- Tiago scours Sister Molly's beach house for clues. Peter Craft invites Elsa to a party at his home. Lewis asks a gangster to help battle the growing Nazi menace in LA. Josefina Vega has a harrowing encounter with the police.
- Tiago investigates Hazlit's beach house and finds Molly there. Reilly molests Josefina and Mateo takes a bloody revenge with the help of the Pachucos, Townsend acquires a new lover, and Lewis reaches out to an unlikely ally who demands a high price for his help.—Gislef
- Years ago
Santa Muerte walks into town of Ensenada, Mexico, and two men stop a truck outside of a building and sit at a table on the porch. A young girl at a table with three locals turns and sees Muerte, and smiles at her. Muerte looks at the girl, and then turns to look at a car pulling up. Two men get out, wielding Thompson submachineguns, and the driver turns the car's headlights on the building. They gun down the two newcomers and everyone else sitting outside.
The killers don't see Muerte, and she watches the driver gets out, draws his gun, and puts a round into each of the newcomers' heads to make sure they're dead. The other two killers get into the newcomer's truck and drive it away, while the driver leaves in their car. Muerte carries the body of the dead girl away into the night.
1938
At the police station, Tiago hears yelling from the main room. He goes there and finds officers dragging Mexicans in and locking them up, and the imprisoned Mexicans yelling in protest. Tiago finds Reilly in a room beating a handcuffed prisoner and pulls the cop away. Reilly claims the prisoner tried to bite him, and when Tiago slams Reilly against the wall, Vanderhoff comes in and calls Tiago to his office.
In Vanderhoff's office, the captain shows Tiago photos of the dead Hazlit family. The captain says that Reilly was interrogating a suspect, and he'll keep doing that until he gets someone to confess to the murders. Tiago says that Lewis will be back in a couple of days, and Vanderhoff tells him to give him a reason to stop the interrogations, then dismisses the detective.
At city hall, Townsend tells the transportation board members that Hermosa has agreed to take over the construction of the motorway at no additional cost. He expects the full city council to approve their measures, and Beck speaks up and says that she drove out to Belvedere Heights the other day and has her assistant hold up a map of the area. Beck points out that the engineers came up with alternate route that doesn't go through Belvedere Heights. She says that the drive will take four more minutes, but can't imagine that's an unreasonable price for healing LA. Townsend and a watching Alex glare at Beck, and Beck says that she's talked to some councilmen and men in the mayor's office, and they agree.
After the meeting adjourns, Alex tells Townsend that they can fight Beck's efforts. He tells her to cancel his speech that night, and yells at Alex when she hesitates. Everyone near them stops and stares for a moment, and Townsend strides off.
Lewis meets Dottie at a café and tells her that he knows Goss killed Anton and Sam but he can't prove it. He plans to talk to Benny Burman, and Dottie reminds Lewis that Benny is a gangster as well as a Jew. The detective admits that it's terrible what he knows about the Germans and he needs help, and Dottie tells him to be careful around Benny.
At the birthday party in the Craft backyard, Tommy is swinging at a piñata and the other kids, including Peter, are cheering him on. Peter joins some other German immigrants talking about how their voices go unheard and they should go on the radio and they should work with the Temple. Elsa and Frank arrive and Peter, seeing them, goes over to greet them. Peter comes over and invites Frank to join the other kids, and Elsa gives him permission to go. Elsa says that she brought a cake and suggests that she should meet Linda.
One of the immigrants, Herman Ackerman, comes over and shakes hands with Elsa. He identifies where her ancestors lived by her accent, and starts to lead her off. Peter interrupts, saying that Elsa must meet the other immigrants, and he and Herman take Elsa to meet them.
As Elsa talks to the other immigrants, who Peter says are a "political club", Herman admits that he is single. One of the other men asks Elsa to sing and the other men agree. Elsa agrees and Herman sings with her, and as the other club members join in Peter walks away, smiling awkwardly before joining in as well. As Elsa goes over to him, Linda watches them from the bar as the song ends, and Peter and Elsa look at each other. After a moment Elsa walks away, and Linda orders another drink.
