Photo Gallery 1 (scroll to find correct episode once you get there)

Friends, Family & Guests: Scott Grimes (Unknown), Sheelah Megill (Unknown), Brigita Dau (Unknown) (Christopher, Ms. Kline and Christopher's mom?)

McCann joins up to be the partner of a mentally handicapped youth in a school buddy system, to investigate the murder of the boy's former partner.

Opening scene: Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" plays as two very different looking guys leave together from school - Gavin, a hoody looking kid with dark blond curly hair and a black leather jacket, and Christopher, a clean-cut red-haired kid. They walk to a woods, and Christopher eagerly asks if Gavin liked the Beethoven tape he made for him. Gavin says it put him to sleep, he prefers Metallica. Christopher asks him to take another one and give it a chance, and Gavin agrees. Then, Gavin tells Christopher to go get the hideout set up and he'll be back in a few minutes and they can talk about girls. After Christopher goes away, Gavin meets with Mr. Cousins, a guy who is wearing a security guard uniform. Mr. Cousins demands money from Gavin, and Gavin makes some excuses about it. Christopher listens, hidden in the trees. Mr. Cousins and Gavin get in a fight, and Mr. Cousins punches him so hard that he falls flat on the ground. After he talks some more, he realizes that Gavin is dead. Looking around, he spooks Christopher, who begins to run, and when Mr. Cousins hears the noise, he chases after him. Christopher drops the Beethoven tape in his haste to get away, and Mr. Cousins finds it. He continues chasing him, but Christopher hides well enough that he doesn't get a look at him or find him.

At the Chapel, a tall thin brunet guy is pushing Hanson's desk across the room, and Hoffs and Penhall, unaware of who he is, ask him if they can help him. He says sure, they can help him move the desk, and when asked why he's moving it, he says he likes it better this way. They introduce themselves, and he just says "Name's McCann" and barely gives either of them a glance. He's vague about his background and is generally rude to both of them. Fuller comes in and cheerfully notes that they've met McCann. "Highlight of our day, sir," Penhall replies in a droll tone. They discuss the new case, looking at a photo of Christopher - we learn about the "buddy system" at Patrick Henry High School and how Christopher, a mentally disabled teenager, had been paired with Gavin, an underprivileged teenager. Fuller says Christopher has been terrified and refuses to talk about Gavin's murder at all, so they figure he knows something. Mac deduces that he is to be Christopher's new best buddy, and Penhall says that maybe he or Hoffs will do it. Mac candidly points out that they both are getting a little old for high school undercover work, insulting Hoffs by saying that she and 10^th grade haven't seen one another in a while. Fuller is amused. Hoffs offers to give him Buddy System literature, and he says he won't need it. Is the case beneath him, Penhall wants to know, and Mac says not at all, he's happy to be here, thrilled actually, and anxious to get to work, making it clear that he doesn't feel like wasting time talking to either of them. He leaves, and Hoffs comments, "Guy's a little prickly, don't you think?" and Penhall replies, "That's almost the exact same word I was thinking of." He teases her about how long it's been since 10^th grade for her, and she throws an orange at him, laughing.

At the school office, Mac, wearing a cute yellow t-shirt and dark blue shirt with a small plaid pattern on it, confers with the Buddy System coordinator, Ms. Kline, who makes it clear she won't tolerate his smart-ass attitude and wants to be called "ma'am" or "Ms. Kline." She introduces him to Christopher as Anthony McCann, his new buddy. Christopher gets upset and says he doesn't want a new buddy, puts his headphones back on, and leaves. Hoffs walks in, bright and dressed up, and says she's Ms. Kline's new teaching assistant. Mac leaves without talking to her. Outside, he chases Christopher down and asks him what's wrong. He calls him Chris and says it's the rules, they are buddies, like it or not. Christopher says angrily that his name is "Christopher," not "Chris," and spells it. Mac apologizes and says he can relate - people always want to call him "Anthony" and he likes "Mac." They go back inside, and their lockers are right next to each other, Mac notices, and isn't that cool? Christopher points out that buddy lockers are always next to each other. Mac asks if he can help him with his lock, and Christopher gets angry again, telling him loudly that he's not stupid and can get his own locker open. Hoffs, having overheard all this, waltzes past, asking if there's anything she can do? Mac snaps that he's coming along fine, and Hoffs replies sweetly, "Glad to hear it." As Hoffs and Ms. Kline walk out of school together for safety reasons, they discuss the murder and Gavin. Ms. Kline says Gavin never really hung around with anyone until Christopher came along and was doing a lot better in school. They pass the security guard, and Ms. Kline says she is just glad they have Robert around, and he nods and acknowledges them as they pass. We see that it's Mr. Cousins, the same guy who killed Gavin. Later, Mr. Cousins takes the tape he found into an empty office and plays it - it's Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata."

