3.18 Willkommen - Now Available!

[TVFan]

Recap Provided by Cellogal

March 15, 2002
A guy drives down the street, listening to “Wilkommen” from the original cast recording of “Cabaret,” nervously puffing on a cigarette and telling himself he can’t do this, and oh holy mother of genius guest spots, it’s Roger from “Rent!” Anyway, now that I’ve got that out of my system, I can turn my attention back to the car, where our driver’s still puffing away and telling himself that this is insane and wondering what he’s thinking. He pulls up to the curb and tosses the cigarette out the window, and we can see that the car is actually a cab. He takes a couple deep breaths and tells himself that he can do this; he’s just as good as the next guy, then gets out of the car. We see then that he’s parked in front of the Francisville Community Theater, which has a colorful banner proclaiming “CABARET: Auditions today! Come join the fun!” I’m assuming they mean that the fun is what happens AFTER the auditions, because I know from personal experience that auditions aren’t fun. He hesitates for a second, then heads inside.

Theater. Someone asks our nervous cab driver what he’s singing. “Wilkommen,” he answers softly. “Of course,” the pianist answers smarmily, as he switches music. Right away, I see they have captured the Disgruntled Small-Time Pianist to a tee, just with that one little phrase. A guy in purple sitting in the audience instructs the cab driver to give him his name, tell him something about himself. The guy says his name is Dennis Hofferman, and he’s just a cab driver. “A singing cab driver,” Purple Shirt man chuckles, “That’s terrific.” Dennis adds that he’s never really sang in public before, that he’s never really done anything like this before. Purple Shirt Man says that’s fine, then gives a cue that means absolutely nothing to me in Classical Music World, but apparently signals Disgruntled Small-Time Pianist to begin playing, which he does. Dennis launches into the song, softly and quite off-key, and then stops after only a couple of measures. Disgruntled Small-Time Pianist looks self-righteously exasperated, and Dennis apologizes, blaming the butterflies, then decides that maybe he’ll come back later. He starts to leave the stage, but Purple Shirt Man stops him and suggests that he just turn around and face the back of the stage: “No prying eyes, just you…alone…in your cab.” Dennis does so, and the result, though still timid-sounding and lacking in projection, is perfectly in tune, and even somewhat musical and expressive! (Oh, man, my music geek roots are showing, aren’t they? Well, that simply can’t be helped). Purple Shirt Man stands there with a smile, and even Disgruntled Small-Time Pianist looks grudgingly impressed.

Backstage, on what appears to be Opening Night: The rest of the cast does some sort of pre-show cheer, while Purple Shirt Man wonders aloud what’s taking Dennis so long. He grabs a guy in a sequined jacket, Clinton, and orders him to go find Dennis and tell him they’re minutes away, for pity’s sake, and Clinton takes off, calling for Dennis and telling him it’s showtime. He searches the dressing room, to no avail, and then opens the back door of the theater to see Dennis lying in the alleyway, bleeding from a nasty chest wound. Clinton recoils and heads back into the theater.

In the evidence warehouse, Dennis Hofferman’s box is placed on a shelf.

Present day

Theater, backstage: Lilly and Stillman exchange good mornings, and then he introduces her and Vera to Della Gardner, theater owner. She oh-so-dramatically asks them to excuse her if she’s still trembling like a leaf, as it’s been a very upsetting morning, and Stillman gives us the reason for all the drama: a stagehand moving furniture out of storage dropped a piece, and we see a gun in an open bottom drawer of the furniture. Lilly correctly surmises that that’s not a prop, and Stillman confirms that it’s a real live .38. He explains that Mrs. Gardner bought the furniture used several years ago, and she tells them she got a very good deal on it. “I’ll bet,” Vera remarks, then asks who the original owner was. Stillman says the piece was purchased from the Francisville Community Theater, which shut down after an unsolved murder there in 2002. Mrs. Gardner explains, with great pomp and circumstance, that this was the dresser from the set of Fraulein Schneider’s boardinghouse. Lilly and Vera’s blank looks indicate that they have failed to grasp the life-altering significance of this, so she dumbs it down: “They were doing ‘Cabaret!’” Stillman smiles politely, then goes on to say that an actor went out for a smoke before the show and was shot and killed with a .38. Mrs. Gardner whimpers dramatically, and Stillman adds that the wallet was missing, and there had been a series of holdups in the area. Lilly points out that someone from off the street wouldn’t have been able to slip inside unnoticed and hide the gun in the dresser, and Vera concludes that the shooter was someone from inside the theater. Stillman says they need to go back and look at actors, crew, and whoever else was inside. Mrs. Gardner waltzes off, singing the first half of the chorus of “Wilkommen,” to Lilly’s polite smile, and then Vera finishes it off, causing my jaw to hit the floor and Lilly to look at Vera with undisguised horror. “I hate musicals,” she declares, and Vera argues that she wouldn’t if she’d seen him as Danny Zuko in his eighth-grade production of “Grease.” “Brought the house down,” he says confidently as he walks away. Oh, man. Eighth-grade Vera in “Grease?” You have no idea how much I would pay to see video footage of this.

