Mickey runs into one obstacle after another until he is completely stopped in his tracks in The Lincoln Lawyer season 2 episode 5.
The Lincoln Lawyer: Case File for season 2 episode 5
‘Suspicious Minds’
Written by Zach Calig
Directed by Antonio Negret
Mickey is unnerved after learning that the prosecution pulled the plea offer for Lisa’s case before Mickey could even reject it. He fears this means that Andrea Freeman has something big against Lisa. Interference from Henry Dahl and lack of support from Lisa’s ex-husband only make matters worse.
Cisco tries to save Kaz and fulfill his debt to the Road Saints all in one fell swoop. Lorna and Cisco are happy to be moving ahead with their wedding plan when Mickey says something very hurtful to Lorna.
Let us investigate further our case file for The Lincoln Lawyer S2E5 ‘Suspicious Minds’.
Refresh your memory:
- Alex Grant is the building contractor that Bondurant appeared to be trying to extort. Mickey hopes that Grant’s ties to his family’s organized crime ring will generate another motive for Bondurant’s murder.
- Jeff is the name of Lisa Trammell’s ex-husband from whom she is estranged.
- Detective O’Brien is the lead investigator on the case against Lisa. He performed her initial interrogation.
- Margo Schafer is a receptionist at Mitchell Bondurant’s office and claims to have spotted Lisa on the curb of the office the day of the murder. Lorna earlier evaluated Margo’s incredible eyesight by asking for help reading the menu at a coffee shop.
- The Road Saints is Cisco’s former motorcycle club. Leader Teddy Vogul insists that someone pay Cisco’s debt for leaving the organization. Mickey had been providing pro bono legal services to the club, but Cisco feels he must pay the debt on his own.
- Kaz is a longtime friend of Cisco’s who once shielded Cisco from arrest. Now Cisco is tasked with monitoring his old friend because Teddy thinks Kaz’s early prison release means Kaz is snitching on the club. Kaz is snitching to the feds but only because a defensive reaction in prison ended up with a fellow prisoner dying. Kaz is cooperating to escape a murder charge and join witness protection.
Lisa snaps
Mickey is at Lisa’s restaurant enjoying her flan and daydreaming about less stressful times. Awakened from his bliss, he tells Lisa how amazing the flan is. He also brings up the topic of Jeff, her ex-husband. He wants to get ahead of whatever prosecutor Andrea Freeman has up her sleeve. Mickey wants to get helpful cooperation from Jeff.
Lisa is not keen on the idea. She always wants to avoid talking about her ex. Mickey tries to make her understand that they need Jeff in her corner. Finally, Lisa snaps at Mickey shouting, “Just stop talking about Jeff!”
Mickey is caught off guard and Lisa quickly apologizes. She even agrees to try to find the phone number for one of Jeff’s old friends in hopes of getting contact information for her ex.
Back at the office
Cisco is pulling a file for Will Schrader while on the phone with Kaz’s parole officer who has called wondering why Kaz did not show up for his appointment. Cisco does not say anything untruthful but also limits what truths he shares. Lorna is nervous for the whole situation and demands that the drama with Kaz be over soon. Cisco assures her that all will be taken care of tomorrow.
Mickey is worried that they have not yet located contractor Alex Grant. Lorna fears that perhaps Andrea is aware that Grant is MIA. Maybe that’s why the plea deal offer was pulled if Andrea did not feel that Grant could be a threat.
Mickey tells the team that their best defense at this point is to raise doubts about the validity of the case against Lisa. He wants to draw out whatever evidence Andrea has if it comes down to the possibility of a case dismissal.
We learn that eyewitness Donna Schafer and Detective O’Brien are missing from the witness list. Lorna reports that O’Brien is on medical leave and his partner will be testifying instead. This gives Mickey an idea.
Gustavo’s Corner
Mickey is charged with his next idea for Lisa’s preliminary hearing and goes shopping for his newest power suit.
Before he leaves with his suit, Izzy enters the store with important information. She shows Mickey an advertisement for Henry’s latest podcast, “Gentrify and Die”, all about the case against Lisa including old interview audio of Lisa speaking out against Henry. Haller is livid.
