Tonight on TNT Major Crimes airs with their all new Monday, June 27, season 5 Episode 3 called “Foreign Affairs,” and we’ve got your Major Crimes recap down below! On tonight’s episode, an ISIS-inspired attack against a member of the U.S. Armed Forces prompts the FBI to enlist Raydor’s (Mary McDonnell) help.
On the last episode, a detective in the Sex Crimes unit was murdered in a case that lead Major Crimes into the realm of “barely legal” porn. If you missed it we have a full and detailed recap, right here for you.
On tonight’s episode per the TNT synopsis, “an ISIS-inspired attack against a member of the U.S. Armed Forces prompts the FBI to enlist Raydor’s help. They then team up in a desperate scramble to hunt down the terrorist before more murders are committed.”
Tonight’s Major Crimes recap is going to be filled with action and you won’t want to miss it, so be sure to tune in for our live coverage of the show tonight at 10 PM EST! While you wait for our Major Crimes recap hit the comments and let us know how excited you are for the season 5 episode 3.
Tonight’s episode begins now – Refresh Page often to get the most current updates!
#MajorCrimes starts with a terrorist pledging Jihad on a military member. The team watches a video and the man has a victim with a bag on his head and he stabs. Sharon and the team watch and the FBI guy tells them that Liz is part of the counter-terrorism team.
She says the video is real and it’s an authentic decapitation. She says they have no idea who the victim is. Provenza says that’s a lot of people. Sharon asks if it was shot in LA and the FBI chief says image analysis showed an LAPD helo above the guy in the sky.
ISIS in LA
Sharon says they may be able to find the body. They go over details and the land was undeveloped and Provenza says that’s too large an area. Liz says the Islamic state directed this and they have to find him – but first it’s the victim. Liz says Major Crimes will take the lead.
Liz says that will keep the ISIS dude from knowing he’s being pursued. Fritz is working with them. Andy comes in with names of AWOL servicemembers. Sharon says there’s also homeless vets. Andy says the victim could have been anyone. Julio says they military put out an alert.
Andy asks if ISIS took credit and Tao says no but they liked it on their Twitter feed. Tao found a geographic marker the FBI missed. Tao says there are few areas with a lack of trees and mountains. Sharon says they need a bigger map.
The body is found
They eliminate areas that it can’t be. Amy points out a park and Sharon asks Fritz to send a helo. They find the body and the team rolls out. They bring the cadaver dogs and Fritz and Sharon watch the airship video as it goes over the park.
Andy checks the view and Tao looks at markers. Others search from the air. Julio is with the dog team. The dogs bark and he notifies the team. Provenza has Tao move back and they look at the view. They use cell phones so the media can’t hear them on the radio.
Andy calls and says they’re digging. Fritz and Sharon watch on monitors. They hit a dagger – Amy holds it up so Sharon can see on the helo camera. Looks like the murder weapon. Then they find a head. Amy finds the body. They have it all.
Sharon tells them to quietly close and evacuate the park. The help guys don’t even know what it was they found because they hid it. Provenza says ominously “They’re here.”
Rusty’s mom issues come out
Sharon talks to Rusty who came in looking for Buzz. He says he got the ATM video and says it’s covered in static but says a professor told him the tape can be cleaned. Sharon says they need a fresh lead to justify the cost.
Rusty says Buzz has worked so hard to get this investigation re-opened. Sharon says maybe she can talk to someone. She asks if he’s talked to his mom about the baby. Rusty says the baby should go up for adoption.
Rusty says she has no good reason to have a kid and Sharon says maybe this child is helping keep her sober. Rusty says that’s more than he could do. Rusty says maybe he’ll never know who that woman is.
Victim identified and Morales plays tough
Morales says Nicolas Greenborn is the likely victim. They show Sharon a missing person’s report and the head matches the guy and the head matches the body according to cutting patterns. Morales says Nicolas’ mouth was duct taped.
Liz comes in and tries to take over. She says the LAPD can’t deal with terror attacks and needs to stand down. Amy says there are inconsistencies. Liz says they are taking over and the FBI guy says they are taking the body.
Morales says no court order, no body. The FBI guy is not happy since they need to publicize the case to get it. Morales stands up to them and the Chief says this may be just a standard murder. Liz says he can finish and Morales says I don’t need your permission and kicks the FBI out.
They glare and go and the Chief says he’s going to give Liz the victim’s name. Morales says the victim drank excessively before he died which makes no sense if he was held by a Muslim extremist. Amy talks to the people who reported Nicolas missing.
The victims’ pals provide info
Two guys who served with him are there. The Chief comes and tells the team that the FBI is upset. One of the pals says Nick has been struggling. One friend says Nick overindulges in booze frequently when he visits.
They said they reported him missing because Nick was gone but his car was parked out front and he came to town to help with Vince’s wedding. Vince says he drove to Nick’s place to see if he went home but he didn’t.
They ask what bar they left Nick at. Vince’s fiancé isn’t happy when she hears it was somewhere she wouldn’t like. The fiancé steps out and Vince says it was Gazelle’s in the valley. It’s a bikini bar and Julio says he knows the place. They stare.
It’s 10 miles from where Nick was buried. Miguel says lots of servicemen frequent the bar. The FBI guy admits to Sharon and the Chief this may not be ISIS at all. The knife was from the Middle East. The agent warns that Liz will have a court order tomorrow and will come take their evidence.
He encourages them to try and crack the case because Liz will focus solely on terror.
