On this episode of Frequency, “Seven Three,” a new case forces Raimy to remember her first day as a cop in both realities with very different outcomes, Frank tries to give Julie some space and Raimy tries to gather evidence against Stan Moreno.
Raimy and Frank are at an impasse when it comes to tracking down the Nightingale killer, so the attention shifts to another case — one father and daughter worked together in 2008. On Raimy’s first day on patrol, she and Frank, who was her training officer, locked up a heroin dealer named Benny Arcaro who beat his girlfriend to death. Arcaro served eight years, and two hours after his release, he’s been found shot to death in a halfway house.
A Blast from Two Pasts
Raimy remembers her first day both ways, before changing the timeline and after. But in the reality without Frank, she never arrested Arcaro. He was found dead with two gunshots to the back of the head. And it just so happens that Raimy’s TO was Stan Moreno.
As if Frequency isn’t hopping around enough, now we get to see two versions of Raimy’s first day on the job in 2008. So, for those of you just joining us, we’ll be time traveling back and forth between 1996, 2016 and two versions of 2008. Try to keep up!
In one memory, a mortified Raimy is paired with her dad — an NYPD tradition — who pins his old shield on his daughter. In another, she turns down her father’s badge when Satch offers it to her. Starstruck rookie Raimy is honored to be paired with then Sergeant Moreno who was already a legend.
Raimy and Satch get to the Arcaro crime scene, and Raimy sees that the former dealer was murdered in the exact same way as when she and Moreno discovered him. Both times the killer knew exactly where to find Arcaro.
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Raimy’s primary concern remains the Nightingale case, and she and Frank only have five days before he claims his next victim (in 1996). Frank is watching the woman and Julie. Frank’s struggling to get to know Julie after a two-year estrangement. He tells Raimy that Julie’s changed. He’s trying to get to know Julie again, to find something to connect her to the other victims.
Raimy and Satch continue to investigate the Arcaro murder. Raimy thinks the plea deal Arcaro got is suspicious given his record. Satch figures the guy ratted someone out or had one hell of a lawyer, but Raimy says Arcaro had a public defender and didn’t give a statement. The only other explanation is he had friends in high places.
Raimy listens to the 911 call and recalls that day with Frank. They rush to the scene, and Frank isn’t taking it easy on Raimy just because she’s his daughter. They arrive at the apartment to find a woman dead and no sign of Arcaro.
When she and Moreno arrived, the woman, Gina Vitale, was found the same way. Something about the way Moreno looked at Gina made Raimy question if he knew her. Moreno said no. As Raimy works to revive Gina, Moreno searches the apartment. In the kitchen he finds a block of heroin. Raimy watches him remove it from the apartment and put it in the back of their squad car.
Later, when they go to give the news to the Vitales, Raimy notices Moreno has handed off the drugs to a man. She doesn’t have a very good poker face, and Moreno questions if Raimy has something on her mind, but she keeps her suspicions to herself. Moreno instructs Raimy to wait in the car, but on her way out, she witnesses Moreno breaking the news to the Vitales, and it’s obvious he knows them. Mr. Vitale becomes incredibly angry, but Moreno tells the man to play it cool. He says they’ll make it right, but they have to play it smart.
Raimy Follows a “Hunch”
In the present, Moreno doesn’t want to waste any time and resources trying to solve Arcaro’s murder. Satch wants to run background checks on Gina’s family and then look into Arcaro’s former cell mates and other known associates. Moreno calls Arcaro garbage and assures Satch that if they swing and miss, nobody is going to lose any sleep over it.
Now that Raimy knows Moreno is shady, she shows him pics of Gina and Arcaro, questioning if he knows them. Moreno says “no” and is a bit defensive as to why Raimy would ask. Satch says Arcaro was moving product back when Moreno was working in Narco, and he and Raimy figured Moreno may have run across the two at some point. Moreno swears he never forgets a face.
Raimy and Satch go to see Gina’s dad, Nicky, to question where he was at the time of Arcaro’s murder. Mr. Vitale has an airtight alibi — he was snoring heavily in bed next to his wife. Vitale does admit that eight years ago, he probably would have killed Arcaro and regretted it for the rest of his life if it weren’t for Frank. Frank promised Vitale that if Arcaro was responsible for killing Gina, he would pay, and Frank kept his word. Although Mrs. Vitale thinks eight years wasn’t justice enough and believes Arcaro had it coming.
Raimy, fueled by the memories of covering the same case with Arcaro, has her doubts about the Vitales’ innocence. She’s convinced that they’re lying and plans to subpoena their phone records and run their financials. Satch comments that Raimy and her “hunches” bear a striking resemblance to Frank’s.
Moreno Makes a Veiled Threat
In 1996, Frank’s having trouble giving Julie her space. They have a polite but awkward conversation as they watch a young Raimy play softball. As Julie leaves the field to go to class, Frank notices her chatting up Raimy’s coach, Ted.
He later learns from Raimy that Ted has come to the house to visit Julie several times. Fueled by jealousy, but also the possibility that anyone coming into contact with Julie could be the Nightingale, Frank asks Satch to run the guy’s plates. He also expresses his concern to Raimy who has no doubt her former coach is a stand-up guy.
