Wild Cards Season 1, Episode 2: Show Me the Murder - Max Mitchell and Ellis Unravel the Murder of Jake Boshep in New York City

In the second installment of The CW's "Wild Cards," Max Mitchell and Detective Ellis are called back to duty by Chief Li, only to find themselves assigned to a community outreach session about package thefts. The initial disappointment quickly fades as they are drawn into a more sinister case involving the murder of Jake Boshep, a sports agent at Bill Flaire's agency. The murder scene is gruesome: Jake is found with multiple stab wounds, a black eye, and a smashed car windshield, yet his cash remains untouched. It's clear that this murder is personal, and Max and Ellis are determined to uncover the motive.

Their investigation leads them to the agency's office, where they encounter two conflicting narratives. Bill Flaire insists that Jake had no enemies and appeared to be in good spirits, while Jake's personal secretary, Dana, paints a different picture. Jake's ex-wife, Amy, provides an alibi for the night of the murder, leaving Max and Ellis to dig deeper. Max slyly obtains Jake's call logs and client list, which reveal a series of calls to MMA fighter Summer Lake the night he died. However, Summer was on a flight from Norway and could not have been involved.

The case takes an intriguing turn when they notice that Curtis Moorfield, a famous former client of Jake's, is conspicuously absent from the social media tributes. At a press conference announcing his next team, Max observes Curtis's wife, Kandace, fidgeting with a straw wrapper, a detail that connects her to Jake's house. Max boldly confronts Curtis about his affair with Jake, leading to the interrogation of both Curtis and Kandace. Kandace confesses to the affair and explains that Jake called Curtis to "clear the air" before his death. Curtis admits to smashing Jake's windshield but denies murder.

Max's keen eye for detail leads to another discovery: Curtis and the concierge at Jake's building are wearing the same exclusive shoes from Moorfield's collection, which has yet to be released. The concierge confesses to accepting the shoes from Mackenzie, who has taken over Jake's pending work and clients. Mackenzie's motive is to suppress the incident to protect the firm's reputation.

Bill Flaire confronts Ellis at the station, threatening legal action following Curtis's interrogation. Ellis remains steadfast, urging Bill to be honest about Jake's personal life. Bill directs them to another former client, Hailey Chen-Lin, a BMX stunt rider known for her violent tendencies. Hailey admits to giving Jake a black eye due to a souring relationship but is shocked to learn of his murder. Ellis finds the murder weapon in Hailey's pickup truck and arrests her, but both Max and Ellis harbor doubts about her guilt.

Chief Li pressures them to close the case, but Max's instincts tell her otherwise. She calls her father, George, in prison, who advises her to trust her intuition. Ellis, acting on his instincts, continues the investigation with Max. Pretending to be a masseuse, Max gains entry to Amy's house, where Amy reveals that Jake called her the night he died to apologize for transferring a quarter of a million dollars from her account to another woman, Kate Westdale.

Kate is the wife of former athlete Danny Westdale, who died years ago from a heart condition called HCM. Max, posing as an office worker, returns to Dana and obtains conclusive evidence that leads her to the real killer. She discovers a peculiar health report from Dr. Slaney, indicating that Summer Lake also has HCM, the same condition that killed Danny.

Armed with this information, Max and Ellis confront Summer on the eve of her big fight, leaving her in disbelief. Max sets up Bill and Dr. Melvin Tadlock, leading them to confess that not only did Melvin falsify Danny's heart report years ago, but Bill also killed Jake to keep him quiet. They are arrested, and Max and Ellis breathe a sigh of relief. However, they grow concerned when Summer decides to continue with the fight. Midway through, Max convinces Summer to back out, reminding her that "no one is born to do just one thing on earth."

In a final twist, the mystery of the package thief in Bonnie's building is solved. It turns out that Bonnie herself was the thief. Max outsmarts her by having Ricky, a friend and associate, deliver a phone to one of Bonnie's neighbors as a trap. Max meets with Bonnie and decides not to report her to the police but keeps the rewards for the packages herself.

"Show Me the Murder" is a gripping episode that showcases Max Mitchell's exceptional investigative skills and her ability to connect the dots in a complex web of deceit. Alongside Ellis, they navigate through a series of red herrings and conflicting stories to uncover the truth behind Jake Boshep's murder. The episode not only advances the main plot but also deepens the characters' development, setting the stage for further intrigue in the series.

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