Credits.

Evidence warehouse. Looking at the file, Lilly is able to tell us that the victim is Dennis Hofferman, a 35-year-old cab driver, and Jeffries comments on the irony that someone doing one of the most dangerous jobs there is would get shot doing a musical. Well, it does make one think twice about musicals, I’ll tell you that. Stillman says Dennis was killed before the curtain even went up on Opening Night, and Lil adds that the original theory was robbery, as there were a string of holdups in Francisville at that time, with the same M.O. Stillman points out that Dennis was shot in the chest at close range, with the wallet gone, and Jeffries says that someone sure wanted it to look like a robbery. Miller comes in just then with a ballistics report confirming that the .38 was the murder weapon, and Stillman adds that there was a fiancée, Gloria Hill. He suggests that they start with her and see if he was having trouble with anyone there. “Then we gotta talk to a bunch of actors,” Miller says, with an obvious lack of enthusiasm. Heh. They really are pesky and annoying, those actors. “Try and guess who’s tellin’ the truth,” Lilly finishes, and Jeffries smiles. Man, I bet they had fun making this episode.

Cab company. Gloria tells Lilly and Scotty that Dennis was the sweetest guy she ever knew, and honest to the bone, which isn’t the easiest thing to find. Lilly agrees. Gloria says they were real happy, and about to set a wedding date, too. Scotty asks if the two of them met at the cab company, and Gloria says her family owns the place, and Dennis, fresh from community college, took it as a temp job right after his mom died. Lilly surmises that Dennis stuck around, and Gloria supposes that he got comfortable, but says he had so much talent, and was her leading man right there in the garage. Lilly asks what made Dennis audition for “Cabaret,” thinking he knew someone at the theater, but Gloria says he just saw the sign driving by, and said it was a siren going off in his head. A week later, she says, he auditioned. Scotty asks how Dennis got along with the group there, and Gloria says there was some trouble right from the beginning. Lil asks what kind of trouble, and Gloria tells her that neither of them had any idea what a cutthroat world the theater was.

Theater. Gloria and Dennis walk in together, accompanied by “Mein Herr.” “No nerves,” she reminds him, “they’re lucky to have you.” She watches him adoringly as he takes a seat, and then Purple Shirt Man, who isn’t wearing purple, but is obviously the director, launches into a dramatic speech about how “Cabaret” is a show about the danger of not facing the truth: the truth about others, and most importantly, the truth about yourself. Um, so’s Cold Case, come to that. Spooky. He then poses the all-important question: can they shut off their memory and live in the now? He goes on to tell them that a community will form there, if and only if, they trust him. Why should they trust him? (Beats me). As any good director does, he then suggests that perhaps it’s because he’s acted with some Big Names, which he oh-so-casually drops, but then says that’s not the reason. His comment has its intended effect, though, as a buzz circulates among the actors. They should trust him because He’s The Director. Speech over, he then claps his hands and dramatically declares, “Rehearsal!” with a wave of his arms. He calls for his Sally (played by a blonde woman), his Cliff (played by Dennis), and his emcee (played by Clinton from earlier). “Sally” giggles and says that the director’s whole speech about shutting off her memory and living in the now is intense stuff, and Dennis guesses that she’s playing Sally. (No, Dennis, Clinton is playing Sally. Here’s your sign). The blonde perkily introduces herself as Nora and then tells Dennis that she saw him at the audition, and that he was really good. Dennis says he was nervous, and wanted it so bad, and can’t believe he got a lead role. Clinton comes up and bumps into Dennis accidentally-on-purpose, and Dennis apologizes, but Clinton orders him to watch it, then scoffs that Dennis thinks Cliff is a lead role. “It’s one of ‘em,” Dennis argues uncertainly, “isn’t it?” Clinton tells him that the emcee is the star of the show, in every song, and Cliff is just some sucker who walks around and watches everybody. He points out that Cliff doesn’t even have his own song. Dennis apologizes for offending Clinton, saying that of course the emcee is the lead role, but Clinton doesn’t think Dennis is hearing him. “You get in my way…you step in my space…and you ain’t gonna make it to Opening Night,” he says. Dennis nods timidly, and Gloria looks on with concern.

Gloria says that Dennis was so excited about that first rehearsal that he didn’t even sleep the night before, and then that Clinton had to ruin it for him. Scotty asks what Dennis thought of Clinton, and Gloria says he didn’t mention it again, and she thought things got better. “Guess I was wrong,” she says, and Scotty and Lil exchange a Meaningful Glance.

