| Gary Lewis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Vital statistics | |
| Name | Gary Lewis |
| Profession | Criminal |
| Gender | Male |
| Notability | Sharon Beck's ex-boyfriend Responsible for Rusty Beck being abandoned at the zoo Framed Sharon Beck for armed robbery |
| Played by | Daniel Buran |
| First appearance | “Hindsight, Part 1” |
| Latest appearance | “Hindsight, Part 5” |
Gary Lewis is a criminal and a drug addict who is the ex-boyfriend of Sharon Beck and the father of her second child.
History[]
At some point, Sharon Beck and Gary started dating. Gary was abusive towards Sharon's son Rusty until Rusty finally fought back. The next day, Gary got Sharon to abandon Rusty at the zoo. As a result, Rusty spent two years living on the streets, relying on prostitution to survive.
After Rusty became a witness in the murder trial of Phillip Stroh, his history with Gary was occasionally mentioned, though Gary's name was never given. In particular, Rusty told his foster mother Sharon Raydor about the fight with Gary that led to his abandonment in "Cheaters Never Prosper" after being hit by his biological father Daniel Dunn. Rusty also indicated that he had received a lot worse abuse from Gary before Gary abandoned him.
In "Medical Causes", Sharon Beck was eventually tracked down living in Reno, Nevada with Gary. Sharon agreed to return to Rusty if she was sent some money, some of which she claimed was to pay off a debt to Gary. Although Sharon boarded a bus, she got off early and was picked up by what was presumably Gary.
In "Personal Day", after Sharon returns to her son's life, she reveals that she and Gary were arrested for meth possession. Gary ended up going to prison while Sharon was sentenced to rehab.
Gary returns to Rusty's life in person during the five-part "Hindsight" story arc:
During part one, Rusty catches Gary following him and has noticed Gary following him for some time. Gary reveals that he has been released from prison and is looking for Sharon Beck whom he had resumed a relationship with. However, Rusty is suspicious of Gary's intentions due to their past history and refuses to help him. Gary's return deeply unsettles Rusty who realizes that something must be wrong. With the help of his boyfriend Gus, Rusty draws Gary away and speaks with Sharon who panics when she learns that Gary is looking for her.
In the second part, Rusty is informed by Lieutenant Louie Provenza and Buzz Watson that Gary is wanted for an armed robbery. In the video of the liquor store robbery, Rusty notices that Gary is dumb enough not to put his mask on until after he enters the store. Sharon Beck is also wanted as Gary's apparent getaway driver.
Lieutenant Chuck Cooper of SIS and another officer manage to track Gary down and attempt to arrest him. However, the other officer sneezes, alerting Gary to their presence. Gary is able to escape and Chuck and Rusty later find Sharon missing and clear signs of a struggle.
In the third part, Sharon is arrested driving the car Gary used in the robbery and his getaway from Chuck, but there is no sign of Gary himself. Sharon claims to her son that Gary committed the robbery without telling her of his plans and she is too afraid that Gary will go after Rusty if she helps the police. As a result, Sharon refuses to cooperate.
In the fourth part, Rusty and Gus warn Lieutenant Provenza about Gary's threats against Rusty. As a result, Provenza has Sharon transferred to the PAB where she agrees to help take down Gary if the police will guarantee that they will try and convict him and that Gary will not get a deal. As it will be his third felony conviction, Gary will be sent to prison for life. After Provenza agrees, Sharon explains that she'd gotten back together with Gary after his release when he assured her that he was now clean. After Sharon discovered that Gary was on drugs again, she made plans to leave him. After Sharon told Gary about her plans, he did the armed robbery and told her that she was now in it with him in an attempt to force Sharon to stay with him.
In order to help the police arrest Gary, Sharon provides Provenza with the phone number to Gary's burner phone. The LAPD are able to track Gary through his cell phone to a bar in Echo Park and arrest him.
In the fifth part, Gary is brought in for interrogation by Sharon Raydor and Provenza. Gary waives his rights to an attorney and chooses to represent himself rather than being provided with a lawyer by the state. Handcuffed to a chair, Gary claims they both need help and any time he gets an attorney, he goes to jail longer than he should have.
Gary offers that for something lesser than a third strike, he can identify his accomplice in the robbery. Gary recognizes Sharon Raydor and offers to help put "that crazy bitch" away forever so she can't hurt Rusty again. Sharon reminds Gary of the abuse Rusty suffered at his hands, expressing doubt that Gary is sincere with his worry for Rusty as a result. Gary claims that Sharon Beck was the one who abused Rusty, not him and that its easier for Rusty to remember Gary as his abuser. Gary states that Sharon Beck has never treated anyone right and that Sharon is just hiding behind protecting Rusty by leaving Gary in such a state. Gary claims not to blame Rusty at all and that he wasn't following him out of anger as Sharon Beck is the real problem. As Provenza promises to see if a deal with the DA is possible, Sharon departs, hit by inspiration for her current case.
