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The Deputy Mayor is the fourth episode of the first season of Pearson and the fourth overall. It first aired on August 7, 2019.
Synopsis[]
The Deputy Mayor begins to push his own agenda now that Bobby's out of the way; Jessica decides to investigate a murder from North Park.
Plot[]
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Jeff Malone calls Jessica Pearson
Jessica Pearson is in her apartment when she receives a phone call from Jeff Malone. Jessica notifies him that she has hired Nick D'Amato be her personal driver, which worries Jeff as he believes Nick to be corrupt and a murderer, although Jessica replies that she did so merely to get close to him in order to find out the truth behind Carl Jeffries' murder.
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Keri and Derrick notify the City Hall employees of Mayor Bobby Novak's absence
At City Hall, Derrick Mayes and Keri Allen have a meeting with the other employees, where they disclose that Bobby Novak has taken the day off work for personal reasons, with Keri being left in charge of the day-to-day. Deputy Mayor Lloyd Triple wishes to take advantage of Novak's absence by pushing forth his agenda to have a street in Chicago named after Fred Hampton, a member of the Black Panther Party, although his attempts are shut down by Jessica. Jessica then goes to Keri's office, where Keri thanks her for her interference, although Jessica demands to know where Novak is. Keri then reveals to her that Stephanie Novak has MS and that Novak is taking care of her, and Jessica responds that they cannot hide this from the others as they would eventually find out.
Jessica meets Reverend James Thompson
Jessica goes to Lillian Cook's apartment, offering buy her, Angela and the boys a house in Evanston. Lillian is initially hesitant but is won over when Jessica reminds her that it would be good for Cory and Mark. though she warns Jessica that Angela may not be on the same page. Lillian adds that she would try to convince Angela, but that she would make no promises. As Jessica leaves the apartment, she encounters Reverend James Thompson outside, who recognizes her as Lillian had notified him of her existence for years. Jessica asks him about Carl, and he discloses that Carl, who did not have much money, suddenly owned a Range Rover after dropping the North Park lawsuit. As they talk, Thompson notices Nick watching them, and bids Jessica farewell.
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Derrick is tasked to dupe Lloyd Triple
Lloyd pays Keri a visit in her office to discuss his campaign to have a street named after Fred Hampton. Keri, however, informs him that as a member of the Black Panther Party, Fred is viewed as a militant and that the Chicago Police Department would be against it, and thus would negatively affect Novak's tenure in office. Knowing that Lloyd is firm, Keri approaches Derrick and tells him to team up with Lloyd and claim his plan has been approved, with the intention being to string him along until Novak returns. Derrick is reluctant, not wanting to lie to Lloyd after lying to the press, and Keri reminds him where he works and tells him to find a way to wrestle with his conscience.
Jessica and Keri discuss Carl Jeffries
Angela returns to her apartment after work and notices the house listing on the table. Lillian explains that Jessica wants to buy them a house, but Angela refuses to accept, not being a fan of Jessica trying to save them with her money and notifying her mother that she wishes to buy a house for her and her sons on her own, without Jessica's help. As she leaves, she tells Lillian to inform Jessica of her refusal. Back at City Hall, Jessica asks Keri how being mayor for a day is like and asks her about Carl and his murder, stating that his decision to drop the lawsuit benefited only two parties – Pat McGann and the City of Chicago. Jessica adds that she discovered that Carl fell into some money after dropping the lawsuit and asks if she paid him off, to which she replies that she did not and would not do that.
Derrick realizes Lloyd knew Bobby Kennedy
Derrick goes to Lloyd's office, notifying him that he had won Keri over. Derrick then notices photos of Lloyd with Bobby Kennedy as well as Lloyd's time serving in the Vietnam War. Lloyd wants Fred to be remembered, upset that Derrick, a black man born and raised in Chicago and attended college in Chicago as well, had no clue who Fred was. Lloyd proposes they discuss the matter with City Council, but as Derrick is tasked to stall him, he notifies Lloyd that they must follow protocol and gain signatures. Lloyd is suspicious, claiming that citing protocol is a tactic to string him along, although Derrick convinces him of his sincerity; in response, Lloyd informs Derrick that the pair would go out canvassing the neighborhood for signatures.
