Force of Evil

### IMDb

**"Force of Evil"** is the fourth episode of the Season One of Netflix's *Altered Carbon*. It aired on February 2, 2018, along with the remainder of the first season.

## Promotional synopsis

Tortured by his captor, Kovacs taps into his Envoy training to survive. Ortega springs a surprise on her family for Día de los Muertos.

## Recap

The episode begins where we last left off in In a Lonely Place. Takeshi Kovacs is strapped to a bed with Dimi on his left and Alice's body on the right being cut up for sell to the chop shop. Two technicians and Mr. Philips come in thinking they captured Elias Ryker but what they don't know is Takeshi is riding Ryker's sleeve and was trained by Quell to get out of this type of torture. They load up the simulation and the torture begins.

In VR Takeshi is being tortured by Dimi using tools supplied to him by the technicians. For the first round of torture, Dimi uses a chain to beat up Takeshi and secures him to a table and breaks all his bones.

Back at The Raven Elliot and Poe are worried Takeshi has not checked in and his ONI is off. Elliot also wants to check on Lizzie and views the security footage from Suntouch House but finds nothing. Poe in the meantime is decorating for the Licktown Day of the Dead Festival and is dressed up for the occasion. Elliot tells Poe to activate Takeshi's tracker and ONI so he and Ortega can find him.

Back at the Wei Clinic Round 2 of torture begins. Takeshi has a flashback of his Envoy days and Quell telling how to beat VR. For the second round of torture Dimi uses pliers to remove Takeshi's nails and teeth Dimi also reveals he removed Takeshi's Hawkeye and Broadcast Blocker making it impossible for Ortega to find him. Wei Clinic is also in a dampening field to prevent Needlecasting and the BCPD from raiding the facility.

At BCPD Ortega, Samir, and Mickey go over the footage from Suntouch House to locate Mister Leung. Ortega wants to know why he is not on the ONI when she and Takeshi saw him at the party? Mickey reveals to the audience and to Ortega that Mister Leung is a Yukuza Ghostwalker which means his stack is coded to erase his ONI data making him invisible. Ortega thinks this is connected to the Mary Lou Henchy case with Samir and Mickey trying to override her. Ortega has Mickey look through the footage to make a digital sketch of Leung. In the squad room, Ortega is trying to do her work at her desk when Alazne calls and tells Ortega to pick up some cheese from the store for the party. In the background, BCPD brings in a street thug and Stiff dealer. That's when Ortega gets an idea. She zaps the thug and uploads her Abuela's stack into his body.

Back at Wei Clinic Dimi is still questioning Takeshi and has already removed most of his teeth and some of his nails. Takeshi tries to tell Dimi he is a cross-sleeved Ava Elliot but Dimi does not believe that and continues to remove Takeshi's nails. Dimi starts to crash as his AI starts cycling through his previous sleeves. Takeshi calls him insane with Dimi saying they made progress.

In the flashback Quell tells the Envoys how Iphigenia Deme died and uploads Takeshi and his team into VR. Takeshi has to relive the day CTAC captured him and Quell rescued him.

In the present Dimi asks if Takeshi is Elias Ryker and Takeshi says no. Dimi shoots him ending the second round of torture.

The technicians spin Takeshi back up and Round 3 begins.

In Licktown Ortega is shopping with her Abuela, finds the right cheese for the party, and they head to Ortega's apartment.

For Round 3, the technicians give Dimi a Jerry Can of petrol and Takeshi gets burned alive. Dimi also reveals why Ryker went to prison -- for killing a CTAC officer -- but in reality Dimi killed the officer and framed Ryker.

Alazne is not pleased to see her daughter with a Stiff dealer and Ortega tells her that she spun up Abuela into this sleeve for the party and that Abuela renounced NeoCatholicism before she sleeve died. Alazne forgives her and the party continues.

Back at the Wei Clinic, Round 4 begins. Dimi has a blowtorch and the Jerry Can from Round 3. In the flashback Takeshi is chained to the wall and CTACs are outside ready to execute him.

Takeshi uses his training to break free in both the flashback and present but has to go through two more rounds of torture where he is shot, burned alive, and stuffed with parasites. The technicians wonder how is he resisting the torture?

Back at the party Samir arrives and gives Ortega an update. He is surprised Ortega placed her grandmother in a Stiff dealer and tells her that when the party is over Abuela and the Stiff dealer go back on ice. Abuela gets drunk and has to use the restroom finding it weird why Ortega cross-sleeved her and has to get use to this body. Ortega tells her family why Proposition 653 needs to be passed. Her family ignores her and tells her it is rubbish.

