The River is the 22nd case of the third season of the series and is the 68th overall.
Description[]
When a new witness steps forward, Lilly and the team are prompted to re-open the 1984 shooting of a respected and beloved ER doctor who had a secret he had been hiding from his family.
Synopsis[]
Dr. Grant Bowen is found murdered in an alley in August 1984. A black homeless man with a history of mental illness was arrested and convicted for the murder due to stealing Grant's shoes off his body, and died not long after in prison. 22 years later, a woman who witnessed the murder comes forward to reveal that the man who shot the doctor was actually white; she says the man might be another doctor from the hospital, since he was wearing a cap with the hospital logo.
Lilly and Jeffries talk to Grant’s wife, Anne Bowen, about the new information regarding Grant’s death. She says there was a doctor in the hospital, Dr. Seth Garvey, who may have had a motive to kill him. Anne says Seth envied her husband, and even hit on her once at a medical convention. He also asked her to marry him after Grant died.
Kat and Scotty interrogate Dr. Garvey; he admits he envied Grant’s life and had a crush on his wife, but claims he didn’t kill Grant. He flashes back to a poker night. They were playing and Grant lied to Anne about were he was; Grant bluffed and a man named Cyrus Tisdale lost, threatening Grant and taking his cap with the hospital logo.
Scotty and Vera track down Cyrus. He claims they became friends later that same night, and he took Grant as his protege, teaching him everything about playing poker. He flashes back to the past: Cyrus is watching while Grant and his family have dinner at a restaurant with his son Jason, his girlfriend, and her family, and toast to Jason’s future in medicine. Then the server tells Grant that his credit cards were declined. Anne confronts him about the credit cards, but he is paged and leaves for the hospital before he can give her an explanation.
Lilly talks to Anne once more. She flashes back to the day she confronted her husband about their finances, and Grant confesses he’s been gambling. She pleads for him to stop, but he thinks he can win it all back. Back in the present, Lilly asks about the substantial life insurance Anne collected after Grant died. Anne says it saved her and her son, but she would never have done anything to her husband.
Meanwhile, Kat talks to Jason Bowen about his father, but he is still angry about Grant's gambling and is not pleased to know the case was re-opened. Jason flashes back to the night his father died. He witnesses Grant almost kill a patient because he was too distracted thinking about gambling. In the present, Jason says Dr. Garvey took Grant away and that was the last time he saw his dad.
Dr. Garvey tells Lt. Stillman he took Grant to a Gamblers Anonymous meeting that night, and Cyrus Tisdale was also there.
Scotty and Jeffries confront Cyrus. He flashes back to the meeting where he convinced Grant not to quit gambling. Instead, Grant decided to rob the store owned by a Chinese couple, who were his former patients, to get the money to feed his addiction.
Kat and Scotty go talk to Mrs. Lee, the store owner. She tells them how Grant showed up at the store that night, asking for cash to pay her husband’s hospital bill. When Grant realizes she doesn't have much money, he feels guilty and changes his mind. Grant gives back most of the money but keeps $324, and tells Mrs. Lee he isn't going to be able to pay it back. She understands and gives him a lucky charm.
Cyrus is brought to the station, where Lilly and Jeffries interrogate him. They tell him they already know he killed Grant, and the witness is coming to ID him, but they don't know why he did it.
Flashback: Cyrus and Grant meet up after Grant went to the Lees’ store. Grant announces a change of plans: he used the money Mrs. Lee gave him to pay his life insurance policy and asks Cyrus to shoot him, so his wife and son can have their lives back by claiming his life insurance. Cyrus refuses at first, but Grant convinces him it's the best thing to do for everyone. He hands Cyrus the lucky charm Mrs. Lee had given him. Cyrus tells him "all aces", then shoots Grant as he requested.
"Only Time Will Tell" by Asia plays in the background. Cyrus is arrested. Dr. Garvey watches a poker game on TV and thinks of Grant. Mrs. Lee feeds the angel fish and is reminded of Grant. Jeffries is off desk duty and thanks ADA David Cage for it. Scotty sees a pedophile at the local park again, talking to the blonde boy; despite being warned to stay away, the man keeps coming back. Scotty beats up the pedophile later on. Lilly gives the lucky charm to Anne. At the hospital, Kat tells Jason the truth about his father’s death. Jason "sees" his father outside the hospital doors.
Cast[]
Main Cast[]
- Kathryn Morris as Lilly Rush
- Danny Pino as Scotty Valens
- John Finn as John Stillman
- Jeremy Ratchford as Nick Vera
- Thom Barry as Will Jeffries
- Tracie Thoms as Kat Miller
Guest Cast[]
- V.J. Foster as Cyrus Tisdale
- Stacy Haiduk as Anne Bowen (1984)
- Eamonn Roche as Dr. Seth Garvey (1984)
- Mark Tymchyshyn as Dr. Seth Garvey (2006)
- Emmanuel Xuereb as Dr. Grant Bowen (1984)
- Garette Henson as Dr. Jason Bowen (1984)
- Rende Rae Norman as Anne Bowen (2006)
- Tonya Pinkins as Dina Miller
- T. E. Russell as ADA David Cage
- Suzanne Whang as Mrs. Lee (1984)
Co-Starring[]
- Brielle Bourgeois as Veronica Miller
- Kevin Brief as Sidney Graber
- Jason Chanos as Dr. Jason Bowen (2006)
- Christopher Goodson as Bob
- Alice Lo as Mrs. Lee (2006)
- Brent Schindele as Waiter (1984)
- Licia Shearer as Edwina Davis
- Shannon McCutcheon as Sarah Graber
Notes[]
- Kayla Odoms' case box is visible when the detectives are examining Grant Bowen's case box in the case room.
- Emmanual Xuereb (Grant Bowen) is the brother of actor Salvatore Xuereb, who co-starred with Kathryn Morris in the TV show Pensacola: Wings of Gold.
Music[]
- Opening song: Bonnie Tyler - "Holding Out for a Hero"
- Billy Idol - "Rebel Yell"
- The Cars - "Drive"
- Depeche Mode - "Blasphemous Rumors"
- Peter Gabriel - "Mercy Street"
- Closing song: Asia- " Only Time will Tell"
