Smooth Criminal

"Smooth Criminal" is the third episode of CD Projekt RED and Studio Trigger's series.

Characters
In order of appearance:
 * David Martinez
 * Maine
 * Pilar
 * Dorio
 * Lucy Kushinada
 * Principal
 * Kiwi
 * Boxers
 * Maxim Kuznetsov
 * Rebecca
 * Tyger Claws
 * Falco
 * Faraday

Description

 * Surrounded by a group of rowdy edgerunners, David makes a plea to join their team. Meanwhile, sinister forces plot to lure him back to Arasaka Academy.

Summary
The episode starts where the previous one left off - in Lucy's apartment with David being threatened by Maine and his gang members, Dorio and Pilar. Maine is furious and thinks his contact betrayed him, although he can't really believe that. David realizes, Maine is talking about his mother, Gloria. He reveals to them he is her son, but she died two days ago in a traffic accident caused by a gang. While Maine appears threatening and ruthless, he clearly is somewhat touched by Gloria's death. He still can't believe David's body can cope with the powerful implant, so David demonstrates the Sandevistan to the group, by stealing Pilar's cigarette from his mouth and then putting it back. After some consideration, Maine accepts to take in David as one of their apprentices. However, David is disappointed by Lucy, the girl he thought he could trust, and leaves. Back in Gloria's old apartment, David is being depressed and only staring at the urn.

The next morning, David is out on the streets again. He received a message from the academy's principal, who is overly praising his performance at school and even mentions a scholarship, which would give David a chance to return to Arasaka Academy. He is expected to apologize for his attack on Katsuo Tanaka. David angrily interrupts the message, before another from Maine calls him to meet his group at a warehouse. The audience will see Pilar and Dorio again, but also another crew member with the name Kiwi is introduced.

To prove himself, David must join them on a heist, where they plan to gain the navigation data of Maxim Kuznetsov, a burly Arasaka bodyguard and driver of Tanaka. To get Maxim off track on his day off, they manipulated a boxing event, so Maxim drowns his sorrows about the lost bet with drinks at the Jacked and Coke. David then actually should have picksocketed him with the help of the Sandevistan's abilities, but the heist goes not as planned and they can't read the data in time. Maxime is called by his boss, who demands his service. So Main's crew decides to go a different route and try to read the data from the Villefort Alvarado V4F 570 Delegate instead. David and Lucy get into the car. While they try to grab what they need, Maxim escaped from Rebecca's diversion and appears beside the car.

David just steps on it and they race away. Meanwhile, Maxim put up a bounty on the car, and very soon, two Tyger Claw members begin hunting them. A traffic jam almost stops them, but David can use the Sandevistan to change lanes to get away. One of the Tyger Claws has a fatal accident and they bring the vehicle to Aldo's. There, they are surprised by the second Tyger Claw member, who gets them into a fight. Lucy can severely wound the attacker, but David is thrown to the ground and seconds from being hacked into pieces. The moment is saved by Maine, who arrives in his car and guns down the Tyger Claw.

Although the heist went not the way as they expected, they celebrate outside in front of a bar. David and Maine get more acquainted and he accepts him as a new team member. Maine still warns him though, he should get more chrome, because his mostly organic body can't use an implant like that for too long. Meanwhile, Pilar is trying to entertain the people at the party with his juggling talent. The fun suddenly is interrupted by an arriving car. A thin man with multiple eyes steps out, who turns out to be Faraday, a top fixer. He chides Maine for the bungled heist and the now useless data. Maine excuses their actions and Faraday gives him new order to wait til they see new movements of their target, Tanaka. He is secretive about this matter and doesn't reveal any more details. Faraday drives away again, and Maine explains, that people like Faraday are most important, they are the people with the money. He is cool and returns to the party, but David is worried after this incident, and is not really in the right mood. From a distance he even can see, how Pilar is trying to get closer to Lucy. Rebecca welcomes David to the crew, and he accepts her drink.

The episode ends with David's call to the principal about the message he had received earlier. David doesn't intend to apology for his actions and kicks the principal from the call. He's trying to find Lucy at the party again, but she seems to be gone with Pilar.

Soundtrack

 * "This FFFire" - Franz Ferdinand (opening song)
 * "I Will Follow" - Snot Abundance
 * "Me Machine" - Poly Face aka Kuba Sojka
 * "Friday Night Fire Fight" - Jacques Barbot, performed by Aligns
 * "Just Wine" (P.A.F.F. Remix) - Rafał Kłoczko, Paweł Kasperski, performed by Diego Cichy Don feat. P.A.F.F.
 * "Nieważne" (feat. Martyna Baranowska) - Rafał Kłoczko, Aleksander Molak, Martyna Baranowska. Performed by Diego Cichy Don feat. Martyna Baranowska
 * "Let You Down" - by Dawid Podsiadło, Magdalena Laskowska (credit roll song)

Trivia

 * The episode is titled after Michael Jackson's song "Smooth Criminal" from his 1988 album Bad.
 * Although it seems like Lucy has something going on with Pilar in this episode, she explains to David in Episode 4, that she went with Pilar, but she also quickly knocked him out, when he got to obtrusive.