Undue Process (UP)

Auge um Auge

Week starting October 30th, 1994

Michael Sadowski

Allan Kroeker

Lynne Thomson as Dr. Emma Reston & Allan Royal as Ronald Gault

The episode starts out with a poster for a missing child, Cynthia Lambert Luce. Natalie is in a room with many other people answering phones. She says something to the effect that everyone is praying for the girl's return. One woman remarks about how strong Natalie is considering that Cynthia is her god-daughter. Natalie looks at the table and sees another missing child poster and then looks at a wanted poster for the alleged kidnapper, Ronald Gault. She looks up to see Nick and Schanke standing in the doorway. A look of shock and disbelief registers on her face as Nick announces "We found her." Natalie breaks down crying and Nick moves over to hold her.

After the opening titles, we see a park where the body was found. Natalie is identifying the body with Nick standing next to her. Cohen arrives and Schanke tells her that perimeter teams are being set up. Natalie tells Cohen that she is going to need a few minutes before she can start on the body. Cohen then introduces Dr. Emma Reston, the field regional ME and that she will be doing the work on this case. Natalie says that they can use the help. Cohen corrects Natalie by saying that she is too close to the case and that Dr. Reston will be handling it by herself. Natalie protests, but to no avail.

Cohen changes the subject by mentioning that they are getting more reports of vigilante groups looking for Gault. Schanke says "We'll find him." Cohen offers to take Natalie home and they leave. Dr. Reston goes to examine the body.

Nick and Schanke are searching the surrounding woods. Schanke complains that no one called Natalie to tell her about Dr. Reston before she got to the crime scene. Nick says they'd better catch Gault before the vigilantes get him. Schanke says he wouldn't be surprised if they find him already dead (hanged) somewhere, but then recants and says something slow and excruciating would be better.

Sensing something, Nick alerts Schanke. Following Nick's lead, the two detectives find a trail of footprints and blood - presumably Gault's.

A man is fumbling along a dark alley. He removes his cap to doctor a head wound but, his face is in shadow. When he raises his head to drink from bottle, his face comes into the light. It is Gault. As he moves onto the sidewalk, he stops and glances at two women. One recognizes him from the posters. She informs her friend, and they tell others on the street. The crowd runs after Gault, and one man calls the police from a cell-phone.

Nick gets the call and tells Schanke to take the car. Nick says he'll cut Gault off. Nick takes to the air and rushes to the scene. He finds Gault and tries to protect him from the mob. Finally, Schanke arrives in the Caddy and they are able to arrest Gault and take him to the station. Nick glares at the mob and their behavior.

At the precinct, the witnesses are unable to pick Gault out in a lineup. In the interrogation room, Gault says he wants to make a statement. Natalie watches through the two way glass because she 'had to see him.' Nick comforts her by saying she doesn't have to be there. Natalie then says 'He should be dead.'

Out in the bullpen, Schanke and Cohen are talking about Gault wanting to possibly make a confession. Cohen brings up the point that he is drunk and he knows that anything he says without his lawyer would be inadmissible. It turns out that Gault's court appointed attorney is Ms. Sheppard, a liberal "bleeding heart" who is well known for getting people off. Dr. Reston comes in with the autopsy results and Cohen asks her to look at Gault's wounds.

Natalie is still watching from the observation room when Dr. Reston comes in to treat Gault. Reston gives Gault a shot of anesthetic, then stitches him up.

Ms. Sheppard tells Cohen and Schanke that they are going to have to let Gault go because no one can identify him. Cohen argues that they can hold him for the time being because not all of the forensics results are in. Sheppard says that Gault is entitled to no less than what the law states... which in this case would be to let him go.

The problem arises that Gault has to be released, but if he is let go without protection the mobs out in the streets will try to kill him. If he survives, he would have grounds for legal action against the city. Reston comes in with the blood work results. The blood results show no match. Cohen decided they have to let Gault go.

In the bullpen, Natalie can't deal with it. She is extremely upset and when Sheppard turns to leave Natalie slaps her on the face because she is the one who got Gault out. She is also upset that Reston used her lab for the tests. Sheppard threatens to see Natalie in court also. Cohen sends Nat home, and Nick has to practically drag her away.

At home, Natalie is burning the left over missing child posters in her fireplace. Nick is there. She tells him that Cynthia's father is never going to recover and asks "why are there men like Gault?" She tells Nick that Gault has to pay. Nick leaves and Natalie goes back to putting the posters in the fire one by one.

Cohen assigns Nick and Schanke to protect Gault. She tells them to get a hotel room and to keep an eye on him. Both detectives are not pleased with the assignment, but Schanke is a bit more vocal, threatening to strangle Gault with his bear hands. As they leave, Cohen warns them that nothing can happen to Gault at least until the DNA results come in.

Nick and Schanke plan to spend an uneventful night at the hotel with Gault. Schanke muses about the idea that someone else's daughter is going to end up like Cynthia. He gives Nick a cassette recorder 'on the off chance that Gault gets a little chatty.'

