Announcer: Crescent City, give it up for the Navy's very own...
Golden Aces!
Danny, phone.
I'm texting Shay.
He's got a thing for Shay.
Hey, hey, hey, hey...
I'm aware.
CJ: Whoa!
That was tight!
Right, D?
It was pretty cool, I guess.
See? When you open your eyes, look what surprises life gives you.
Announcer: In a few minutes, American hero, Lieutenant Lindsay Garrett.
Ready, kid?
I was born ready, old man.
(both chuckle)
You're looking a little pale.
You good?
Absolutely.
Let's do this.
Announcer: Please put your hands together for New Orleans' own Lindsay Garrett, flying the Navy's brand-new fighter jet, the A06 Skystormer!
(cheering)
(cheering continues)
Controller: Runway 3 waiting. You are clear for takeoff.
Yeah, yeah!
(engines whirring)
(rumbling)
(whoops)
Oh!
Whoa-ho-ho!
Whoa! Whoa!
The plane don't look too good.
(gasping)
(crowd screaming, shouting)
♪ NCIS:New Orleans 2x03 ♪
Touched by the Sun
Original Air Date on October 6, 2015
♪ Boom, boom, boom, boom ♪
♪ Bang, bang, bang, bang ♪
♪ Boom, boom, boom, boom ♪
♪ How, how, how, how ♪
♪ Hey, hey ♪
♪ You gotta come on. ♪
So clown shows up half hour late, in a janky-ass track suit, and barbecue stains down the front.
(laughs) What'd you do?
I was, like, "Bye, Felicia"
Gonna have to take a whole lot more effort than that to get with all of this.
(both laugh)
How about you, Ms. Thing?
How's, uh, the roving reporter?
You know, ex-fiancé with the Hugh Grant accent.
That's on an... as-needed basis.
James is on assignment in Kenya.
So you playing the field?
I'm open to it if something interesting comes along, yeah.
Kudos to you for having standards.
Unlike Mr. Walk of Shame over here.
I don't even want to know what kind of suck-face scars you got going on under that collar.
I got nothing to hide.
Rough night, Lasalle, huh?
If by "rough, you mean legendary.
My man, were we on fire last night, or what?
Hold up, you two went out together?
The image of Patton Plame twerking on a bar is not gonna be easy to erase.
Oh, I got my ways.
Oh, I'm sorry.
I must have lost the evite.
(phone chirping)
What about you, B?
Probably in my spam folder.
It's Pride.
Better get that Joe to go.
Plane crash to investigate.
Wade: The victim's Lieutenant Lindsay Garrett, age 26.
(camera shutter clicking)
She was the first female combat pilot to receive a Silver Star for bravery after leading a mission to Syria.
Took out a band of insurgents, saved hundreds of innocent civilians.
You brought the boys to see her?
Yeah. I thought it'd be a fun family day.
Didn't work out so well.
Single mother at 50.
Ah. Working on it.
Okay, so far, fragmentation patterns to the lower body and torso.
(shutter clicking)
Multiple blunt injuries to the head.
It's typical of catastrophic accidents.
Woman: Agent Pride.
Madam Secretary.
You're here fast.
I was attending the air show.
Do you know Doc Wade?
Yeah.
Ma'am.
Lieutenant Garrett was a hero.
(sighs): A role model for the Navy.
Loss is immeasurable.
For a multitude of reasons.
The Skystormer's a crucial component of the Navy's defense arsenal.
For that reason, Melanie Pratt, the jet contractor, Curtwell Industries' liaison to the Navy, is here to provide full support.
Whatever you need, Agent Pride.
History and specs on the plane would be great.
I'll call my office, have them send over the complete files.
Thank you.
Three weeks ago, POTUS approved shipment of the Skystormer to strategically located bases around the globe as part of a large-scale defense strategy.
But until we're certain of what caused this crash, that rollout has been held up.
Leaving the Navy vulnerable.
We need to find out what caused the accident.
The plane or the pilot.
Counting on you, Dwayne, and your team to make this happen.
(phone rings)
We won't let you down.
It's Washington.
Excuse me.
The black box is uploaded, King.
Be right there.
