The Professionals

**\* GALLERY**

## Synopsis

After a catastrophic turn of events, Malcolm and Ainsley are convinced there's more to Nicholas Endicott than meets the eye. Their only hope just might be an impromptu Whitly family reunion.

## Plot

Malcolm and Ainsley sat at their mother's breakfast table waiting for her to arrive. To their combined annoyance and surprise, she did not. Instead they were greeted by Nicholas Endicott, who emerged from her room. Ainsley was a little hostile, while for the most part, Malcolm remained silent. Nicholas had a quick bite before leaving, unbothered by either of them. The siblings discussed Malcolm’s love life with Eve, and he informed her that Eve had broken up with him over voicemail. Ainsley, thinking Malcolm had misunderstood the message, convinced him to play it. Though it was very clear, she was breaking up with him. Malcolm decided to leave early, after getting a text from Gil.

Once at work, Malcolm noticed the silent stares from fellow coworkers before entering Gil's office. He was greeted by his friend who had already poured himself a whiskey, and was very solemn. He regretfully informed him, Eve's body had been found in the river. She had committed suicide two weeks earlier. Malcolm was heartbroken, but remained silent. Sometime later he went to the basement, where he saw Edrisa doing an autopsy. Unaware of their relation, she was curious why he was so concerned about a floater. He briefly explained and Edrisa gave him the room to say goodbye. Realizing the timeline did not add up, Malcolm called a meeting with his colleagues to discuss his suspicion of Nicholas, his possible involvement in Eve's murder. Though they were hesitant to believe him on either topics, believing Malcolm was in denial.

Malcolm went to his mother's only to find Nicholas consoling her about Eve's death. When he entered the room, Nicholas offered his sympathies before leaving. Malcolm quickly explained, he believed *Nicholas* was responsible for Eve's death. The only way to confirm his suspicions, was to go to the source and make a visit to her ex husband, and his father, Martin. Jessica reluctantly agreed.

Malcolm and Jessica were escorted in by a new guard, Eddie, as Mr. David was away sick. They were surprised to find Ainsley already in the room, attempting to pry information from their father. Martin was ecstatic to see his entire family, and commented on what a wonderful family reunion they were having. While continuously avoiding the topic of Nicholas. Martin sent Eddie, who was hard of hearing, away for food, while his family pressed him about the matter. He offered his condolences about Eve's death, but warned his family to stay away from him. Confirming Nicholas was involved, but would not say how. Malcolm confirmed his father was telling the truth, both about the Girl in the Box, her connection to Nicholas, and how he genuinely believed they were safer off not knowing. Much to Jessica's aggravation. After the kids left, Martin and Jessica got snide with each other. And Martin took a shot at his ex-wife, having slept with a second murderer. Later, back at home, Ainsley consoled her mother over her self-loathing for having found herself in yet another relationship with a mass murderer.

Back at the precinct, Malcolm was again haunted by Eve. His mind constantly flashing to her. Edrisa was in the room, explaining she also believed Eve's death was *not* a suicide. Becoming curious when someone called for her finish her diagnosis. Finding that odd, she began a more thorough search, and discovered the water in Eve's lungs, was not the same water from the river. And whoever had killed her, was a professional and had done an incredibly amazing job at staging her death. Wondering how to get connected with a hitman, Gil had an idea.

Malcolm and Gil went to an out of the way and Italian bar. Gil began talking to a Mafia member, with whom he had some sort of truth. The man immediately spotted Malcolm as an FBI agent at the end of the bar. Not denying his former profession, Malcolm leaned into it and insisted they only wanted a name. He pointed them in the direction of a female assassin for the area, as professionals often, and purposely do not cross paths. They checked down her next mark at the train station, and in order to thin the herd out, Malcolm pretended to stab her potential victim, and when she was the only one that did not panick, they identified her as the hired assassin. She ran from the building, while Dani chased her down. They had a quick fight in an alley, before Dani arrested her. At the precinct, Gil and Malcolm questioned her, though she insisted it was not her work. Before being let go, she tipped them off, whoever did it, had to have had a personal connection to get such an intimate kill.

Eddie brought Martin his lunch, and when he asked for his phone call, he said inmates did not have that privilege. Immediately triggered, Martin insisted he *wasn't* a normal inmate, and angrily requested he look into the matter. Eddie agreed before leaving.