Dr Joe frustrates Rusty
Rusty talks to his therapist about his mother’s pregnancy. Dr Joe asks how he feels about her being pregnant by the man who abused him. Rusty says he hates it and doesn’t want that child in his life. Dr Joe says great.
Rusty says he’s all mad and Joe is walking around. Dr Joe tells the team about “injustice collectors.” They are people that thing anything done to them is wrong and they act as judge and jury to their enemies and demonize people who disagree with them.
Buzz sees Rusty’s note on the video tape about not being able to view it. Buzz is upset and walks out. Sharon takes notice. Dr Joe says this doesn’t align the way he thinks. Provenza says Mike is at Gazelle’s and Sharon says let’s grab footage if we can before the FBI shows.
Team accused of profiling
Amy, Tao and Julio go inside and talk to the owner who has a thick accent. Julio goes to get his son out of the back. Nemo is the son and Asim is the dad. Asim says Nick was a big tipper throwing big cash around.
Nemo says Nick was behaving stupidly but Asim says Nick was kind and generous. Nemo says Nick tried to pay Kimberly to go home with him. Julio asks about security video and they tell him yes. Nemo says nothing without a warrant and he’s sick of being profiled.
He says he gets searched at the airport and sees people flinch when he walks into the movie theater. Amy says they can sign consent and give them footage and Kimberly’s contact information. Asim says he’ll email them the video and give them the number.
Sharon tricks the FBI
They leave. Buzz checks the video. He says Vince and Miguel left. Fritz says the driver’s story was confirmed. Liz shows up as they see Nick waving to someone. Fritz says it’s all boxed up and ready. Sharon also hands Liz the videotape from Buzz’s uncle’s case.
Buzz thanks her and Sharon says the FBI has jurisdiction over bank robberies. They talk about what they can do and if they can get to Kimberly before the FBI finds her. Sharon wonders who Nick was waving to as he left.
The team goes to see Kimberly, the waitress. She unlocks her safe and says she hasn’t made a deposit yet and pulls out her cash including $100s from Nick he gave her that night. She says he only gave her hundreds and he usually only gave her fives.
Dirty money
She says she didn’t go home with him but he did give her his phone number. She says he didn’t tell him where he got the money. Tao asks if she has a jealous GF and she says no, but she has a GF in Austin who doesn’t mind what she does.
Tao shows the team that the serial numbers are sequential on the bills and says this money was supposed to be destroyed in Iraq. They explain it was supposed to be distributed to help locals and then the team claimed that they were ambushed and were ordered to destroy it.
Sharon tells Amy to notify the Army and Fitz goes to call Agent Morris to use the Patriot Act to get them some info. Sharon has them bring Vince back in. Julio says this money was supposed to be destroyed in Iraq by Miguel, Nick and Vince.
One soldier comes clean
Liz comes in and gets snippy and asks why they’re interviewing a terror suspect but they tell her this is robbery homicide. Provenza tells Vince they know he was lying to his fiancé and is unemployed. They made a $100k deposit on the condo and he has a Mercedes.
Provenza says he should have about $200k from his take of the loot. Julio snaps and says Vince cut his friend’s head off to make it look like an act of terrorism then drove to Nick’s house and stole all his money.
The lawyer snaps and asks if this is the ISIS murder and Provenza says no it’s a kill my friend to pay for a wedding murder. Vince snaps and says he didn’t kill anyone. Vince talks about how he served his country and wouldn’t dress up like a Muslim.
Andy and Amy go to see Miguel and tell him that Vince is an idiot and this is his one chance. Amy says they know about the cash and says don’t try and lie. Just listen. Andy says he can be court-martialed and get 25 years for dereliction of duty alone.
Andy says they cut him a deal for seven years if he talks. Amy says it’s that or life without parole for Nick’s murder. He’s stunned and didn’t know he was dead. Andy pulls out the knife and Miguel sighs. He says they took the money as hazard pay.
Turns out, it’s still terror
He says burning money because we couldn’t hand it to Muslims was wrong. Andy says tell the truth about Nick. Amy says he volunteered and signed up and then broke his oath. She says talk or go away for life. Miguel says Nick still had most of his cash.
He says he inherited this shitty house in Yucca and was fine. Miguel says Vince wanted so much, though. Miguel says Vince took the knife off a dead Republican guard and they brought the money back in false-bottomed foot lockers.
Liz thanks them all and says they’re calling off the investigation. Liz hands her the video and a clear copy of the footage on CD. She says it was unrelated to the case but seems to brush it off. Sharon hands it to Buzz but Liz says what was on it was awful.
Liz goes into the room with Vince. The Chief wonders why the FBI thinks the terrorism charge will stick. Liz says that video incited other ISIS sympathizers to harm other soldiers. They handcuff him and haul him out. Buzz stares at the CD.
Gus hangs with Sharon and Rusty
Gus is at the house with Sharon and Rusty and he cooked for them. Sharon thanks Gus profusely. Rusty isn’t happy that Gus won’t go to college and wants to be a chef. Gus says her son is opinionated. Sharon agrees.
Gus says he’d do anything to get access to his little sister while Rusty doesn’t want his mother’s kid anywhere around him. Rusty says that baby should be put up for adoption. Buzz keeps texting Rusty and says he emailed him something.
Sharon teases him about being opinionated. Sharon tells Gus he’s very patient with Rusty. Rusty goes to his desk and opens his laptop. Buzz sent him the video from the murder. Rusty watches as Buzz’s dad is brutally shot.
THE END!