S04.E05: Fracture

[Danielg342]

From SpoilerTV:

"Hondo is conflicted when the mayor asks him to be the public face of a new outreach campaign meant to improve the LAPD’s stature within the Black community. Also, the team’s search for a lone bomber reminds Tan of a difficult chapter in his childhood, and Chris pushes herself even further to surpass Street and Tan in a SWAT leadership competition."

[Danielg342]

I'll say this is a "soft" B...it was kind of hard to rate because this episode took some slogging to get through but it was still enjoyable.

I really like how the show is tackling the race issues and doing its best to paint a realistic- if a bit cynical- picture that there are no easy solutions. Watching Hondo Junior wrestle with feeling the same way his dad feels is intriguing stuff. You can just feel the defeat plastered on Hondo's head, with Hondo wondering why bother to continue.

Then there's Erika, ready to play the same role with Junior that Junior did with Senior, reminding Hondo that no matter how dreary it is, there's always hope.

The only issue I would say is that the show will eventually have to do more than just have Hondo brood over the whole situation. Yeah, I get that for many people the issue of racism isn't just a matter of a storyline that appears on TV- it's a fact of life and they're already worn out that the story just keeps on playing on repeat. However, I also believe the storyline on the show loses its potency if all it does is belabour the point without it going anywhere meaningful. I'm not saying that the show has to "solve" racism (something which, I will point out, would not be realistic and would be a bit of an eye-roller, since Hollywood has told too many tales insisting racism is an easy issue to solve), but I think it needs to factor into a case or two or be part of a meatier, longer term story.

Hey, maybe this is where the feud between Hondo and Leroy comes to a head. That could be fun.

As for the case itself...well, it felt formulaic and stale. "His next target could be anyone!" Yawn.

This felt like your rudimentary bomber episode. In fact, it played many of the same beats that Shemar Moore's previous show, Criminal Minds did in their episode, "Empty Planet", with a few differences. I did find it clever how the show figured out the bomber's victims, which also gave me some CM vibes as did Tan using his personal experiences to help talk down the bomber.

Those little personal touches did make the case a bit more compelling, but only by so much.

Then there was Chris and her pursuit of Master Gunner. You had to know when Street said he had a technique that would shave tenths of a second off his time that it would factor in somewhere...and he wound up winning. Chekov's Quote, I guess?

I'm not sure what to make of that storyline other than I just hope it's over. Chris brooding over her teammates competing for a job they have every right to compete for isn't consistent with her character at all.

I do think Chris and Erika- Roomates! will be fun, though.

[DanaK]

I thought Hondo's compromise solution on the Black outreach idea was pretty creative and made sense for his character and history. Of course, leave it to the LAPD to think of outreach just as many Black cops were starting to retire.

[Danielg342]

8 hours ago, DanaK said:

I thought Hondo's compromise solution on the Black outreach idea was pretty creative and made sense for his character and history. Of course, leave it to the LAPD to think of outreach just as many Black cops were starting to retire.

I agree. It's a far more realistic plan than what the LAPD originally cooked up. Real outreach begins with listening to what people really want, not mouthing platitudes or plastering billboards.

I wonder if the real LAPD would consider Hondo's idea. I have a feeling it would actually work.

[mojoween]

A long history of TV watching caused me to think that when Erika drove away at the end she was going to get blowed up.

I hope this is the end of Chris whining about the competition and also any thought of hooking up with Street.

[WinJet0819]

13 hours ago, mojoween said:

A long history of TV watching caused me to think that when Erika drove away at the end she was going to get blowed up.

I hope this is the end of Chris whining about the competition and also any thought of hooking up with Street.

YESSSSS!!!! I totally agree. I will be so glad when they don't have their forced tension thrown in our faces. Just let them go back to being platonic friends.

[mojoween]

It’s so funny because I feel that same way on the two hour block of CBS TV.

On SEAL Team, Sonny and Davis have NO romantic chemistry IMO, but their friendship is good.

Same with S.W.A.T.  Street and Chris are great friends, almost brother and sister-like.  But romantically?  Not even a little bit.

[Danielg342]

5 hours ago, mojoween said:

It’s so funny because I feel that same way on the two hour block of CBS TV.

On SEAL Team, Sonny and Davis have NO romantic chemistry IMO, but their friendship is good.

Same with S.W.A.T.  Street and Chris are great friends, almost brother and sister-like.  But romantically?  Not even a little bit.

Criminal Minds did it too. Reid and JJ had a great platonic relationship going and they threw in a love angle before the last season that ruined it completely.

CBS just can't do these relationships right.

[mythoughtis]

I really would just like to watch the eye candy is SWAT along with a good case of the week.  Instead I continue to feel like I’m taking a college course and that there will be a final soon... 

definition of mental  illness and it’s affect on family life for 20 points 

racism and  sexism in the late 20th and early  21st century for 40 points 

Extra credit if you can explain the gig economy and how it exploits workers 

 

and I am a vertically challenged female old enough to remember when a female couldn’t work third shift 

 

 

Edited December 18, 2020 by mythoughtis

[Sweet Tooth]

On 12/9/2020 at 9:35 PM, Danielg342 said:

The only issue I would say is that the show will eventually have to do more than just have Hondo brood over the whole situation. Yeah, I get that for many people the issue of racism isn't just a matter of a storyline that appears on TV- it's a fact of life and they're already worn out that the story just keeps on playing on repeat. However, I also believe the storyline on the show loses its potency if all it does is belabour the point without it going anywhere meaningful. I'm not saying that the show has to "solve" racism (something which, I will point out, would not be realistic and would be a bit of an eye-roller, since Hollywood has told too many tales insisting racism is an easy issue to solve), but I think it needs to factor into a case or two or be part of a meatier, longer term story.

I was actually pleasantly surprised when he stopped brooding and came up with a great solution to the problem. Rather than coming from a place of superiority and yelling about it for episodes on end, he set about figuring out how to work well together with others. I thought it was a tremendous step in Hondo's growth as a character. 

And when I say solution, I don't mean that it will end the LARGER problem, but more like, as he said, taking the same path they did in '92 didn't help then, so it surely wouldn't help now. Hondo understands it's baby steps, but it's steps forward, and that's always good.

Agreed that Erika, coming into this with fresh eyes, has helped him to figure out alternatives to just bitching about everything and saying how ineffectual people are and that they just don't understand. Because yes, that can get old real quick. 

I'm glad the Master Gunner arc is pretty much over and that Chris, while kind of lamenting she and Street had traded places in their lives, did show maturity in saying she was happy for him and genuinely meaning it.

And Deac was able to talk about his feelings.

All in all, great character growth all around, where people started down the road to moping and then turned it around and dealt with it in a mature way.

FYI, you might be able to tell, but I had a bunch of episodes backed up and have been going through a couple a night.