The Aftermath of Mickey’s house being broken into has everyone on edge.
The Lincoln Lawyer: Case file for Season 3 Episode 2
Episode Title: ‘Special Circumstances’
Written By: Gladys Rodriguez
Directed By: Alonso Alvarez-Barreda
Refresh your memory:
- Mickey’s house was broken into, and to our surprise, a rattlesnake was left under a pillow on his bed.
- Andrea Freeman went against Mickey in the previous season in the trial against Lisa Trammel.
- Gloria Dayton (aka Glory Days) had a new identity and was going by Giselle Dallinger.
- David ‘Legal’ Siegel was in the hospital getting more tests for a minor heart disorder.
- Glory Days’ release a year prior came in exchange for the name of suspected cartel boss Hector Moya.
- Eddie Rojas became The Lincoln Lawyer’s new driver after Mickey helped him out of a jam.
- Julian La Cosse is the client who is on trial for the murder of Giselle Dallinger (Glory)
Gathering information
At the beginning of the episode, Lorna tells Mickey that they need more firepower than just the police. They should call in the Road Saints to help. Mickey tells everyone to calm down because everything that has happened is just a warning. He adds that if the cartel wanted him dead, he’d be dead. But then he adds that they would all be dead—not helping Haller.
He says, most likely, if Hector Moya doesn’t want him digging into who killed Glory Days, it only means they have an innocent client.
Before heading out, Izzy hands Mickey the file for Oscar Guerrero. After Lorna asks how many houses a man can rob, Mickey says the entire case rests on the witness identifying him. And if he can shake her testimony, they have a chance. The conversation switches to asking about the court files surrounding Hector Moya. Izzy says there was nothing in the state courts because he never had an arraignment. This suggests that perhaps the Feds took it over.
That said, Mickey says somebody must go to the courthouse in Pasadena to get a hard copy of the files because that is where the Court of Appeals is. However, that would tip their hand unless someone has a better idea, and Lorna says she might.
Mickey checks with Cisco
Mickey calls Cisco and is asked if he could acquire the Roosevelt Hotel security footage without going through the proper channels of a subpoena. He doesn’t want their efforts to become public knowledge, and a subpoena would do just that. They don’t know who is watching. He also tasks Cisco with looking into the two clients Glory had the day she was murdered.
Oscar Guerrero trial
The Lincoln Lawyer uses a few of his tricks to try to trip up Mrs. Welton, the witness against Oscar Guerrero, and shake her testimony. But it all fails and in the process of saying that to Oscar, Oscar attacks Mickey and punches him in the mouth before the bailiffs can subdue him. Because of that incident, the judge has no choice but to declare a mistrial.
Julian’s arraignment
William Forsythe is the prosecutor assigned to Julian’s trial. Lorna thinks he’s a bit green because he has done chiefly appellate work in Riverside. Upon arriving in the courtroom, Lorna points out Forsythe as he is sitting down. And he looks to be a mess right out of the gate. Files are falling out of his briefcase, and he’s mumbling to himself. As Tracey and I discussed in The Lincoln Lawyer trailer breakdown podcast, he reminds me of Milton from the movie Office Space.
Forsythe introduces himself, fanning over The Lincoln Lawyer and expressing his excitement about meeting him. Mickey says he’ll try not to embarrass himself, and William says he doesn’t believe in being “overly adversarial”.
Haller is ecstatic about catching a big break, but the rug gets pulled out from under him after the arraignment gets going. Mickey states they plead not guilty to all charges and want to be heard on bail. As for the bail amount, he says that he and the prosecutor should be able to agree on a recommendation. After all, there is no reason to be “overly adversarial”.
Has Mickey met his match?
William Forsythe states that he would love to acquiesce to Mickey’s motion but strenuously objects to bail. (By the way, “acquiesce” means accepting something reluctantly but without protest.) He adds that they are amending the charges and adding a special circumstances allegation—specifically, the use of an incendiary device in the commission of the murder.
An incendiary device was used to set a fire in the apartment, likely to cover the killer’s tracks. Mickey replies that it’s irrelevant because it only applies if the device was used to commit the murder. William agrees, bringing out the final autopsy report, in which the coroner determined that the cause of death was smoke inhalation because Giselle was still alive until the smoke from the fire killed her.