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Keri notifies McGann on Jessica's investigation
Keri travels to McGann's work site to notify him that Jessica is digging into Carl's murder. Keri asks him if he paid Carl off, and McGann rudely dismisses her, although he adds that she had celebrated when the lawsuit was dropped and asks her whether she believed magic dust is what caused the office's problems to disappear. In her office, Jessica is watching a deposition about Carl. Carl talks about not wanting the North Park neighborhood to be torn down unless the residents are given homes, although the woman interviewing him mentions that he had spent four years in prison for writing bad checks, to which Carl responds that his crime shouldn't matter in the housing matter. Jessica cuts the playback short when Yoli Castillo walks in with a message from Jeff, revealing she spoke in depth about her relationship with Jeff for 45 minutes. Jessica tells her that she needs to work on establishing and respecting boundaries and Yoli asks whether she would call Jeff back before realizing she has overstepped said boundary.
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McGann meets with Nick D'Amato
McGann meets up with Nick on a street that night. Nick urges McGann to get it over with as he's on the clock, prompting McGann to wonder how he could be as Novak is out of town when Nick reveals he is also driving Jessica around. McGann insults him for doing so, and Nick justifies the decision by claiming Novak thought it was a good idea so that he could keep an eye on Jessica, to which McGann replies that he should keep his eyes open then. Nick tells him that Jessica is at her aunt's, and McGann reminds him that Lillian lives in the same North Park neighborhood Carl Jeffries did and that she is investigating his murder. McGann then offers to hire Nick to be a driver for Albert Chan, an important VIP coming into town, although Nick declines. Nick then drives to City Hall, running into Jessica as she is about to leave. Nick tells her that if she wants to know stuff about him, she should ask him directly. Nick then admits that he did indeed pay Carl $50,000 to drop the lawsuit but that he had nothing to do with his death, adding that if Jessica thinks him to be capable of murder, she should find another driver.
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Derrick and Lloyd discuss Fred Hampton
The next day, Lloyd and Derrick are in the neighborhood collecting signatures. Derrick asks why commemorating Fred Hampton is so important to him, and Lloyd divulges that he and Fred were childhood friends, and that Fred was merely fighting government oppression and police brutality when the FBI raided his house and shot him, putting two more bullets in his head when the first one did not kill him. He adds that he had spoken with Fred the day he had died, wanting to hang out together, although Fred refused, claiming that it would not be safe for Lloyd to be seen with him.
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Jessica enlists Angela's help
Lillian goes to Jessica's office to talk about Angela refusing the house. Lillian mentions that Angela did not want her to get mixed up with "them", fearing they were dangerous; when Jessica presses further, Lillian claims she does not know exactly who. Jessica then goes to see Angela at the laundromat to inquire into who the dangerous crowd was. Angela believes a gang known as the Four Corners Marquette may have information on Carl, and Jessica immediately heads out to locate them. Angela cuts her off, citing the danger, but agrees to tag along with Jessica, even accepting Jessica's offer of buying them a house. However, Angela adds that she shouldn't dress fancy for the meeting, and Jessica replies that she can do that, going home to get changed.
At City Hall, Derrick is massaging his feat when Yoli comes up to him. Yoli is proud that Lloyd's plan of naming a street after Fred Hampton is coming to fruition, only for Derrick to reveal that they're just stringing him along. Yoli is about to voice her opinion when she holds herself back, stating that she has a problem respecting boundaries and therefore will keep silent, only for Derrick to reply that she should not let anyone silence her. With permission to speak freely, Yoli berates Derrick for his actions and tells him to pick a side.