Man: According to the flight data recorder, Lieutenant Garrett started having trouble 46 seconds in, which is when she stopped communicating with flight control.
Her comms go out?
Flight data confirms they were functional, but no distress call.
Shortly after last contact, plane's flight pattern was overridden by the ACLS.
ACLS?
Aircraft Carrier Landing System.
Advanced technology designed to land planes onto aircraft carriers.
Carriers have shorter landing strips than airfields.
Pratt: To compensate, the ACLS sends the plane into a rapid descent, followed by a condensed landing buffered by the ship's tail hooks.
But if the function was initiated mid-flight...
It would send the plane into a steep nosedive.
And without tail hooks to help bring the plane to a halt...
It'd be a death trap.
Man: Plane dropped a thousand feet at close to 300 miles an hour.
A pilot of Garrett's caliber would understand the ramifications of initiating such a function.
Yeah.
Software glitch?
Pratt: Not possible.
Once airborne, the only way to initiate the ACLS is manually-- from the cockpit.
And once it was triggered, Lieutenant Garrett made no attempt to course-correct or eject.
So it's possible that this is... not an accident after all.
Possible the Navy's finest... crashed her plane into the ground on purpose.
Lindsay: Picture yourself hurtling through the air at 1,500 miles an hour, ten tons of titanium strapped to your person.
That's what it's like being a fighter pilot.
Closest you can get to being part machine.
MAN (on video): Are you ever afraid?
Well, if I was, do you think I'd admit it?
(laughs)
No, the... difference between life and death up there is being able to compartmentalize the fear.
Put it in a box and get the job done.
Lieutenant Lindsay Garrett, second-generation m*llitary pilot.
Graduated top of her class at Naval Fighter Weapons School.
After Garrett was awarded the Silver Star for her mission in Syria, she garnered national attention.
Sonja: No doubt. Homegirl's a media darling.
New York Post, Top Trends, Celebrity b*at.
Lasalle: Smart, strong, easy on the eyes-- total package.
Pride: Yet we're supposed to believe she k*lled herself and put a multimillion-dollar jet into the ground.
Why?
Chris, Brody, head to Belle Chase.
Look into Garrett's mental state in the days leading up to the air show.
I'll have Patton check into her digital footprint.
Percy, stay on top of Wade and Sebastian.
Man: Agent Pride.
I'm here about my daughter.
My wife Sandra d*ed when Lindsay was just seven.
Pretty much just been the two of us after that.
Must have been tough.
We managed.
Used to take Lindz out in the Cessna on the weekends.
(chuckles)
Kid never wanted to come down.
Said she loved being up so high, so close to the sun.
We're sorry for your loss.
I understand you were... with your daughter before the show.
Did you notice anything...
(sighs): I don't know... off?
With Lindsay?
Captain, they're asking questions about your daughter's actions in the cockpit.
I've been in the service more than half my life--
I know how this works.
How's that?
Business of w*r.
Fancy new jet comes with agendas.
Multimillion-dollar toy gets a glitch, now, that's a problem.
But... something wrong with the pilot?
That they can live with.
My job here is just... is simply to find the truth.
The truth... is my daughter was an exemplary pilot, as competent and capable as anyone out there, any age, male or female.
Sonja: Excuse me.
Doc Wade.
Says she got something.
Wade: Upon examining the victim, I found several traumatic injuries, but it's likely the fatal blow was to the skull.
Pride: Hey, Danny, how you doing?
Good.
Cool?
Yes, sir.
Wade: Danny, where's Lieutenant...
Garrett's paperwork?
Filed it, just like you asked.
No, these are alphabetical--
I asked you to file it by medical code.
Sorry. I forgot.
Danny, this internship is an opportunity, which means... rising to the task, diligence and attention to detail.
I know.
Every fact in its place...
Brings the truth to bear.
Yes.
She says that a lot.
Believe me, I know.
Wade: So... along with the subdural hematoma on the right frontal lobe caused by the impact of the crash, something else caught my eye.
Her eyes.
Ruptured blood vessels.
Indicative of G-LOC.
Exposure to excessive G-forces?
Statistically, G-LOC is one of the most common causes of pilot-error crashes.
