Recap and Review: Aquarius Episode 12

Sam Hodiak suits up for the day. As he digs through his drawer, retrieving his badge and gun, he finds a rosary. He considers it for a moment then continues getting ready.

It's a party atmosphere at the Manson house. Music producer Elliot Hillman is back to record music and shoot film. He's talking Manson up, praising the "world view" he has inspired at the home. He's in a hurry to get shooting, and as he walks away Manson grabs his wrist. Manson slips Hillman's watch off and uses it as a way to encourage the producer to slow down.

Brian Shafe greets Charmain Tully as she walks into the Hollywood police station. Apparently she's been assigned with descaling the coffee pot. Shafe asks her if she can help him with something when she's done with coffee duty. Excited, Charmain abandons the coffee pot to help him out. Shafe wants to know who in the city is using formaldehyde and for what. Charmain has a few ideas and sets off to dig deeper.

Hillman and his crew interview a young woman named Minnie about how she met Manson. Sadie finds Manson and wants to know when it's her turn to speak. Manson confronts her again about what happened with Emma at the police station. Sadie maintains Emma wasn't there when she stopped by. Manson doesn't believe her but Sadie won't budge on her story, so he sends her to find one of the other women to talk to the producers instead.

Shafe is taking notes when a uniformed officer walks a handcuffed woman into the bullpen. She's clearly agitated and says she won't speak to anyone else until she talks to Detective Hodiak. The officer tells her to "keep her hair on" and cuffs her to a chair. Hodiak meets with the woman, who turns out to be Rachel, a dancer from the Peach Pussycat. She's in trouble on a marijuana possession but says she has information that may help Hodiak. She describes watching the bikers, Roy Kovic included, load Jimmy Too's body into the back of a station wagon. Rachel says Lucille Gladner was not there but offers to tell Hodiak everything she knows. Hodiak says he can't do anything with the information right now, but will knock her charges down to a misdemeanor if she writes down everything she told him.

Charmain is back, telling Shafe everything she found about formaldehyde use. Hodiak walks in to share what Rachel told him about Kovic and Jimmy Too. Shafe figures the hearse Kovic had is connected to the formaldehyde smell he noticed in the drugs from last week's episode. Charmain asks what else she can do to help. Hodiak chastises her again about her upcoming testimony but relents and assigns her to find the hearse.

Hodiak walks outside to find Rachel sitting on the stairs of the station. She doesn't have a place to go since Lucille is a partner in hotels in the area. Hodiak ends up taking her to his place. He offers Rachel his bedroom and says he'll sleep on the couch. Are we taking bets on how long that lasts?

It lasts as long as the scene changes! A needle drops on a record player and a song fills the room. Hodiak wakes up to find Rachel doing a seductive dance for him. She joins him on the couch but Hodiak stops her. He tells Rachel she doesn't owe him anything and tries to convince her to go back to bed. Rachel relents but asks if she's going to be okay. Hodiak promises her she will be, then invites her back to the couch. He holds her close and tells her to sleep.

Shafe is all about asking people for help this episode. When Hodiak returns to the station in the morning, Shafe asks him for help on the "Queer Killer" case. Hodiak points out it's Cutler's case but listens anyway. Shafe explains that both closeted movie star Ray Novo and Chris Wagner were killed in a similar fashion. Both men were robbed and tortured before they were killed. Hodiak thinks maybe the killer didn't start out that way, that perhaps he was a robber first. Shafe had a similar thought so he looked into other open violent home invasions in the area. He leaves the huge stack of files for Hodiak to dig through.

It's Katie's turn to be interviewed by the crew at Manson's. She describes wanting to be a nun when she was younger, and how meeting "Charlie" changed her. Hillman looks teary as he listens to her story.

Shafe may have found a case that's related to the other murders. A home invasion went badly and the wife was murdered. The husband survived but was found tied to the headboard and with knife wounds. Hodiak is eager to talk to the survivor until Shafe shares the man's name. It's Francis De Murray, a Superior Court judge.

Kovic is on camera at the Manson compound. He's describing how his uncle wanted him to find Jesus but that wasn't for him. Hillman mentions that some of the girls at the compound believe Manson to be like Jesus. Katie interrupts and says she knows Manson is Jesus, because she saw him walk on water. She continues and says there's been a bad energy over the place since Cherry Pop. But when Hillman tries to ask her about Cherry, Katie says they need to go skinny dipping and distracts him.

A man walks into the station, he's been told he needs to look at some photos. Shafe introduces himself to the man and that's when it clicks. He was the bartender at the gay bar where Shafe met Chris. Shafe tries to explain himself, then asks him to make an ID.

Hodiak meets Judge De Murray in an office with the Lieutenant. He explains they may have a lead in his case. He gets up to bring the judge a cup of coffee and leaves the office door open. Shafe is outside with the bartender, who indicates he recognizes the judge from the neighborhood. De Murray apparently could be seen on weekends cruising the neighborhood looking for people to pick up. Hodiak takes this information and goes back to the office. He starts to speak with the judge, implying that he knows about De Murray's actions. De Murray is furious and threatens Hodiak, but the detective doesn't budge. Hodiak tells the judge that whatever he shares, Hodiak will say he learned it elsewhere. He tells De Murray it will all come out anyway and will look worse if the judge doesn't help him. Hodiak says he doesn't care about what the judge is into, only that he thinks the man should avenge his wife's murder. De Murray thinks for a minute and starts to describe the suspect. A Hispanic man in his 20s, with an appendectomy scar. De Murray says he made a joke about it, so the man gave him some scars of his own.