Bar. Vera and Jeffries go up to talk to Clinton, who’s tending bar. He asks what he can get them, and Vera says they’re not here for the Cosmos. “Too bad,” Clinton laments, “I make a mean one.” Vera flashes his badge, and Clinton looks less than thrilled. Jeffries says they have some questions about Dennis Hofferman, and Clinton says he’s buried; the show’s going to start soon, and he’s got people to serve. Vera points out that Clinton doesn’t want to lose his job, since that criminal record of his makes it hard to find work. Clinton motions them to a corner and then tells Vera that that was a cheap shot: that theft charge was from way back. Vera points out Clinton’s charges for theft, possession, and trafficking stolen goods, and says he was a real-live gangbanger. Clinton admits to being messed up, but says that was before he got with the theater and got off the street. Jeffries says they heard he brought trouble right in with him, getting tough on other actors and threatening Dennis. Clinton says he learned real early how to play tough to cover up being scared, and that’s all it was, but he got over it, and he and Dennis got tight. He tells Vera and Jeffries that they can ask anybody in the cast, and Vera assures him that they will. Clinton protests that he had no reason to hurt anybody there, that that place turned his life around and put him on a solid path. He’s a family man now, he adds. Jeffries points out the problem, which is that they know that someone from the inside killed Dennis, and Vera adds that Clinton’s the only one with a rap sheet. Clinton says that he wasn’t the only one with anger management issues, and Jeffries suggests that if Clinton’s got something to say, he should let it fly. Clinton does, saying that Big Daddy Director had a serious dark side. A director with a dark side? No. Way.

Theater. Nora’s rehearsing her big number, “Don’t Tell Mama,” and all is going swimmingly until Dennis and Clinton get some choreography wrong, causing Nora to trip and fall to the stage laughing. Clinton apologizes, saying he forgot where he was supposed to be, and Dennis thinks his cross messed them up. Nora insists that they’re perfect, and she’s the idiot, having found a whole new thing she’s awful at: dancing in heels. Hey, that’s not easy. She dusts herself off and calls for her line, which Disgruntled Small-Time Pianist gives her, but she dissolves into a giggle fit. “Do you think it’s cute that you don’t know what you’re doing?” Big Daddy Director demands, and she says of course not, but he continues, telling Nora that he actually believed in her. Sally Bowles is supposed to be a second-rate singer, he says, but Nora’s hovering below third-rate. He yells at her to try harder, then emphasizes his point by picking up a chair and slamming it down angrily. I had an orchestra conductor exactly like this guy, and let me tell you, rehearsals with him were every bit as much fun as they look. It’s Clinton’s turn in the fishbowl next, and Big Daddy Director says the emcee is supposed to be from the streets, and he urges him to give him some of that dirt, that edge, “not this lazy, punk attitude,” then gives his catchphrase: Try Harder! He points out that Disgruntled Small-Time Pianist, Lyle, is “just the Music Director,” (oooh, them’s fightin’ words where I come from), and yet he knows every line, and is amazed that the actors can’t remember their own. He proclaims this pathetic, although, to be fair, Lyle does have a score and a script in front of him. Dennis dares to speak, saying that he thinks they’re both really talented. Uh-oh, Dennis. Do not interrupt Big Daddy Director mid-rant. Dennis tells Big Daddy Director that he knows he’s a big shot in the business, but that doesn’t mean he can treat people like that. Unfortunately, it kind of does. “You think you know better than I do, cabbie?” Big Daddy Director asks Dennis, and Dennis says all he’s saying is that Big Daddy Director doesn’t have to be mean, but Big Daddy Director argues that he will be and do whatever it takes to get this show to the next level. He asks Dennis if he understands, and Dennis guesses that he doesn’t, so Big Daddy Director explains it to him: his reputation is on the line, and he will crush anyone before he lets them embarrass him or ruin what he’s worked 30 years to build. He then claps his hands and orders everyone to take five. Clinton comes up and shakes Dennis’s hand, and Nora thanks him quietly.

Clinton says that Dennis stood up for them, and he doesn’t think that Big Daddy Director, whose name, we FINALLY learn, is Rafe, ever forgave him for that. Vera asks if Clinton’s saying that’s motive for murder, and Clinton says that the thing is, Rafe came asking him about guns a few weeks before Dennis was killed. Jeffries is amazed, and Clinton says he knows he should have said something, but he’s the one with the record, and says he didn’t want to get in trouble. “For talking about guns?” Vera asks, but Clinton says Rafe wanted him to get one for him, since he knew his way around the streets, so he did: a .38. Oh, snap!

