Painted Faces (episode)

Information
"Painted Faces" is the 12th episode of Martial Law. It first aired on January 1, 1999.

Summary
"The visiting mayor of Shanghai is the target of an assassin."

--DVD description

Synopsis
The episode begins at an outdoor ceremony in Los Angeles, welcoming the visiting mayor of Shanghai--Chang Yen. Sammo is an old friend of the mayor, and he is present-- along with Terrell, Grace and Louis. As the mayor steps down from the podium to greet Sammo, a man comes to them with an urgent message. He asks to speak with the mayor and Sammo privately. It turns out that Lee Hei--the criminal Sammo followed to Los Angeles--has escaped custody in China.

As Sammo and Terrell walk back to Sammo's car, Terrell asks about Lee Hei. Sammo tells him that, out of all the criminals he has encountered thusfar, Lee Hei is the worst. Terrell finds a ceramic dove in the car--just like the ones Lee Hei had in "Diamond Fever". Sammo realizes that it is a calling card from Lee Hei. Terrell checks under the car seats and sees a bomb under Sammo. It has a timer and a pressure-sensitive switch, so it will explode if Sammo gets up. Terrell finds a large rock nearby and slides it under Sammo. The pair then run away as Sammo's car explodes, narrowly escaping the blast.

At the police station, Sammo makes a phone call to the Shanghai police, and speaks with a woman--a Lieutenant named Li. He tells her that Lee Hei is in Los Angeles, and needs any information she might have, and she is happy to oblige. Alex Portman--the angry detective who was sent to the Shanghai police in "Shanghai Express"--is also present. He overhears Li say "Los Angeles", and grabs the phone when she goes to fax Sammo a post card that was sent to Lee Hei. Portman tells Sammo and Louis that he is unhappy in China, and that they should try to get him back. They are unable to help, and Sammo and Li continue their call.

Lee Hei, in his house in Los Angeles, meets with the man who planted the bomb. Lee Hei is angry that he failed to dispose of Sammo. The man offers a refund. Lee Hei, instead, introduces him to an assassin he brought in from China--the Golden Dragon. Golden Dragon shoots the man, telling Lee Hei that there will be no charge for that kill. Lee Hei asks a henchman, Jamal, to dispose of the body.

Meanwhile, Sammo and the others need a lead to find Lee Hei. Grace knows about Jamal, and she knows that he has a brother, Damon, who gives tour guides on a shuttle bus.

Louis and Grace try to question Damon on the bus about Lee Hei, but he tries to get away--even jumping off of the bus into the back of a pickup truck. Grace jumps in after him and catches him, but he is still reluctant to tell them much.

They take him back to the station, where Sammo and Terrell ask Damon about Lee Hei in the interrogation room. Damon simply tries to spit at Sammo, but hits Terrell instead. Terrell is angry and threatens to put Damon through the mirror. Finally, Damon tells the detectives all he knows from Jamal--that Lee Hei has teamed up with the Golden Dragon.

Sammo and Grace have heard of Golden Dragon--a mysterious Chinese assassin who is a master of disguise. He kills innocent people in order to assume their identities, which lets him get close to his true targets. Sammo and Terrell manage to find the hotel where he must be staying. However, Lee Hei happens to be in the lobby, on the phone with Golden Dragon. Lee Hei sees Sammo and Terrell at the front desk, and warns Golden Dragon to leave so that the detectives don't find him. Sammo and Terrell make it to Golden Dragon's room, but the assassin has just left. On the way back, Lee Hei calls Sammo in order to taunt him.

Later, Sammo and Terrell are at another outdoor celebration with Mayor Chang Yen. Some people are parading a decorative dragon on sticks. Louis and Grace arrive--they have learned that Golden Dragon has purchased a fake LAPD uniform from a costume shop, and is here to kill Mayor Yen. Sammo tells them to protect the mayor. Sammo soon finds the fake officer--Golden Dragon--just as he fires his gun at the mayor. Sammo grabs a stick and attacks Golden Dragon, and manages to knock him down. However, Golden Dragon throws a grenade. Sammo catches it and drops it down the sewer as Golden Dragon flees on his motorcycle.

Back at the station, in Lt. Winship's office, Winship advises Mayor Yen to cancel his future engagements in Los Angeles, due to the threat of Lee Hei and Golden Dragon. The mayor, however, needs to sign a deal with Los Angeles for a water purification plant. Sammo tells the mayor that, if he wishes to continue, they will do whatever they can to protect him.

The detectives have a plan that might lead them to Lee Hei. They release Damon from the station's holding cell. As they expected, Damon meets with his brother, Jamal, at a restaurant. Unbeknownst to Damon, Louis and Grace had followed him. They corner the brothers and demand to know Lee Hei's address.

Later, Louis, Grace, and a squadron of other officers are at Lee Hei's house, but it is empty. The detectives note that the mayor's last engagement is a Chinese Opera, and realize that Golden Dragon is sure to strike there.

The mayor arrives at the theater to watch the opera, lamenting that Sammo can't enjoy it because he and the other detectives have to be on guard for Golden Dragon. Sammo replies that he has been in this particular show 300 times, and won't be missing anything. In the opera, many warriors are fighting with traditional Chinese weaponry. As part of the show, one of the actors jumps off of the stage to take a bow--it is Golden Dragon. He turns around and lunges at the mayor with his broadsword. Just in time, Sammo--who found the body of the actor Golden Dragon replaced--stops him with a chair.

As Sammo and Golden Dragon battle, Lee Hei appears on a high balcony, aiming a gun. Grace arrives with a gun, and tells Lee Hei to drop his. He does, but then he distracts her and attacks, swinging a fire hatchet at her.

Sammo, wielding a spear, finally finishes off Golden Dragon by kicking him through a backdrop. Grace, however, is not so successful against Lee Hei. He knocks her down and slips away, jamming the door behind him with the hatchet.

Back at the station, the team is glad that the mayor is safe, but they realize that Lee Hei will probably stay in Los Angeles. They get a call from China, from Portman. Sammo takes it, but the rest of the team is eager to leave--including Terrell, who asks who Portman is. Portman is much happier now. Sammo thanks him for his help in the case, as Portman had helped the Shanghai police with some of Lee Hei's paperwork. Sammo tells Portman to say hi to Lt. Li when he sees her. Portman agrees, and--hanging up--it turns out he is having dinner with her.