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Friday 18 January 2013

Without A Trace 3.21 "Off The Tracks" Review

Rafi (Alex Fernandez) plays with Nickie (Bobby Chavez) and receives a call asking him to go to work, he tells Sylvie (Marisol Ramirez) it was a customer and says he’ll be back late.  He disappears.  Jack (Anthony LaPaglia) arrives early to work and sees Danny (Enrique Murciano) at the office reciting.  It’s morning but he doesn’t realize.  Danny needed a quiet place to study and his neighbour has a cute but loud 2 year old.  Jack picks up his book, Constitutional Conflicts: Grossman’s Questions and Answers on the New York Bar exam.  He’s taking his Bar exams at the end of the month.  Jack tests him on some constitutional law questions but before he can do so, Danny gets a call from Sylvie and tells him  Rafi hasn’t been home in a couple of days. He’s on parole and works at a body shop.  Danny wants to check it out.

36 Hours Missing

Sylvie called him twice yesterday.  Danny tells her he was out all day.  He would’ve called her today.  Danny asks her if Rafi’s been to any bars or clubs.  She says he’s clean and promised her he wouldn’t mess up again.  Rafi told her he spent 18 years locked up or high and isn’t used to feelings.  Three months ago he took out a loan for his own business from the Small Business Administration for $10,000.

37 hours Missing

Sylvie’s brother says she’s a mess.  He did extra work at night.  He wanted to buy Petersen Bodyworks in Queens.  Danny tells him he looks like he knows he’s hanging with the wrong crowd.  He was hanging around with someone named Luis Vega (Reynaldo Gallegos) he used to work here.  The employees use the payphone to make personal calls.

39 Hours Missing

The call made to Rafie’s apartment was from a cloned phone.  Martin (Eric Close) and Jack offer to help Danny.  Sam (Poppy Montgomery) asks Martin how Danny is.  He’s “rattled.”

Jack bumps into Lisa (Stephanie Venditto) leaving a message for him.  Jack regrets being a grown up.  She asks how the medication is working out?

Danny meets Asher (David Costabile) from the FDA.  He wanted a loan over 2 months ago but was denied as management found out about his background, i.e Rafi’s prison record.  He couldn’t help him but wanted to.  Danny asks him if he knew his brother got money as he turned up to work with money.

Danny gets a call from the NYPD telling him Vega’s car is at a parking garage on 125 Broxton.  The engine’s cold.  Martin says the wheels must have cost at least $42,000.  Danny tells about how Rafi used to take him fishing to the Florida keys when he was little.  He had a 1972 Cherry Lincoln Continental with opera windows in the back.  On the way back he used to pick up small packages.  Danny jimmies open the door and takes the door apart to find drugs.

43 Hours missing

Sylvie hasn’t seen any drugs and not heard of Luis.  She saw the money and asks why he would lie?  Martin calls Danny and tells him Rafi’s prints are on the car.  He suggests they put the car back together  and wait for Luis to return.

Danny has a flashback to when he was little: messing around with his brother at the table.  He spills milk on one of Rafi’s drawing of a car and their father got angry.  Rafi took the blame for Danny and the beating.  Jack tells Danny the DEA has nothing on Rafi or Luis.  He made 20 calls to him within the last week and tells Danny if they’re going to carry on with the investigation then criminal charges will be brought against Rafi.

44 Hours missing

Sam talks with Petersen (Mike Scriba) to confirm Rafi was interested in buying the business.  He made plans for the place but he didn’t get the deposit in time and found another buyer. He introduced his friend Carey Chase (William O'Leary).  They left in a Lexis.

45 hours Missing

Sylvie hasn’t heard of Carey.  Martin finds 3 calls were made to C Chase on the payphone last week.  He works as a broker on Wall Street and has a record for possession with intent to sell.  At 11:30pm security saw Rafi with him last night.

