- Mike convinces Bello to steal from the most powerful drug cartel in Southern California and calls on Johnny's unique underwater skills to help.
- Now Mike has found out that Bello is buying Californian market-leader cartel drugs by submarine, the FBI seizes one, but the drugs have been dumped. After Bello confides into Mike as trusted 'security adviser' the load was evacuated by torpedo, he convinces the fiend to pretend it got lost at sea and steal it. To that end, Tuturro is introduced as a rogue SEALs vet mate of 'Marine' Mike. Bello considers him expendable, but Paul was prepared for everything, and discretely 'disposes of the catch', as Mike's secret FBI handler expected. Paul also helps Charlie, who is summoned by DEA HQ while still recovering from Odin's heroin, by injecting her with just enough 'hair of the dog' to stand a chance of appearing lucid.—KGF Vissers
- "Graceland" - "Hair of the Dog" - July 18, 2013
After her using to prove she wasn't a cop in front of the dealer Odin, Charlie is a wreck. She apologizes profusely to Briggs, who brings her provisions to a safe room. She doesn't remember much, other than feeling great after shooting up and Briggs pulling her out. She feels like Whistler died for nothing and she blew it. He tells her the only thing she needs to worry about is getting better and says she'll be sick for a few days. She's at one of his CI's apartments. She tearfully says she wants to go home. He says she can't go back to Graceland because if the bureau catches wind of it she will be done and that he brought her there to save her career and that it will be their secret. She thanks him.
A group of Feds led by Johnny nabs a sub running drugs. Johnny and Paige head for the sub, mindful of booby traps. Johnny doesn't find anything, no drugs at all. But they're glad they're taking the sub out of commission anyway.
Mike is now ensconced as Bello's bodyguard. Bello's buddies are mad about the sub bust. He tells Mike that the drugs are actually in a torpedo which the guys on the sub let loose when they're caught. Mike suggests that he and Bello go and find the sub themselves and cut the cartel out and make the 20 million dollar payday. Bello tells him not to get too big for his britches. Mike says he knows a guy that could help them find it. Bello is listening.
Briggs and Johnny give Mike a hard time about boning up on westerns to get in with Bello. They heard his plan on the wire and they liked the idea but are angry that he improvised in the moment. Johnny suggests he be their fake "guy who knows something about subs." He's going to pretend to be a SEAL. Briggs reminds him that vouching for someone in Bello's world carries consequences. Mike claims he's not worried.
Mike brings his plan to Badillo, who likes it because it's busting both a dealer and putting the drugs on a silver platter for Briggs to steal if he's dirty. Mike asks if this will get him back to D.C. Badillo says it's not about how fast he gets back but getting back in one piece.
Charlie is toughing it out at the safe house, throwing up and sweating. She notices a locked door. Johnny calls her and she says she's still sad about Whistler. She says she's on a case in Fontana. She tells him she's fine. Johnny reports that he and Charlie have to come in and give their side of the Odin debacle the next a.m. at 9. She doesn't think she can make it but tells him she'll see him. She realizes she's between a rock and a hard place.
Mike has a date with Abby. She wants to go to his place but he says his room mates are messy. She feels like he's hiding them from her and says she wants to hang out, at least with Paige since she owes her an apology for introducing her to Mike. He says okay.
Briggs brings Charlie her clothes but is worried they'll be able to tell. She begs him for a solution. He offers her one in the form of "hair of the dog." She thinks he's crazy to have her go in there high. He promises it will get her through and then they can get the junk out of her system. What's scaring her is she actually wants it. He loads it up and says she doesn't have to do it. She does it. He says "welcome back."
Mike introduces Johnny the "SEAL" to Bello. (Johnny explains that the came close to becoming a SEAL but couldn't hack the SEA part and ended up being shipped to Iraq instead.) Bello is skeptical. Johnny plays the part and keeps saying things are classified. Johnny says he's not interested and takes off and Bello relents and tells him the story but says they don't have a transponder frequency to go on but other people looking for it do. He negotiates a fee of $20,000. He explains his plans to find it and says he's on the case.
