Push Comes To Shove – Episode 5 begins with Gerald (L Warren Young) driving Charlie Croker (Jeff Daniels) to a meeting with Martha Croker (Diane Lane). The meeting becomes heated the minute he realizes she wants him to stop extorting Joyce Newman (Lucy Li). He becomes even more upset when she threatens to cut off his visitation rights with Wally Croker (Evan Roe) recalled.

Conrad Hensley (Jon Michael Hill) meets with Roger White (Aml Ameen) and Jill Hensley (Chante Adams) to learn that although bail has now been set, there are some complications with financing it. It’s not that the funds aren’t available, but they came from out-of-state sources because Croker’s Georgia assets were frozen. Not only will they need to open new Georgia accounts, but Judge Taylor (Anthony Heald) must sign off on this. Jill becomes extremely troubled when Conrad tells her about the Sweet Boy (Joseluis Cortes) incident.

Raymond Peepgrass’s (Tom Pelphrey) meeting doesn’t start out much better when Herb Richman (Josh Pais) refuses to go against Charlie by claiming that he wants nothing to do with the massive plantation or his food supply stores. Herb’s interests appear to pique when Raymond mentions Concourse. Raymond later boasts about the good news during a video conference with Sirja (Eline Powell). Their ensuing conversation reveals that he’s also told her about pursuing Martha and eventually ends with her showing him their son.

Conrad and Five-O (Atkins Estimond) are shooting the breeze in the yard when Bronx Rotto (Jackson Beals) approaches and demands to speak with Conrad about being a Good Samaritan. It doesn’t take long for their conversation to turn heated and much to everyone’s surprise, Conrad breaks Rotto’s hand and arm at the elbow. Jill later learns of this and Conrad’s relocation to solitary confinement. She takes the news as about as well as could be expected.

Charlie takes the news only slightly better when he later hears it from Roger. Things become even bleaker when Charlie learns that Wes Jordan (William Jackson Harper) is starting to lose favor in the polls. If he’s going to pull the trigger on the Norman Bagovitch (John Lacy) deal, he’s going to need to do it fast. After learning his only other option is filing bankruptcy, Charlie agrees to meet with Wes tomorrow.

Martha turns to Raymond for financial advice during a dinner date. He appears stunned when he learns that Martha chose to receive a consulting fee from Croker Industries rather than alimony. She assures him that it’s legal and Charlie came out much cheaper. He stuns her when he tells her about Charlie’s bankruptcy and admits that he’s part of the reason for it. He does apologize and promises to insulate her, if at all possible.

Conrad brings more unwanted attention to himself by vocally confronting Rotto and his gang as soon as he’s delivered back to Gen Pop. Roger later warns him about maintaining a low profile while also delivering the bad news that posting bail has now gotten more complicated thanks to his encounter with Rotto.

Charlie is nearly unbelieving and appears to be considering his decision when he learns of Wes’s plan for him to out Norman as a rapist during a Georgia Tech Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Wes not only gives him a script to follow but tells him that he’s such a beloved public figure that they won’t even likely need the victim to convince people. After a bit of debate, Charlie agrees to go along with the deal when Wes gets PlannersBanc to stop coming after his assets.

Martha meets Joyce to tell her about her meeting with Charlie. After saying that she doesn’t know whether or not he’ll back off, she asks Joyce what really happened that night with Norman. Much to Martha’s surprise, Joyce claims she doesn’t really remember because of the alcohol but Norman vows that she consented.

Roger takes both Judge Taylor and DA Jennings (Neal Reddy) by surprise when he files a Civil Petition for habeas corpus after Judge Taylor denies Conrad bail. Taylor responds by claiming that habeas is only applicable after conviction. Roger is quick to point out that in the state of Georgia, pre-trail habeas can be granted when the defendant can prove adverse collateral consequences. They spend several minutes going back and forth citing laws but Roger ultimately gets the upper hand when he threatens Taylor with a dereliction of duty charge. Taylor schedules a later hearing for the matter on Tuesday.

Charlie spends a few minutes reflecting on life with Gerald while admiring the splendor of the Concourse building from the street. He later pays a visit to Jill where he reassures her that is and will continue to do everything he possibly can for Conrad.

Roger visits Officer Smith (Scott Daniel Johnson) and his wife, Sheila Smith (April Billingsley) at home where he asks him to tell the judge that the altercation between him and Conrad was a simple misunderstanding. When Smith essentially shuts the door in his face, Roger gives him a subpoena to appear in court. Over a drink later that evening, Wes teases Roger for thinking he could get a cop to help him. Much to Roger’s surprise, Wes admits that a part of him always wanted to be like Roger and apologizes for dragging him down in the muck.

Raymond and Harry Zale (Bill Camp) find themselves completely dumbfounded when they are called into Arthur Longley’s (Grainger Hines) office with the order to drop their pursuit of Charlie. The announcement appears to affect Raymond more while Harry remains speechless. Arthur ultimately claims it’s all part of a higher strategy, although he refuses to say what.

After returning home from his drink with Wes, Roger strategizes with Henrietta White (Jerrika Hinton) for Conrad’s case. She ultimately helps him realize that as much of a loose cannon Taylor is, he believes in and follows the law to the letter. She suggests he find a way to use that to his benefit.

The episode ends with Raymond returning to his sad, depressing apartment. After a few seconds of moping and feeling sorry for himself, he begins yelling at the top of his lungs, as if to hype himself up for what is about to come.

 

A Man In Full Review

I have to start by expressing displeasure with the whole Conrad situation. Although I do somewhat enjoy the jail scenes, I can’t stand the moral righteousness. It’s entirely unrealistic. As if that isn’t bad enough, Roger’s role, especially with the Judge, makes matters all that much worse. Then there is Charlie’s loyalty to Conrad which should be admirable but I just can’t get behind it.

Other than this, the episode wasn’t entirely awful, despite it being one of the slower/less developing episodes. It did a good job of building suspense for things to come which is why I must give it a 5.4 out of 10.

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