Tonight on TNT Major Crimes airs with their all new Monday December 21, season 4 fall finale called “Penalty Phase,” and we’ve got your recap down below! On tonight’s episode a deranged killer makes his own film and his victims are the stars.
On the last episode, a professional baseball pitcher’s daughter went missing, and the Major Crimes team’s investigation lead them to the very limits of the justice system. Rusty was put in an extremely awkward position as Slider approached the last phase of his trial. Did you watch the last episode? If you missed it we have a full and detailed recap, right here for you.
On tonight’s episode per the TNT synopsis “Sharon and the team track an unhinged killer making his own film, with his victims as the stars as a new romance takes wing.”
Tonight’s episode 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 9 PM EST! While you wait for our recap hit the comments and let us know how excited you are for the season 4 episode 18.
Tonight’s episode begins now – Refresh Page often to get the most current updates!
#MajorCrimes starts with people running in panic from a shooting incident. LAPD converges on the site of the shooting. Amy and Julio are there and Provenza and the others show up. The shooting is on a college campus. Fritz is there and tells Provenza the crime scene is all theirs.
The guys head in with Buzz videoing. They head into an office and find a dead professor. They bring Holly, a student, back to HQ and she talks about the film professor. She says she was editing a short film and took it to Professor Ashby’s office for a deadline.
She says she saw a guy in his 30s leaving and he was filming as he went and told her Merry Christmas. She says he knows who she is and freaks out. Andy says if he wanted to hurt her, he already would have. Tao says they think the professor and shooter were watching something.
Tao plays the footage then sees the professor watching it as the guy films him. He tells him to look at the film then he shoots the professor in the head and keeps filming. Then we see the killer filming himself saying that felt really raw.
He says that’s the best way to work with non-actors. Then cop cards speed by and he films them and says this is great – they think it’s a school shooting. He says that’s cut and he’s moving on. Andy leaves Holly watching footage of people running out of the school to look for the guy.
Julio says the video matched another shooting of a realtor. Then Tao calls them to look at more footage from Ashby’s computer and they see a realtor walking a guy through a high-end property. Buzz skips ahead to when the shooter asks if he looks familiar.
She says she’s sorry and then he pulls a gun and she freaks out. He says he’s shocked to hear she’s a mother since she’s bad at follow through. He asks her to step forward so there’s no shadow then he asks her to say please don’t shoot me. She does then he does.
Sharon says he filmed the murder and wonders why someone would do that. We see the killer filming at a house that’s huge and he says this is how he imagines gross Hollywood hacks live. He goes inside and says interior, mansion, day.
He mocks the opulence, then we see a guy on the sofa tied up. He points out a really spendy TV and the top-notch kitchen. Then he says cut and says you can make a movie for far less now. He mentions his inheritance then speaks to Ryan, the guy he’s tied up.
He tells Ryan this part will make him a star. The guy looks beaten –he’s got a black eye and blood on his face and he’s scared. Over at Slider’s sentencing hearing, the verdict is read and he gets the death penalty. Gus is stunned as is Rusty. The jury leaves.
Judge Grove says he’ll review it and the lawyer Monroe says he waives it but Grove says no way because last time he waived, he later used it for an appeal. Slider glares at Rusty who tells Gus that Grove won’t vacate the ruling but this is far from over.
Rusty asks Gus if he wants to have lunch and Gus says no that he has plans. Then Rusty invites him to the Major Crimes Christmas party. Gus says he doesn’t feel much like Christmas right now. Andy says Holly confirmed a guy she says was the shooter but they don’t know who it is yet.
They bring in the realtor’s husband as well. Provenza says they don’t see a lot of overlap between the professor and realtor. Sharon says they should talk to Lisa’s husband who is in shock. He says he doesn’t know why anyone would shoot his wife in the face.
He says his wife was well-liked at the firm. They show him a photo of the shooter but he doesn’t know him. Then they show him a photo of Ashby and tell him that he was also shot by the same guy. He doesn’t recognize either.
He says his wife was used to high-maintenance types and says she was a literary manager for screenwriters before she was a realtor. The hubby says writers are crazy and high strung. He says no one ever threatened her.
They ask for her client list and he says their phones are synced and he gives it to them so they can see her writers. The shooter talks to Ryan about how Ashby used to pontificate on so many topics. He shows him the video of him shooting Ashby.
Ryan is terrified. He says the writer tells the story and the picture documents it. The shooter then toasts his mom and says Ashby was the worst thesis provider ever. He says he gave up his work to take care of mom and he never even stopped by.
Looks like Ryan is his brother. Ryan kicks something off the table then grabs it while the shooter is in the other room. It’s a lighter. He yanks the tape off Ryan’s mouth. Ryan tells the shooter, Brad, that he can help him get out of town. He offers him cash.
Brad says he doesn’t want to get away and says this will be one of the most important things in history. He rants at Ryan but doesn’t kill him. They checked Lisa’s writer client list with students from the college.
They have a pic of Brad and it looks like he used to be fat and now he look nothing like his photo. They go to Brad’s mom’s house and talk about that she owns it and she’s 70. They open the door and go inside when she doesn’t answer.
They see film equipment, a ton of DVDs and then a case of Ensure, the nutrition drink. They find a bedroom with duct tape around it and they hear a TV. They head inside and find the mother dead in her bed and looking mummified.
Rusty has a nightmare about Slider taking advantage of him, hustling him and hoping for a gay encounter when he gets out of jail. The he sees Sharon at the door. She holds his phone near his head and the alarm finally wakes him.