Classroom. Lilly and Miller approach Big Daddy Director, a/k/a/ Rafe Webb, and Lil flashes her badge and introduces herself and Kat. “Lady cops,” Rafe chuckles, “terrific.” Lilly and Kat exchange a fabulous, “Oh, great…one of THESE guys,” look, and then Miller says they’re there to ask him about Dennis Hofferman. “What a tragedy that was,” Rafe says, then instantly goes into Dramatic Actor Mode, looking out the window and recalling how, two years ago, he played the father of a dead child, tapped into his feelings for Dennis, and got the best reviews of his life. “Congratulations,” Miller says sarcastically. Heh. Lilly then tells Rafe they heard he got himself a gun a few weeks before Dennis died, and he asks how that’s relevant, saying that Dennis was shot in a stick-up. Yes. With a GUN. Jeez. Pay attention already. Miller smoothly tells him that new information says otherwise, and Rafe says he’s afraid he did get a gun. Lilly asks him why he did that, and Rafe says he’d heard that “Blue Blood,” the cop movie, was shooting in Philly, and he was going to audition. He explains, to our disbelieving pair of detectives, that he’s method, and he needed to tap into the emotions of holding a gun if he was going to play a cop. “So…you bought a real one,” Kat surmises, and Rafe says he even went target practice, too, but then says, with disgust, that the studio decided to cast “Blue Blood” out of Hollywood. Sigh. When WILL they learn? Lilly asks Rafe where the gun is now, and he says it was stolen out of his office, just a little time before the show. “And you never mentioned this before,” Miller concludes, with just a touch of irritation, and Rafe says he bought it illegally, so he couldn’t exactly report it stolen. Lilly points out that this is kind of shaky, and Miller adds that it’s especially so, since people saw Rafe and Dennis fighting, and said that Rafe wasn’t too happy with Dennis. Rafe admits to having a tumultuous relationship with Dennis, saying that his style is to tear actors down and then build them back up; he doesn’t shoot them. Lilly points out to Miller that they could bring him in right now for buying the gun. “Might help him tap into the emotions of jail time,” Kat remarks. Heh. Rafe insists that he didn’t kill Dennis, and he doesn’t know who did, but there was a “little situation” that Dennis had gotten himself into.

Theater. Dennis and Nora rehearse “Perfectly Marvelous.” Rafe thanks them, telling them that was very nice, and Nora asks Dennis what he’s smiling about. He doesn’t know, he tells her, he’s just been kind of flying on air since rehearsal started. “Me too,” Nora replies, telling him this place is kind of magical, and Dennis agrees. Rafe interrupts their repartee by clapping his hands and asking the actors if they remember when he said that trust is the key to performance. They do. He then says he wants to try something, and instructs the cast to put down their scripts, come up onstage, and form a circle. He wants each actor to fall backwards into the arms of the person behind them, and before they fall, he wants them to share a secret about themselves: something that they have never shared before. They all look deep in thought, and I’m sitting here thinking that, if it were me, I’d totally make something up. I mean, they ARE actors, right? Rafe waxes dramatic about how it’s all about creating a safe environment, and then says they’ll start with Robin, a heavyset redhead who’s standing in front of Clinton. She admits to feeling relief when her father died, then falls backwards into the arms of Clinton, who just barely catches her. Rafe applauds, then tells Clinton to fall into his arms. “I don’t trust any of you,” Clinton says, as he falls into Rafe’s arms. Hey, that’s a pretty good secret. It reveals basically nothing, and is probably still true! Nora nods and chirps that she respects that. Rafe points to Dennis and another cast member, and Dennis clears his throat as he steps forward, then says that he started driving a cab because he didn’t want to be lonely all the time. “That’s deep,” Clinton remarks. It’s Nora’s turn, and her secret is a doozy: she thinks she’s falling in love with her leading man. “Me?” Dennis asks in surprise, as he catches her. To be fair, it’s an excellent question, considering the beef with Clinton earlier about Who’s Really The Star. The other actors react to this juicy tidbit as you might expect them to, but Lyle, our Disgruntled Small-Time Pianist, slams the lid down angrily and storms out. RUH-roh.

“Plenty of blowups at this place, huh?” Kat remarks. “Welcome to the theater,” Rafe replies. Lilly asks what Lyle’s problem was, and Rafe tells us what we’ve probably already figured out: Lyle had a thing for Nora. Miller asks him how Dennis reacted to Nora’s confession, and Rafe says Dennis made it perfectly clear that he had a fiancée, and Nora didn’t like that. Lilly asks Rafe if either of them had access to Rafe’s office, where he kept the gun, and Rafe says that everyone did: he never locked it. Gee, THAT narrows down the suspect pool.

Squad room. In the hallway, Lilly, Scotty, and Stillman hold a pedeconference, where Lilly tells him that Lyle and Nora are on their way in. Stillman asks if they’re looking at the love triangle, and Scotty agrees: Nora angry at the rejection, and Lyle the jealous outsider. Stillman asks if they believe this director, and they both just shrug. “Plenty of big dramas with these people,” Lilly comments to Scotty, “hard to sort out what’s real and what’s made up.” As they head up to where Vera and Jeffries are sitting, Jeffries comments that Clinton seemed on the level. “You kiddin?” Vera replies in disbelief. “You actually bought his act?” Jeffries says he’ll put money down on Clinton being clean: five bucks. “Five bucks?” Scotty scoffs. “What kinda stakes are those?” Lilly’s putting twenty on the director as doer: biggest liar, biggest ego. Jeffries adds his twenty to the pot, saying he’s doing with Lyle the piano man: sneaky guy with a bad crush. Vera’s going with Nora: “She can handle a .38 easy, and the female species ain’t exactly on my good side right now.” Scotty picks up the piece of paper Vera tossed on the pile, asking what it is. “It’s an I.O.U.,” Vera answers, in a “well, DUH” tone of voice. Scotty looks reluctant to accept this, but eventually does, saying he’s going with Clinton the emcee: street kid who couldn’t break his bad habits. “Life is a Cabaret,” Jeffries sings, as he starts to gather up the money, then looks up to see Lilly staring at him with this beautiful confused/shocked/horrified look on her face. Heee. I love this scene so very, very much. Vera looks up then and sees Nora coming in. She smiles and asks for Detective Valens, eliciting slight looks of amusement from the others.