Loss of blood to the brain leads to impaired vision, disorientation, blackouts.
All reasons Garrett could have triggered the ACLS.
Wade: By accident. Sebastian's running a flight simulation to test my theory.
I feel the need, the need for speed.
Ow!
Yeah, sorry, Wordy Nerdy, not feeling the Maverick vibe.
More of a Goose, aren't I?
Yeah.
P-dawg! Missed you last night with the boys.
Yo, what the hell?
String Bean hung out with Patton and Lasalle?
Hells, yeah. Guys night.
It's a bonding ritual.
Goes back to the Middle Paleolithic era when male hunters would gather to celebrate abundance.
Anyway, should have been there, man.
It was... pretty crazy.
What was it, buddy?
Uh, two Sea Breezes?
And a Tom Collins.
Shake off that hangover, dear, so you can tell us about your simulation.
Right. Okay, so, uh...
(clears his throat)
Heads-up display from the cockpit of the Skystormer.
I ran my simulation program on the last 30 seconds of Lieutenant Garrett's air show flight.
When the ACLS function was triggered?
Exactly.
So, at the point of initiation, Garrett was pulling four g's.
But as the plane fell into a rapid descent and increased in speed, it elevated up to six. Now, watch what happens at five seconds to impact.
Dials level off.
Five, four, three, two...
Plane's down, and as you can see, she still only maxed out at six g's.
Well, how many g's does it take to suffer from G-LOC?
Pilot of Garrett's experience?
Minimum eight.
So, no G-LOC?
No. All signs still point to Lieutenant Garrett voluntarily initiating the ACLS.
Well, I, for one, am not ready to accept that conclusion.
At least not until I look further into the victim's body.
Brody: Commander Wilson, you were Lieutenant Garrett's C.O. for the last two years?
Yes. She was one of the most prolific pilots I've seen in my career.
Stress assessment and situational awareness skills were off the charts.
Pilots like that don't go off the rails, crash their planes intentionally.
Did Garrett show any signs of physical or mental duress prior to the air show?
Physicians cleared her for sea flights on the Skystormer less than three months ago.
Awarded her top marks across the board.
But I wasn't actually in contact with her on the day to day.
Might be helpful for you to talk to some of her squad mates.
Man: Garrett was cool.
She could hold her own well enough with the guys.
Gave us as good as she's got, right, Gator?
Yeah. Damn straight.
Gator, huh?
University of Florida.
Bama. Roll Tide.
You guys were close with Garrett?
Training partners on the Skystormer test flights.
Yeah, Gator here was her understudy.
LC was in first position.
I was her number two.
LC?
Garrett's call sign.
Lucky Charm on account of her, uh... charmed career.
How did you guys feel about that?
Lindsay getting all this attention?
Oh, we gave her crap sometimes.
You know, about being the Navy's golden girl.
End of the day, we were real proud to call Lindsay our squad mate and our friend.
Yeah. (clears his throat)
Well, most of us were.
Easy, Doog.
You guys have something to tell us?
Look, fellas, we're just trying to get a feel where's Lindsay's head was.
When Garrett first got here, there were some rumors floating around.
What kind of rumors?
That she, uh, didn't exactly earn her spot on the squad.
Meaning?
Meaning... maybe her test scores weren't exactly up to snuff.
Brody: Called the Naval
Fighter School, put in a request for Garrett's records.
Well, I guess we'll see if those, uh, rumors about her test scores hold weight.
You know, if Garrett was a guy, would people be questioning her?
No way. If you're pretty, you slept your way to the top.
If you're smart and ambitious, you're a bitch.
That seems pretty simple.
You don't play up your gender at work, shouldn't be a factor.
Well, why wouldn't we play up a thing that makes us unique?
Yeah. I mean, guys don't have to apologize for being guys.
Yeah, especially when it comes to guys night.
Us skirts aren't good enough to hang with the big g*ns.
It ain't personal.
It's bro code.
Yeah, well, bro code is broken.
Just another way to keep the ladies down.
If Garrett were receiving preferential treatment, maybe she was worried about it going public.
Yeah, expose Navy's golden girl as a fraud.
Well, that'll be a big-ass scandal.
