Ep 2. Bird in the Hand

Jim Longworth, a Chicago homicide detective, transferred to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) after being accused of sleeping with his captain's wife. He found the people of Florida different from those in his hometown, and he had a difficult time adjusting to his new life. In The Glades Season 1 Episode 2, titled "Bird in the Hand," Jim was called to investigate the death of Beaumont Bishop, a wealthy man with many enemies.

Beaumont Bishop was shot while quail hunting on the property he owned with his wife, Darla. Since the birds were released to be hunted, the near-perfect shot couldn't be an accident. More importantly, Jim learned from Darla that she and her husband were in the middle of a divorce, and Beaumont was trying to keep all of his money and property. This information was valuable since, in such cases, more often than not, one of the parties tries to get revenge or sabotage the other.

Jim's investigation takes him to Beaumont's office, where he meets his partner in crime, Braden Powell. Braden was the mastermind behind their business, and he controlled all the money and finances. Jim learned that they had many enemies, as many people invested in their phony land deals only to end up scammed out of their money. Braden's wife, Patricia, was another woman that had a motive to rid herself of Beaumont, primary among them being his refusal to return her dog after their separation.

Further snooping around, Jim learned interesting information from two other suspects. The first suspect he interrogated was Caroline, who worked for Beaumont's company. She had recently been dismissed for embezzlement and held a grudge against Beaumont for accusing her and the state of Florida for making her a felon for life. It wasn't just her anger; Caroline showed up at the hunting club hours before the hunt with dogs. Using dogs was against the hunting club's policy, and was a sign that something might have been up.

Another name that came out of the investigation was Marlon. Marlon was the Bishop's new handyman, but he had also served time for robbery and violence. Jim discovered that Marlon had a black arrowhead tattooed on his hand, which is known to be a symbol among prisoners for someone who has murdered his cellmate. Marlon was a prime suspect and was hiding something, but he claims to have an alibi.

Jim and Callie, a nurse and Jim's love interest, both discover that there was another shooter, after finding shells from shotgun alongside the birdshot that killed Bishop. This was a surprise, since the official report mentions only one type of shell casing. This finding leads them to an unexpected suspect who had no motive.

In conclusion, The Glades Season 1 Episode 2, "Bird in the Hand," is an excellent episode filled with suspense and intrigue. The investigation, the changing leads, and Jim's no-nonsense personality makes for a great police procedural mixed with a southern charm. The show-runner has created a world where every suspect has a motive and every interaction between Jim and the people of Florida is an adventure. This episode is a great installment to a promising series and shows a lot of promise for the future.