Interview room. Nora proudly informs them that she performs on cruise ships these days. Vera nods, and she continues, saying they’d be surprised at how high-end the productions are. “Oh, I’ve heard they’re top-notch,” Scotty remarks. Heh. Vera asks Nora how she felt about Dennis, and she confesses matter-of-factly that she was in love with him. Vera sympathizes with her, saying it must be hard, falling for a guy who was engaged to someone else. Scotty adds that she also must have been humiliated, once everyone found out about her feelings, and asks if that’s why she shot Dennis. Predictably, Nora says she would never hurt Dennis: he was this beautiful, open person who saw the best in everyone. She adds that, after two months, it was like they’d always known each other. Vera points out the little problem of his fiancée, and Nora says Dennis didn’t want to hurt Gloria, but after the show’s run, he was going to leave her for Nora. “Really?” Scotty says, “’cause that’s the first we’ve heard about it.” Nora says they found themselves during “Cabaret,” and they found each other.

[TVFan]

Other interview room. Lilly tells Lyle that they heard he got pretty upset when Nora announced her feelings for Dennis. “Me and every other straight guy there,” Lyle replies. (Based on my experience with musical theater, that would have been, like, what? Two guys? Maybe?) Jeffries points out that Lyle was the only one who stormed out of the theater, and Lyle says he didn’t storm out because of his “little crush” on Nora. Lilly asks him why he left, and Lyle answers that these little dramas within the drama always end up hurting the show. That’s the truth. He says these actors get a chance to perform onstage, to realize a dream, and they risk it all for these fleeting emotions. Jeffries reminds Lyle that it sounds like he was suffering from some “fleeting emotions” himself, but Lyle argues that he never let it interfere with the performance. Lilly surmises that Lyle is pretty dedicated, and Lyle says the theater is his life, and he loves it, but he knows exactly what can happen when emotions start to boil over.

Theater. Lyle’s in the sound booth fiddling with the controls as Nora rehearses “Maybe This Time .” Rafe pantomimes her choreography, and Dennis looks on with a proud smile. The other actors applaud when she finishes, and Rafe congratulates her on a great sound check. Before they take their break, Rafe has an announcement. He’s sure many of them have heard of Barry Turk, his agent. “Doesn’t he represent DeNiro?” Nora asks eagerly, and Rafe says that’s right, then announces…drum roll, please…that Barry is going to come see the show on Opening Night…and he’s told Rafe that if he sees good talent, he might sign someone up. He then leaves the stage, and Dennis is sure Nora will be the one Barry signs, since she’s got that “star quality,” but Nora insists it’ll be Dennis; he’s the talented one, she says, and he’s just so real up there. Lyle, listening to this exchange over the microphones, shakes his head in disgust as Dennis suggests that maybe it’ll be both of them. Gloria walks into the sound booth, greets Lyle, and takes something out of a brown paper bag, announcing that she’s made brownies for the gang, since they’ve all been working so hard. Lyle tells her that’s nice of her and thanks her, and then we hear Nora’s voice over the mike, telling Dennis she can’t imagine life after the play without him. She reminds him that they’re an amazing team, and he agrees. “Being with you is the one time I’m really happy these days,” he says, and Gloria wads up her paper bag and storms out. Lyle shrugs and takes a bite of a really delicious-looking brownie. Well, if this is how Dennis is going to treat Gloria, Lyle should just keep all those brownies to himself. Mmmm…brownies….

Lyle admits that he should have turned off the speakers the second she walked into that booth, but part of him hoped it would explode, and he’d be the one to end up with Nora. Lilly says they thought everything between Gloria and Dennis was solid, but Lyle says no way: Gloria was furious, and he thought she’d kill him then and there. Jeffries asks Lyle if he saw her again, and Lyle did: backstage, Opening Night. She was upset, and looking for Dennis. Hey, what happens in the betting pool if Gloria’s the doer?

Cab company. Kat and Lilly walk in, Kat singing “Life Is A Cabaret,” and Lilly gives her a look that says, “Please, for the love of God, stop.” “What is your problem with musicals?” Miller demands, but Lilly just walks off, and Kat shrugs and follows. Hee.

