty-isms:

HETTY: Take her out to dinner, after the case is over.
CALLEN: Agent Giordano?
HETTY: Mm. Then take Sam the next night. You know how he gets.


Quotes:

Callen: You cannot use the word "conundrum" before 9:30, Hetty.
Hetty: [Checking her watch] 9:31 which means Mr. Callen, you're late. And so are you Mr. Hanna.

Sam : So you think Hetty was born or made?
Callen: Hatched.

Sam: My point is we compliment each other. But I'm natural.
Callen: I'm natural, and you're made.
Sam: I'm the natural operator.
Callen: If you're a natural, I'm supernatural.
Sam: That doesn't even make sense. 



Questions:

So who was “she” and what happened?





NO REWATCH NEXT WEEK!!!! I will be on vacation with my family!  Will be back on Tuesday July 19th with the episode "Pushback"