Briggs takes Charlie to meet her boss with Johnny. Briggs says she looks okay but tells her to be careful as he's coming down, not to fidget, etc. She sasses that she knows about playing a cover.
Charlie and Johnny meet with the boss. She's a little argumentative but seems straight enough. She does starts to fidget a bit. Johnny comes to her defense and takes the blame. Charlie tries to argue this since it goes on Johnny's record but he takes the hit, and also takes her fidgeting hand under the table. He knows.
They go to lunch and she spills. He is upset that she was high during the evaluation. She says whatever it takes to save her career. Johnny knows Briggs knows and he tells her he doesn't care about anything he just wants her to come home and help her get better. He tells her he loves her. She says she loves him too.
Mike and Abby hang with Paige and a random dude at the Drop. Paige claims she's a spin instructor. Her date is a deejay. The guy is her "case," a drug dealer. Mike is not happy and lets Paige know. Mike tells her that Abby thinks this is a real date. She says "real" dates are not possible with what they do.
As Abby and Mike leave she tells him that the deejay is a drug dealer. He wonders if they should tell Paige. She thinks Paige knows since she acts different around him. She says she would never do that and hopes he wouldn't either. He says he acts different: better.
Johnny and Briggs debrief on the Bello situation, with the help of the military actually tracking the torpedo. Johnny confronts him about Charlie. Briggs says he told her he wouldn't and what's done is done.
Briggs and Johnny go to get familiar with "Johnny's boat" and talk more about the Charlie situation. Briggs explains he had to do something. Johnny notes he covered for them both. They find the torpedo, it's booby-trapped. Briggs wants to abort, Johnny says he can defuse it. Briggs says he doesn't need to be a hero. Johnny says he is a hero.
The next day he wetsuits up. Bello asks if he's sure it's there. If it isn't Johnny says he'll give Bello 20 grand. He heads down. He reports back that he sees the torpedo. Bello tells him to hurry. Bello has one of his guys train a gun on the surfacing Johnny. He says they have to kill him because he'll talk with his drinking buddies. Bello calls it his final classified mission. Briggs hears all of that and tells Johnny to tell them that the torpedo is booby-trapped to buy time. Bello offers him Johnny's share. Mike says it's his friend. Bello says he is his friend now. Mike says he wants to do it if it's going to be done. Bello begins musing about what he's going to call his new boat. Suddenly, an explosion rocks the surface. Bello grabs Mike and screams in his face about how much money he just cost him by Johnny screwing up and asks why he shouldn't send Mike down there too. Mike say she was about to shoot his friend for him, for goodness sakes. Bello apologizes saying he lost his head and expresses condolences for Mike's loss. They motor away in the boat.
Briggs heads back to the office and calls Briggs in a panic asking where he is. He then sees Johnny, totally relieved, hugging him hard. Johnny is touched and tells him they knew about the bomb and can't believe Briggs didn't tell him. Briggs enters and Mike punches him. Briggs says he called an audible and they won so he needs to calm down. Johnny simply detached the explosive from the torpedo and set it off to fool Bello...and Mike. Mike notes he was about to waste everyone on the boat. Good thing he didn't.
They pull out the drugs and Johnny notes that they could've packed in at least twice as much which raises Mike's antenna, wondering why they didn't (and if some is missing.) Briggs says it's the biggest haul he's ever seen. Mike wants to bust Bello now for intent but Briggs wants to let it play out a little while longer. Johnny notes that Briggs had possession of the drugs between the mission and arriving at the office. Mike watches him leave with a bag and follows him to a rundown apartment building. It turns out it's an NA meeting. He sees Mike in the doorway and says to the group, and Mike, "Hi my name is Paul and I'm a heroin addict."
Johnny welcomes Charlie home and says he's going to take care of her. She promises she won't be shooting up in an alley and to shoot her if she does. He says he's glad to have her back.
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