Internal Affairs

**\* GALLERY**

## Synopsis

Following a mysterious and catastrophic incident in the precinct, Bright faces an internal affairs review as Gil and the team worry about his mental health.

## Plot

*(flashback to last night)*
 Prodigal Son
Malcolm and Gil are in an argument while Dani watches from afar. Malcolm blames Gil for the way he is, and Gil demands he leaves the precinct. Malcolm gets up, rather upset and after staring off into the distance, locks himself in one of the offices. Dani yelled at him to open the door but Malcolm ignores her. From inside, he is holding to electric shocking probes aiming them at himself. The lights go out and the police station, and half of New York, experiences a blackout.

*(12 hours later)*

Malcolm and Gil are on much better terms as Gil adjusts Malcolm's tie. Gil wishes him good luck as he prepares to undertake the involuntary evaluation before being allowed to return to the NYPD. *Dr. Simon Coppenrath* introduces himself and the two have a friendly banter before getting onto business. Malcolm briefly touches on his shattered hand *(part of the reason he is being evaluated)* while Dr. Coppenrath is asking Malcolm questions, he is also asking the same questions to friends and colleagues.

Gil originally did not want Malcolm to return, especially so soon after breaking his own hand. However Malcolm continuously insisted he was fine. Gil insists Dani drives Malcolm home much to his annoyance. Upon his own arrival, he is surprised to find his mother there and an aggressive Russian woman she rehired while his hand is healing. He reluctantly accepts some alcohol to wash down his medication well his mother, Jessica has a quick side conversation with Dani. Dani expresses she's not exactly sure how well Malcolm is doing, as he is very good at covering up his emotions. But is interrupted from a call from Gil, that Malcolm overhears while pretending to be asleep.

During the interview Dr. Edrisa Tanaka admits to Simon she was the one that called Malcolm, both for his intellectual stimulation as well as her evident crush on him. Much to everyone's surprise Malcolm arrives at the grave-site to find the body of *Tristan Johnston* who was disposed of inside an empty grave that morning. Malcolm takes a second to compose some theories and is spooked at an open grave where he sees a vision of himself at 10 years old, dead inside of it. He is still haunted by the discovery that his father wanted to kill him. Dani notices this and asks if he is all right, and even touches on it during her own interview.

Back at the morgue they discuss Tristan Johnston and find out his last withdrawal was for $500 to *The Vosler Institute*. Malcolm recognizes them as they were a suspected cult on the FBI's watchlist. Malcolm is once again in JT go to investigate the facility themselves. They are introduced to the founder *Quentin Vosler* however he is aware he is under no legal obligation to divulge any information to them. Meanwhile, Malcolm has taken a different route and decided to sign up as a potential patient. Admitting in his interview that he understood the algorithm in order to immediately be accepted. Plus his bank book. He is briefly interviewed by Andi, who becomes his mentor before receiving shock therapy. Just before going under he again sees his dead 10-year-old self.

Then Malcolm explains during the interview, Dr. Simon gets very notably upset, bringing up his pure disdain for any medical doctor who would abuse his power and condone such a brutal methods without proper procedure.

Malcolm wakes up alone in the office with Andi by his side waiting for him. She admits she has undergrad the procedure 18 times and, upon reading her body language Malcolm realizes she secretly wants out but has nowhere to go. Malcolm admits he works for the NYPD and promises to help her escape. She agrees and they both make it outside.Malcolm runs across the street to call Gil but Andi is kidnapped before his eyes. She is driven away in a dark van.

Later at the precinct, Gil and Malcolm are having a rundown of what had happened hours earlier. Malcolm interrupts their conversation when he sees the founder Quentin Vosler, immediately accusing him of kidnapping Andi for trying to escape. Quentin reluctantly admits that she is not the first this has happened to. There have been others, including Tristan Johnston. With this information, Malcolm realizes they are now after a deprogrammer. To which they need someone with deep pockets to pretend to interview deprogrammers.

