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This was almost a complete sausage fest...no Powell, no Gamble, and the only woman who had lines in this episode was one henchman's girlfriend. Was this script one the 1970s version of the show wouldn't use? Still, Miko's storyline did enough to keep my attention, even if it kind of plodded and didn't really do much- if anything- a lot of the time. There was also a lot of plot-convenient stuff that happened like the henchman taking Miko's phone. Great way to ensure he stays on the case despite the tomfoolery of the powers that be above him. Regardless, Miko's relationship with his faux brother was actually pretty interesting and, though it's a longshot, I would love to hear from the faux-frère in a future episode that he's gotten his life back together and he and Miko are still friends. The only other part of the episode is the seeming end of the line for Officer Doberstein ("Doubs") on this show. Seems cheesy, and all done to give Tan some manpain and a lesson that could have been done in a different way. I also have to question the writing here too, because Doubs himself was pushing himself harder than the other recruits, so it seems rich that Doubs would blame Tan for pushing the recruits so hard. I'm also not sure how the accident had anything to do with how hard Tan pushed the recruits- it seemed like a complete freak accident and perhaps an improperly trained recruit standing too close to the door. It's not like Doubs took a cortisone shot and his injury manifested itself through that risky behaviour. It's also not like Tan ordered that shot to be taken. If so, maybe then I might blame Tan for what happened to Doubs. Otherwise, it was just a really freak accident that was overplayed for drama. Still, I'll at least give the show this much in that we actually had a coherent story this week, even if it was still a weak one. Will the women return next week? We'll see.

There's a part of me that feels like Audrey is being set up for a tragedy. She foreshadowed it herself by bringing up the episode title (with some additional foreshadowing with all the things about Riley in this episode). I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, I love Audrey as a character. I think she fits far better with Bode than Gabriella does. Her presence is almost seamless with the rest of the cast and, if I didn't know any better, I would have thought Leven Rambin was a main cast member already. ...but... Unlike the previous attempt where they teased Audrey's death, this time she's a much more developed character and would be completely someone we'd miss if she was gone. In other words, her character would not be a waste if the show actually did pull the trigger on her. Now, I'm not sure I want Audrey to bite the dust. I would prefer a storyline where Audrey becomes more a part of the Leone family just like Jake and Eve have done. I think Audrey has more than proven her worth that she belongs on this show, and she should stay. ...but I can't deny the tragedy storyline may actually work this time. We'll see where it goes. Other things... I almost confused Rafael with Diego in this episode, because the actor who played Diego is named Rafael. Rafael and Bode had a nice bond, though. I liked learning a part of Eve's backstory in that her situation where she came out of the closet to her parents went smoothly. I'm sure there are a few naysayers who will say "too smoothly" but I don't think it's too smooth at all and I appreciate the narrative choice. Don't know why they couldn't send the kid to the hospital to see his dad. It's not like he wouldn't be supervised at the hospital. I also have to question the wisdom of teaching a kid that it's OK to deal with anger by punching something. Another nocturnal rescue...though this time it would actually make sense. Lastly, I liked that Cole didn't just immediately accept his kid coming out as gay, Cole totally jumped right in and offered advice on how his kid could win the affection of his love interest. That's next-level acceptance right there. The only thing I would have done differently is that I would have actually shown the kid tell his dad "I'm gay" and we see Cole's easy acceptance play out in real time, instead of starting the scene with Cole's acceptance. The scene would have been more powerful if we saw the kid go from tension to an eased mind right away. Overall, it was a great effort. Maybe not as great as episodes before but it's a sign that this show has finally hit its groove.

