S06.E01: Thai Hard

[thewhiteowl]

During a trip to Bangkok to train alongside Thailand’s premiere S.W.A.T. team, Hondo and his former military buddy Joe stumble upon a wide-ranging heroin operation with ties to Los Angeles and find themselves on the run from a powerful drug kingpin.

[Danielg342]

I guess we solved the "female cast member" question. Good to see Rochelle Aytes in the opening credits. I'm not quite sure what she'll do every week except pine for and worry about Hondo, but good for Aytes anyway. She will at least make Nichelle interesting to work.

(or is it Nischelle? The Futon Critic is confusing me)

I thought- which seems to be a recurring theme with this program- that the parts were there for a good episode, they just didn't fit them in properly. If the episode used that opening sequence for the climax, intercut with the scenes added during the episode, the story would have worked far better. Instead, what we did get was a lesson in patience, since by knowing where the episode would end up a lot of the impact of the stuff we witnessed fell flat.

I mean, what's the point of showing Hondo and Joe escape from the drug kingpins if we already know they'll get kidnapped? We already know Hondo is a badass, so we don't need to see that again. Oh, and Joe? Those sequences didn't do the character any favours since he did little more than just grimace for the camera.

That said, there were some good moments. Tan and the food was a joy to watch.  Powell was actually interesting and her instincts paid off, though I'm still not convinced her being rogue makes her all that interesting. The Thai SWAT members were also all pretty interesting too.

Oh, and Hicks anticipating that Hondo would request an extension? That was gold.

I guess we'll see how this all wraps up next week but it's a wonky start.

Edited October 9, 2022 by Danielg342

[Snazzy Daisy]

Can Hondo stop being so reckless? He’s about to be a daddy, geez man. If you need to rescue Thet, plan it carefully.

Deacon’s face when Victor was chewing all those fried creatures, it’s hilarious! 😂

Err I want more Somchai in 6x02! 😍

That is not Cabrera, right? According to IMDb, it is Officer Powell.

This episode has many beautiful shots, cinematically stunning. 👍🏻

[Danielg342]

1 hour ago, SnazzyDaisy said:

That is not Cabrera, right? According to IMDb, it is Officer Powell.

Whoops. That was Powell. I don't know why I confuse Powell and Cabrera. I think it's because they both look alike and Cabrera didn't leave as much of a mark as Powell did.

[milkyaqua]

On 10/7/2022 at 6:38 PM, Danielg342 said:

If the episode used that opening sequence for the climax, intercut with the scenes added during the episode, the story would have worked far better. Instead, what we did get was a lesson in patience, since by knowing where the episode would end up a lot of the impact of the stuff we witnessed fell flat.

I hate when shows do this.  They open with the heroes in jeopardy and then we get the..."24 hours earlier."  No, just no.

I did appreciate the scenery and enjoyed Tan and the different foods and Deacon's reaction.

I'm going to guess that although Nichelle is part of the opening cast credits, TPTB at some point are going to add a female to the S.W.A.T. team.  They'll probably rotate to find one that fits the dynamic they want.

[Danielg342]

9 hours ago, milkyaqua said:

I hate when shows do this.  They open with the heroes in jeopardy and then we get the..."24 hours earlier."  No, just no.

Yeah. I can't think of a time where a show used that trope and it actually added something to the episode. There's simply no substitute for straight up storytelling.

9 hours ago, milkyaqua said:

I'm going to guess that although Nichelle is part of the opening cast credits, TPTB at some point are going to add a female to the S.W.A.T. team.  They'll probably rotate to find one that fits the dynamic they want.

My guess too, but I strain to think of someone who will fit better than Norah Fowler. Powell and her rogue tendencies is too much like S1's Street and that was annoying then. Alexis Cabrera doesn't seem to have any defining characteristics other than she's Hispanic like the SWAT member she's in a position to replace. The show may hire another actress or two to audition more characters, so the jury may still be out, but still. Norah at least has a skillset that's unique and needed for the team. It may not be used in every episode, but she actually adds something to the team. That is really what should matter.

[Snazzy Daisy]

BTS… 😍