Yeah, but big enough to crash a plane at an air show?
I don't buy it.
I don't buy it, either.
He twerks, he works.
(laughter)
Follow me.
So as I delved into Fly Girl's digital footprint, her e-mails, her text messages, her online purchases...
Anything of note Well, other than her scented-candle fetish, her life was humdrum.
So I started looking into Garrett's public persona, which is where I stumbled across this charmer.
Rudimentary but threatening.
(g*nf*re)
Translation of the Arabic--
"Eye for an eye, soul for a soul."
Wade: Hate threats?
Possible retribution for the mission Garrett flew in Syria.
I got Patton tracking the IP now.
Those threats make sense based on what I just found.
I examined Lieutenant Garrett's organs, and in addition to scarred lung tissue, I discovered damaged neurons and white matter in the brain, which is typically a side effect of chemotherapy.
Garrett's mother d*ed of cancer.
But there was no sign of it in Lindsay.
What I did discover was a potent neurotoxin in her bloodstream.
You know what kind?
Well, we're running tests now, but that toxin was strong enough to completely shut down Garrett's central nervous system.
Symptoms?
Well, it's similar to G-LOC.
Blurry vision, loss of muscle control, impaired judgment.
All reasons Garrett could have made an honest mistake.
Well, how did a neurotoxin like that get into her system?
Not naturally.
My theory-- she was poisoned.
Which means this plane crash...
Just became a m*rder investigation.
Poisoned?
M.E. found a potent neurotoxin in Lieutenant Garrett's system.
Symptoms can range from impaired vision, loss of muscle control, confusion.
Which would affect Garrett's performance in the cockpit.
Running tests now to figure out what the toxin is.
Meantime, we're shifting our focus to identifying suspects.
Figure out who had motive and access to Garrett.
Thanks. Any leads?
Online thr*at, tensions within her squad.
Garrett flies over 30 combat missions overseas.
k*lled in an air show back home.
Regardless, if Lieutenant Garrett was poisoned, it clears the plane, correct?
Not comfortable going on record one way or another.
At least not until we have all the facts at hand.
Well, what's your time frame on that?
Long as it takes.
(phone rings)
Washington?
Virginia.
Oh. Your little girl.
How-how is she?
Not so little. She's a junior in high school.
Driver's permit?
Two weeks ago.
Tempted to put security detail on her.
Well, may give you peace of mind now.
Cost you an arm and a leg in therapy later.
It's all just terrifying, isn't it?
Imagine putting her in the cockpit of a fighter jet.
Look, Dwayne, I know how important your work is to you.
It's one of the qualities I admire most.
But I have people in Washington who need answers.
Madam Secretary, a young woman's legacy is at stake here.
Believe me, I know.
So, I'm going to stall as long as I can with the hope you find who k*lled this girl.
Patton: From the first moment I saw it, this video didn't make any sense to me.
See, jihad work is hella more sophisticated than this Looney Tune crap.
(g*nf*re)
And sure enough, when I delved into the software, I found out that it was homegrown, made right here in the U.S. of A.
Specifically, Flash 6, C++ vector.
That good or bad?
Neither.
Any starving Pixar wannabe worth their weight can pirate a copy.
But this particular version was licensed and legit by this cat.
Kellan Falk.
Pride: We know who he is?
Director of Lindsay's documentary.
Now he'd have access to Lieutenant Garrett, but motive?
Let's find out.
It wasn't meant to be a literal interpretation.
It's hard to interpret "eye for an eye" any other way.
You're a smart guy, Kellan.
You should know that your videos amount to a t*rror1st thr*at.
Made with your software.
Which may have led to a m*rder.
When's the last time you saw Lindsay?
Uh... Couple weeks ago, we did an interview for the documentary's DVD extras.
Excuse me.
You've done what? Two movies since your documentary with Lindsay?
Three if you count my short.
You've still got her pictures up?
The film was my baby.
It holds a very special place in my heart.
What about Lindsay? Does she hold a special place in your heart, too?
Look, filming with Lindsay was very intense. We got close.
How close? Were you romantically involved?
Lindsay wasn't interested in going there. She said the demands of her job made a relationship impossible.
Sounds like she just wasn't that into you.
