The Chicago Code, in loose terms, is the way business is done in the city--cutting deals, cutting corners, and other shady, illegal activity. That's just the way things are done. Alderman Gibbons follows the code strictly, always taking the most direct route to get what he wants, often breaking laws in the process. On the other side are the characters with principles, those who refuse to compromise, refuse to cave to the pervasive corruption.
In "O'Leary's Cow," we can see examples of the two camps very clearly. There is Gibbons, Lao, and Teresa's brother-in-law who wheel and deal like everyone else. And there's Teresa, unmoving from her position to the point where she accepts her families judgment. To a lesser degree, the nurse also holds her ground, rejecting Caleb's advances because she has a personal rule.
But as far as these hard and fast rules that Teresa and the nurse have, there is little grey area. Teresa won't be corrupt and the nurse won't get involved with a cop. It's easy for both of them to reject the offers because it is clear cut. For Liam, however, it's a different story. Undercover and being with criminals all the time, he can't have any principles other than doing his job. If he is to perform his job, then he must commit crime--even murder--and go with the flow in hope he can get higher on the crime ladder.
The crime this week is rather basic this week, with Jarek clashing with Lao in China Town, simultaneously solving the murder of a black boy and getting answers for a grieving father and widower. "O'Leary's Cow" doesn't have much in terms of Gibbons or Teresa making the next moves in their chess game, but once again we see Gibbons weaseling his way around.
Score: 8.7/10