Deep Cover

I'm the One Who Just Goes Away

What can I say? Maybe they have figured it out. Sure, tonight was rather absurd...but, instead of trying to pass off a scenario filled with silliness into a brooding, serious, DRAMATIC! episode, the writers leaned into all this campiness, dialed it up to 12 (maybe even 13) and produced something as magical as the greatest fantasies ever told. It also helped that Katie Findlay and Jules Latimer embraced their inner Galadriel and were simultaneously elegant, graceful and completely competent and badass. They may have started as beautiful, innocent elves engaged in a magical fantasy, but when things got real and they had to get their hands dirty, they more than did and it was a joy to watch. Sealed with a great, magical kiss at the end to boot. I also thought, much like last week, this was very much an episode where the characters behaved naturally and organically. This time, there seemed to be some actual layers to it, especially when it came to Vince. Leave it to Billy Burke to really bring out the nuances in the grizzled old veteran role, showing how the snark originated deep inside the soul of a vulnerable, troubled man. One who couldn't bear the thought of his father- whom he both feared and revered- is just as vulnerable as he is and isn't as indestructible as he appeared. Which is the same realization that Vince himself has gone through several times in this series, but, arguably, none have been more poignant than this one. Sure, Vince had his stubbornness and seemed to get nasty with both Bode and Jake, but none of that felt forced and you got the sense that Vince eventually came around to what his sons- the de jure and de facto one- had seen all along. It was also a nice touch to see Jake be brought in to hear the news about Walter, cementing the fact that while he may not be blood, he's still very much a part of the Leone family. Still, despite the serious subplot, what made this episode stand out was that it didn't take itself too seriously and realized that dramas can still be- and need to be- fun experiences every now and then. I mean, for all the ridiculous things Bode has done in this series, have you ever thought you'd ever get to see him say, "I slayed a dragon". Yet, here we are. Lastly, I hold out hope- however faint it may be- that maybe this show realizes "Bodiella" just isn't working and "Bodrey" is a far better choice. The sparks were just flying all over the place between Leven Rambin and Max Thieriot and they just ooze so much chemistry that I hope- beyond hope- that their union is permanent. I still think it's a faint hope, because Hollywood always Hollywood's...but at least for this one, magical moment, I at least have some belief that, maybe, just maybe, this show will buck a few trends and benefit in the long haul for it.

So the show promotes Gamble to the main cast only to start a storyline where she'll potentially miss time because of an investigation that will only resolve once we know the show's fate for S9. Well...I guess it makes sense. I still feel Annie Illonzeh is getting the short end of the stick here. The show has crafted a storyline that leaves the character and the actress little to actually do...she's just a spectator in her own story. I get it...the show wanted her and her family to be some kind of albatross, but I think making them a detriment was the wrong move. They should have been allies. Maybe reluctant ones, but they should have been allies. The narrative potential would have been far more substantial with Devin Gamble having her family as quasi criminal informants. It could have been a nice redemption storyline for not just Gamble but also her family as well. Plus, more importantly, it would have given Gamble something tangible to do. Of course, it's not like the show is any good when it actually does give its female characters something to do, because, in those cases, the women acted in the wrong. Zoe Powell's instincts may have led 20-Squad to the child's abductor, but she also got them into legal trouble and she was horrible in her fight against the owner of the farm, where only luck saved her. I could further complain that the show glossed over the fact that Powell entering the one perp's house without a warrant is a serious violation and should have benched Powell for the episode, but that kind of mistake is not unique to the program. Neither was Powell's situation unique to the other women who did things in the episode. The Deputy Chief was oozing villain vibes and was clearly painted as a vindictive, opportunistic bureaucrat who was merely couching protocol to hide the fact she's merely engaging in a personal vendetta against Hicks. Then there was Annie...who played all her beats well but later regretted playing any of them and sounded like that usual submissive housewife she usually comes across when she deals with Deacon, who seemed so incensed that Annie would dare do her own job in this situation. (Oh, and remind me how Annie taking a case Deacon is working on is somehow not a conflict of interest and a violation of procedure and protocol? For an episode that was so much about procedure and protocol, that's a massive oversight, and all for what? A stupid "moment" at the end for Deacon and Annie?) Lastly...the child as the centre of the case. I won't spare a lot of ink (pixels?) ranting about how horrible Hollywood is with child cases, because Hollywood writers and producers are always too chicken to do anything with child abduction cases except to have quick resolutions with the child rescued and unharmed in the end. Yeah...I get it...there are probably too many people in the audience who would be too unsettled with any kind of story that puts a child in harm's way, so Hollywood almost has to write its child abduction stories the way they do. Still, it wouldn't hurt Hollywood to mix up the story every now and then, including embracing the dark side of these stories when they're appropriate. Like in this episode. It was already a pretty heavy episode with a bit of a dour tone cast upon it with Gamble's investigation hanging over it's head. We also had a pretty big subplot with Tan struggling to come to grips with a case of a missing child he couldn't solve. So why not throw a curve in this episode? There are a few reasons why this would have worked. One, this show is too "sunny", where the good guys can do no wrong and the villains never get away with their actions. While in early episodes it was great to establish this tone, we're far enough along in the series that its tone won't get compromised by having different kinds of episodes every now and then. Two, having the team screw up would add more dimensions and more stakes to the Deputy Chief's upcoming storyline about evaluating the team. If the show is going to commit to a "team faces adversity" storyline, then really lean into it, don't make it a footnote with a one-dimensional villain. Three, as much as I felt Powell was weirdly too emotionally invested in this little girl's case, if the team failed to save the girl, then it would have tied in much better with Tan's own grief about his unsolved case. Powell- and we, the audience- would have a better sense of what Tan is going through when we see a similar situation play out ourselves, instead of it being some kind of abstract concept. Further to this point, ever since Powell has been introduced they've tried to make her some kind of maverick and they flirt with giving her trouble because of it...but they never really make her feel the consequences of her actions. If the team couldn't save the girl because Powell broke protocol by invading the perp's house, then Powell's flaw really does become one. No Miko in this episode, so the casting "musical chairs" continues. Though I really don't think he missed much of an episode tonight.