So you figured if you scared her from going back into the field, maybe she'd change her mind?
And when that didn't work...
Wait. would never have hurt Lindsay.
I wanted to take care of her.
I wanted to protect her.
From what? !sis? Al-Qaeda?
And some threats closer to home.
There's some footage from the documentary you need to see.
Job's tough enough as it is.
Feels like you're carrying the weight of the world.
I mean, add in being the... only female in a sea of sharks... burden gets that much heavier.
(sniffles)
Let's stop.
There on the wrist.
Zoom in, please.
(phone chimes)
It's Shay.
She's pissed I'm never around.
Okay, that's not my concern at the moment, nor should it be yours.
Why you got to be so hard?
I am not being hard, but I do have expectations.
Well, maybe your expectations are too high.
Look, I don't think so, and neither should you.
I'm not you. Okay, I'm not some rock star in the lab.
I'm never gonna be.
And if that's not good enough, then I'm out of here.
Danny.
Back off.
Just leave me alone.
Danny.
Everything all right?
Yeah.
I, uh...
I found the welt on the wrist the documentarian was talking about.
It's at time code a minute, 27.
Sebastian: Oh, yeah, there it is.
Well, based on the size and the scope, I'd bet money this mark's a defensive wound.
By the depth of color, I'd say it's about three days old.
Somebody assaulted Garrett.
Hang on. What is that?
This bruise seems to have a slightly raised pattern injury.
Usually it indicates that the attacker was wielding something that left an impression in the victim's skin.
Can you work your magic on it?
Magic? Yeah, I like the sound of that.
I always wanted to be a magician as a kid, but then I figured out how David Copperfield made the Statue of Liberty disappear and it totaled my whole...
Abracadabra, homes.
Sorry. Right.
Okay, so, add a negative filter, sharpen the edges a bit here, and give the whole thing a high-res pixel finish.
Presto.
Lasalle: I'll be damned.
Is that...?
Gator Nation.
Gator Nation?
They gave them their own country?
You think I poisoned Garrett?
I think you don't like playing second fiddle.
So you started rumors about Lindsay's test scores.
Rumors that weren't true, because Lindsay was top g*n-- best in her class-- I've got the records here to prove it.
But you didn't like being b*at out by a woman.
So... you slip something to Garrett, get her to mess us at the air show, and then suddenly the understudy is piloting the Skystormer.
I had nothing but respect for Garrett.
Bruises say otherwise.
What's wrong, Val, you nervous?
Your hands are shaking.
Nah, just...
Look, I didn't touch her that hard.
Why the hell were you touching her at all?
Past couple weeks...
L.C. was acting... weird.
Cranky, tired... just figured she was burnt out.
But then, she started disappearing.
Disappearing?
Couple days at a time.
I got worried.
Went to talk to her.
When I asked her what's up... she started freaking out.
Saying that I was questioning her abilities.
Kind of sounds like you were.
I told you, I was just looking out for her.
Things got heated.
We were angry, yelling.
At one point, Lindsay came at me, took a swing.
So I grabbed her wrist to stop her.
Lindsay came at you?
I'm telling you the truth.
If this is the truth, then why didn't you mention this when we stopped by the base?
Because the hell if I was gonna give you or anybody else something that might tarnish her reputation.
Ice Man melt?
(sighs): Still not copping to anything.
Just finished going through Garrett's calendar.
Find anything?
Well, besides this girl being majorly maxed out-- test flights, training, media--
I also noticed these X's randomly popping up every month.
So I cross-referenced Garrett's calendar with her OMPF file-- turns out these are her vacation days.
Navy personnel get 30 days leave per year, correct?
Correct. Most sailors take them in clumps.
You know, a week at the beach here, four-day weekend there.
Garrett takes two days at a time every month.
Brody: Possibly sneaking away to meet someone-- boyfriend, maybe?
Docu-dork said Garrett didn't have time for guys.
Sonja: What she did have was a short-term rental in Belle Rose, under the name Elle Cee Sandra.
That's a play on Garrett's call sign.
Clever.
Oh, us girls can be like that.
Lasalle: That's not gonna get you an invite to guys' night.
You two can discuss it on your way to Belle Rose.
