The Mysteries Of Laura, "Never be the last one to leave a party." These words, said by Laura (Debra Messing), rang very true in the latest episode.The remnants of a wild night are being cleaned up by a janitor on a party bus. As he opens the bathroom door, a lifeless body topples out onto the floor.
Back at the precinct, an agent has the hots for Laura, but Jake (Josh Lucas), her ex-husband and current boss, tells him to back off. Other protective co-workers try to deter him, as well.
The precinct is preparing to participate in the "Gladiator Rock 'N Run," a mud obstacle course designed by British Forces. Jake is determined to do the course and he tries to whip himself into shape, but he's no spring chicken. This could be difficult.
As Laura and her partner Billy (Laz Alonso) investigate the murder, they eventually end up in a strip club. They keep it strictly business - almost. Laura does get a lap dance, but it can be considered work related since it leads her to the bad guy. He's not the murderer, just a purse thief. This still gives them some clues that are useful, however.
Their path ends at the Garden of Glow convention, headed by Southern Belle Margot (Brenda Strong from "Dallas"), who claims to have not known the victim very well. She brushes them off and advises them to speak to her lawyer.
We find out that the victim, Julie, was targeting Margot with the purpose of exposing her as a fraud. Julie's mother died penniless after pouring everything she owned into being a Garden of Glow sales representative.
As Laura and Billy unfold the truth, Margot is exposed to be a crook who is also lying about her age. She duped everyone into thinking that the Garden of Glow products made her look astonishingly young for her age of 59. However, she isn't 59 - she's 43, making her looks not as impressive.
Laura finally solves the murder. Margot's No.1 fan did it. The overzealous try-hard found her way onto the bus and commited murder just to protect a crook and endorse a fake product. Case closed.
Meanwhile, Jake completes the Rock 'N Run, although he comes in last place and has to be carried across the finish line. He is still celebrated for being the first captain to get into the trenches and complete the course with the rest of his precinct.
Is Jake trying to prove something by doing this challenge? We know he may still be trying to win Laura back. More developments are sure to happen in that area, up ahead. The episode ends on a heartwarming scene with Laura, her twin sons and their father, Jake. The family's all together.
The next episode of "The Mysteries of Laura" airs Nov. 19 at 8 p.m. on NBC.