In a series of flashbacks, Martin is revealed to have been put in such a luxurious prison, in large part thanks to Nicholas. Having confronted him with the information he learned from Sophie, he promised to stay silent on what he knew. Nicholas threatened, if Martin ever talked, he would destroy his life. Promising he would sleep with his wife, before ruining his children's lives. This notably urged the normally well composed Martin.

Ainsley got caught spying on Nicholas while he was at a business dinner. The two had private drinks together, while he gushed about his feelings for her mother, and admired Ainsley's determined nature. Promising to help advance her career.

Malcolm and JT went to Eve's place to look for clues of anyone in her life that could have been the assassin. Malcolm decided to take the bedroom, and was haunted of flashbacks of their time together. While staring off into space he noticed a recording device in the ceiling. JT came in to inform him he found one as well. While looking over video surveillance of her apartment, Malcolm, JT, and Dani eventually noticed a man that would often come in with white pants and headphones. Malcolm was able to identify, he was Eddoe, his father's new guard. They immediately rushed to Claremont Psychiatric Hospital, just in time to see Eddie attack his father, attempting to strangle him behind the locked door of his room. Martin was able to eventually overpower him, by blinding him, and he almost killed him, had he not been pulled off. The team began attending to his wounds, while Martin was unbothered by that situation as he sat on the bed. Pleased with himself.

Jessica was distraught over the end of her relationship with Nicholas, feeling like such a fool. Gil was with her, comforting her, insisting it wasn't her fault. The two discussed their *almost* relationship from a decade earlier. Jessica had pushed him away, claiming Gil wasn't good enough or rich enough for her. In the meantime, Gil had met his wife, who had passed away from cancer only a few years earlier. Jessica admitted, she only said that because she thought *she* wasn't good enough for Gil. The two embraced and kissed.

Back at the precinct, Malcolm was alone in one of the offices looking up the diagram board for Eve's murder. It was a bittersweet moment, as they had caught her killer, but of course she was still dead. Wanting to tie Nicholas to the murders, he paid a visit to Eddie in the hospital.

That night, while at his desk, Malcolm was continuously haunted by a dead Eve in his mind. He screamed at her to leave him alone, as he had already found her killer, there was nothing else he could do. His hallucinations were interrupted with the arrival of the NYPD. Where his colleagues arrested him for the murder of Eddie.

## Quotes

**Malcolm Bright:** I'm not going to play you my break-up voice message.

**Jessica Whitly:** Never bet against your nothing darling. Your father is just a man.

*(to Gil Arroyo)*

**Ciro:** You're never gonna catch him. Just like you never caught me.

*(after brutally killing his assailant)*

 **Martin Whitly:** Good thing you came when you did. I was being brutally attack.

## Notes

* This episode takes place 2 weeks after Scheherazade.
* Tally Tarmel and Mr. David were both mentioned, but do not appear.
* Eve broke up with Malcolm 2 weeks ago, & was immediately murdered on the order of Nicholas Endicott.
* Mr. David is away sick with an unspecified illness, and temporarily replaced by Eddie.
* Dagmara Dominczyk played a similar character, Nicole, in Season 4 of 24.
* Nicholas Endicott celebrates Dr. Whitly's first night in psychiatric prison with a bottle of Chateauneuf de Pape. This is a reference to Good Omens, in which Michael Sheen starred as Aziraphale. Aziraphale entices Crowley back to his bookshop with a bottle of Chateauneuf de Pape, which they split in the first episode.

## Trivia

* Though she was credited, *Anna Eilinsfeld* does not appear.

## Cast

* Tom Payne as Malcolm Bright
* Michael Sheen as Dr. Martin Whitly
* Bellamy Young as Jessica Whitly
* Lou Diamond Phillips as Gil Arroyo
* Halston Sage as Ainsley Whitly
* Aurora Perrineau as Dani Powell
* Frank Harts as JT Tarmel
* Keiko Agena as Dr. Edrisa Tanaka
* Dermot Mulroney as Nicholas Endicott
* Molly Griggs as Eve Blanchard

**Others**
* Matthew Lawler as Eddie
* Richard V. Licata as Ciro
* Dagmara Dominczyk as The Nightingale