Mickey approaches Lisa
Mickey asks Lisa about the podcast. She claims that it was not a new interview, and her motive is to make money from the advertising so she can start paying Mickey for his legal services. She fears that he may not be working his hardest without payment. Mickey feels insulted. Lisa changes the subject and tells Mickey that she obtained an email for Jeff and wrote to him asking him to contact Mickey. She also sends some short ribs with him when he leaves.
With Izzy
Back in the Lincoln, Mickey asks Izzy if she is using the subway at night. She is and he offers to pay for an Uber. She claims the subway is safe. They talk about her plans with Ray to secure a building for their dance studio. The deposit is due next week, and Izzy has her portion ready, but Ray does not.
Izzy tells Mickey not to assume Ray is using. She explains that this kind of responsibility is just new to Ray, and she is trying. Also, Izzy wonders if there is a chance that Henry’s podcast could garner empathy for Lisa and be helpful after all.
Cisco undercover
Cisco poses as a California Fish and Wildlife inspector. He goes to one of Alex Grant’s building sites and tells the foreman he needs to see Grant about construction runoff entering the L.A. River. The foreman explains that Grant is not there, in fact, he is not one to normally be on site. Cisco threatens to shut down the construction.
As Cisco leaves, he gets a call from Kaz. Cisco reminds Kaz to stay away from something big that is happening that night.
At the hearing
Detective Long, partner of Detective O’Brien is on the stand describing the reasons for arresting Lisa for Bondurant’s murder, one of which is an eyewitness who saw Lisa in the area. When it is Mickey’s turn to question Long, he uncovers that she was not actually present for the interview. Therefore, her testimony is impermissible as it includes 2 levels of hearsay.
Prosecutor Andrea Freeman responds by ensuring the judge that she can bring eyewitness Margo Schafer on the stand the next day to give direct testimony.
No help from Henry or Jeff
As Mickey and Lisa leave the courtroom, Henry Dahl angrily charges toward Mickey from the elevator. He is angry about Mickey filing an injunction against his new podcast, which he claims is intended to help Lisa. Henry tries to smooth things by over saying Mickey can examine the footage before it is published. Mickey refuses. Lisa fears that Mickey does not trust her.
Later that evening Mickey receives a phone call from Lisa’s ex-husband. Jeff is not interested in getting involved with Lisa’s case. When Mickey asks if Jeff is in Ensenada, Jeff claims he needs to go. Mickey makes one last plea for information asking about the hammer missing from Jeff’s toolkit. Jeff says he will not testify and hangs up.
Raid at the Road Saints clubhouse
That night ATF storms the Road Saints clubhouse and examines crates stored there. They expect to find guns but only see teddy bears and dolls when they open the crates. The club explains that crates are for their annual toy drive. ATF feels bamboozled.
Sure enough, we see Teddy and Cisco at another location looking at a crate of guns in a truck. Apparently, Cisco has diverted the guns elsewhere to save Kaz and end his debt to Teddy. Cisco assumes things are square between him and the club, but then Teddy asks about Kaz. Cisco insists that Kaz has been taken care of and Teddy will never see him again. We wait nervously for Teddy’s response. Teddy agrees they are square.
Lorna gets photos
The next day Lorna stops traffic to take photos of the walkway outside Bondurant’s office. She puts out cones, takes the photos from the middle of the road, and responds spiritedly to honking cars.
Lorna sends the photos to Mickey at court. He uses the pictures to show that Margo Schafer would have great difficulty accurately identifying someone on the sidewalk from three lanes over in traffic. Interestingly, Margo did not count the parking lane next to the building when she said she was only two lanes from the building.
Margo is unable to testify in good faith that she could accurately identify Lisa Trammell leaving the building with an obstructed view from three lanes over as compared with the photos. The judge agrees that there is a significant degree of obstruction.