During Jessica's part of interview she admits that Gil is a friend and she enjoys having her friends indebted to her. She along with her son posing as a butt on her interview multiple candidates. But when Malcolm notices the dirt Curtis Marsh's shoes, he is called in for further questioning. Curtis admits to being a deprogrammer but claims to have nothing to do with the death of anyone. In his stress he takes a couple pills to calm his nerves. Later Gil and the rest of the team want to pen the murders on him but Malcolm isn't so sure. He is incredibly frustrated and this is where we see Malcolm and Gil get into the same argument from before. However this time we see that Malcolm is haunted by his childhood ghost, and when he locks himself in the room and preparing to electrocute himself, he notices the garbage can and remembers the bottle of pills Curtis Marsh had dropped into it earlier. When Malcolm drops the electric prongs they fall onto the metal table and cause an electric short throughout half the city.

Back in the interview Malcolm and Simon continue to discuss Malcolm's outcome. There he admits Malcolm failed and will no longer be allowed to work with the NYPD. Before he leaves Malcolm confronts him about the story he had told earlier. Simon said his daughter had died in a car accident but Malcolm knew she had really died after being taken in by a cult. He was able to connect the dots when he looked over the prescription bottle and saw it that was him who had prescribed them to Curtis Marsh. he had now been able to connect the evidence to him, as he had already claimed not to know Curtis Marsh. realizing he was caught Simon pulled a gun on Malcolm to which the rest of his team behind the glass pulled out their own guns. Malcolm was able to get away and they were soon able to locate Andi who had been in the cabin that Simon had mentioned earlier when with his daughter. Immediately after Malcolm and his team saved I handcuffed Andi.

Back at Malcolm's home he and Gil were both finishing up a drink together. Before Gil left Malcolm took the opportunity to apologize for his behavior. Consisting Gil was a positive factor in his life and he did not make him neurotic. Gil accepted his apology. Malcolm went to his couch and sat in silence. He looked over to see his 12-year-old self this time no longer dead. He was slowly coming to terms with his father's possible attempted murder of him. His birth signee flew over and landed on his cast, much to the appreciation of Malcolm.

## Quotes

**Dr. Coppenrath:** How did Lieutenant Arroyo feel when you reported for duty?
**Malcolm Bright:** He was thrilled.
**Dr. Coppenrath:** Were you concerned about Bright's mental state?
**JT Tarmel:** Of course I was. If Bright was an actual state, he'd be Florida.
**Dr. Coppenrath:** Then how did Bright know to show up for the autopsy report?
**Edrisa Tanaka:** I told him! Malcolm Bright composed a 100% accurate profile of the Kingdom Lake Killer that is the stuff of legends. *(chuckles)* Are you into any of the true-crime boards? Websleuths, Justice Quest? He has quite a following. Also, I just missed him... Oh, don't write that!
**Dr. Coppenrath:** A-And why were you so eager to assist in the investigation?
**Jessica Whitly:** Lieutenant Arroyo is a friend, and I enjoy when my friends are indebted to me.
**Malcolm Bright:** I was right from the beginning.
**Gil Arroyo:** You're in no state to work a case.
**Malcolm Bright:** I've been working *this* case.
**Gil Arroyo:** I brought you onto the team because you're the best at what you do. But not when you get like this.
**Malcolm Bright:** "Like this"? I'm "like this" because of Martin Whitly, because of John Watkins, because of *you*!
**Gil Arroyo:** What?!
**Malcolm Bright:** You asked for *my* help! You knew I couldn't say no, and you brought them all back into my life. You did that! You started this.
**Gil Arroyo:** Get the hell out of my precinct.
**Malcolm Bright:** Hey, Gil. I was wrong. It's not because of you. I'm sorry.
**Gil Arroyo:** I know, kid.

## Notes

* This episode takes place an unknown amount of weeks after Alone Time.
* After breaking his own hand, Malcolm Bright received a metacarpal fracture to his first metacarpal *(wrist)* and seven abdominal stitches, with no damage to any of his organs.
* Malcolm is struggling with the knowledge that his father tried to kill him.

## Cast

* Tom Payne as Malcolm Bright
* Bellamy Young as Jessica Whitly
* Lou Diamond Phillips as Gil Arroyo
* Aurora Perrineau as Dani Powell
* Frank Harts as JT Tarmel
* Keiko Agena as Dr. Edrisa Tanaka
* Kasjan Wilson as Young Malcolm
* Scott Shepherd as Dr. Simon Coppenrath
* Isabel Arranza as Andi
* Happy Anderson as Curtis Marsh
* Daniel Sunjata as Quentin Vosler
* Mary VanArsdel as Ilsa