Carey tells them he met Rafi in rehab.  He came to see him last night and told him he was in trouble.    He was high and said he was going to be killed.  He borrowed money and couldn’t pay it back.  He had to pack crystal meth into a car and was ripped off.  He went to look for Luis at his home and threatened a little boy, then saw himself in the mirror.  Danny asks him how long Rafi’s been using drugs, since he didn’t get the garage.  He tells Danny he doesn’t know where Rafi got the money but he needed a fix.

Danny talks with Viv (Marianne Jean-Baptiste).  He knows he’s been avoiding Rafi and has only seen him twice, at Christmas and at Nickie’s birthday.  Viv tells him Rafi made his choices.  Danny wanted to have a drink and came to see her.  He admits he didn’t fail his Bar exam, he never took it because he was late and was arrested for drink driving.  He had a good lawyer and the charges were lowered to a  misdemeanour.  He deosn’t reply to Viv’s question when she asks him what he’s going to do.

Martin arrests Luis and asks about the 8 kilos of meth.  Danny asks him where Rafi is.  Martin says all they have to do is put the word out he sold drugs on the street and he’s dead.  Danny demands to know where Rafi is.  Luis doesn’t know who loaned him the money, he knocked him out and took the car.  Danny’s angry, “you screwed Rafi over…you screwed over my brother.!” And loses his temper before physically attacking Luis.  Sylvie calls Danny telling him Rafi called and was going to kill himself.

49 Hours Missing

The call was made from Carey’s cell.  Martin says they got a ping from a number.  Danny says they should go to his office.  Viv calls Jack and voices her concerns over Danny.  He says he’ll keep an eye on him.
Danny and Martin find Carey dead in his office of an OD.  Martin receives a call telling him the call was routed through a tower in Queens.  Danny knows he’s at the garage.

Danny finds Rafi high.  He asks him when he’s going to stop taking drugs, after his heart stops?  And whether Sylvie and Nickie don’t matter.  He says even if his plan didn’t work out it’s not a good reason to get high and he should’ve come to him.  Rafi knows Danny doesn’t want anything to do with him.  He asks Danny if he remembers the car, he taught him to drive in it.  Rafi cries and Danny holds him.

Danny has a flashback to Rafi telling him he was the “King of Gargantuan…” The NYPD is processing him and Sylvie can see him  soon.  Danny says he’s sorry and they’ll get through this together.  He has another flashback and sees him sitting on the sofa with Rafi when they were little.

Jack asks Lisa for a drink and she hands him a bottle of water.  He’s not the only one without a life.  He doesn’t need a therapist but he can talk to her as a friend.  He tells her nobody talks to him about anything.  He needs something stronger than water.  She‘s not giving him anymore medication.  He can stay if he wants and stays to finish his drink.

Danny wanting to be a lawyer, he kept that quiet...a case of art imitating life there.  Since Enrique at one point studied to be a lawyer.  But you can imagine him as a lawyer in another life.  So being a lawyer was his dream.  Wonder if we’ll find out if he actually takes the Bar this time and passes.
Constitutional Law is a bitch!  There I’ve always wanted to say that for personal reason!  Ha.

Also Danny’s not very good at making coffee.  Lucky he didn't make any for Gibbs (mark Harmon) then in NCIS as 'CI-Ray!
Jack: “You look wired.”
Danny: “Wired, wired’s better than tired – you want a sip?”
Jack: “Oh I’ve tried your coffee.  I’ve got my own”

Danny: “I’m taking the test at the end of the month.”
Jack: “I thought you took the Bar exam when you got out of law school?”
Danny: “I did and I failed it.  So I’ve been brushing up on this over the past year and hopefully this time I’ll pass.”
Jack “ADA Danny Taylor.”
Danny: “Or Taylor and Associates.”
As Danny’s been brushing up over the past year to take these exams, re Martin’s comment in season 2 episode 5 about lawyers.  No wonder Danny never mentioned this and the looks they exchanged.

Danny failing the exams first time round isn’t really believable as he wouldn’t really fail at anything he puts his mind to.