Tiago drives to Hazlit's private house near the beach and lets himself in. He finds alcohol and milk in the refrigerator, and checks the milk to see if it's been there long enough to spoil. One of Molly's books is on a shelf, and women's clothing in the closet. There are Trojans in the drawer next to the bed, and Molly comes in and stares at Tiago. She says that her affair with Hazlit is no business of Tiago, but Tiago points out that the man was murdered alone with his family. The police detective says that he's not leaving until he gets some answers, and Molly tells him that she was sleeping with Hazlit and he wasn't the first. Tiago insists that he just wants the truth, and Molly figures that she's not who he wants her to be. She says that she's not who anyone wants her to be, and she's glad Hazlit gave her ten minutes of a quiet life. Molly insists that she can't be what Tiago wants her to be.
Molly tells Tiago that they were both someone else for a day but that's over. When Tiago says that it doesn't have to be over, Molly tells him that what they want doesn't matter. She's Sister Molly and it's all the value she has in life. They are who they are, and Molly tells him that she never wants to see him again before leaving.
At the birthday party, Tommy finally breaks the piñata. All of the kids except Frank grab candy, and Frank just watches and smiles. Meanwhile, Elsa approaches Linda and asks where she can find the powder room. As Elsa goes to follow her directions, Linda tells her that Peter isn't who he pretends to be and tells her to ask Peter about Essen and his family before Elsa starts "measuring drapes". She says she won't let Elsa turn her into anything as banal as the rejected wife, smiles grimly, and brushes past Elsa.
Peter takes some empty glasses into the kitchen, and finds Elsa in a study looking out the window. She says that Peter has a beautiful life there, and it's the life she dreams of. Peter comes in and closes the door, approaches Elsa, and kisses her while embracing her. He pulls down her panty hose and has sex with her from behind. Once they finish, Peter holds Elsa and they both gasp from their exertions.
Lewis and Dottie go to Anton's grave, and benny and his men pull up. Dottie steps away to give Lewis and Benny some privacy, and Benny comes over to the grave. The gangster knows that Lewis has been banging on doors as a police detective, and asks what Lewis has to say to him. Lewis tells him that Anton was killed by Nazis, and says that a bunch of kids at Caltech are racing to catch up with Werner von Braun and his development of the V2 rocket engine. If Hitler steals the research, he has a rocket that can reach London, Jerusalem, and New York.
The detective admits that the Nazis killed two of his friends and he doesn't know what to do. Benny wonders what it has to do with him, and Lewis says that everyone knows that Benny's boss Mayer Lansky supports the Zionists against the Arabs. Benny warns him not to mention Lansky's name again, and if Lewis continues wasting his time, he'll have Lewis killed. Lewis asks why he's in LA kicking out the Italians. He figures the Nazis are there for the same reason the Mob is: because the authorities are corrupt and it's wide open, unlike NYC.
Benny says that none of the temples in LA took him and the Jews in the city have done nothing for him. Lewis tells him that no one cares about the Jews but the Jews, and insists he's going to take down the Nazis and Benny is going to help him. As Benny goes, Lewis grabs him and says that Anton died to save Jews. The detective says that Anton was born in California but dreamed of Judea, and Benny says that they all do... and he'll be in touch.
That night after the birthday party, the children gather in dark room and Tommy tells a ghost story by flashlight. Frank tells the next story, and tells a true story about a little girl who was kidnapped. The kidnapper met with the girl's father, who paid the ransom and had the daughter with him in his car. When he drove off with the ransom, he dumped the girl's body out of the car. Her father discovered the kidnapped had cut off her arms and legs, and held her eyes open with wire so she would look alive. The girl lived in Pasadena, just a few blocks from the Craft house. With that, Frank turns off the flashlight.
Later, Tommy is in bed trying to sleep. The dead girl, Florence, appears to him and says that it hurt when the kidnapper cut her up. Tommy turns over, whispering to the girl to go away, and he rolls over to see Florence sitting on his bed, her eyes held open with wires.
The next day at a cheap hotel, Townsend underpays the young man he hires and opens the door. Kurt is in the hallway, and shoots the young man dead. The killer then grabs Townsend and drag him down to a waiting car, gets in, and drives the councilman off.