After hearing about Gary's story, Rusty refuses to believe that he is telling the truth, especially as Sharon Beck has always been very bad at planning ahead. However, the police can't be sure which of the two are telling the truth. Sharon Raydor suggests that Rusty visit Gary in the County Jail where Gary will have a harder time lying to Rusty's face. As Gary has waived his right to an attorney, anything he says to Rusty can be used as evidence against him.
Following Sharon's suggestion, Rusty visits Gary at the County Jail where Gary is surprised to have Rusty as his visitor. Rusty immediately confronts Gary about his lies regarding Sharon abusing and abandoning him. Gary brushes it off as "tough love" and points out that Rusty now has a good life because of being abandoned. Rusty brings up Gary accusing Sharon of planning the armed robbery, but Gary changes the subject to when three years before he and Sharon had been arrested for meth possession which ended with Gary going to jail and Sharon to rehab.
Gary angrily tells Rusty that Sharon is "a dumb bitch" if she thinks he'd take three years and a second strike only to have her dump him. Gary tells Rusty that they had a plan "of getting back to normal." Rusty asks if the plan was to keep Sharon high and pimp her out, causing Gary to bring up Rusty's own past of prostitution in retaliation. Rusty guesses that when Sharon wouldn't sell herself anymore, Gary tried to blackmail her back into it through the armed robbery. Gary reveals that he was going to be selling Sharon out which he admits wouldn't be easy due to her age but it was something he was willing to do.
Rusty presses on about Gary using the robbery to set his mother up and force her back to him. "So what if it was?!" Gary finally explodes. "So what if it was? I was taking care of her! And because she wouldn't listen and freaked out, I got caught. But this time... this time, she's going to jail for as long as I can keep her there and this time I'm the one cutting the deal. Me." Having gotten the response he wanted, Rusty checks on the cameras recording the visit and dons a smug smile. Gary notices and asks if Rusty thinks that he knows something. Pleased with himself, Rusty tells Gary that "everyone's about to know something Gary. And now I'm leaving you, just like you left me: in a place full of cages with nowhere to go."
After Rusty departs with a final smirk at Gary, Gary does a double-take at the cameras recording the meeting and appears to realize what just happened. Rusty then alerts Sharon Raydor who watches the recording with Buzz, Provenza and DDA Hobbs. Hobbs states that Gary's recorded confession is enough to exonerate Sharon Beck and make a deal with her while Gary will be going to prison for life.
In season 5, Sharon Beck is revealed to be pregnant with Gary's daughter. Sharon assures her son that Gary will have no part of his child's life and seeks Rusty's approval on whether or not to give up the child for adoption. Eventually, with Rusty's full support, Sharon moves in with Gary's parents so that they can raise the child together.
Trivia[]
- Despite not appearing in person until "Hindsight, Part 1", Gary played a major role in the life of Rusty Beck due to his abandonment of Rusty leading to Rusty's life on the streets. Gary continues to play a major role in Rusty's life as he is the father of Rusty's half-sister.
- When confronted by Rusty in "Hindsight, Part 5", Gary effectively confessed to child abuse, child abandonment, blackmail, planning to engage in forced prostitution and armed robbery.
- Gary's full criminal history is unknown, but he has been arrested and imprisoned multiple times. At one point he states that any time he gets an attorney, he goes to jail for longer than he believes that he should. After looking at Gary's record in “Hindsight, Part 2”, Captain Sharon Raydor calls Gary "a lot of trouble."
- Gary has two strikes before the events of "Hindsight" meaning he has two felony convictions in the state of California. The second is for the meth possession that got him and Sharon Beck arrested before the events of "Flight Risk", but the first is unknown.
- When talking about his most recent imprisonment, Gary mentions he was in prison for three years. However, this appears to be a goof as three years do not appear to have passed between "Flight Risk", the beginning of season 3 and "Hindsight, Part 1", at the end of season 4. At most, two years have passed during that time.
- When talking to Sharon Raydor about visiting Gary in prison, Rusty asks about the fact that he can't talk to criminals as the son of a police captain. This is a reference to the trouble that Rusty visiting Slider in "Sorry I Missed You" caused in "Open Line".
- The scene between Gary and Rusty in the County Jail somewhat mirrors when Sharon Raydor confronted Sharon Beck in the same location. Both ended with either Sharon or Rusty smugly proclaiming the trouble that the other person was in and then departing. Both scenes had Sharon and Rusty ensure that the person they were talking to would end up in a prison for a stretch of time. Both scenes also had to do with Sharon Beck, either directly or indirectly.
- While not much is said about Gary's history beyond his role in Rusty's life, his parents are apparently good people who do not approve of his lifestyle. Despite what Gary put her through, Sharon Beck was willing to raise their child with his parents help and even Rusty, after consideration, was willing to support this idea.