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"El Diablo"
Season 1, Episode 3
15244d9a780944093
Air date April 10, 2011
Written by Dawn Prestwich
Nicole Yorkin
Directed by Gwyneth Horder-Payton
Episode Guide
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"The Cage"
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"A Soundless Echo"

"El Diablo" is the third episode of the first season of The Killing.

Synopsis[]

Linden and Holder discover a peephole to the cage, which leads to a suspect in the case. Meanwhile, Darren Richmond discovers a leak within his campaign.

Plot[]

At Fort Washington High, Sarah discovers a peephole in The Cage. Principal Meyers unlocks a room adjoining The Cage to which only she and school janitor Lyndon Johnson Rosales have a key. The peephole provides a clear view of The Cage. Later, Oakes asks Sarah to remain on the job through the end of the week because he feels that Holder isn't currently capable of controlling the case. Holder boasts to Sarah about finding the crime scene. She dismisses it as an assumption and orders him to stop intimidating suspects. In Rosales’ apartment, Holder distracts the mother while Sarah explores. When she notices a teen-themed porn magazine on the floor, Rosales comes up behind her and slashes her arm with a knife. Holder rushes him, with gun drawn, while Sarah pleads with Rosales that they just want to talk to him. He jumps out the window. At the hospital, Rosales is diagnosed with a skull fracture and rushed into surgery. While a medic stitches and bandages Sarah’s arm, Holder lists the suspect’s priors: indecent exposure and "kid diddlin'." He also notes that this suspect has an alibi: picked up for a DUI, he spent Friday night in the drunk tank. In his hospital room, Sarah questions Rosales. He confirms seeing Rosie, but not Jasper, at the Halloween dance. Pointing to a yearbook photo of Kris Echols, Rosales whispers, "El diablo (Spanish for 'the devil')."

Reporters ask mayoral candidate Richmond about the Rosie Larsen case. He insists that the case is not about politics. Councilwoman Yitanes calls Richmond a liar and says she’s withdrawing her endorsement. At City Hall, Mayor Adams offers to endorse Richmond in four years, if he abandons his current campaign, and hints that the police had informed him about the discovery of Rosie in a campaign car. Later, Richmond tells Sarah about the Rosie press leak, but she denies the police as the source. He then meets secretly with Nathan, who clears Jamie and Gwen of campaign car press leak but produces an office e-mail showing who leaked the Yitanes endorsement to the press. Richmond shows Gwen the e-mail — Jamie is the leak. They discuss Jamie's possible motivation for the betrayal. Gwen thinks that Jamie is playing both sides in the race, so he can feel like no matter who is elected, he has won either way. At a street basketball game to promote an anti-gang initiative, Richmond mentions the endorsement leak to Jamie, who blames the cops and then Yitanes, adding that everyone is playing both sides. In Richmond’s office, Jamie comes up with a plan to win back Yitanes’s endorsement by offering her husband a city plumbing contract. Gwen then accuses him of being the Yitanes leak. He claims that his computer was hacked, then accuses Richmond of letting sex (with Gwen) cloud his judgment and leaves. Yitanes enters Richmond's office, confronting him about his suggesting to the press that she'll still endorse him. Richmond offers her the contracting deal in return for her support. She later officially endorses Richmond during a press conference as Jamie quietly leaves the office with a box of his belongings under his arm.

Holder tells Oakes and Sarah about Kris, a runaway expelled from high school and Jasper's best friend. Reviewing video from the dance, Sarah notices someone wearing a devil’s mask. She whispers, “El diablo.” While visiting the Larsens, she reveals that Rosie's cause of death was drowning, then learns that Kris lived nearby until three years ago. At the police station, Kris's mother admits to Holder that she gave up on her son, adding that he mainly hangs out at a skateboard park. At the skate park, Holder smokes a joint and talks with a teenage girl, who confirms that Kris is a regular there. Returning to the car and reeking of smoke, Holder assures Sarah that what he is smoking is "narcscent", a substitute that narcotics officers use that looks, smells, and tastes like marijuana. After noticing that the skate park is within walking distance to the Richmond campaign office's parking lot, Sarah wonders if Kris stole the campaign car. Holder later spots Kris, pins him down, and asks if he caused Rosie to overdose. Sarah tells Holder to release Kris. Later, outside the school, Kris accuses Jasper (Richard Harmon) of telling the police they were at the dance. Watching from a distance, Sarah notes to Holder that Rosie wouldn't have entered The Cage with Kris, but would have with someone she trusted, “like Jasper.” Inside, after confiscating a cell phone from a student, a teacher later hears it ring. While trying to silence it, he starts a video. At the police station, Sarah, Oakes, and Holder watch the cell-phone video. The footage shows a male, wearing a devil’s mask, forcing himself on a girl in a pink wig and a witch costume. The male mentions Rosie's name. When the devil’s mask is taken off, the male is revealed to be Jasper. Jasper then switches roles with the cameraman, who turns out to be Kris. Oakes tells his detectives to bring in both boys.

At the Larsen's apartment, father Stan and the boys eat quietly. In the bathroom, Mitch clings to the side of the bathtub, crying.

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