THE FINDER Recap: ‘The Conversation’

Hey everyone! I’m sorry for the lateness of this post, especially because I really did like this episode of THE FINDER. As I was watching it, I found myself thinking that it seemed strangely out of order — things like the lack of exclusivity vibe when Walter talked about Isabel (and that she was not even in the episode because she was “studying”), finding out more about Leo’s family (and him missing them so much weeks AFTER he’d been cozying up to the smarmy lawyer), and I’d thought for sure that Timo and Leo had already met.

So I was pleased to see when show creator Hart Hanson mentioned on Twitter that yes, this episode wasn’t aired in order. He also mentioned that basically he was pleased that fans noticed. So yes, yay us!

The episode begins with Leo and Walter debating the merits of rumba vs. samba. Willa gets on their case about getting a hobby and Walter insists debating IS their hobby. They are interrupted by a woman who arrives at the bar with her pre-teen daughter to enlist Walter’s help in finding her husband.  Marta plays a voicemail her husband Carlos sent her, warning her and their daughter Adina to leave their home and not tell anyone.

Leo immediately takes to the mother and child and wants Walter to take the case to find the missing father. Walter realizes Carlos was having a conversation with someone else while he was leaving Marta the voicemail and he agrees only to find the rest of the conversation.

When Marta tells them Carlos used to be part of a gang with his best friend Raul, Walter and Leo start there. They question Raul (who, like Carlos, is no longer part of a gang) and realize that there is something fishy about the manufacturer’s plant where both Raul and Carlos worked.

As the case continues, Walter gets on Leo’s case about the fact that he’s eating a lot of sweets lately. Leo insists that sometimes a ding-dong is just a ding-dong. Walter leaves THAT one alone, (hahahaha!) but still pushes Leo to admit that he’s overeating out of grief from the loss of his wife and daughter. Walter thinks Leo is binge-eating because his daughter Ellie’s birthday is coming up. Leo bristles and wants Walter to focus on getting Marta and Adina back with Carlos. Walter continues to search only for the conversation.

He searches through Marta and Carlos’ home, and is interrupted by an FBI agent who is also working the case. Walter gives her his information but keeps a note left behind by Carlos that says “Meat You There.” When he and Leo arrive to the location, they realize they should be able to get footage of the conversation by using security camera footage from surrounding shops.

Back at the bar, Walter wants Willa to find Carlos in the footage of the crowd of people, and when she does, they realize he was having the conversation with Raul. Willa’s efforts are not complete, and Walter and Leo are pleased when they find out she can read lips (a skill she picked up when she was younger and watched reruns of MARRIED WITH CHILDREN through her neighbor’s window — ha!). Willa is able to pick up nearly all of the conversation, even though Walter has her hyped up on a lot of coffee. When it’s revealed that Raul is warning Carlos , not about gang activity but about something going on at the manufacturer, Walter realizes Carlos was doing good and about to blow the whistle on some bad activity. He breaks into the plant and finds a document with all the evidence he needs. As he leaves, the FBI agent catches him, and he realizes she is working for the firm and no longer with the FBI. He tricks her, and she is stunned by the plant’s electrical fence while he leaves with the evidence.

As his daughter’s birthday looms closer, Leo continues to come to terms with his emotions. He visits the gravesites, and Walter arrives and tries to convince him to move on. After a tarot card reading from Timo, to help gain some peace and justice, Leo approaches the plant’s manager and threatens him with a class action lawsuit if he doesn’t admit to the public that toxic chemicals were released. The manager is less than convinced, but Leo does his thing and verbally convinces him. (This may or may not have also included a hard thump to the chest — haha!)

The episode ends with the family being reunited and Leo presenting Ellie’s birthday gift to Adina. It is sweet, and I LOVED Michael Clarke Duncan’s work there. It was the perfect example of being happy and hurting in the exact same moment. It’s not often this show makes me tear up, but that moment did, when he turned away and his smile fell for a moment — so glad to have done something good and right and also so incredibly sad. I think we’ve all felt that at some point in our lives, and it was portrayed perfectly. He and Walter share a nice moment of friendship out on the dock, and that was also nice.

One thing that stuck out to me is the way Walter was sort of cold-hearted toward the idea of reconciliation between Marta and Adina and Carlos. It’s an interesting character trend that has continued throughout this whole season. Walter really is a callous SOB sometimes, and so I find myself not liking him often enough. From a show perspective, I don’t know how long it can last to make the main character so uncaring about the feelings of others. They do a nice job making him incredibly loyal to Leo and vulnerable to Isabel’s feelings for him, but other than that, he doesn’t seem to care what other people think. I don’t know — I’m torn. I do like the way he can just shrug things off, but at the same time, I am annoyed when he brushes off hurting people. What do you think about that? Is it just Walter’s way? Is it a defense mechanism to keep people away from him or is he really just a jerk? I feel like, if the show is renewed for a second season, the writers will have to delve into that a little more.

One last point for THE FINDER fans who are also BONES fans — does it jar anyone else when side actors from previous Bones eps show up in FINDER episodes, since technically those two fictional worlds co-exist? On the one hand, it seems strange. B&B, Sweets and Hodgins have all been to the Ends of the Earth bar, so how can other actors come and go as different characters in these shows? BUT on the other hand, I think it also shows a nice amount of loyalty on the part of the casting directors. A lot of the actors and actresses they’ve used again are good at what they do, and I can see how it’s nice to give good people work when you can. Thoughts on that?

Enough from me: what did you think about this episode?  Did you like the case? Did you miss Isabel? Did you like Willa’s interactions and hyper-activity? And what do you think about Leo’s actions and Walter’s actions? And are you a rumba or samba fan? The comments are open — let’s discuss!