Jessica and Angela meet with Kevin Dawson
Angela and Jessica head to a convenience store where the Four Corners have their headquarters in the back room. The pair go to see Kevin Dawson, to whom Jessica reveals she works for the mayor. Kevin has no desire to share information with someone who works for the mayor, although Angela discloses that she intentionally lost paperwork while in the ER to avoid the police from locating one of their members and that Kevin owes her; Kevin replies that he does not owe Jessica, although Angela vouches for her. Jessica adds that while the mayor cannot do anything for them, she would remember Kevin's assistance and return the favor some day. Kevin asks Angela how come he has never seen Jessica before, to which Angela states that Jessica is from the "bougie side of the family" that does not visit them. Kevin rushes at Jessica and has her purse snatched to check the contents before revealing to the pair that Carl Jeffries owed a lot of drug dealers, and that they came to collect when they discovered he owned a Range Rover, leading to his death. The two women are then dismissed, and as they leave the convenience store, can't help but laugh when Angela finds out Jessica had pepper spray in her hands and thought that it would be sufficient to protect them from armed thugs.
Derrick waits for Keri
Inspired by Yoli's words, Derrick heads to Keri's office, informing her that they got 612 signatures in one day, allowing them to petition City Council. Keri attempts to thank Derrick for his participation in her ploy, only for Derrick to accuse her of not wanting to Fred commemorated as she comes from a police family, while hiding behind the veil of wanting to protect Novak. Derrick tells her that she should at least give Lloyd some respect before leaving the signatures on her desk and walking out.
Elsewhere in City Hall, Jessica sees Nick reading a newspaper by himself and approaches him, notifying him that she knows Carl's death had nothing to do with him. To her surprise, Nick admits he feels some responsibility for it, divulging that Carl had been passionate about the suit and refused to accept the money, but that Nick, having discovered his financial worries, convinced him to accept the $50,000 and move someplace far away where local trouble could not reach him, believing he was doing Carl a favor, only for Carl to stay and buy a vehicle.
Meanwhile, Keri goes to Lloyd's office and reveals to him that it was a ploy to waste his time, and that the mayor's office has no intention of supporting his campaign to have Fred Hampton commemorated, adding that the police department would not support it. Keri is shocked that Lloyd knows the truth regarding Novak's whereabouts, but adds that if he knows Novak is tending to his wife at the Mayo Clinic, he should understand she is shutting his agenda down not as a power play but out of loyalty to Novak, who would not approve it. As Keri is about to leave, Lloyd asks her if he could give her some advice, and when she accepts, warns her that she should not let her loyalty to Novak allow her to become what she hates, adding that Fred Hampton fought to help those in poverty while she helped McGann kick poor people out into the streets.
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"Cousin's coming to church with us."
Jessica goes to the Cook apartment that night, where Angela welcomes her warmly and she, along with Lillian, inform Mark and Cory that their cousin Jessica is coming to church with them tonight. This prompts Cory to hug her, overjoying Jessica, who accepts. McGann goes to a club where he meets with Albert Chan, an investor and partner in the North Park project.
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McGann speaks with Albert Chan
Albert asks McGann how soon work could begin, and is dismayed when McGann informs him they must wait 90 days. Albert mentions McGann having the mayor in his pocket, with McGann claiming the mayor cannot do everything, only for Albert to state that the mayor in Macau can and that he should put his money there. As he leaves, he notifies McGann that he would revoke his money if the North Park project does not begin within the week.
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Angela sings at church
As Jessica is about to head into church, she gets a phone call from Jeff. She tells Jeff that Nick is in the clear and had nothing to do with Carl's death, and surprises Jeff when she reveals she is at church. Jessica then walks in and takes her seat, smiling at Reverend Thompson, only to be surprised herself when she finds out that Angela is the lead singer of the choir.
"Bless me, Father, for I have sinned."
At another church in the city, Nick walks into the confessional and tearfully admits he is struggling with his remorse and participation in the murder of a man named Tommy Diehl before leaving the cathedral.