She asks if he’s okay and tells him not to forget about the Christmas party. He says he won’t. Morales has Brad’s mother on the slab and says she died of breast cancer as far as he can tell. Tao says Brad has a younger brother Ryan and they can’t find him.
Sharon asks where Ryan’s wife is – they just split. They bring her in and they ask her about Brad. She says the brothers didn’t have anything to do with each other for the past four years. She says she saw Ryan at mediation two weeks ago then he missed a meeting two days ago.
She talks about how Ryan being upset about her getting his jeep and he got her Lexus because her catering business needs storage. Andy wants to follow up but Sharon says no because of his medical hold.
Brad has a gas can and his gun and puts Ryan into the car. He asks if he remembers film structure when they talked about being the Powell brothers. He buckles his brother up and says the final ending needs to be shocking.
He puts sunglasses on his brother that have duct tape over the lenses so he can’t see. He puts on sunglasses and backs the car out of the mansion’s garage. A LAPD chopper reports they found the Lexus and it’s headed for West Hollywood.
Ryan talks about how he’d like to help edit and says it’s exactly what they always dreamed of. Ryan is talking about how he’d like to score the movie and says that’s what he always wanted and should have known Brad would find a way.
The cops close in on the car. Brad starts up the camera and says this is their one shot to make something meaningful and profound. He says he has one stop to make then the Powell brothers are back in the game. He pulls into a gas station.
He fills a gas can and Ryan hears the chopper. He looks around cautiously. He sees it far above and then he pulls out fast as the teams close in. Amy tells him on the PA to pull over. He does. They get out, guns pulled. It’s Ryan in the car.
Brad sees it happen and says his brother is a liar. He grabs up the gas can and runs off. Ryan begs the cops please not to shoot. Brad steals a car and drives off. Buzz shows them footage of when Brad took the other guy’s car.
Julio says they’re searching for the car and are watching for any arson calls since he took the gas can. Sharon asks Ryan why he stopped seeing his brother. He says his brother was hated at film school and when he started film school, it was impossible to work with him.
He says he dropped out, got married and his brother never forgave him. He says his brother is just getting even with everyone he thought ruined his life. He says one was his literary manager and one was his thesis advisor.
Ryan says everyone set Brad off. Tao talks about a pocket listing that Lisa has and shows Ryan a photo. He says that’s definitely the house. Brad is filming when the doorbell rings and he says he loves it when actors obey their call times.
He says it sucks that Ryan isn’t there and he goes to get the door with his gun tucked into his pants. He starts the camera rolling and it’s Sara – Ryan’s wife. Brad is pretending it’s a catering meeting. The cops are outside and Sharon tells them that he’s planning to kill his wife.
The team heads for the house and Buzz and Sharon watch on body cams. Provenza goes for the front door while Amy goes to the back with others. They try Sara’s cell phone. She’s taking notes on the “party” and ignores the call.
Andy says SWAT and rescue are six minutes out. Sara tells him she recommends a buffet. Ryan says cut the restarts the video. Her phone rings again and she says she can’t shut it off. He asks her to stand by the door. Sharon tells her she’s in danger.
She asks if she’s alone. She says no. Sharon asks if the man with her is carrying a gun and she says she couldn’t say. Sara tells Ryan that her sous chef is on the line. Sharon says to tell him that her reception is bad and step outside. She does.
Amy pulls her out of the way. Ryan spots the cops and says it’s a plot twist. He resumes filming. Then he turns the camera on himself and says sometimes the best plan is the one you burn down. Provenza tells Sharon that Sara said he’s alone.
Sharon tells them to stay outside unless he engages them. Tao says he came out and is soaked wet and smells like gas. Sharon says he has a lighter in his hand and tells them to be careful. He talks about his big finish.
He says this is what commitment to your vision looks like. He goes to set himself on fire and is just igniting when Julio tackles him and knocks him into the pool. Ryan freaks out because he can’t find his phone. Julio punches him to subdue him.
The phone sinks to the bottom of the pool. The team gets ready for the Christmas party – sounds like Amy wishes Julio had left Ryan to die. Gus asks Rusty if he asked him to the party as his date. Rusty says they live in two different cities.
He says he just relocated to LA to be near Paloma. Rusty says he has to focus on college and Gus asks if he has something against a working guy. Rusty says he knows nothing about dating but Gus says they already know each other so that gives them an edge.
He says if Rusty didn’t invite him there to hang out, he’ll go. Rusty worries Gus might not like him as much once he gets to know him. Gus asks why he would even think that. Provenza calls his fiancée and tells her he’ll be home soon then smooches the phone.
The Chief is there too and so is Fritz. Sharon greets Gus warmly as do the others. Sharon tells Rusty she’s surprised he brought him. Rusty says he wants Gus to spend Christmas day with them. Sharon says that’s fine and Andy agrees.
Sharon says it’s nice for Rusty to be s considerate of Gus. Rusty says maybe something good is about to happen and he goes to rescue Gus from the others. Sharon sits by Provenza who says parole contacted them about Sharon Beck.
She’s out of rehab and moved nearby. She has a job, is clean, and is reporting to parole. They wonder why Sharon Beck hasn’t contacted Rusty. Sharon says she’s done worrying about that woman and tosses the report in the trash.
Provenza pulls it back out once Sharon walks away and tucks it into his desk. Provenza looks at Sharon talking with Gus and Rusty.
THE END!