Back at the Chapel, Mac is busily typing away. Penhall hands Hoffs a folder, and they meet eyes as she looks at it. Fuller comes in and asks how the case is coming along and when Mac thinks he'll be wrapping it up. Mac wants to know what the rush is - he's only been there two days. Fuller gets coffee and reminds Mac that the killer may figure out someone saw him. Hoffs offers again to show him that literature, and he says he'll just turn up the charm. Penhall laughs and says, "Well, THAT oughta do it." Mac leaves his desk and comes over to them, asking what Penhall's problem is. Penhall says he's got no problem and mocks Mac, saying he's just happy to be here. Hoffs, wanting to break the tension, suggests that someone talk to Christopher's mother, and Fuller thinks it's a good idea. Penhall, who has evidently been placed in the counselor's office, says he'll call her in. Mac says it would be better if he handled it himself and he wouldn't blow his cover if he went to her as Christopher's buddy. Penhall and Mac argue about it, and Mac looks at Fuller and says, "I thought this was MY case." Hoffs says "We think of it as OUR case." Mac doesn't appear to like this, but Fuller nods and says "That's the way we work." He finally agrees and makes some comments about how Penhall might blow it, but Penhall says, his feathers ruffled, that he thinks he can handle the pressure. Mac leaves, and Hoffs asks Fuller what Mac's deal is. Fuller tells them to give Mac a chance, he's a good cop and was a beat cop in New York or New Jersey or somewhere. Penhall and Hoffs quickly figure out that he's hiding something from them, and he good-naturedly tells them to get back to work and get out. As they leave, they agree to come back later that night and find out what Fuller is hiding.

At school the next day, Mac catches Christopher checking out some girls, Claire and Tanya, and brings up the subject. It's the first time Christopher responds to him, and Mac runs with it, saying it's normal to think about girls and look at them, and to feel like your mouth is "full of rocks" when you talk to them. Mac says Christopher is halfway there because he knows their names, and he suggests they go over and ask them out on a double date. Christopher happily agrees. Tanya is also mentally disabled, and Claire is her buddy. Mac talks to Claire and sets up the whole thing. Tanya seems to like Christopher, and Claire flirts back with Mac. Christopher suddenly announces that he doesn't want to go and runs off. Mac apologizes and runs after him again, finally catching up with him and getting an earful: Mac just assumed Christopher would date Tanya because they're both mentally disabled, and Christopher liked Claire better, and now she likes Mac, and he's ticked off about it. He walks away, and Mac watches him go, realizing that he screwed up. In the counselor's office, Penhall and Hoffs are talking to Christopher's mother, who is at her wits end with Christopher's withdrawal and moody behavior. She says next to her, Gavin was the most important person in Christopher's life, and she liked Gavin - in three months Christopher went from an 8 year old level to a 10 year old level, and anyone who could do that, she likes. As Hoffs and Penhall gently question her, she opens up and says that Christopher won't talk to her about the murder and even refuses to see former friends at his old school, the Underburg School for Exceptional Children. She then asks Penhall if Christopher is going to be safe in this school, and Hoffs & Penhall reassure her that everything will be fine. Meanwhile, Mr. Cousins goes into the music room where Claire and Tanya are sitting and plays the tape for them, asking if they have any idea whom it belongs to. He tells them if they hear of anyone missing the tape, let him know, and they agree to.

Back at the chapel, Hoffs and Penhall are sitting side by side, working on paperwork. It's late, and Fuller is going home. He's surprised to see them working so industriously after quitting time and jokes that he's not sure he can deal with the two of them being responsible. Penhall agrees but says they have a lot of paperwork to do and it's either stay late or come in on the weekend. He starts to walk out, and they look up to watch him go, and he looks back, and they turn quickly back to their paperwork. Finally he leaves for real and they hustle into his office. Hoffs gets jittery about breaking and entering the locked filing cabinet of their commanding officer, but Penhall hits the top of the cabinet and says it isn't locked after all, and it opens for him. He says they're working with this guy and they deserve to know exactly what this guy's about. Hoffs says it sounds like situational ethics to her, and Penhall says they can discuss it when someone is shooting at his unprotected back. He can't find the file, and Hoffs snatches it right up, and they take it out by Penhall's office (he has his own office now?) to look at it in case someone comes in. They open it - and it's a fake - with hardly any information in it. They agree ruefully that Fuller evidently knows them better than they thought. Mac arrives, frustrated that he's not getting anywhere, and asks how they did with Christopher's mom. They say she gave them one lead. Mac asks if they took the detailed notes he was promised and picks up the folder - when he opens it, he sees that they were looking at his personnel folder. What the hell's this all about, he wants to know, and Penhall looks away as Hoffs says they didn't mean anything by it. Penhall says that they are entitled to know who they're working with. Mac says all they need to know is whether or not he's a good cop. The jury seems to still be out on that one, Penhall replies. They argue about it, and Penhall says that all Mac has to do is make friends with one kid and it doesn't seem to be his strong suit, and that he personally doesn't have to hide anything, because everything he has done is out in the open. Mac retorts that maybe that's because he hasn't done anything. Penhall steps up and faces him, saying it just isn't working out, and suggests Mac drop off the case. Mac refuses and says when it's over they can handle their other business. Penhall growls that he can't wait.

