Lost Angels

Tim Doolan is released from juvenile detention in southern California and leaves with his mother Felicia and her new husband Barton Marks to the Valley Acres facility. Upon arrival, he is openly defiant and immediately resistant to the program. Orderlies restrain him when his belligerence escalates, underscoring the clash between his independence and the institution's control.

Dr. Charles Loftis meets Tim and quickly recognizes that the adolescent does not deserve to be there. Tim is barred from leaving the premises and is forced to participate in group sessions. He soon climbs over the wall and makes an unsuccessful escape attempt, prompting Loftis to reframe his offer: stay, and Loftis will try to help him.

Tim recalls a night a month earlier when he and his half-brother Andy, along with their gang the D.A.B.'s, clashed with rivals from the 10th St. Gang. The confrontation underlines the violence surrounding his life and foreshadows the trouble he faces at Valley Acres. The memory exposes how easily Tim's world spirals between loyalty to friends and danger.

During his time at Valley Acres, Tim and Cheryl have a sexual encounter in a shower stall, creating tension and complications in their peer group. The episode reveals how closeness and conflict intertwine within the rehab environment. It also soils trust and complicates future decisions.

In family counseling, Richard verbally abuses Felicia and insults Barton, while Loftis scolds the adults and reminds them to focus on Tim's needs. The session exposes the dysfunctional home life that fuels Tim's behavior and undermines his progress. Loftis tries to steer the parents toward supporting their son rather than lashing out at each other.

Cheryl is released from Valley Acres soon after counseling, despite Loftis's belief that she should remain. Her return doesn't help Tim's desire for a stable teen life, and it complicates his subsequent behavior. The juxtaposition of release and Loftis's concern highlights the institution's struggle with predicting risk.

To rejoin Cheryl, Tim decides to be on his best behavior to earn his release, and he earns off-ground privileges as a reward. The progress is tentative, reflecting how fragile Tim's improvements are within the program. He clings to small wins while his past weighs on him.

Andy arrives to take Tim out for a day, and they drive to Felicia's house. Tim learns that Barton has turned his bedroom into an office, a visible sign of the control his stepfather has over Felicia's household. Enraged by the intrusion, Tim storms out in search of Cheryl, who for years has lived in her mother's empty house.

Tim visits Cheryl at her mother's empty house and discovers she has turned to drugs. He resolves to help her and obtains Loftis's address to arrange treatment. Loftis, upset by the home call, accuses Tim of going AWOL and reports him to Valley Acres, but Tim returns to the facility on his own.

Back at Valley Acres, Tim vandalizes the facility with spray-paint graffiti. Loftis arrives, provokes Tim to vent his anger by inviting a fight, and afterwards calms him down and helps him paint over the graffiti. The sequence uses aggression to redirect energy toward a constructive act.

Tim's half-brother Andy pressures him into participating in a drive-by against the 10th St. Gang. Tim initially refuses but is coerced into holding a gun toward the rival leader. During the attack, Andy crashes a vehicle and Tim escapes the scene.

After the escape, Tim searches for Andy at Richard's house and encounters his estranged father. The moment is tense but emotionally charged, and they share a brief reconciliation that acknowledges their complicated relationship.

Andy arrives outside with Cheryl in tow, and Tim holds Andy at gunpoint and fires shots near his head, frightening him. He then escapes to Loftis's house, where Loftis, drunk and unsympathetic, orders him to leave. Tim falls asleep in a spare bedroom before the next morning.

The next morning, Tim asks Loftis to take him in, admitting his need for a stable home. Loftis informs him that Felicia has inquired about him and drives him back to her house, promising that Tim will never return to Valley Acres. This ends the immediate stay and hints at a tentative new start for Tim.