Find out what Lindsay Garrett was doing down there.
We're on it, King.
Woman: Real sweet girl.
Always left the place tidy, even the bathroom.
I can't tell you how many renters have serious hygiene issues.
(laughs)
Lieutenant Garrett ever say why she was in town?
No. She said she like the area.
Dang keys.
Ah, now, let me, uh, help you there.
Thank you, dear.
We got a runner!
He's going through the back door!
I'll cut him off!
(engine starts)
(tires screech)
NCIS.
Get out the damn car.
Captain Garrett?
Hands up.
Lasalle: Get 'em on the hood.
He's clean.
Not exactly.
Needles, Captain?
Your daughter have a history of drug use you forgot to mention?
This isn't the Lindsay I knew.
Life of a fighter pilot: intense, high-pressure.
You know that better than anyone.
So tell me about the needles.
I got a call yesterday.
Owner of the apartment said Lindsay was late with the rental fee.
That I was the... the emergency contact.
I didn't even know she had rented the place.
So I'm just going down there to see what's going on...
Before the Navy gets wind of anything first?
What you did-- impeding a federal investigation-- could get you in a world of trouble!
I know.
But I saw these needles, and I thought, so this is her legacy?
Not what she's done for this country?
And all the lives that she saved?
But a... female pilot who cracks under pressure.
As an agent, I cannot condone what you did today.
But as a father...
Come on.
I got some coffee going.
Brody: Delusions, paranoia, shakes...
Sonja: All kinds of whacked-out crap people do when they're on dr*gs.
Any of which could cause Garrett to mistakenly activate the ACLS, not to mention account for neurotoxins in her blood.
Well, it's common knowledge m*llitary pilots been using amphetamines to combat fatigue since the Second World w*r.
And you saw her schedule: jam-packed.
Being a fighter pilot-- intense enough as it is.
Add to that being the female face of the Navy.
Well, the girl had to be feeling the squeeze.
So steroids or speed would make sense to help keep up with the pace.
sh*t up a bad batch, could've been cut with some kind of toxins.
Ladies, needles can sometimes have serial numbers.
Shipping order from the medical supply company where Garrett's needles were sold.
See, guys can be clever, too.
Fertility clinic.
It's not the sordid drug den I was expecting.
From guys' night to hormonal chicks trying to get knocked up.
Sad turn of events for you, Lasalle.
Guys' night really bugs you, don't it.
You want to know who led the Pelicans in assists last year?
Tyreke Evans.
You want to talk micro brews?
DBA on Frenchman has a solid 20 taps.
And if the conversation moves to supermodels...
I'm a Kate Upton girl.
'Cause I appreciate curves.
Do you, now?
(sighs)
You know, I would totally ace boys' night.
I'll make sure and spread the word.
How long have you guys been trying?
We don't have any kind of carnal knowledge.
Oh. Yeah, not even close.
Man: Agents Percy and Lasalle?
Get off of me!
She'd been coming to us for about three months, on the 21st and 22nd day of her monthly cycle.
"Cycle" is another word for...
I know what a cycle means.
Now, that explains the vacation days, but everything we learned about Garrett, she was more focused on her career, not babies.
Oh, Lindsay wasn't trying to get pregnant, she was harvesting eggs.
Unfortunately, Lieutenant Garrett's case was complicated-- she had an unusually low egg count for someone her age.
So the last time she was here, we gave her a prescription for injectable gonadotropins.
Okay, now that's out of my wheelhouse.
Fertility hormones.
Pratt: Fertility dr*gs cause side effects.
Doctor at the clinic said they can vary: headaches, blurred vision, fatigue...
All things which likely contributed to Lieutenant Garrett erroneously triggering the ACLS.
Possible.
We're still running tests to match the hormones and the neurotoxin found in Lieutenant Garrett's system.
Feels like you're grasping here.
The facts speak for themselves.
The plane was clean.
Madam Secretary, if you don't mind, I'll catch up with you in a few minutes.
Sure.
I understand how it seems on the page, but the facts haven't all lined up yet.
Navy protocol states that pilots must disclose all medication down to the last tablet of ibuprofen, and yet, Garrett didn't.