Cab company office. Lilly asks Gloria where the wedding was going to be, and Gloria says they hadn’t picked a place yet. Miller says that most of her girlfriends pick a place as soon as they know they’re getting hitched. “Unless there’s trouble,” Lilly remarks, “like…their fiance’s in love with someone else.” Ooh, busted. Lilly tells Gloria that they know she was upset, and that she went backstage before the show. Gloria says she never even found him; she saw that Nora first and left. She says they can ask any of her family, since they were all there for the big show. Miller says they can’t help if Gloria doesn’t tell them the truth about her relationship. Gloria says she loved Dennis, but once those rehearsals started, she faded into the background to him. Lil asks why she didn’t tell them, and Gloria says she didn’t tell anybody: they were engaged for five years, while everyone called her a fool and she kept waiting for him to commit. “How could I admit to anyone that it never would’ve happened?” she asks sadly.

Cab company office. Dennis waltzes in singing “Married,” ironically enough, and Gloria rolls her eyes. He hands her his time card and says that all he could think about the whole shift was the opening tonight, and admits to almost running a couple of curbs. She ignores him, but he doesn’t seem to notice. He tells her he has a meeting with the director today, so he should leave soon. She asks him snidely if his girlfriend is going to be there, and Dennis plays dumb. She says she heard him the other night with that actress, and she knows something’s going on. Dennis swears that nothing happened between him and Nora, but Gloria guesses that he wants it to. He doesn’t answer, and she fights back tears. He insists that he loves Gloria, but he’s just a little confused right now. “Obviously,” she agrees. He says he doesn’t want to hurt her, but he needs some time to think about all this stuff. He asks her if she remembers when he first got this job, how he was going to save money and travel, maybe go to Australia. Of course she remembers, and he reminds her that he never did; he never did anything except drive a cab. Gloria, mystified, tells him they can travel if that’s what he wants, but that’s not it. He says he never made anything of himself, and he thinks that this meeting with the director could make his future a whole lot brighter. Gloria doesn’t understand his need for “brighter,” thinking they had a really good life together, and asks him if things were really so dark before. Dennis says he knows he’s been a disappointment, and he just doesn’t want to be that anymore. Gloria says he was never a disappointment to her, then gets up and walks out.

Gloria guesses that you never really know someone all the way, but Lil’s more interested in Dennis’s secret meeting with the director than Gloria’s love life. Gloria replies that all Dennis said was that it was with Rafe’s bigwig agent…and Nora. Gloria says she got angry again, and that was the last time they spoke.
Interview room. Vera asks Rafe about the meeting with Dennis before the show, and Jeffries adds smoothly that, since Rafe left that out before, maybe he can fill them in now. Heh. Rafe says he didn’t think it was important; it was simply so Dennis could meet his agent: Barry Turk. Oh, like name-dropping is going to impress a couple of homicide detectives. Jeffries says that the problem is, they called Barry Turk and got his client list…and Rafe’s not on it. Ooooh, busted. Not only do the detectives know who Barry Turk is, they’ve TALKED to Barry Turk. Rafe says he was on it once, but admits that Barry hadn’t returned his phone call in six years. Vera concludes that Rafe lied to both Dennis and Nora, but Rafe insists he didn’t exactly lie, since he’d left another message for Barry’s assistant, and he was really hoping Barry would show. “But he didn’t,” Jeffries points out, and Rafe insists that he couldn’t tell his actors that he’d slipped to the B-list; he needed to build himself up in their eyes. “For your own ego?” Vera asks, and Rafe vehemently denies it, then pauses for a minute and admits that maybe Vera’s right, maybe it was for his own ego, but whatever it was, he’s afraid it may have cost Dennis dearly.

Coffee shop, where we hear “If You Could See Her.” Rafe tells Dennis and Nora that Barry Turk missed his train and is stuck in New York, but he’ll catch a later one. Nora concludes that he’ll make the show after all, and he’ll be able to see her and Dennis perform. “Of course,” Rafe lies smoothly. Dennis asks Rafe if he’s sure, and Rafe ducks the question, saying the important thing for the two of them to remember is that tonight’s performance could decide someone’s future. Nora smiles, and Dennis says he’s nervous. Rafe says he should be, before adding that the truth is, he has a lot of say over who Barry chooses to represent. “He must really respect your opinion,” Nora schmoozes perkily, and Rafe, clearly flattered, agrees that he does. He then adds that Barry likes to keep a short client list: only one new client a year. Nora and Dennis look at each other. “One client?” Dennis asks. “That’s right,” Rafe answers, and Dennis says that it should definitely be Nora, since she’s truly gifted. Nora says Dennis is right, then turns off the charm and points out to Rafe that Dennis is 35, she’s only 25, and she’s the one with the real chance to make it in the business. She goes on, saying she’s the real talent here, and he knows she would work the hardest for it, and Dennis watches all this in dismay. Nora insists that she’s committed to going all the way, no matter what it takes, and Dennis finally comes back down to earth. “What was I thinking?” he asks Nora. “I almost ruined my life because of you.” He then gets up and hurries out.