Mickey did not receive a copy of the report until just then. But Forsythe claims they would have mentioned it earlier, but Haller dove right into his motion for bail. He also adds that the incendiary device is mentioned in the police report. Mickey fires back, saying they haven’t received the police report either. Forsythe looks shocked, professing it was an oversight. With all that, the judge’s hands are tied. With a special circumstances allegation, bail will be unavailable. Haller is forced to withdraw his motion for bail.
The arraignment aftermath
Mickey thought the arraingment would be a walk in the park given the way Forsythe started that day. Instead, he got Jurassic Park. In the hallway, Mickey is frustrated that Forsythe turned out to be a shark. Lorna tells him that he will punch him in the nose because that’s what you have to do with sharks. Lorna asks for the rest of the day off to get a Korean scrub. Mickey sits with Julian’s partner, David, and David says he reached Stacey Campbell, who introduced Julian to Giselle. After handing Mickey her business card, David says she won’t meet him at the office. Their meeting will have to take place at a pricey restaurant.
Legal Seigel and the bloody flag move
Mickey was up to his usual bag of tricks during the Oscar Guerrero trial. After picking up Legal Seigel, they talk about the bloody flag move, a move from the old days. Legal doubts there is a judge currently sitting on the bench who has ever heard of the play where an attorney incites a staged assault by the defendant against his attorney.
The bloody flag move works in the defendant’s favor because now the witness has seen the defendant’s “violent streak” and will most likely not take the stand to testify against him again. Legal wants to know how many fake blood capsules were needed to make the assault look real. Mickey notices Eddie listening in on the conversation and reminds him of the confidentiality associated with what he hears in the Lincoln. The conversation then switches to Mickey’s new client and the break-in at his house. Legal Seigel warns Mickey that even though he lives alone, he still has people other than himself to live for.
Cisco and the Hotel Roosevelt manager
Cisco talks with the Hotel Roosevelt manager to see if he can obtain the security footage without going through the proper channels to get a subpoena. He uses a few plays from the investigator’s playbook to get the videos, even offering a thousand dollars in cash. However, the hotel manager sticks to his guns and tells him he won’t get the security footage without a court order.
As a side note, our So Many Shows pal Tracey recently visited Hollywood and stayed at the Roosevelt Hotel for part of her trip.
Glory Days’ clients
Cisco is able to track down the name of the client who did show up for the appointment with Glory, Brad Parsons. The airline corroborated his flight home. As for the client number two, David Price, Cisco informs the team that room 837 was vacant at the time even though Julian had stated earlier that he had called the room and confirmed the date was there.
Lorna works through a spa day
Lorna meets with a former law school classmate named Bridgette. They enjoy a Korean spa while catching up about their lives since law school. It is a ruse that allows Lorna to gain information about Moya’s case. Her friend is clerking for a federal judge and could get the information needed, but it would take some work. They visit a familiar bar with all-you-can-drink soju. Lorna obtains the information after quite bit of soju. She walks into the office triumphantly and quickly collapses on the couch. Cisco suggests she nap, but she says she has work to do.
Izzy to the rescue
Izzy meets with Ty, who has a source at the Roosevelt Hotel. He will only give up the information if she gives him some information in return, juicy details about The Lincoln Lawyer. She knew he would pull something like this, so she turns the tables on him. Izzy threatens to tell Ty’s boss he used to give Oxy in exchange for dirt on the celebrities she toured with. She still has the incriminating texts. Ty gives up the information because Cisco gets a text from Izzy that says “Jose Garces. Bellman.”
Excellent work, Izzy!!!
A costly dinner
At Nobu, Stacey takes full advantage of a free meal, ordering the special and all the extras that can come with it.
Lorna interrupts dinner with a phone call to inform Mickey she has Moya’s federal court records. Haller was right. The feds acquired Moya’s case based on an outstanding federal warrant. The real kicker was a gun enhancement added to the charges. The feds found an unregistered handgun in his room that was tied to a triple homicide in Nevada. The gun enhancement secured a life sentence in Victorville.
Back at the table, Mickey says he is willing to splurge on the expensive food, but in return, Stacey must tell him all he needs to know. Stacey tells Mickey that Glory believed if she was ever arrested again, she could not call upon Mickey. If he learned she was still in Los Angeles, “it would all unravel”.
