Episode: The Chinese Wall

[M.A.Y.]

Well....Shelter left us with so many things to look forward to and so many questions to be answered and The Chinese Wall gives us....an episode full of treachery, back-stabbing and deals on the sly!  Who knew that Jake had it in him!  But first to LuLu who blew off our boy Nick at the top of the episode.  I was really fond of her character, but now I'm not sure what I think about LuLu (aside from her being so pretty to look at!).  Since the writers are not very fond of exposition we are really left in the dark as to LuLu's motivation.  All we seem to know is that she is conflicted...no real reason as to why.  The scene at the end with Nick, LuLu and Granny was nicely done, what with Gran speaking the truth for LuLu:  "You were the love of my life."  Then all we get from LuLu is a recognition of how kind Nick really is.  Hopefully the interaction with Gran will help LuLu see the truth and figure things out.  (Good to see in the promo for the final episode that she has called off the wedding...but why?)

Burton has a huge secret!  We know he has health problems (he may eventually go blind), but that doesn't account for this deal with the Senator that on the surface makes little sense.  This is a major blow to the relationship between Nick and Burton...it wil be interesting to see what will draw father & son towards each other again.  Nick really got  hammered from all sides tonight and he is in for more trouble next week!

[spunkymungbeans]

GIN!  HELP!

[Ginne]

Our intro is the video clip from the Sony site, where Lulu tells Nick that, while the kiss yesterday meant something, they need to forget about it as she’s going to marry Brian, blah, blah, blah. Nick just stands there with an amused look on his face, saying ok at the appropriate places. Lulu then announces that she thinks they shouldn’t see each other any more, at all if they can help it. He just nods and says ok, still with the amused look on his face.

[Ginne]

Nick is at F&A in the conference room with a client who is a developer. This developer, Van Gergen, wants to buy a piece of land from a railroad which he wants to develop. They come to an agreement on what the man wants to offer, and Nick escorts him out.

In the hallway on the way back, Nick runs into Jake. Jake is coming from a meeting with his new client Meyer (the guy who wanted the plane in Shelter). Meyer has decided that he wants to start a hostile takeover of another company. However, this is going to cause a problem as Jake is not allowed to work on any deals involving securities. But not wanting to lose this client (even to someone else within the firm), Jake hasn’t told Meyer this.

Instead, he tries to get Nick to come into the deal with him and handle the securities deal. Nick says he can’t until after the fourth, he’s too busy right now. Jake says, well, let’s talk to Burton and see if he agrees. They head down to Burton’s office.

As they approach Burton’s office, they see a large crowd of people (all the associates, partners, staff, etc.). Jake turns to Nick and asks, “Did your dad get the appointment?” Nick can only reply, “I don’t know.”<br>
As they enter the office, Nick is approached by this bald guy who asks, “Are you Nick Fallin? I’m Mitchell Lichtman, and it looks like we’ll be working together.”

Just then, Burton starts making the announcement that he would like to welcome Senator Nathan Caldwell as the firm’s newest senior partner, and new associate Mitchell Lichtman, who was the senator’s chief of staff in state government. You can tell by the expression on Nick’s face that he is not thrilled—at all, at all.

[Ginne]

Next, we see Lulu at the hospital, where she has gone to see her grandmother Rose, whom she calls Nana. It seems her grandmother fell in the night and broke her leg. Her grandmother has Alzheimer’s and is in a nursing home.

As she is talking to Rose, it becomes clear that Rose thinks that Lulu is Caroline, Lulu’s mother and Rose’s daughter. While Lulu is trying to placate her grandmother (Rose thinks Lulu’s blouse is too sheer and open at the neck to wear to school!), Rose suddenly starts saying something about how she was attacked the night before, resulting in the broken leg. With this revelation, Lulu suddenly notices bruises on Rose’s arms and around her neck, as if someone had tried to restrain her and choke her.

[Ginne]

In a meeting that taking place later that day after the announcement, Mitchell, Caldwell, and Nick are in Burton’s office. Burton is explaining to Nick that Mitechell has looked over F&A’s client list to make sure there are no political conflicts of interest, and there is, but just one—Van Bergen, Nick’s new developer client. Caldwell then announces that Nick has to drop Van Bergen.

Nick nearly goes apoplectic!! He states that if there is a conflict of interest, the senator and Mitchell, as newly joining members of the firm, should instead form a Chinese Wall to prevent conflicts of interest with the firm’s already existing client (Van Bergen). Nick goes on to say that there is no way he is going to drop this potentially million-dollar client that he has worked so hard to land.

As they are leaving Burton’s office, Mitchell follows Nick into his office, where he cuts a deal with Nick. They’ll create a Chinese Wall, but Nick has to give him half of any other business from Van Gergen. Nick very reluctantly agrees.

[Ginne]

Lulu pays a visit to the nursing home and meets with the director, and it is clear that she is not happy with the outcome. She even sneaks back in to talk to her grandmother’s roommate, Alice, who verifies Rose’s story.

[Hales]

:wave: hey guys!

