It is the penultimate episode os season 4 of Burden of Truth and this episode was co-written by series star Meegwun Fairbrother. I listened to an interview with Fairbrother on CBC Radio’s Q where he talked about being part of the writer’s room. Glad that we are seeing one of his scripts on screen.

So it is the penultimate episode and in this episode we are 24 hours away from Joanna’s disciplinary meeting that will determine whether or not she loses her law license. While Billy wants Joanna to concentrate on her defence, she would rather use this time to fight the mine and uncover what they are hiding.

This starts with the assayer report that said the core sample they took from the mine had gold. This report was used as the basis to get Mayor Freeman to make a deal with Oro North to open up a mine in Millwood that is supposed to save the town.

Billy and Joanna go and visit the offices of the assayer. The assayer isn’t really forthcoming with their questions about the report he made for the mine and his answers are a bit vague and non-committal. The assayer asks them to leave and the two head straight to the mayor’s office to say they believe the assayer report was false and that there is no gold. The mayor was depending on the mine having gold to save his town and the three of them go back to the assayer’s office to see the ore samples themselves. However, when the three get there, the office has been cleared out along with the samples.

Mayor Freeman is now in panic because if there is truly no gold then his deal with Oro North is a dud. Joanna thinks it is as sample of dropping out of the deal but Mayor Freeman says that it is not and that deal is in escrow and ready to close at 6pm that night. If it ends up closing and Tillman, the owner of Oro North, will flee with the town’s money thereby making Millwood bankrupt.

Billy and Joanna decide to test new ore samples to prove fraud. Billy goes to the mine’s union and convinces the union president to run the ore samples but that could take hours. Meanwhile, Joanna has until 6pm to find ways to stop the sale. As time is starting to run out, Joanna isn’t able to convince Tillman or Elise to wait for the new ore samples to be run and the escrow lady just wants to complete the deal.

Joanna gets an idea and uses her own ordeal as an example. Knowing that new ore samples are on their that could prove fraud and Tillman admitting that he has never met the assayer, Joanna asks Elise if she is willing to re-sign the lawyer’s opinion letter saying the Oro Mine deal is sound and should proceed. Tillman says that Elise will sign the opinion letter but she looks hesitant. Elise hesitancy is furthered when Joanna produces security footage that Billy found showing Tillman and the assayer meeting the day the ore samples were taken. This leads Elise to say that she cannot sign the opinion letter. This pisses off Tillman who walks out of the room but Millwood is saved!

Later on at the courthouse washroom, Joanna and Elise make peace. Joanna said Elise did the right thing and something she should have done. Joanna calls Elise a great lawyer, even better than her.

The next day we learn that Oro North has filed for bankruptcy and this new screws up Luna’s case.

Throughout the episode, Luna was trying to find a link between the mine and the sex trafficking ring. After trying to connect the security guard of the mine’s housing unit didn’t pan out, Luna finds a sound legal argument about how the mine should have known that was happening as other mining sites have been known to be connected with sex trafficking rings. This legal argument would have worked and Luna would have gotten Dee the money she needed to get way from Wesley but with the mine going bust, that is now all gone and she feels like she has disappointed Dee. Luna’s dedication to Dee’s case, unfortunately, costs her relationship with Stevie. Stevie sees Luna always putting a case before her relationship and doesn’t want a relationship like her parents. Stevie asks Luna to think about what she wants.

Luna is heartbroken not only by disappointing Dee but also about losing Stevie and goes to Joanna for comfort. Joanna tells Luna that everything she did for Dee was great and unfortunately it did not work out but that she would be a great lawyer and eventually things will get better but not right now.

After her talk with Luna, Joanna and Billy head to her disciplinary and she stuns Billy and the committee stating that she wants her license revoked!

Elsewhere in Millwood…..

• Taylor tells Owen that he has received a complaint against him from Kip’s legal guardian. Taylor is duty bound to investigate but Owen ask her to give him time to clear this up and that he will make sure that they don’t both lose their jobs. Owen goes to see Terry but he is less than receptive. But things seem to work out somehow was Terry signed over his custody to Owen and Diane. This leaves it open for the couple to adopt Kip. When they share the news to the young man, he responds “why would I want that?” and walks away leaving Owen and Diane stunned.
• Taylor gets a tip about a property connected to Wesley during his time as a youth in Millwood. Taylor investigates and finds a trapped young woman in a barn. Taylor enters this creepy barn and has a showdown with Wesley. Since Taylor has a gun and Wesley just has a knife, we know who wins and Wesley is in custody.

I am not sure how this season will end since all the cases were wrapped up in this episode.