Sylvie calls Danny at work after saying she left messages for him, what happened to his cell, did she try that.  Funny it’s the phone at the table where he’s sitting that rings the one he happens to be sitting across from and not his own phone at his desk.  Did he switch his cell off.

So Rafi got his parole after Danny spoke for him at the hearing.  (season 2 episode 19.)  Martin asks if he wants coffee? Again.  He asked him this in season 1 episode too. He usually does this when it’s a 'Danny episode' - as in  season 1.10 Clare de Lune or when he’s got things on his mind.

Danny looks at Rafi’s record: ALVAREZ RAFAEL
3282443     10.4.95

Martin: “How are you?”
Sam: “Fine."  Now the two of them barely speak and engage in small talk.

Jack: “When I was a kid we used to pass notes under the desk at school.”
Lisa: “Everything’s personal Jack, you should know that.”
Jack: “Sure do.”
Jack chasing after the shrink, Lisa – kind of an afterthought.  Asking her out for a drink.  The story about him sleeping, or not, from season 3 episodes 18 and 21 was leading up to episode 22 as it adds a better perspective on that episode.

Danny’s shocked about Rafi not getting the loan but it’s more so because he thought he’d only end up in trouble again, only a matter of time.
Danny: “Mono en sera.  Mono sequera.”
Martin: “Comprendez the monkey part…”
Danny : “It means you dress a monkey up in silk but he’s still a monkey.”  Danny gets to speak Spanish for a second time in the series.  (re season 2)
Rafi had a ’72 Lincoln in which Danny learned to drive.  It’s mentioned he’s from Florida again  (as in real life).  So why the move to New York other than wanting a fresh start.  Re season 2 episode 23, when Jack announced his move to Chicago and Danny saying New York is his city and he wouldn’t leave it for anything.  So Rafi used to take Danny along on his drug runs.
Danny: “…pick up these special packages.  My brother always had a talent for hiding special packages.”

Martin: “This car could’ve been used to kidnap your brother.  Exigent circumstances work for me.”

Danny: “Because he lies.”  Moot point but Danny told a white lie about not passing his Bar exams when he didn’t really take them.  Maybe it was just easier to say this..

Jack: “If we pursue this – we’re gonna go all the way with this if it’s warranted.”
Danny: “It’s warranted.”
Jack: “We’re gonna make an arrest.”
Danny: “My brother’s prints are all over the drugs.  It’s warranted.”
Jack: “You know my inclination is to pull you off this case.”
Danny: “Why?”
Jack: “It’s obvious why.”
Danny: “I can handle it OK.  We done.”
Jack: “I’m here if you need me OK.”
Danny: “Thank you Jack.”.  Danny wants to stay on the case and is willing to bear the consequences for whatever happens to his brother legally when he’s found.

Pappi's not the same one in the photo Danny put on his desk in season 1 ep 10.  His flashback about Rafi taking the beating for him ties in with what Rafi told Danny when he saw him in prison (season 2 episode 19) about taking the beatings for him and Pappi wasn’t a saint.  So Danny remembers and like Rafi said then, Danny knew it was true if he thought about it.

Jack saying he’s here for Danny, but Danny turns to Viv to talk, though she doesn’t seem to have much to say.
Danny: “All day long today I have been thinking about this tavern that I used to go to.  Open’s at 6.  I used to be really close to the bartender.  So I called my sponsor and he wasn’t around and that’s why I called you.”
Viv: “Well I’m glad you did.”
Danny: “You know how I told you that I failed my Bar exam – the truth is I never took it.  I never made it that far…supposed to drive to Nassau Community College, crammed all night and I was late.  The car wouldn’t start first time and he crashed into a taxi after taking a drink.  The police took a  breathalyzer...one minute I was trying to become a lawyer and the next minute I needed one.”

Viv: “I don’t know what to say…you got lucky.”
Dany: “Yeah I did get lucky.  You know there’s a part of me that just wants to cut Rafi off and walk away from him because the closer that I get to him the more I realize that I am just one wrong step away from being where I used to be.”
Danny finds it hard to ask about Rafi taking drugs again.