When Frank questions if Raimy has wrapped up the Arcaro case, she tells him that Moreno knows more than he’s letting on. The guy knew all the players, and he took drugs from the Arcaro place and delivered them to Nicky. Frank points out that Raimy has no proof — none of it happened except in her memory. Raimy has to make a connection between Stan and Nicky Vitale and tie him to the kill. If she and Frank can do that, they’re golden. They can bury Stan. Frank offers to do some digging and warns Raimy not to underestimate Moreno.
Raimy continues to relive the dual realities of her first day. She is hurt that Frank is so tough on her, but he swears she’ll thank him for it one day. They discuss Julie and what she would think of Raimy’s decision to become a cop. Raimy also asks her dad if he thinks she has what it takes, but Frank will only say that what he thinks doesn’t matter.
Moreno goes a different route, asking Raimy what kind of cop she wants to be. Raimy says a good one, questioning what other kind there is. Moreno replies that Raimy could end up like her father. She bristles at the remark. Moreno states that Frank was a good cop, he just lost his way. He tells her a good cop is feared and respected. She knows when to keep her eyes open and her mouth shut. Most of all, she never turns on her own people.
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Good Cop, Bad Cop
In 2008, both Moreno and Frank got tips as to Arcaro’s whereabouts. Raimy receives very different advice from both men before entering the apartment. Moreno tells Raimy to go in first, and that if Arcaro gives her any excuse, she needs to take him down. Frank orders her to immediately find cover. When Raimy wonders if she’ll actually be able to shoot someone, Frank assures her she’ll find out with him standing next to her.
She and Frank successfully make the collar, but when Raimy and Moreno enter, Arcaro is dead.
Raimy goes to Satch and tells him that she is convinced Moreno gave Nicky Vitale the nod to kill Arcaro. Satch wants to know how Raimy can be so sure. She says it was obvious that Moreno knew Gina and Arcaro when she showed him their pictures, and he also practically told them to dump the case. Satch wants more evidence. Raimy brings up the failed op with Little Jay and his crew that almost got her father killed. Satch tells Raimy to check herself, reminding her that Moreno is the commanding officer of their precinct. Raimy accuses Satch of defending Moreno in spite of knowing what a lowlife he is, and Satch throws Raimy out of his office.
Frank does some digging and finds information that could help Raimy. He heads to the house to hide a file and sees Ted and Julie through the window. Satch confirmed there’s no way Ted could be the serial killer since he was in Iraq at the time of the second killing. In addition to being a war hero, Ted is an EMT. But Frank can’t keep his emotions in check, especially after seeing a new baseball glove he’s convinced Ted bought for Raimy.
Frank bursts into the house and demands that Ted leave. That’s when he learns that Julie bought Raimy the glove, and she and Ted are just study buddies. Julie throws him out.
Raimy finds the file. Frank tells her that Stan Moreno once arrested Nicky Vitale for drug possession. It was an open and shut case. Vitale should have done 15 years, but the charges went away and the file was sealed. Raimy says the only way that could happen is if Nicky became Moreno’s CI.
Raimy sees that the type of heroin Nicky was peddling. Red Scorpion was the same stuff Moreno found in Arcaro’s apartment. If Arcaro was working for Nicky, that’s how he met Gina. And if Nicky was Moreno’s CI, it had to have been Stan who tipped him off to Arcaro’s locations both times.
As badly as both Raimy and Frank want to nail Stan Moreno, they still don’t have enough. Just memories from a reality that doesn’t exist and files that got destroyed 20 years ago. Raimy believes that there has to be a way to use all of this against Moreno, but Frank thinks the better play is to use it to get Nicky to turn against Moreno.
Moreno Confronts Raimy
Raimy brings Nicky in to the station, and Satch demands to know what’s going on. Nicky’s wife, Vera, gave up her husband for Arcaro’s murder, even providing the murder weapon. Satch questions why Vera would turn on her husband, and Raimy explains that it was easy to convince Vera to do it once she told the woman that Nicky was the reason that Gina got sucked into the drug life.
Nicky confessed to the killing, but he hasn’t rolled over on Stan. Satch wants Raimy to drop it, but she’s discouraged that the more dangerous man got away.
Raimy and Moreno exchange words in the hall. He’s curious as to how Raimy got Vera to turn on Nicky, and she chocks it up to being lucky. Moreno calls her out, knowing the only way Raimy could have nailed Nicky was having access to the file, and he wants to know where she got it. Raimy says she has no idea what he’s talking about.
Moreno calls Satch and warns him he needs to keep Raimy focused on more important things.
Julie loves Frank, but those two years undercover changed him in ways that scare her. Julie wants a divorce. She fears that the darkness inside him will touch Raimy.
Are you surprised that Satch is dirty? Should Raimy be keeping a lower profile when it comes to Moreno?
Frequency airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on The CW. Want more news? Follow our Frequency page on Facebook.
(Image Courtesy of The CW)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
Jennifer has worked as a freelance writer in the entertainment field since 2012. In addition to currently writing feature articles for Screen Rant, Jennifer has contributed content ranging from recaps to listicles to reviews for BuddyTV, PopMatters, TVRage, TVOvermind, and Tell-Tale TV. Links to some of Jennifer’s reviews can be found on Rotten Tomatoes.