I adore this episode .... but next weeks episode is :eek:

Ahem, moving on *keeps listening to Gin*

[Ginne]

Passing Mitchell in the hall, Jake introduces himself and tells Mitchell that he will let Mitchell handle the securities deal in return for Mitchell and the senator cutting him in for one third of the new government-relations office they are going to set up within F&A. Mitchell agrees on the condition that if it goes through, Jake will hand over Meyer to them.

[Ginne]

Clearly upset, Lulu goes to talk to Alvin about the situation with the nursing home. In answer to Alvin’s questions, Lulu explains that her mother, who is Rose’s guardian, has gone off to Vermont with some new boyfriend, leaving some corporation in charge of her grandmother’s care. Alvin tells her that what they need to do then, is have a hearing to have Lulu declared Rose’s guardian, and then she will be able to move her to a different nursing home.

A bit later, Lulu is at the reception desk at F&A. The receptionist is speaking into the phone, telling Mr. Fallin that a Ms. Lulu Archer is here to see him. When she gets off the phone, she tells Lulu that Mr. Fallin will be with her very shortly, but meanwhile, can she get her some espresso or bottled water.

Nick comes practically running down the stairs beside the reception desk. He slows as he reaches the bottom. He takes Lulu out of the main reception area to a quiet corridor over to the side (still a public place, mind you  ), and asks what’s wrong.

She explains what has happened with her grandmother, and how she feels her grandmother is being abused at the nursing home. She goes on to say how her grandmother’s roommate has corroborated Rose’s claims of being attacked. She then asks Nick to help her sue the nursing home (Alvin has said that they could sue the nursing home to make them pay part of the cost of a different nursing home). Nick agrees, and they head over to the nursing home.

[Ginne]

At the nursing home, Lulu and Nick confront the director, asking for a list of all employees who were working the night Rose’s leg was broken.

When they go in to see Rose, Rose thinks that Nick is her “dear Love,” whom she thought was dead. Lulu explains that Rose is referring to her grandfather. Nick is a bit uncomfortable at this, but plays along for a moment, then they leave.

[Ginne]

Meanwhile, the purchase of the piece of property falls through with Van Gergen, so Nick tells Mitchell the deal is off, he’s not cutting him in on the rest of the Van Gergen work. Mitchell is livid.

[Ginne]

Nick goes back to the nursing home to talk to Alice (who had been out with her daughter when he and Lulu were there). He runs into an orderly with a definite attitude problem. He then sneaks into Rose’s room to try to find out more. He does, but not what he expects.

Rose seems more lucid, asking about Caroline, if she is still in Vermont. Nick tells her he doesn’t know. Rose then tells him about Caroline, Lulu’s mother, how she had slept around, etc. Then, slipping back into thinking that Nick is her “dear Love,” she tells him how much she loves him, but how she can never leave William (Lulu’s grandfather), just as he can never leave his wife.

The truth is out! Lulu’s grandmother was in love with another man, named Darren.

[Ginne]

Back at the office, Burton calls Nick in. Mitchell has complained to him that Nick won’t honor their agreement. Burton tells him to honor it, with an “or else” look.

At the courthouse, there is a hearing to make Lulu her grandmother’s guardian. The judge agrees. As they are leaving, Laurie (who was sitting in the audience area), tells Lulu that she has been able to arrange another room for Rose, at a home with a good, caring staff. Lulu thanks her, thanks Nick, and heads off.

Laurie tells Nick, “It’s really nice what you’re doing for Lulu.” Nick kind of brushes the compliment away, but Laurie continues, explaining that she can see what is happening between them. Nick tries to deny it a bit, but she tells him that he’s got to give Lulu some space, she’s in a turmoil over her decision to marry Brian.

When Nick says that Brian doesn’t deserver her, Laurie says, “Well he may not deserver her, but Nick, you’re the last person she’s going to listen to right now.”<br>

[Ginne]

Nick confronts Mitchell, telling him that he’ll honor the agreement, but he wants to know what Mitchell’s up to. Mitchell confesses that he knows that the government is planning on buying the same piece of property Van Gergen was after, to build a government annex.

Nick immediately goes to Burton, and tells him he wants someone else to take over as pointman on the Van Gergen deal. When Burton asks why, he tells him what Mitchell has just told him.

Burton thinks for a moment, then says, “He broke the wall.”<br>
Next we see Burton sitting at his desk, with Nick and Caldwell sitting in the chairs before it. Mitchell enters the room. Burton explains what Nick has told him. He then announces that he’s letting Mitchell go. When Lichtman looks to the senator, Caldwell agrees, telling him that he broke confidentiality with government plans.

Mitchell protests to the senator, but Burton interjects, saying, “I’m the one making the decision to let you go, you need to address me.”

Mitchell is livid, but leaves.

As Nick is leaving Burton’s office, he sees Jake. He tells Jake that Mitchell is out as pointman on the Meyer deal, and that Nick is taking back over (Nick was not happy when he found out Jake blew him off and offered it to Mitchell). He then coldly states that he can handle it, and he won’t need Jake as back up.