Only woman in an all-male squadron.
(sighs) Not the friendliest place to talk about babies.
Right, and any reason to question Garrett's commitment...
Believe me, I get it.
But the second I acknowledge it, I'm accused of going soft. Hm?
Bottom line is, if Garrett was remiss in any way and caused that crash, then the truth has to come out.
Well, and it will, soon as we have all the necessary information.
Washington's getting antsy.
I need my people to start filing a report ruling one way or the other.
Wade: Tox screen came back clean for gonadotropins.
Pride: So Garrett wasn't taking fertility dr*gs.
Apparently not.
I called the pharmacy in Belle Rose.
Turns out she never filled out the prescription; requested the pharmacy to put the prescription on hold for a month.
She pushed it until after the air show.
Garrett was doing the right thing-- making sure she was fit to fly the Skystormer.
This case makes no sense.
Unknown toxin in the blood, damaged lungs, and still no definitive cause for Garrett to make this kind of a mistake?
Well, if it was a mistake.
You don't work as hard as Lieutenant Garrett to get to the top, and then just throw it all away.
Says the first woman to join the Louisiana Board of Medical Examiners.
Woman of color at that.
It was a boys' club, no doubt.
Hard to get in; harder to stay in.
So you strive to be perfect.
I see you pushing Danny.
I'm finding my way, Dwayne.
This parenting thing... it's a steeper hill than any I've ever climbed before.
All I can tell you is... keep putting one foot in front of the other.
In the end... it'll be worth it.
(laughs)
Bye.
You don't need a ride?
No, I'm going back to the morgue.
Danny, why are you here so late?
Decided to fix some files I messed up earlier, so...
What did I mess up now?
Nothing.
Oh. Nothing at all.
Look, I know how hard it is to stand out in this world, make an impression, be great.
I want to stand out.
I do.
But I'm-I'm not you.
I don't have your genes.
Maybe not but you are my family.
Minamata.
What?
Family. Genes.
Look up "Minamata."
Print out everything you find.
Okay.
I was digging into Lindsay Garrett's family history.
Infertility issues, specifically.
What'd you find?
Nothing.
Not one case of infertility on either side.
But, when with Danny, what popped into my mind? Minamata, a small fishing hamlet in the southern region of Japan.
In the 1950s, the village was stricken by a mysterious phenomenon.
The women were plagued with reproductive issues-- problems conceiving, stillborns, birth defects.
That's terrible.
Ah, but relevant.
The scientists were able to isolate the culprit, methylmercury released in the bay.
Problem: mercury doesn't show up on toxicology screens unless specifically tested for.
Now, ask me what the symptoms of mercury poisoning are.
Headaches, fatigue, severe bruising, ruptured blood vessels in the eyes.
All symptoms Lindsay Garrett suffered from.
It says here that contact with mercury can lead to muscle spasms.
So if we are going off the idea that Garrett was poisoned, then whoever did it could also suffer from mercury poisoning.
If they didn't handle the toxin correctly.
Franco.
His hands were shaking pretty badly the other night.
Let's go.
Pride: Just arriving at the base.
Has anyone located Lieutenant Franco?
Woman: Agent Pride, we just got word a Skystormer left the hangar.
F-15s are scrambling.
We're determining the location now.
Pilot: Tower, be advised.
We've identified a Skystormer on Runway 422.
There.
(tires screeching)
Franco...
He's out cold.
We're going to need an EMT here.
Franco.
You still think I'm your bad guy?
You were on the runway, about to take off in the Skystormer.
That doesn't exactly bode well for you.
I told you. I would never...
Never hurt Lindsay. I know.
So what were you doing in that plane?
Same thing you're doing here.
Trying to prove that the accident wasn't Lindsay's fault.
I figured if I flew her air show program, maybe the answers would just... appear.
Or... the same thing would happen to you, and we wouldn't be having this conversation right now.
Funny risk for a k*ller to take, huh?
Pride: Okay.
(no voice)
Don't go anywhere.
Pride: Thank you.
Doctor says mercury levels in Franco's bloodstream suggest three to four months' exposure with primary damage to the lungs.
So it's likely Lieutenant Franco inhaled the toxin.