Mateo and Josefina are walking home from the grocery store when Reilly and other officers and ask what Mateo has. Reilly says that they had some kids spray painting at the construction site, and dump the groceries on the ground. Mateo defiantly says that they didn't do anything, and the cops search them both for weapons. Reilly feels Josefina up while the other officers force Mateo to watch. Satisfied, Reilly and his men leave, and Josefina tells Mateo not to tell anyone what happened. He apologizes for not doing anything, and Josefina tells him not to talk and then picks up the groceries, crying.
Later at home, Tiago tells Raul about Molly without saying her name. He wonders if he should trust her, and Raul figures that Tiago is dating a white woman. Tiago insists that the one afternoon they had was special, and Maria calls them into the kitchen. Mateo and Josefina come in, and Maria sees Mateo's new fly tattoo. Tiago sees and recognizes it as well as a Pachuco mark, and Maria asks if Mateo is a gangster now. She says that she's ashamed of him, and Mateo says that he's proud for once in his life. As Tiago, Maria, and Mateo argue, Josefina looks on. Mateo tells Maria and Tiago that they're weak and storms out.
Josefina wants to talk to Maria, but Maria tells her daughter that it's not a good time. Leaving, Josefina walks through the Heights and sees a poster for Molly's ministry.
Kurt drives Townsend out of LA, and in the back seat Townsend insists that he just lets the young man blow him. Meanwhile, Kurt drives to a motel, drags Townsend out the back and into a room, then kisses him. He then asks if Townsend prefers the top or bottom. When Townsend says the bottom, Kurt starts undressing him. Townsend finishes the job, unaware that Alex is having a cameraman film him through the room's one-way mirror.
That night at the Cat, Mateo tells the Pachucos what happened earlier. Rio says that someone has to teach Reilly a lesson, and knows where Reilly keeps some girls after hooking them on smack. Mateo tells Rico that he's going to do something, and Rio says that they should do what Pachuco do.
At the temple, Molly tells her audience that they must be heard. She preaches against Satan, and Josefina watches her from the audience. She nods in agreement as Molly says that they can't be weak and powerless. Molly asks who will stand up with her, and Josefina stands up with the others. As Molly calls on God to save them, freezes, and then screams. After a moment, Molly invites the audience members to come and be sanctified. The people, including Josefina, go to her. Mrs. Adelaide watches from back stage as Molly blesses each member who comes to her, When Josefina comes up, Molly tells her that she's a child of God and asks if she will come with her on the holy road. Josefina nods in agreement and Molly kisses her on the forehead and blesses her.
Lewis is at home reading a newspaper when two men bust in and drag him out.
The Pachucos break into the room where Reilly is with a girl, cut him, shove the girl out, and shut the door behind her.
The two men take Lewis to a warehouse room where Benny is waiting. Benny says that the situation requires certain protocols, and leads Lewis out into the next room, where Leonard Schiff is hanging from a meat hook. The gangster says that Schiff is on the outs with the Mob. Schiff went to Mexico and hijacked a shipment of Lansky's weapons bounds for Palestine. Schiff sold the weapons to the Nazis in LA, and Benny says that Schiff is a good Jew. Benny hands a revolver to Lewis and tells him to kill Schiff. When Lewis hesitates, Benny asks him if they're doing business. Lewis hands the gun back and tells Benny to fuck himself, and Benny takes the gun and kills Schiff. He then tells Lewis that by blood and fire, Judea shall rise. Benny and his men then walk out.
Rico gives Mateo a razor and tells him to kill Reilly, and Rio tells Mateo that the cop has seen them and knows who they are. Reilly tries to crawl away, and Mateo cuts his throat with the razor. He rolls Reilly over and keeps cutting him, then stands up and looks at the corpse as Rio looks at Mateo.
Alex shows Goss the film of Kurt and Townsend, and says that they're protecting Townsend from himself. Goss says that Kurt knows precisely what to do.
The Pachuso drop Reilly's corpse off in front of the police station. Once they drive off, an officer comes out and finds the body.
Molly is working in the mission kitchen, washing dishes. Tiago comes in and looks at her, and Molly realizes that he's there and looks back. She moves aside and offers Tiago a dish to wash. He takes it and the two of them start washing dishes.
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