- Title: Franklin & Bash – Freck
- tv.com: link
Although there’s no body, and only circumstantial evidence of a crime even being committed, Peter (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) and Jared (Breckin Meyer) step in to defend an old friend (Eddie Jemison) who stands accused of the murder of his roommate, an infamous practical joker known as Freck (Kasey Mahaffy). With Franklin and Bash’s hands full with a murder trial, Damien (Reed Diamond) is forced to step in and defend gangbangers turned bakers (Scott Menville, E. Ambriz DeColosio) against an organic grocery conglomerate notorious to screwing over smaller companies like the bakery.
In an attempt to prove their friend’s innocence, Peter and Jared highlight the missing Freck’s history of pranks by calling an old friend (Michael Weaver) to the stand and even getting themselves put in contempt by doctoring photos of the wife of opposing counsel (Currie Graham) in compromising positions with Pindar (Kumail Nanjiani). After Pindar sees the missing prankster alive, but would never be taken seriously as a witness, Peter and Jared shift gears by pushing for their client to plead guilty and marry his fiance, who also happens to be Freck’s ex-girlfriend (Courtney Pauroso), before being sentenced to 25 years-to-life in prison in an attempt to force the jealous prankster to reveal himself.
With the help of Franklin and Bash, Damien comes up with an ingenious plan to paint the head (Richard Cox) of the conglomerate and his board as a gang. With a little extra pressure from a District Attorney, the matter is quickly solved without ever having to step into court. And in the other plotline, Peter spends time with Charlie (Nicky Whelan) and her daughter (Hailey Sole) and learns about Charlie’s ex-boyfriend while young Tess takes a shine to Pindar.
“Freck” produces one of the most unusual cases Peter and Jared have been faced with. The pair take an awful chance by letting their friend plead guilty to a crime that never happened, but the results speak for themselves when Freck is caught and the real wedding can begin. Carp’s case case gets far less air time which is a shame because the argument he makes to save the bakers was interesting enough to explore further. Sadly, the episode lays the foundation for Charlie’s eventual exit from the show (although I doubt Peter will have much trouble in attracting a new lovely lady friend).