Lindsey had lung damage, too.
So if the timeline is right, both Garrett and Franco started accumulating mercury during the Skystormer sea flights.
Which means it has to be...
The plane.
Because Lieutenant Garrett and Franco both presented damaged lung tissue, I knew that the mercury poisoning had to be the result of inhalation. But... when I tested the oxygen system on the Skystormer, came up empty-handed.
You know he doesn't need to be wearing that suit, right?
If there's a chance for me to dress up like Doc Brown from Back to the Future,
I'm just... I'm gonna take it.
Anyway, as I was saying, I dug deeper into the mystery and realized that mercury vaporizes at 357 degrees, meaning whatever plane part leaked the toxin into that cockpit must have gotten pretty hot to release the poisonous...
(rapid beeping) gas.
Electrical components?
Great Scott.
This supposed to mean something?
Coupling... from the Skystormer's electrical circuitry system.
Agent Pride, there are thousands of parts that comprise that jet.
Couldn't possibly know every inconsequential piece of metal.
Well, this one happens to be the one that k*lled Lindsay Garrett.
Looked over... your final budget that you submitted.
Revisions indicate cuts, correct?
We had to get the budget down.
This here... this is a line item for the coupling order, isn't it?
We outsourced it.
To a foreign manufacturing plant.
One that didn't adhere to U.S. m*llitary specs.
I didn't know the part would be faulty.
You didn't know it'd be safe either.
By taking that risk, it cost an American hero her life.
♪ I was b*rned out and lost ♪
♪ A dusty bulb, an abandoned lot ♪
♪ And the nighttime was ♪
♪ The worst ♪
♪ It shows you all the things you lost... ♪
Captain... please accept my condolences.
I appreciate that.
Don't know if this will give you any comfort, but I've read the NSC black box report.
Right before she passed out, your daughter did trigger the ACLS, but for good reason.
Purposely avoided a grandstand packed with spectators.
Her last act, saving hundreds of lives.
♪ Until you lose it all... ♪
Thank you.
Agent Brody.
Lieutenant Franco. You look like you're feeling better.
Thanks to your team.
We're just doing our job.
Still, was hoping I could thank you by maybe taking you out sometime.
Are you hitting on me at a funeral, Lieutenant?
Yeah, well, recently came to my attention that life can be short.
So what do you think?
I think your timing is terrible.
Call me tomorrow.
Try then.
Got to warn you, my idea of a first date starts at 15,000 feet up.
♪ I was b*rned out and lost... ♪
Advance copy of my report to Washington, citing mechanical failure as the cause of the crash.
I thought you should be the first one to see it.
Wow.
Halting production on that jet.
Imagine you're gonna catch hell back in DC.
Had to be done.
And I'm glad we figured it out before anybody else got hurt.
Can thank you and your team for that.
Appreciate you hanging in with us.
Back to Washington?
Virginia. That kid's gonna do me in.
Enjoy her while you can.
I fully intend to.
(laughs) Ooh, ooh, ooh!
Girls' night tomorrow, B.?
Kermit Ruffins is playing at the Rock 'n' Bowl.
Would love to, but Lieutenant Franco kind of asked me out.
What?!
To go flying. I mean, I could reschedule, but...
Girl, please. Fine pilot.
Mile High Club.
I wouldn't let you miss that for the world.
You know, that is what girl code is really about.
Uh-oh. Sounds like some serious female bonding going on.
Well, you know, the difference is we're open to all kinds-- guys, girls, hell, even freaks like you, Lasalle.
(phone beeps)
(chuckles)
Gator Nation.
Ow! Dang.
All right, Percy, all-time leading Saints rusher.
Deuce. 6,096 yards.
Ginger or Mary Ann?
Oh, I'd love to say Mary Ann, but, come on, Ginger.
(scoffs)
Typical.
All right, look, next time the guys go out, you're in.
Nah.
Nah, I think I'll pass.
What do you mean?
Yeah, I didn't actually want to hang out with you Neanderthals.
I just wanted to be asked.
Where did Deuce go to college?
Ole Miss.
He gave Alabama all kind of headaches.
Oh. Nothin' like them elephant tears. (laughs)