Rafe explains that he thought a little healthy competition would be good for them; he didn’t think Nora would be so consumed by it all. Jeffries asks if Nora was consumed enough to kill Dennis and make sure she got the agent, and Rafe says she made it quite clear that that she was going to be a star, no matter what it took.

Squad room. Stillman concludes that Nora wanted the spotlight, and Lilly says the question is, was she desperate enough to kill for it? Vera says they’ve been going through the play mementos Rafe gave them, and Lilly adds that Rafe said Dennis rushed to a copy place before the show, and they found out why. Vera points to the program from the play, and Lilly says the manager there told them they were about to run it off, and Dennis stopped them, wanting to change his notes.

“Notes?” Stillman asks blankly, and Vera, the theater veteran, explains that each actor has a place where they can write personal stuff to their family and friends. Stillman reads Dennis’s notes: “Gloria: I’m sorry if I lost my way in the dark. You are the only star that can make my future brighter. Let’s set a date.” Lilly points out that, since the show never went on, Gloria never saw the program, or knew Dennis had come around. They’re interrupted then by the arrival of Clinton, and Vera motions him in. Clinton, looking quite uneasy, says he’s got something the detectives need to hear, and Stillman tells him to go ahead. Clinton says he didn’t say anything before, knowing they’d believe her over him, but now he’s got proof. He holds up his cell phone, and we hear a message from Nora. She says she knows the police have been talking to him, and if he tells the cops what she did that night, he’ll be very, very sorry. Clinton flips his phone closed, and Vera grins in triumph. “See? Always bet on the dame.”

Interview room. Scotty comes in and tells Nora that her friend Clinton’s in the next room, and played them her message. “Oh, God,” Nora says. Scotty says that she needs to tell him what happened, and Nora sighs, says that she’s such an idiot, then asks Scotty why she’s such an idiot. Oh, like he knows! He doesn’t, but tells her that she better start explaining. Nora seems taken aback that she’s finally run into a good-looking guy who’s immune to her charms, then explains that she didn’t want Clinton to say anything because her career is really about to take off. Uh-huh. Scotty surmises that getting convicted of murder might get in the way, but Nora tearfully insists that she didn’t kill Dennis, and she’s innocent. Scotty crankily tells her that this ain’t a performance, this is real life, and she’s in real trouble. She finally drops the act, saying she was young and insecure, and she let her emotions get the best of her.

Theater, where Dennis and Nora are having a last-minute rehearsal of “Perfectly Marvelous .” She then insists that Dennis can’t be mad at her forever, she’s just totally committed, and Dennis says that that why he’ll bet she’ll be a star, and he’ll be driving his cab. He looks around with a sigh and says that this was fun, but he doesn’t think he likes shutting off his memory and living in the now; they forget too much. Clint comes in and tells them that they’re looking for the two of them in Costumes, and Dennis leaves to go get ready. Clinton checks his reflection in the mirror and says he’s kinda nervous, and Nora says she doesn’t blame him. She leans in conspiratorially and says that Rafe told her that Barry Turk wants to walk out of there with some new clients. Clinton thinks this is cool, and Nora lays on the charm, telling him how talented she thinks he is. He thanks her, and then Nora says she’s afraid Dennis has a better shot, since he’s just more commercial. “We’ll see, I guess,” Clinton says, but Nora asks him why take that chance. She suggests that if they mess Dennis up, the agent can focus on the two of them instead. “What do you mean, mess him up?” Clinton asks, and Nora says she knows all about his background: the jail time, the gangs, but it’s all cool with her. She then tells him that if he puts on a ski mask, which they have in the costume room, by the way, and wait outside until Dennis goes out for a cigarette break… “A ski mask?” Clinton asks in disbelief, clearly having his first experience with Nora Bringing The Crazy. She sweetly tells him to just listen, then says he could pretend to be a robber, take Dennis’s wallet, and scare the hell out of him. “You could use the director’s gun,” she adds, telling him she saw that Rafe keeps it in his office drawer. Clinton asks, shocked, if she wants him to shoot Dennis, and of course she doesn’t, she just wants Clinton to rattle him up so he’s a wreck onstage. “And you and I can shine,” she finishes, “blow that Barry Turk away.” “You outta your mind,” Clinton rightfully concludes, but Nora protests that nobody gets hurt, and they go to the next level, then asks what’s crazy about that. Well, I don’t know about Clinton, but I’ve got a list that starts with the ski mask and ends with the gun. Clinton looks reflective and tells Nora that a couple months ago, he would have done it, because he would have believed that that was all he was good for, but not anymore. He adds that if he ever gets an agent, it’s going to be because he put on one hell of a show, then turns and walks away. Go, Clinton.

Nora says that after what Clinton said, she realized she was acting like a lunatic, but Scotty points out that her plan is exactly how it went down, and that’s a heck of a coincidence. “I know,” Nora says. “Why do you think I didn’t want Clinton to talk?” She says she knows how guilty it made her look, but she swears on her life that she didn’t hurt Dennis. Behind the glass, Stillman says that one of them must have done it, since it’s too detailed a plan. “Unless someone overheard it,” Lilly realizes.