(They’ve both been to rehab  - that’s something they have in common.)  Viv saying Rafi made his choices – this is what Danny used to say a lot, season 1 episode.  Danny made his choices too etc.  Like Rafi, Danny was tempted to turn to the demon drink again but didn’t so is stronger in many ways and owns up about not taking his exams.

Danny saying he’s a step away from returning to his past ways could be really do that so easily now especially since he’s got a future; work and most importantly friends who care about him.
He’s actually physically violent with a suspect, well if Martin let him.

Jack: “Nothing gets past you even in your bathrobe.”
Viv: “Danny came by and he seemed a little on edge.”
Jack: “Did he say anything which makes you think he couldn’t handle it?”
Viv: “Just one-day-at-a-time kind of thing.”
Jack: “I’ll keep an eye on him OK.”  Jack is psychic now.  Viv calls Jack not to see how Danny is doing but wanting to have Jack keep an eye on him.  No wonder Jack was frustrated none of his team come to him to talk.  Referring to Sam and Martin and Viv in the season 2 cover up eps. And Danny now.  Though Jack spoke to him before and Danny reassured him he could handle it.

Viv seemed rather aloof when Danny opened up to her: as if to say ‘don’t bother me I’ve got other things on my mind’.

So Danny still goes to his sponsor – wouldn’t think he’d be much help unless with drinking issues.  Didn’t like the part where Danny said he felt like having a drink because he’s known the bartender for a long time, or even the entire part where he said he even needed a drink because of Rafi’s actions!  Danny’s reason for drinking – as we understood it – wasn’t solely because of his brother.  Wasn’t it more to do with losing his parents, especially his mother, than not really having anyone to turn to – re adult.  But we don’t know where his grandmother figures into all of this.  Also where Danny said everytime he tries to get closer to Rafi, he feels he’s slipping into his bad habits again.  Come on – isn’t he much stronger now and older.  He’s come a long way.  He beat drinking, got a good job in the FBI and he wouldn’t become ‘bad’ again as he now also has friends and dreams of being a lawyer.  Though some would say that'd make it worse - shut up!!

It felt like Viv was ratting Danny out when she called Jack about Danny.  Another reason why Jack feels no one confides in him at the end, Danny didn’t come to him, though he offered to speak to him etc.

So does Danny wear contacts now, re his glasses in the flashback.  Not that we know more about Danny than we did before except he wants to be a lawyer and never took his law exams.
You seem to get the impression that Danny wants to wash his hands of Rafi when he tells Jack that legal action would be warranted then he won’t have to deal with him anymore.

Danny: “Don’t make me lie to him – Nickie.  Ten years from now when he asks me ‘how did Pappi die?’”

Jack: “That’s not exactly what I had in mind.”

Jack: “Nobody around here tells me anything.  I mean around here there’s all this stuff going on and nobody tells me anything.”
Lisa: “People usually have a tough time confiding in their boss.”
Jack: “Maybe, I don’t think that’s it.”
Lisa: “Do you confide in them?”
Jack: “I can’t I’m their boss.”
Lisa: “You sure that’s the reason.”
Probably they think he’ll judge them and then think them weak for having all these problems and personal issues.  Like Viv didn’t want to tell him about her condition and Sam about her and Martin.  But to be fair Jack did used to talk to Viv about some things and other times she had to force things out of him, as she said to Jack’s father in season 3 episode 10 that he usually likes to keep things bottled up.

When Danny first meets Sylvie in season 2 episode 19 she introduces herself as Rafi’s fiance.  Here Danny tells Jack she’s his girlfriend.  So an ep all about Danny was was still so sad in places but still enjoyable.  Enrique is a really gifted actor who makes his scenes, especially the sad ones so believable and real.

The episode title could refer to it all going wrong for Rafi and him going off the rails, or in the other sense tracks could refer to needle marks/tracks, re drug use.

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