Cisco and the hotel manager – round 2
Cisco returns to the Roosevelt Hotel, this time with some ammunition he can use to retrieve the security footage. I love how he asks a front desk clerk to see the Hotel Manager “tout de suite”. Mickey calls Cisco to tell him that Glory was fearful of something unraveling. He believes it has something to do with Hector Moya. The hotel manager approaches, saying he’s wasting his time unless he has a court order.
Cisco reveals that he knows the hotel is having issues with celebrity leaks, but he can help him plug that leak. He offers the name of the leak in exchange for the security footage. Cisco adds that it would be confidential and purely for their “edification” and assured him they would not use it at trial without approval.
Cisco edits the security footage
With the security footage now in hand, Cisco cut all the angles into one long take from when Glory Days arrived and left the Roosevelt Hotel. The big thing spotted was a man in a hat who followed Glory away from the hotel when she went to leave. They know the man in the hat was following her because he went to leave when she did but then sat back down when Glory returned briefly to the front desk.
The license plate of the vehicle the man in the hat was driving was not visible. However, Cisco points out the car resembles a Honda Civic with tinted windows.
Who do you think the man in the hat is? Let us know using one of the email addresses at the end of the recap.
Mickey and Andrea meet again
After the Oscar Guerrero trial, Mickey runs into Andrea Freemann. Because he has “blood” on his dress shirt, she says he is always up to something wondering why so many people want to take a swipe at him. His response is that “inspires strong emotions”. After saying that he’s had a couple of bad days in a row, Andrea tells him her secret when she has a bad day. Answer: comfort food, with the restaurant of her choice being Cole’s. Mickey gets in a jab asking if you went there after losing Lisa Trammel case.
Good news, bad news for Julian
The good news is that the segregation transfer has been approved moving him to a safer spot in jail. The bad news is that the trial will probably take about eight months to start. Julian asks for a favor. He tells Mickey to not allow David to visit him anymore. Julian doesn’t want David to see him in this state.
The great debate: Cole’s or Philippe’s
Feeling a bit defeated, Mickey has Eddie bring him to Cole’s, taking Andrea Freemann’s advice of comfort food. Mickey closes his eyes at the table and envisions himself underwater in the ocean. The restaurant is busy and noisy, but Mickey feels the place is empty during this exercise as depicted in the camera angle. He is pulled back to reality when he hears Andrea’s voice. They begin having a playful debate about which restaurant served the “original” French dip sandwich: Cole’s or Philippe’s.
Mickey offers her a seat with him since she is so passionate about the topic of the celebrated sandwich. She initially declines saying she was sneaking away from someone’s promotion party. She also jokes that she cannot risk the fallout of being seen with a defense attorney. Haller says they will finish their debate another time, and Andrea leaves. The Lincoln Lawyer signals the bartender for a to-go box, but Andrea returns to sit with him because she has changed her mind and is ready to dig into the sandwich.
The road ahead
I foresee William Forsythe being a significant thorn in Mickey’s side. He has tricks up his sleeve that even Mickey doesn’t use. Mickey has been compared to a magician in the courtroom but is unlike Forsythe.
Will Team Haller find out who the man in the hat was in the security footage?
What do you think of Eddie Rojas?
Did you recognize the closing song?
The episode’s closing song is a cover of “Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City” by Black Pumas t. The original version was used in the opening credits of the movie The Lincoln Lawyer, starring Matthew McConaughey. The song begins while Mickey is inside Cole’s as Andrea first plans to leave.
What were your thoughts on episode 2 of The Lincoln Lawyer season 3. More importantly, where do you sit with which restaurant had the original French dip?
Please email us your thoughts on the episode or the season to feedback@somanyshows.com or notguilty@somanyshows.com.
Episodes 1 – 10 of The Lincoln Lawyer season 3 are available on Netflix.
Stay tuned for ongoing coverage of The Lincoln Lawyer, which includes interviews, recaps, and all new episodes of our podcast Lincoln Law Pod on SoManyShows.com.
Next Up:
The Lincoln Lawyer recap: ‘Case File’ for season 3 episode 3 – So Many Shows!
Stay connected with So Many Shows:
Leave a Reply