Interview room. Lyle says that he’s glad to help, but he’s pretty sure he told them everything he knows already, but Lil doesn’t think so. Neither does Miller. Lilly tells Lyle that they know he was in that booth at sound check, and he could hear everything onstage. Kat theorizes that Lyle heard Nora’s plan the night of the show, and he went through with it. Lyle claims to have no idea what they’re talking about, but Lil continues. She says that actors are onstage, given a chance to realize a dream. “Your words,” she says, and Miller asks Lyle if that’s his dream, too. Lyle protests that he loves playing music, but Lilly points out that the music isn’t the part people clap for at the end of the show. (I beg to differ). “That’s because they’re morons,” Lyle says. Lilly theorizes that Lyle was a lot like Dennis: watching life pass him by, dreaming of the spotlight, and then Miller points out that Dennis was brave; he got up his nerve and went out there and auditioned, but Lyle was too scared. Lilly asks him if that’s why he killed Dennis. “Or did you kill him because you knew he was better than you?” Miller asks. “Better than me?” Lyle scoffs. “I don’t think so.” Lilly agrees that it’s easy to sit on the sidelines and judge people, but she tells Lyle that she doesn’t think he could have hacked it under those bright lights. Lyle roars that Lilly’s wrong; that if he’d gotten onstage that night with Barry Turk in the front row, everyone would have been blown away, and Lilly yells in reply that Lyle was never going to get onstage. “Wrong again!” he shouts, saying that with Dennis gone, he was the only one who could go on in his place, since he knew every word of that show. “You killed him,” Kat asks in disbelief, “and thought the curtain would still go up?” Lyle protests that he only intended to hit Dennis in the leg, send him to the hospital, and it isn’t fair that they canceled the show. “Whatever happened to ‘the show must go on?’” Lyle asks, then says, again, that he knew every word of the show. At the detectives’ expressions, he asks if they don’t believe him, then, to Lilly’s alarm, he gets up and starts delivering lines from the show. Um, Lyle, I’m sure you’re brilliant and all, but I don’t think THAT’S what the cops are having trouble believing.

As a child onstage rehearses “Tomorrow Belongs To Me,” Lyle heads through the backstage area and goes outside, where we see him waiting, ski mask on and gun in hand. Dennis comes outside and lights his cigarette, and Lyle makes his move, coming around the corner and demanding, in a disguised voice, for Dennis to give him all his money. Dennis isn’t fooled at all, laughing and telling Lyle that that’s the worst fake voice he ever heard, then asks what he’s up to. “You think I’m a joke?” Lyle demands. “You think you’re better than me?” Dennis, now a bit alarmed, suggests that they go inside, since it’s almost time, but Lyle pulls the gun on Dennis and says, “It’s my time, not yours!” He tells Dennis he’s had enough, and Dennis says that all he wants to do is put on a good show and go home to his fiancée. Lyle says that the theater is his home, it’s all he has, and this is going to be his show. For once, Lyle says, he’s going to be the one that gets to shine. “Lyle,” Dennis starts, but Lyle pulls the trigger, and it’s too late. He falls, and Lyle takes off the ski mask and looks up at the sky like he can’t believe his good fortune.

“Cabaret” begins playing as Miller escorts a handcuffed Lyle through the squad room.

Nora, practicing a song in her living room, picks up a sequined blue costume and looks at it a bit wistfully, and as the camera pans to her sofa, we see a casting newspaper with several ads circled in red ink.

Rafe sits in the restaurant, working his charm on another naïve, attractive blonde.
Clinton sits in an easy chair with an adorable baby on his lap, cooing and generally acting fatherly.

Lilly hands Gloria Dennis’s revised “Cabaret” program, then looks on as Gloria sinks into a chair, near tears. Through the window, Lilly sees Dennis standing behind a cab. He meets her eyes, nods slightly, then disappears as he starts to walk away.

At the tavern, all the other detectives sit around a table. Jeffries collects the pile of money from the pool, then pointedly shows Vera the I. O. U. Vera grudgingly takes out his wallet and hands Jeffries a $20, and then Lilly walks in, shrugging slightly. Her co-workers welcome her, and she gets this dazzling smile on her face as she sits down, and it’s clear she’s just in time for the main event. We see her mouth “Oh, no,” as she realizes what’s about to happen, and Vera then launches into a song from “Grease,” most likely “Greased Lightning,” since that’s Danny Zuko’s big number. We can’t hear him singing, of course, but his Chair Choreography is funny enough, especially when coupled with the reactions from the other detectives. Lilly winces like she’s actually in pain, then buries her head in her hands. Stillman is also shielding his eyes, and the others are smiling and laughing. Lil winces once more as Vera gives it the big finish, and I would do just about anything to have sound for this bit of the montage. Even without sound, it’s easily the funniest scene in the episode…maybe even ever!