The next day, Hoffs and Penhall are walking toward a basketball court, and she has talked him into apologizing, though he's griping about having to do it when she doesn't. She teases him about all the testosterone in the air and says that if he behaves like a responsible adult, it shouldn't come to a fight. Mac is shooting baskets and making them all as Penhall watches. He catches the ball and says that last night, stuff got out of hand and they both said stuff they didn't mean. Mac says he didn't say anything he didn't mean. Penhall shoots a basket and makes it, and Mac suggests a game of one on one. Music plays and they have a game of very rough one on one basketball, with Penhall constantly knocking Mac down. At one point, he reaches down to help Mac up, and when he takes his hand, Penhall drops him back down on his back. Finally, they stand, both sweaty and winded. Mac has a bloody nose, and they compliment each other on the game. Mac says he hasn't been beaten up like that since his older brother, and Penhall says he hasn't beaten anyone up like that since his younger brother, adding that he HAD a younger brother and they don't talk anymore. They share water and high school sports stories - Mac played basketball in high school, and Penhall says he played football. Mac said that's what he figured. Penhall says he played football on the basketball courts too and chuckles about it. Then Mac decides to tell Penhall about himself - he went through training in New Jersey and became a beat cop in Newark. His new unit was full of corrupt cops on the take, and even though he decided to leave it alone and not tell anyone, they didn't trust him because he wouldn't go along and participate, and at a fake domestic disturbance, he was shot three times. Penhall is disgusted that they tried to kill Mac, probably remembering his not-too-distant situation with Garrett in the 43^rd precinct. Mac says he couldn't file charges, and being laid up for two months gave him time to think and make decisions, which were that he still wanted to be a cop, he wanted to move "out here," and that he wouldn't count on anyone but himself anymore. Penhall says "those guys are the exception, they're not the rule." Mac knows this in his head but not anywhere else. He says Capt. Fuller agreed to keep it confidential. Penhall is understanding but suddenly realizes he's late. He asks Mac if he wants to have a pizza sometime with him, and Mac helps him up without dropping him. Then he asks if Penhall has any ideas on how to work the case, and Penhall advises him not to push - that in his experience it's best to not treat people like you're working on a case, treat them like people.

Back at school, Mac hears the Moonlight Sonata coming from the music room and looks in. Christopher is playing it on the piano, in pieces, listening to his Walkman and then playing what he has heard, with no music. Mac is also, strangely enough, wearing Hanson's old brown plaid gang shirt from "Loc'd Out." Christopher is nervous and says it's his free period & he's allowed to be in there, and Mac says he's not there to hassle him, he just heard the music and wanted to see who was playing it. He is impressed that Christopher can pick out the music by ear and wants to know how he does it. Christopher says he doesn't know, he just does. Mac asks him to show him, and then he'll show him a song. Christopher is excited and says that he is learning the second part but knows the first part, and then he plays it. Mac watches his face, totally silenced and impressed. Christopher offers to teach it to him. Mac says he wants to play one and Christopher can learn it fast. He starts playing "The Entertainer" by Scott Joplin and makes a few mistakes. When he stops, Christopher, without shifting much on the seat (oops) plays it back to him, flawlessly, mistakes and all. Then they play it together, each of them on their own half of the piano. When Mac takes his hands off the keyboard, Christopher continues playing it, and it's perfect, and then they play it together some more. Meanwhile, Hoffs is at the Underburg school, talking to Christopher's old friends. They're playing on the seesaws. They are enthralled with her and ask her all kinds of questions about being a cop, and she answers them, managing to gently question them about Christopher at the same time. They tell her about the hideout behind the school and that there are boulders to mark where it is. They say they were told not to tell anyone about it, and that Christopher seemed really sad when he took them there recently. She reassures them that he will feel better soon and offers to take them to see where she works. One of them, Brian, says he wants to be a cop and asks her if she thinks he can. She says hesitantly that it's awfully dangerous, and his face falls as he tells her it's okay, he understands. She leaves, aware that she upset him but unable to do anything about it. At school, Mr. Cousins is walking through the hall and hears the Moonlight Sonata. He looks in and sees Christopher, but he doesn't go in, he just stands there and glares through the window.