Even though she is off the case, Natalie goes to the morgue to investigate the case for herself. After searching the freezer, she realizes she has to get new samples. She approaches Cynthia's body and after a pause she takes the sample.

Back at the hotel, Schanke has fallen asleep and Nick decides to have a talk with Gault. At first Gault doesn't want to talk, insisting that all he wants to do is sleep. Nick hypnotizes Gault into telling him the truth. He confesses that he took Cynthia and then says that the children "call him." After reflecting on his past, Nick decides that the taped confession was wrong and pulls the tape apart, destroying it.

At the morgue, Natalie has finished her tests. She goes over the results and compares them to Dr. Reston's and discovers that Reston's results were wrong. Natalie wonders how Reston could have botched the results.

Nick and Schanke watch Gault sleeping, wondering how a guy who just murdered a little girl could sleep so soundly. Then Schanke notices that Gault doesn't look so good, and suggests that they call 911. Nick rushes over and quickly tells Schanke to get the paramedics. Nick starts CPR but it is too late. Gault is dead.

When all the cops show up, Schanke says Sheppard is going to have field day. But Nick informs him it was a heart attack. Dr. Reston tells them that there was nothing they could have done for him, that it was a hopeless case and they should forget about it.

Natalie is on the phone in her apartment getting the news of Gault's death from Cohen. While on the phone she is logging in to the Crimeline Network. She does a search on Dr. Emma Reston.

Cohen tells Nick and Schanke that the case is not over. She wants it proven beyond a doubt that Gault did it.

Natalie continues her search and cross references Gault with Reston.

Nick brings the DNA results to Schanke. They are a match. He poses the question of why the DNA matches but the blood types didn't. Schanke produces Gault's medical history which show he had a pre-existing heart condition. Nick is a little suspicious and gives Natalie a call. She doesn't answer. She is putting on her coat preparing to go out.

Natalie goes to the lab to do some tests on Gault's body.

Nick stops by Natalie's apartment on his way home to check up on her and finds her not home. He sees Gault's medical file on Nat's computer and notices that the last person to access it was Dr. Reston.

As Natalie is performing the tests, she remembers Dr. Reston had treated Gault before he left the station and that she gave him a shot. She realizes what Dr. Reston did, just as Reston comes into the room. Reston tells her that she can just get rid of the test, that no one has to know. Natalie confronts her about killing Gault. Reston admits she killed him by slipping drugs into the anesthetic shot and then trying to cover it in the autopsy. Reston admits that she had been raped once and the man who did it got away. She killed him the same way. When Nick arrives at the morgue, Natalie turns Reston in.

Schanke and Cohen discuss what is going to happen. Cohen says the Crown is putting together some kind of charge, and that whatever happens it is going to set a precedent.

The final scene shows Natalie putting flowers on Cynthia's grave. She walks back to the Caddy where Nick is waiting. When she gets in, Nick gives her a hug and then she stares out the window with tears in her eyes as he drives off. Then the camera pans down to Cynthia's headstone and fades to black.

In 1770s England, Nick finds himself having to endure a lynch-mob hanging for a murder he did not commit. He then exacts revenge on his killers as a "ghost" in his best vampire fashion. After the whole affair, he finds that it was all Lacroix's attempt to have Nick prove to himself that he is a killer.

I really liked this episode. First of all, it is a very emotional episode. It deals with a non-supernatural theme, the killing of a young girl. I also like the fact that the episode is centered around Natalie, it really develops her character. There is no mention of Nick's quest in this ep (except once during the flashback), and I don't think he takes one sip of blood. The entire story revolves around very human situations and emotions. To me it seems that Nick is very human here. He takes a back seat to Natalie and supports her through her grief, just like any close friend would do. Whenever I watch this episode, it leave me a little drained emotionally, but it always makes me think about life.

NatPackers will love this episode. It really highlights Natalie and her struggle to deal with the death of her god-child. She is shown as a very strong, but emotional woman. We get to see more of Natalie than just her job as coroner, we see that she does have a life and it is just as complex and full as anyone else's.

Nick&NatPackers will also like this episode. It kind of reverses the usual relationship between Nick and Nat. Usually Natalie is supporting Nick in his quest for mortality, but here it is Nick who is giving his support to Natalie in her time of grief.

Ms. Sheppard:	"It's the law, people. It's called law enforcement for a reason."
Schanke:	(referring to Sheppard's 'speech' about the law) "Don't mind me if I throw up."
Natalie & Ms. Sheppard:	Natalie: "Why are you looking so happy?" Ms. Sheppard: "I'm just doing my job." Natalie: "Why... you smug bitch!!" (SLAP!!)
Schanke:	(after Cohen confronts Sheppard) "Yesssssss!"
Cohen:	(about Natalie) "She'll live, because she has to."

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