American Crime Recap: Two Arrests, One Escape and a Patsy

Episode 7 of “American Crime” Season 3 (April 23, 2017) opened up with Gabrielle Durand in the Coates’ kitchen. Nervously looking around, she wrapped part of a stick of butter in wax paper and stuck it in her pocket. Back in her room, she used it to soothe her badly burned arm.

At the furniture company, Nicholas got in an argument with Guy Eckles over the decision to sell the company’s debt for a 51% ownership stake to the buyer. Eckles said that he only brought the deal to Nicholas because he had to but told him not to touch it. Nicholas told Eckles he was being let go but because he had been with the company so long, he was willing to work out a deal. Eckles was beyond insulted. He told Nicholas that he had been a partner to him and even stayed with him after Clair left and watched Nicholas run the business into the ground. Nicholas fired him on the spot, accompanied by a demeaning speech about how Eckles never built anything and was just an employee.

Eckles called Clair and gave her the scoop. When Nicholas got there, they got in a loud argument. She told her husband that he made a stupid move. He should have consulted her first. Now the buyer would be in a position to buy him out cheap. Nicholas didn’t want to hear it. He began to storm out, but noticed Gabriel holding Nicky tight to comfort him from the disturbance. He walked back toward her and Gabrielle stood up holding her arm out to shield Nicky. Nicholas made a disgusted sound and left.

Gabrielle continued to suffer while trying to do her housework and broke down in sobs. She came to a decision and went to her room to pack her suitcase. Realizing she needed her passport, she tried unsuccessfully to get into the Coates’ safe. She started out the door anyway, then decided to take Nicky with her. They sat in the park until Nicky said he was hungry. She took him to the Country Kitchen for some chicken and fries that Nicky had to order because she either could not communicate with the waitress or dared not. Gabrielle dumped out all the money she had on the table but it wasn’t enough to cover the check. The waitress came out the door after her when two policemen were just showing up. Gabrielle and Nicky were taken back to the Coates’ house and it was now being treated as an attempt to abscond with the kid.

Gabrielle tried to tell the uniforms in the police car that her passport was inside the house. (What Gabrielle said in the police car is translated in “Who Hurt Gabrielle Durand”). They just told her she was making her situation worse and needed to calm down. A detective questioned Clair and Nicholas, who was astounded to learn that (according to Clair), Gabrielle had “issues” and was harming herself. The detective said they were taking Gabrielle to the hospital to get an assessment on her.

Nicholas lit into Clair about bringing “crazy” Gabrielle into their house. Clair now claimed that Nicky is “their son.” Nicholas told her that they are done and they will get what they want and deserve: she gets the kid and he gets what’s left of the company. He refused to even say Nicky’s name.

At the hospital, Gabrielle begged the nurse to get someone in there who can understand her but the nurse just gave her a shot that sedated her. We are trying, but seriously, it’s a bit much to swallow that the police would not bring in a translator to get some kind of statement from Gabrielle and they would just stick her in a hospital where someone could sedate her against her will.

Jeanette’s so right about Raelyn

Jeanette bumped heads with her sister, Raelyn, over leaving the kitchen a mess after teaching the girls how to cook. Raelyn popped off about what a hard day Jeanette must have had filling out applications while she was working all day. Later, Jeanette listened to a phone message directing Raelynn to submit to a mandatory drug test or a warrant for her arrest would issue.

Jeanette has doubts about Raelyn’s sobriety but Raelyn tells her that she is out there working for her girls. She has to take 4 tests, one from each job, one from the state and one from the county. That’s 4 chances they have to take her girls away and she’s not going to let that happen. Jeanette skeptically reminded her that she has already let that happen once. Raelyn insisted that they make mistakes. Jeanette wanted to take Raelyn and the girls somewhere where they could all relax. Raelyn assured her that she has never skipped a test and she’s not going to skip this one.

Leaving the girls with a neighbor, the sisters went to the testing center together. Before going in, Raelyn told Jeanette that Amber would want to stay with her. Jeanette realized that Raelyn was admitting that she is going to test dirty. Raelyn told her to remember that they make mistakes. Then she got locked up. Jeanette appealed to J.D., her brother-in-law, for help. J.D. told her he is about to get locked up himself because of the workers dying in the fire and Jeanette was just appalled. She said his sister, Laurie Ann, talked him into being the fall guy. J.D. told her that she has a nice life but is just not willing to pay the cost of being able to live it. That probably means the cost is going back to Carson, eh?

Jeanette went to pick up the girls. The neighbor told her to call up and find out what Raelyn’s bond is. She also offered to watch the girls overnight and told Jeanette they had been staying with her overnight a lot before she came.

Just when Kimara thought she was out, they pull her back in…

The first scene with Kimara in this episode showed her learning that cutbacks were a-coming to Project Open Road. That must have tipped the scales in choosing whether to help Abby Tanaka with the faked logbook because she went right ahead and did that. When the fellow representing the charity showed up, he didn’t even look at the book, just took a summary paper and told Kimara that he was going to be working with Abby himself.

Kimara stopped by to talk to her ex-beau Reggie to share her lament about how, these days, immoral people get rewarded. She told him she was about to quit Project Open Road, but we’re not sure if she is getting a job at Abby’s shelter. She talked about taking a vacation to Vietnam because she heard it was pretty there and seriously considering changing to an occupation where she gets back as much as she gives.

At the webcam house, the boys were all freaking out because Everett has them all on lockdown. Dustin told them they just have to be careful. Jeremy explained the facts of life to him. They are all loose ends to Everett and he is going to make sure that none of them can accidentally say something ever. When Everett appeared at the door later, he ordered Dustin to come with him to the store. Feeling threatened, Dustin wanted to bring Jeremy along. At the store, Everett would not let Jeremy go inside. He gave Dustin money and told him to stock up and not keep his friend waiting too long. Inside, Dustin tried to ask a customer for help who only spoke Spanish. He then asked the English speaking cashier if they had a restroom and bolted out the back.

While Kimara packed up her office, she got a call from ADA Amanda McKay. She didn’t take it the first time, but when Amanda called back, she answered. Amanda told her they had a kid who was underage and Kimara tried to beg off, saying she quit and Amanda could call someone else. Kimara even threw it back in her face that she wouldn’t help her when Shae went missing. Amanda pleaded with her to just do this one last case. So there she was, sitting across from Dustin asking him the exact same set of questions when we first saw her in the premiere with that kid, Ishmael.

Previous episode: Sudden Changes, Tragedy

Next episode: Season 3 Finale