Jay-Z and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ Rape Lawsuit Dismissed by Jane Doe’s Attorney (Yahoo! via Variety)

From The Futon Critic:

From The Futon Critic:

I'm not sure why I didn't realize that Devin Gamble wasn't in the episode...I guess I'm not yet used to her being a main cast member even though she's been elevated to that position for quite some time. Look, I understand that it's pretty common across TV series these days to have main cast members skip episodes. That still doesn't make it any less annoying. I get attached to these characters and some may only watch the show for certain characters, so it's no fun when they don't appear. It's even more infuriating when, as typically happens, you don't find out that your favourite character isn't in the episode until it actually airs. Most of the time the show is good enough to acknowledge the absence, but tonight there was no mention that Tan and Gamble were not in the episode. For fans of those characters (I'm sure they have them), they're probably not happy they had to waste their time though an episode where their favourites are not present. Had they known beforehand, they could have made other plans and skipped out on an episode they wouldn't like.

I'm not sure...I don't believe I ever have. I don't keep a record of it so I won't say "this is the first time Fire Country has earned an A" but I don't recall ever giving it such a high grade. I kind of wrestled with whether or not this episode deserved it...I'm not sure I'd put this among "TV's greatest episodes ever". However, when I determined "this is the kind of episode that FC should be making", I figured it deserved the high grade. I couldn't call it a "standard bearer episode" and not grade it as such.

I have to say that this episode held my attention more than the show usually does. Plus I thoroughly enjoyed the subplot of Miko and Nicole (Deacon's sister in law) acting like a bunch of teenage lovers running around trying to hide things from everyone, even though everyone already knew what they were doing. Gotta love Jay Harrington's picture-perfect portrayal of Deacon in the role of the "knowing and understanding" father figure within this storyline, especially with Deacon saving Miko's behind by recovering Miko's badge from his house. I also thought seeing the frustration of Hondo trying to fix his cousin's life only to see it metaphorically blow up in his face to be interesting. The show doesn't usually allow Hondo to fail, so this was an interesting call- and I might say, about time too. Another positive with this episode involved the prostitute and her portrayal by Megan Leathers. As much as I thoroughly dislike Hollywood's one-dimensional portrayal of sex work, Leathers did a great job humanizing her struggle and at least the prostitute's story humanized the prostitute greatly. Still, this was a case that plodded and meandered, being yet another episode where there seemed to be two or three different episodes in one. So we got something that was not very well developed or explained enough and the narratives never really got past surface level activity, which is a recurring problem with this show. Also a recurring problem? The absences of supposed members of the main cast. Tan was nowhere, and the show didn't even acknowledge that at all. I'll never understand why the show likes to make every main character that's not named Hondo into essentially recurring characters but at least make some mention about why a regular isn't there instead of ignoring it completely.

This is more like it. The kind of show this show should be but never seems to ever get there. You know...the kind of show where the characters drive the plot. The characters organically behave how they should. No one's forcing square pegs into round holes. This episode...finally...let the characters do the work and do their own version of heavy lifting. Let me tell you...when they do that, the results are beautiful. Sure, this episode isn't without its faults. The baby subplot seemed to be just kind of "there" without any real dramatic tension. Natalie Farrow did her best sell job to depict a broken mother but we never really got to know why she abandoned the baby in the first place. Then there were a few eye rolling moments from Vince and Manny that seemed to give them more needless trouble and created some awkward tension... ...but... Can you really say either of them acted out of character? Plus Jeff Fahey's sell job of going through Walter's pain at the end of the episode really put things in perspective. This episode could have been a real train wreck under the wrong hands and the wrong guidance, but, for once, the show got the formula right and produced something that showed what it's truly capable of whenever they get things right. They just need to learn how to repeat this kind of success again.

From The Futon Critic:

From The Futon Critic: