The Case vs. Kevin’s Personal Problems
We open at Eva’s bar early in the morning where the piano man is playing the most depressing song ever. O’Brien shows up looking for Kevin and is amused to find him cuddled up with a naked Morehouse. “Is this what the Protestants call a honeymoon?” Kevin picked a very bad day to be late, what with a dead young copper and all. The likely suspect is a fella named Murphy, a known “cop-hater”. Byrnes was trying to court Murphy’s daughter which seems like a really bad idea.
Maguire and O’Rourke are discussing what it’s like to stab someone, when Seamus comes in and makes light of their existential philosophy on killing. O’Rourke and Maguire kick him around a little then show him the door. Looks like Maguire is second in command now.
Ellen and Annie start to have a sweet mother/ adopted daughter moment when Annie drops the necklace she stole from Elizabeth Haverford. I mean, Morehouse. And Ellen LOSES HER SHIT. She attacks Annie, calls her the Devil’s child, and threatens her with a knife. Now, Ellen’s not entirely incorrect in calling Annie the Devil’s child, but I think we are seeing how Maggie was “accidentally” killed – Ellen’s temper. And my heart breaks a little bit more for Kevin.
Kevin sees Annie running away from his house as they are on their way to interrogate Murphy. And by interrogate, I mean beat the shit out of. Shouldn’t you at least get a question or two in before you start with the punching and kicking? Murphy’s daughter doesn’t like seeing her daddy getting beat, so she tells them about the new counterfeiting gang in Five Points. On the way back to the station, Kevin stops at his house to find out what happened with Annie. Ellen tells him about Annie stealing the necklace and calls her a devious little demon and a tramp. Kevin smacks her across the face! I didn’t see that one coming.
Apparently O’Rourke is not the Big Boss after all, because we see O’Rourke and Maguire in a meeting with a fella named Keating (played by the phenomenal Lee Tergesen of “Oz”). He also likes to philosophize about his criminal endeavors. Maguire’s next assignment is to go the docks with O’Rourke to get Keating’s new counterfeiting plates.
Annie initially tries to lie to Kevin about the necklace, but he’s finally had enough this time. He’s hurt and angry that he’s given her chance after chance, and this time she has gone too far. Annie looks scared and afraid, and I think this time it’s real, not manipulation. Kiera Glasco just kills this scene, and as much as Annie’s character gets on my nerves, I’m glad to see her have more to do in this episode. He leaves the necklace in the room, telling Annie to stay put until he gets back and they’ll return the necklace to Elizabeth. To the surprise of no one, Annie runs away with the necklace the minute her guard turns his back.
Murphy’s daughter tells them the counterfeiters are working out of a dive in the neighborhood. Well, that narrows it down. Donovan orders the coppers to shut them all down to flush out the gang members, and Captain Sullivan doesn’t necessarily agree with this plan. I’ve been waiting for the scene where Captain Sullivan and Donovan compare dicks, and guess what? Donovan’s is bigger.
O’Brien and Kevin eventually show up at the fine establishment where Maguire is hanging out. Kevin and Maguire exchange pleasantries, when Kevin learns Annie’s left. O’Brien tells Kevin he’s only going to lie to the bosses for him so much. O’Brien’s had enough of doing all the work while Kevin runs around dealing with his various personal problems.
Donovan has shut down most of the bars and whorehouses… except for Eva’s. He suggests she stay open, and pass along any information she finds. Eva is not really feeling that. “A whore is like a lawyer or priest. We betray no confidence.” Donovan asks her why Kevin has such an interest in Annie. I guess it’s a good idea to make sure one of your top detectives isn’t a pedophile. Donovan says he thinks they would make good partners. Eva doesn’t directly answer him, but clinks her glass against his in a toast.
Seamus tells the coppers Maguire was the one who murdered Byrnes because he’s butthurt that O’Rourke likes Maguire better than him. He also tells them that Maguire is part of the counterfeiting ring. Maguire is arrested on his way to deliver the new plates to Keating.
Kevin returns to the station because he hears the murderer has been arrested. Shockingly, the coppers are all taking turns beating Maguire. Kevin stops the beating and tells them to get a doctor. He goes home and tells Ellen what I expected to hear from him at the end of last season – he can’t get past her affair with Maguire, and he can get past Maggie. He leaves, presumably to go figure out how the hell an Irish Catholic in the 1860’s can get a divorce. Spoiler alert: he can’t.
Kevin goes to Eva’s bar, of course, and Eva offers him a new girl who’s “practically a virgin”. I’m not sure that’s exactly what one looks for in a prostitute, but whatever. And for the second time this season, I have to watch Kevin having awkward sex with a miserable look on his face.
Keating is happy Maguire took a beating without giving them up, but he’s pretty pissed off about the coppers having his fancy new counterfeiting plates.
Other Stuff Happened, Too
Sara has come to see Elizabeth to get the rest of the payment she’s owed for making the dress. While she’s there, Elizabeth receives a note that Sara’s mom was sold to a plantation in Virginia. Elizabeth is sad that Robert spent their wedding night at a whorehouse, and Sara laments that fear and the lure of those places can impair men’s judgment. You 19th Century females are so tolerant. And by tolerant I mean oppressed.
Eva’s alone in her room thoughtfully rubbing her slightly rounded belly, (I want to say she’s pregnant, but you never ask a woman if she’s pregnant unless you are observing the baby actually coming out of her vagina) when Elizabeth arrives to ask if her husband is there. Apparently she doesn’t know how whorehouses work. To maintain the clientele, there needs to be a bit of discretion involved.
Elizabeth goes to the jail to tell Kennedy to go fuck himself, then heads home to pack for Virginia. I’m not sure if she’s interested in redemption or truly cares about the Freemans, but either way I’m happy she’s going.
Kevin goes to see Elizabeth to find out if she has seen Annie, and lets it slip that Robert did in fact spend their wedding night in a whorehouse. Meanwhile, a very drunk Morehouse cuddles (and keeping up with this week’s theme, philosophizes) with a dog in the street.
Sara and Elizabeth eventually set Matthew straight about who is going to Virginia to get Sara’s mom. “A Negro trying to break into the South in the middle of this war is madness.” Yes, indeed. The free, rich, white lady is the one who needs to go.
Robert runs into Kevin on his way back home. Kevin asks him what he meant when he mentioned Elizabeth and Kennedy on his wedding night, Robert says it was only petty jealousy because Elizabeth said Kennedy was handsome. Interesting. He must not be planning to out his wife as a traitor, but will he still testify against Kennedy?
Robert arrives home and learns that Elizabeth has left for Virginia, but inexplicably, no one tells him why. If they do The Series of Stupid Misunderstandings plot device to keep them apart I am going to be so annoyed.
Next week on Copper:
The Druids take over the precinct.
Cathy Elmore is a writer for Sweatpants & Coffee. She also writes for Gridiron Girl when she isn’t chasing after her baby girl.
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