After school, the next day, Mac and Christopher walk down the sidewalk, talking. Christopher is excited about the new Joplin tape he found, and he wants to learn a song with Mac, where he would play and Mac would sing (there's a song with words). Mac says that he sings like a frog that's been stepped on, and Christopher says he'll just play louder, and then he tells Mac that he's not so bad at this buddy system after all. Mac is pleased and says that he must miss Gavin sometimes. Christopher finally opens up and says that everyone thought Gavin was a tough guy but he wasn't ever like that with him. He offhandedly remarks that Gavin must have gotten in trouble with the policeman that day. Mac stops him and asks him what he just said. Christopher says, the one he got in a fight with, the one who killed Gavin. They are being watched by Mr. Cousins, who has parked his car half a block or so behind where they have stopped walking. Christopher gets quiet, and Mac insists that he tell him about it, that he could name the guy, and Christopher yells no! As he runs away from Mac, the car swings out into the street and tries to mow him down. Mac shoots into the windshield and has to jump and roll to keep from being hit himself, but he recovers instantly and stands up, shooting into the rear window. Christopher is running, terrified, into the woods, and Mr. Cousins gets out of the car and chases him on foot. Penhall pulls up in his yellow truck, and Mac gets in, and they roar up the road. Chris runs down a trail to his hideout and goes inside - it's a little cave-like place hidden by boulders and bushes. Penhall sees the car and stops, yelling that Hoffs said to look for boulders. They run into the woods. Mr. Cousins can't find Christopher and is frustrated - he calls his name and tells him to come out on out, saying that he can hide, but he can't run. Mac and Penhall run through the woods. Down in the hideout, Christopher sits there hugging his bag and shaking while above him, Mac tells Mr. Cousins that they're police and to freeze. Mr. Cousins looks back at them and runs. They chase after him, and Mac trips. Penhall stops to check if he's okay, and he's hurt his leg. He tells Penhall to go on without him, and Penhall chases Mr. Cousins some more, finally tackling him with a flying leap. The two of them go rolling and sliding down an embankment, and when they stop, Penhall takes out the gun and rolls Mr. Cousins over - but he's knocked out cold. Penhall sits and breathes, exhausted.

Closing scene: Mac hops on one foot over to the hideout and talks to Chris, who remains silent and doesn't come out even though Mac has said it's okay now. Mac says "I know you feel like I lied to you, and I did, but I didn't do it for a bad reason. I was just trying to protect you. I know you think the guy that killed Gavin is a cop with that uniform and everything but he's not." He sits down right outside the hideout and says that he can prove all this, but Christopher will have to trust him. He knows it's hard, and that Christopher is scared, but he will sooner or later have to start trusting people, "because if you don't you're gonna be all alone, and that's a hell of a hard way to go through life." Looks like Mac learned a lesson today too. Christopher finally comes out of the hideout, and they clasp hands.

Cyndi Glass: Good little episode, very promising. This is the first true Season 5 episode - and aside from the inexcusable editing in of Mac driving Hanson's Mustang in the footage from #25 "Fear & Loathing With Russell Buckins," the opening theme is a welcome change. Aside from wondering how Penhall knew to drive along just at the right moment (he drives up so urgently that I can only assume Mac phoned him, but WHEN?), I like this episode. A lot is packed into 44 minutes of footage, and it's well-constructed and plotted. When we see Mac working on the case without Penhall and Hoffs around, he’s a very different kind of person from the tough front he puts on with them in his first few scenes at the Chapel. Speaking of the chapel, it's a bit disconcerting to see the chapel looking so different - it looks like they've either plastered up the walls or painted most of the bricks white. Nice to see Penhall establish his dominance, and Hoffs too, as Mac realizes that they do have valuable experience in undercover work and they should work together. His "prickly" (great dialogue there from Hoffs and Penhall) attitude hides a true softie. I have to admit that I at first did not like Mac, but later in Season 5, as we hear more about his background and see how he interacts with his co-workers and his ex-fiancee, Samantha, he really grows on you! As I watched this episode and listened to him telling his story to Penhall, I was struck by the theory that the writers took the old Dean and Kati characters and combined them to create Mac. It's interesting that they seemed to want to make him the Hanson replacement, when later in the series, when he's partnered with Joey Penhall, he's more like Doug Penhall, while Joey is the Hanson-like character.

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