Cast[]
Main Cast[]
- Gina Torres as Jessica Pearson
- Bethany Joy Lenz as Keri Allen
- Simon Kassianides as Nick D'Amato
- Eli Goree as Derrick Mayes
- Isabel Arraiza as Yoli Castillo
- Chantel Riley as Angela Cook
Guest Cast[]
- Wayne Duvall as Pat McGann
- Juanita Jennings as Lillian Cook
- Jesse D. Goins as James Thompson
- H. Richard Greene as Lloyd Triple
- Walter Fauntleroy as Kevin Dawson
- Ivan Shaw as Albert Chan
- D.B. Woodside as Jeff Malone
- Coier Amerson as Carl Jeffries
- Jonny Berryman as Cory Cook
- Ethan Ireland as Mark Cook
- Michael Dempsey as Father Conway
- Ashley Hale Spellman as Female Administrator
- Naymon Frank as Hulking Guy
Major/Highlighted Events[]
- Jessica Pearson investigates the murder of Carl Jeffries, a North Park tenant who was killed after taking a payout from Nick D'Amato and Pat McGann to drop the lawsuit against them. While Nick admits he did not kill Carl, he privately admits during a confessional at church that he was involved in the murder of Tommy Diehl.
- McGann informs business partner Albert Chan that they must wait 90 days before dozing down the North Park neighborhood, only for Albert to reply that he would put his money elsewhere if he did not start tearing it down within the week.
Cultural References[]
- Fred Hampton and the Black Panther Party are mentioned several times.
- Yoli mentions the Marvel Studios film Black Panther.
- Robert F. Kennedy is mentioned and shown via a photograph.
- Chill Bill by rapper Rob Stone is featured.
Trivia[]
- Goddamn Counter:
- The Marvel Studios film Black Panther is mentioned by Yoli Castillo. Simon Kassianides, who plays Nick D'Amato, portrayed Sunil Bakshi in the Marvel Cinematic Universe television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D..
Goofs/Inconsistencies[]
- This episode has a handful of inconsistencies and anachronisms due to the episode being treated as if it set in 2019, the year it was released, despite the timeline of Suits establishing Pearson is set in 2016.
- Lloyd Triple mentions that the 50th death anniversary of Fred Hampton is coming up; Hampton was assassinated in December 1969, placing his 50th anniversary in 2019, which in-universe would be three years away.
- Jeff Malone uses an iPhone X, which did not release until 2017.
- Carl Jeffries is revealed to have spent 2012-2016 in prison before moving back to North Park. However, based on the timeline of the episode and of its backdoor pilot ("Good-Bye"), this episode is taking place in 2016.
- Yoli mentions Marvel Studios' film Black Panther. While this episode came out in 2019 and Black Panther came out in 2018, this episode should be set in 2016, making Yoli's mention anachronistic.
Quotes[]
Keri: So you weren't the one that paid him off to drop the suit? McGann: All right, get off your high horse, okay? You were popping champagne the second that suit went away. How do you think that happens? Someone, what, sprinkles fairy dust? Keri: So who gave him the money? McGann: None of your fucking business. Keri: If it's Bobby's brother, it's my business, because that traces back to the mayor, and it's my job to protect him. |
Nick: I'm on the clock. What's the emergency? McGann: How are you on the clock? Your brother's out of town. Nick: He's not the only one I drive for these days. McGann: You stupid son of a bitch. Nick: Bobby thought it'd be a good idea to keep an eye on her. McGann: Well, open your fucking eyes then. |
Nick: Goddamn it. I just admitted I paid the guy. Why the hell would I kill him after he dropped the suit? Jessica: From what I can gather, Carl liked money and was in debt. Maybe he saw you as an ATM, wanted more. Nick: Fuck you. Jessica: That's not an answer. |
Derrick: Fred Hampton was a Black Panther. When white people hear Black Panther, they think killer, anarchist– Yoli: Marvel movie. |
Gallery[]
