RJ Decker Season 2 Episode 3 Recap: How Does Decker Overpower Janis’s Tactics?

Coping with the death of a family member is never easy, especially if the tragic demise is a murder and you have no clue about the identity of the perpetrator. In Episode 3 of the second season of “RJ Decker,” Emi Ochoa is still trying to wrap her head around her father Victor’s murder. She is still in the dark about who killed Victor, why they took such a step and what she should do to save herself from all kinds of trouble, now that Ochoa is gone. Amid having second thoughts about her relationship with Decker and struggling to keep her head up, Emi gets arrested. When Decker intervenes, he learns that some anonymous tip led the cops to perform an emergency search in Emi’s house. After the alleged murder weapon is found in her room, Emi gets arrested. 

Spoilers Ahead

Why Does Augustine Intrigue Decker?

Decker’s sources have been awfully quiet about any leads regarding Victor’s murder. For weeks, this was a case that Emi wanted Decker to take up – she was really scared when someone was following her everywhere she went (the stranger who made a scene upon getting confronted). Decker knows that Emi also wanted to hire another Private Investigator (to avoid falling in love with RJ again) but he insisted and wanted to do the job. When Augustine, who is actually a member of a Haitian Rebel Group called Nan la Selle (which RJ doesn’t know  initially) approaches Decker to take up Emi’s case, it surprises the Private Investigator. Decker does not realize one simple thing – how can someone offer him loads of money for a job that he is willing to do for free? For Decker, there are only two answers to this question; either Augustine is a gang member or  a member of the Cartel, who was tied to Victor. Actually, Augustine is a part of the Haitian rebel group, Nan la Selle, though Decker does not know it yet. Decker finds Augustine intriguing because of the latter’s secretive nature – as a PI, RJ gets shocked when he sees Emi’s photographs in Augustine’s room and a stuffed Armadillo toy, which is quite odd for a man of his nature.

Why Does Augustine Want To Find Victor’s Killer?

Augustine and his gang have been in deep trouble ever since Victor died. As a Florida State Senator, Victor used his political power and social influence to bend the laws for helping people like Augustine. Victor had one simple rule, and that’s money – he used to work for the highest bidder and Nan la Selle was one of them. While Augustine’s colleagues could not illegally procure arms, they depended on arms dealer Doyle, who had rights to purchase firearms legally. Victor created a smooth channel of weapons smuggling, and it was meant to be like that until he died. Since their old channels were reduced to nothing, Nan la Selle grew furious. This is exactly why Augustine wants to hire Decker. He does not care about what happens to Emi – he only wants the truth to come out so he and his friends can deliver ‘justice’ to the murderer.

Why Is Doyle In Trouble?

After Decker traces back the Armadillo to a charity, “World Of Hope,” he and Mel discover a warehouse full of stuffed toys. Soon, Decker realizes that the charity is a front for smuggling ammunition to others who cannot acquire it. Just when he and Mel seem to grasp the situation, Doyle, who is a licensed gun owner, accidentally fires a rocket launcher at them while trying to intimidate the duo. This puts Doyle with no chance of escaping from the legal system because he has fired a rocket launcher at an on-duty cop and a private investigator. While this places him under arrest, Doyle’s troubles don’t seem to end after he blatantly lies to the police about Emi. Doyle is secretly working for District Attorney Janis Lake, and the latter has coerced him to lie on record for her own agenda (will be addressed later).

Why Did Janis Kill Victor And Frame Emi?

Janis and Victor were both in positions of power; one was the District Attorney, while the other was a US State Senator (respectively). Both of them were equally ugly in terms of their integrity but Janis wanted to have the upper hand. She did not like the fact that Victor had to overstep and turn everything in his favor and she had to bite the dust. Janis also wanted to put forward a good image of herself because she longed to run in the elections and solving a dead State Senator’s case seemed the best part in gaining a massive favour from the public. When Victor invited Janis to his party, it was her who shot and killed him, leaving the body lying by the pool. Since Emi left her home long ago, Janis, who buried the murder weapon into her parents’ pickleball court, planted it inside the former’s room. Janis specifically chose to frame Emi because the latter did not approve of her father’s ways and their disagreements were often public. When Victor took Decker to trial, Emi often had ugly fallouts with the former State Senator and Janis wanted to use it to spin a false narrative. 

How Does Decker Overpower Janis’s Tactics?

Decker and Mel find out about the pickleball court connection from a sandy white and blue sediment on the gun. While investigating, Decker also finds that Janis’s parents actually own a pickleball court and there has been vandalism there, a few days ago. However, after Decker and Mel press Janis to force her into telling the truth, the slight panic on the DA’s face is quite self-explanatory. Decker does not only make it clear that he knows why, how and when Janis did everything – he also ensures that she knows the consequences of this. Since Janis may end up abusing her power and influence the jury, Decker makes it clear that he can expose her to Augustine if he wants to. Thus, Decker makes it impossible for Janis to get out of the situation without facing repercussions. Janis is forced to accept the deal of making a confession and charges against Emi are dropped. This does not just prove Decker’s caliber as an investigator, but also highlights his role as a good friend who never really gave up on Emi. As soon as things improve, Emi and Decker reunite and take a walk towards the bar – is this the beginning of a new era in their friendship or is it something deeper?

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