Directed by David Von Ancken
Written by Alicia Kirk
Stillman tried to investigate the 1983 murder of Jack Chao Lu in Chinatown but his family did not cooperate. Years later, he is finally asked by Jack's mother to close the case.
Tropes for the episode:
- Bittersweet Ending: The bitter; Da Chun is now pretty much alone (barring her extended family and friendship with Tam's father Joe) and must live the rest of her life knowing that her son Ling murdered his brother and tarnished his father's legacy by getting involved with gangs. The sweet; Bo-Lin, Ray and Ling are arrested. Warren and Stacey are reunited. Jack and Tam's deaths are solved and they can rest in peace.
- Cain and Abel: Jack turns out to have been killed by his older brother.
- Died in Your Arms Tonight: Tam was shot and died in her father Joe's arms.
- The Dutiful Son: Ling's attempts to honor his family leads him to becoming a drug smuggler and murderer.
- Faux Affably Evil: Bo-Lin acts like a jolly neighborhood benefactor while being involved in the most rotten rackets in Chinatown and using loopholes. He retains that attitude even while rubbing in how the cops can't build a case against him.
- Greater-Scope Villain: Bo-Lin Chen is a respected businessman and representative of the Philadelphia Tongs which run Chinatown. He lets the Dragon Boys do what they want as long as they give him their cut.
- He Knows Too Much: Jack was murdered by his own brother Ling because he found out that Ling was allowing the Dragon Boys to use their family tea business for smuggling drugs.
- Honor Before Reason: The original case in 1983 went cold because none of Jack’s friends or family in Chinatown would cooperate with the police. It was the unwritten rule of Chinatown to not talk to any cops.
- I Have No Son!: Da Chun sends her son Ling a letter saying he has brought shame to his father and their family name by killing his brother and hiding it for over twenty years. Twenty years before, Ling was disowned by Jack after finding out his involvement with the gangs.
- Kid Detective: Deconstructed. Jack is a 17-year-old boy who wants to solve or avenge the murder of his girlfriend by gang members and makes diligent but realistically amateurish efforts to do so. First, he threatens a gangbanger at knifepoint. Then he helps cops who don’t speak Mandarin translate wiretaps. Then he wears a (poorly concealed) wire to a ransom drop to rescue his cousin and steals some evidence his police employer (who, while seeming to view Jack as a genuine Morality Pet, has been hiding evidence against The Don due to being The Corruptible and feeling the next boss would be worse anyway) suppressed. While this leads to Jack's death, it does get the don and Dirty Cop arrested 30 years later.
- Madness Mantra: Ling weeps and repeatedly says, "He didn't understand" after being revealed as Jack's killer.
- Maligned Mixed Marriage: The victim, a Chinese American teenager, was in a relationship with a Vietnamese girl that was met with disdain.
- Motive Misidentification: Da Chun thought that her son Jack was killed over his relationship with Tam Sung. It turned out to be a lot deeper than that.
- My Greatest Failure: Warren blames himself for the death of his cousin Jack. He was supposed to be watching his little sister Stacey but she was kidnapped by the Dragon Boys. Jack paid the ransom and got her back but he ended up dead the next day. Poor Warren grew up a Nervous Wreck as a result.
- Not-So-Harmless Villain: Ling seemed to be harmless enough, until he pulls a gun (there is no indication that he was experienced in firearms) and shoots Jack dead.
- One Phone Call: When Bianchi asks to use his phone call to contact his lawyer after his past corruption is exposed, his former friend Stillman grants this request but also allows him a second phone call and urges Bianchi to break the bad news to his wife right away.
- Outliving One's Offspring: Da Chun and Joe Sung are last seen having tea together and reminiscing about their late children.
- Plot-Triggering Death: Hong Lu had forbidden his family from talking to the police about Jack's death in fear of reprisal. His own death finally allowed his widow Da Chun to reopen the case.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Da Chun wanted Jack’s murder to be solved, but her husband refused to talk to the police to help. After he passes away, the first thing Da Chun does is find the detective who was working on the case in '83 and asks him to reopen the case.
- Red Herring: It turns out that Stacey's kidnapping had nothing to do with Jack's death.
- Together in Death: Jack and Tam are seen reunited in the Ghost Reunion Ending.
- Tragic Hero: Jack was a kid trying to take on the criminal element in his neighborhood to get justice for his girlfriend's death. He is instead killed by his own brother who was aiding in drug smuggling.