Mickey accuses Margo of coming to the conclusion that she saw Lisa after hearing the news of the murder later that morning. With the case at risk of dismissal, Andrea Freeman requests time to speak with her office. Mickey is forcing her hand to reveal her big evidence. The hearing will resume after lunch.
Lunch break
Outside the courtroom Lisa praises Mickey’s prowess at the hearing. She also apologizes about not handling things better with Henry the day prior. And, oh by the way . . . she informs Mickey that she was indeed outside Bondurant’s office the morning of the murder. What?? She claims she just really needed a parking spot to get to the market quickly. Mickey is taken by surprise but notes that he did not deny that Lisa was there that day. He simply pointed out that it would be difficult for someone to clearly see her.
(I don’t know about you all, but this one really threw me for a loop!)
Update on Alex Grant
Over the lunch break, Cisco reports to Mickey that Grant has not been seen at his condo for three days. Cisco fears that Grant has enough resources to stay off the grid for a long time.
Cisco also tells Mickey that he is no longer indebted to the Road Saints. Mickey no longer needs to provide any free services for Teddy. He also mentions keeping a favor ready for forger Will Schrader who recently completed a prison sentence. He tells Mickey he probably should not tell him anything more about that.
The big reveal
After lunch, Andrea brings a lab analyst on the stand. As if we needed another shocker this episode, the analyst reveals that the gardening gloves taken from Lisa have not only her DNA but also a blood stain that matches Mitchell Bondurant!
Freeman claims to have just received the report that same day, but it does feel strange that the plea deal was pulled prior to this reveal. Judge Medina confirms that the burden of proof has been met with this new evidence. They will continue to trial.
Mickey is completely exasperated. Lisa swears to him that she did not murder Bondurant. She claims someone must be framing her and suggests the “mobster guy”. Mickey is losing patience. When he tells Lisa that it does not matter what he believes regarding her guilt or innocence, that he does his best for any “client” regardless, Lisa feels stung by the thought of her merely being another “client” at this point. Can someone please pass the tissues? (Insert eye roll.)
A delivery to Kaz
Lorna and Cisco go to the location where Cisco was hiding Kaz. Lorna delivers a passport to his door, presumably forged by Will Schrader. She reminds him to stay away from Cisco.
On the way home, Lorna commends Cisco on his loyalty. He assures her that he will be a great husband. The couple begins talking about the wedding cake. Cisco has some cupcakes in the back seat that he wants Lorna to consider even though she seems to have her heart set on a specific cake maker. Lorna does a test taste.
Henry strikes again
Mickey is working at the office and receives a link from Izzy. It is an article about Henry Dahl producing his first limited TV (note TV, not podcast) series all about the Bondurant murder. Henry has seemingly found a way around the podcast injunction and moved to the televised format.
Could Mickey be any angrier?? He calls Lorna as he cannot find the contract about Lisa’s life rights. Lorna remembers him putting them in the file boxes in the Lincoln with other open cases. Mickey lashes out at Lorna accusing her of being distracted and blaming her for the missing file. He makes a point of saying that she is NOT an associate in the firm. Lorna replies to the insulting remark with a big “f-u”.
The parking garage . . . again
Mickey hurries out to the Lincoln to look for the Trammell file. He finds the folder, but it is empty. He emotion is off the charts. Just then, two men approach him and ask if he is the popular attorney everyone has been talking about. As Mickey tries to dismiss them, they begin throwing punches and kicking him until Mickey ends up on the ground not moving.
Sidebar:
Really, Lisa? You feel crushed over Mickey referring to you as a client? That is rich for a “client” that just dropped a bombshell.
Really, Mickey? You are going after Lorna about this file? She has kept the practice above water while you became entangled with this Lisa Trammell trainwreck.
Really, thugs?? How dare you lay a hand on Mickey’s dimples?!
Closing argument: Talk about a downward spiral. Mickey and team played fast and hard trying to knock down the prosecution’s case and force Freeman’s hand to reveal her “magic bullet”. But who knew just how incriminating it would be? And now Mickey has just literally been knocked off his feet. It’s going to feel like a long wait for The Lincoln Lawyer S2 part 2.
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