Back at Wei Clinic Takeshi goes though his second to last torture round. Dimi still has the blowtorch and has cut off his legs and arms. In the flashback Takeshi is still fighting off the CTAC and Quell tells him how to get out. In the present the technicians clock out and Mr. Philips comes in asking what is wrong. They have no choice but to ether go into overtime or wake up Takeshi and Dimi.

The party ends. It is time for Samir and Ortega to take the Stiff dealer back to BCPD and remove Abuela. Alazne refuses to say goodbye and Ortega leaves to put Abuela back on ice. Samir comforts her and tells her life is complicated.

Dimi wakes up and rebukes Mr. Philips for not allowing him to go into overtime. Mr. Philips tells Dimi he will have him use parasites called Helminth Code and reveals the last person to use it was Lizzie, who broke down and is now insane with her stack damaged. Philips' secretary comes in. Reileen is on the line and wants to talk to him. He leaves and the technicians load the program. Dimi inserts the parasites and Takeshi has flashbacks of Quell. He then says his sleeve name, but does not know who hired him. Dimi inserts another parasite, this time into his mouth.

Ortega says her goodbyes to Abuela and gives her some Stiff before she puts her back on ice and removes her stack from the stiff dealer.

In the flashback Takeshi removes his chains and defeats the CTACs and wakes up in the flashback with Quell saying his work was sloppy. Takeshi uses his training and beats Dimi by taking over the simulation and making the technicians think he died. He removes the parasites and his heart triggering a cardiac arrest in the real world. Takeshi wakes up and states he's a CTAC officer who'd been investigating Jack It Off over biopiracy operations, giving an ultimatum that the one person who unshackles him from the table will be allowed to live. After two of the technicians fight over his restraints just as Mr. Phillips walks back into the room, Takeshi breaks out of his chains, grabs his flechette gun, and takes out all present, including Dimi, before leaving to go on a shooting rampage in the Wei Clinic. At some point offscreen, he decapitates Dimi so he can have his head delivered on a platter to Ortega for questioning. Some time later, Elliot finally arrives with The Mongol. Takeshi blows open the doors to the clinic and shoots the Mongol. Elliot tells Takeshi why he was late and that he was going to let Mongol live before Takeshi shot him.

At BCPD, after finishing her goodbyes, Ortega removes Abuela from the stiff dealer and puts her back on ice. Ortega is then summoned to Wei Clinic to clean up Takeshi's mess. Ignoring Sandy Kim she activates Hawkeye but the dampening field is making it impossible to find Takeshi. Ortega goes inside and finds the remains of the technicians, Alice, Mr. Philips, and Dimi on the floor. She picks up Hawkeye and knows where to look.

At the Raven, Takeshi washes off the blood and gets ready just as Ortega steps into the room. Takeshi tries to get her to talk about Ryker by cutting himself before she finally breaks. Ortega reveals the truth about Elias Ryker being her partner and lover.

## Cast

### Starring

* Joel Kinnaman as Takeshi Kovacs
* James Purefoy as Laurens Bancroft
* Martha Higareda as Kristin Ortega
* Chris Conner as Poe
* Dichen Lachman as Reileen Kawahara
* Ato Essandoh as Vernon Elliot
* Kristin Lehman as Miriam Bancroft
* Trieu Tran as Mister Leung
* Renée Elise Goldsberry as Quellcrist Falconer

### Guest starring

* Will Yun Lee as Takeshi Kovacs (2130)
* Waleed Zuaiter as Samir Abboud
* Matt Biedel as Street Thug/Abuela
* Adam Busch as Mickey

### Co-starring

* Alika Autran as Okoluv
* Stephanie Cleough as Anemone
* Michael Eklund as Dimi 2
* Marlene Forte as Alazne Ortega
* Teach Grant as Jimmy Desoto
* Tahmoh Penikett as Dimi 1
* Katie Stuart as Vidaura
* Fiona Vroom as Sandy Kim
* Garfield Wilson as Gomez
* Mauri Berenstein as Wei Receptionist
* Hector Borderas as Xalbador Kid #1
* Melanie Chan as Dimi Asian Woman Sleeve
* Nada Cosovic as Cousin #2
* Isabella Farrier as Cousin #1
* Hesham Hammoud as Officer #2
* Juana Lerma Juarez as Xalbador's Wife
* Chad Krowchuk as Miles
* Enrique Lopez as Xalbador Kid #2
* David Milchard as Al
* Muhumuza Mushega as Dimi African Male Sleeve
* Jody Racicot as Mr. Philips
* Alex Rockhill as Dimi Latino Male Sleeve
* Andre Tricoteux as The Mongol
* Francisco Trujillo as Xalbador Ortega
* Seth Whittaker as Officer #1