Manson is playing guitar when Hillman approaches, camera rolling. Hillman asks him what happened to Cherry. Manson simply says she was betrayed by the world and leaves it at that.

Hodiak arrives at his apartment to find a party in full swing. Rachel has invited a few friends over. She seems happy to see him until he mentions that he's a cop to her pals. The partiers leave in a hurry. As Hodiak cleans up he tells Rachel he wants her to start acting as smart as she is. The two scheme and try to find a way to get her back to work.

A young officer tries to get Cutler's attention. He's trying to tell him the Captain will be coming by to see the Lieutenant later that afternoon. Cutler ignores the man, but then takes a bottle of whisky into the lieutenant's office. He proceeds to get the man pretty drunk when Captain Dunn walks in. Dunn asks if this is how Hollywood usually does things. Cutler plays dumb and leaves when Dunn tells him to.

Hodiak and Rachel walk into Lucille's office at the Peach Pussycat. Lucille asks Rachel where she's been. Hodiak answers "with me" and plants a heavy kiss on Rachel's lips. He tells Lucille that Rachel is now his girlfriend and that he's going to be keeping an eye on her.

Walt is waiting for Hodiak at his apartment. He wants to know how it went with the reporter. Hodiak tries to explain that the reporter isn't interested yet, but will come around. Opal walks in and says "what if he doesn't?" Walt starts to pack up, frustrated that nothing is happening yet. Opal convinces him to stay, to let Hodiak help him. Walt relents and Hodiak pleads with his son to trust him.

Back at the station a weary Hodiak flips through a folder. There's a message attached to it asking him to contact Louise Mitchell. He whispers "forgive us our trespasses" before closing the folder.

Louise Mitchell answers a knock on her door to find Hodiak on her doorstep. He asks if she ever went by Lois Miller then asks to see her shoulder. She shows him a small tattoo. She then asks "what do you want?" Hodiak pauses for a minute, then says "nothing" and walks away.

From Mitchell's house, Hodiak heads to church. He's sitting in a pew, alone, then bows his head in prayer.

Apparently those prayers lead him to the Karn house. He and Grace are talking when Ken Karn arrives. Hodiak explains that he wants Karn's help getting immunity for Walt. Karn scoffs at first, listing all the things Hodiak has done to him. Hodiak says he's willing to arrange a trade. He tells Karn that he knows about the missing prostitute Caroline Beecher, and the woman who filed the police report. Hodiak tells Karn he thinks Mitchell, who he doesn't name, knows something. Karn asks if Hodiak is so sure why hasn't he done anything? Hodiak says "So I can sell the last shred of my soul to keep my son safe." Hodiak says he won't speak to Mitchell further or do any more investigating. After a few tense moments Karn agrees and says he will call his friend at the DOD. Hodiak sticks out his hand and accepts Karn's lighter, then lights the message with Louise Mitchell's contact information on fire.

Kovic and Manson are talking about Sadie. Manson wants to know if Kovic believes her. Kovic said he tried to push Sadie on what she thought about Emma being gone, but she was evasive. As darkness falls at the Manson house, he finds Sadie by the fire. He asks her again what she did to Emma and accuses her of lying. She tries to tell him that everything she does is for him. Manson hits her and she falls. She wants to know why it's such a bad thing to love him. Manson asks her again what she did to Emma. Sadie taunts him and he hits her again. The confrontation gets even more violent. He headbutts her and accuses her of selling Emma to the man. She gets down on her knees to pray and we realize the film crew has captured the whole thing. Manson spots them and stalks angrily towards the two men. He grabs the camera from the photographer and throws it through a car window saying "movie's over."

Shafe is on the phone describing the suspect in the murder of Judge De Murray's wife. The person on the phone hasn't seen the man. Shafe hangs up and walks away from his desk in frustration. Charmain answers the phone. It's Ken Karn looking for Hodiak. On the phone, Karn explains that he can put Hodiak in touch with someone who may be able to help Walt. The man, Charles Halprin, will be in touch tomorrow. While he's listening, Hodiak takes a few swigs from a small liquor bottle. Karn tells him the two men are even now, that they're the same in their hiding of others' mistakes. Karn tells him to have a nice life and hangs up. Hodiak sweeps the two empty bottles into the drawer where they meet several others. Ken flashes back on the night of Caroline Beecher's murder. Grace walks in and says "so it's done." Karn affirms and says "I saved the man you love. You're welcome." The two argue about their relationship but then Grace asks for a fresh start.

In the locker room, Sam pulls another bottle from his locker. He takes a swig and then throws the bottle in frustration. Shafe walks in at the noise and asks Hodiak what's wrong but the detective blows him off. He tries to stumble past Shafe who confronts him about being drunk. Shafe says he's watched him unravel and advises Hodiak to take a breath. They argue until Hodiak strikes Shafe, who punches back. This takes the wind out of Hodiak a little. Shafe says he's done and tells Hodiak "kill yourself for all I care" but then leaves to call a cab for the detective.

Ken Karn pours himself a drink and lights a smoke at home. There's a knock on the door. It's his partner from the law firm Hal Banyin. He's covered in blood. He says "I need your help Ken. It happened again." Startled, Ken pulls Banyin inside and slams the door. And there we end.