S06.E12: Addicted

[DanaK]

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The SWAT team races to stop a gunman targeting rehab centers and those he considers responsible for his brother's death. Also, Deacon is caught off guard when his wife, Annie (Bre Blair),  makes a parenting decision that has unexpected consequences for their daughter, on S.W.A.T., Friday, Feb. 3 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+
 

 

[mojoween]

Fuck Tim.  Felt like the show was trying to make us feel sorry for him?  Um, he’s a murderer?

LILA DOESN’T WANT TO PLAY SOCCER, DEACON.  You can’t make her enjoy it, and her team would probably rather not have someone on the team who wasn’t feeling it.

[Danielg342]

I could have sworn just yesterday Lila was a cute little girl drawing a picture for the family of the other Lila that Deacon couldn't save that one day...and now she's a moody teenager.

Well, okay, moody tween...but still. It's the same actress who portrayed Lila in this episode as the one who portrayed Lila in that other episode ("School", from Season 2).

Kids...they do grow up fast.

Was Lila's sprained ankle contrived? Yeah, it was...but it did help drive the point home of the story, so I didn't mind. I would have liked more to see Deacon flat out admit he was wrong to force Lila to do something she doesn't want to do. I might have also preferred if that story had some kind of better resolution than "let's take the kids to the aquarium". Deacon appeared to be making the point that when you make a commitment to something you stick to it- or you at least leave with grace. That should have been a lesson too.

Anyway...I've belaboured that point.

This wasn't actually a bad episode. Routine, yes, but not bad. Tyler Hansen did well as the shooter, as I sure felt Tim Spragg's struggle. Plus the underlying story of the shady rehab centre was well-told. Plus getting to see Hondo open up to the distraught Nischelle over how he hopes he's making the right call when he draws his gun was great.

Then we have Luca maybe on the right path to repairing his relationship with his half-sister. We'll see where it goes with Eva but it looks like we're back on track.

Oh, and maybe Powell looks to have found a way to move forward with her own issues. Would have liked to have met Gabe, though.

So, you know, it all wasn't bad...it just wasn't special. Watchable if you chance upon on it on TV, but sure not one I'm itching to go back to.

[Snazzy Daisy]

When Hondo proposed this to Zoe...

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That was nice work. He was really on the ledge there for a while, and you talked him back down. Listen, if you ever wanted, I would recommend you for crisis negotiation school. 

I was like... YES! YES! YES!

Zoe to find her true calling in Crisis Negotiator Team.

And we can have Nora Fowler back on our screen.

Well, a girl can dream, can't she? 😆

 

Edited February 5, 2023 by SnazzyDaisy

[JH Lipton]

1 hour ago, SnazzyDaisy said:

And we can have Nora Fowler back on our screen.

Don't be silly -- there's only room for one woman at a time (and at the lowest level on the totem pole) in this boy's club!

[Danielg342]

Maybe it's time to comment on S.W.A.T.'s attempt at finding a replacement for Christina Alonso on the team and Lina Esco among the cast.

I realize that we still have half the season (methinks), but at the halfway point the results have been underwhelming. I see nothing at all compelling about Zoe Powell or Alexis Cabrera, not just because the actresses are practically identical twins (good job there, casting director) but also because neither actress has really made her mark on screen. The characters also have pretty bland characterizations because they offer nothing really that new to the team at all.

Maybe that's why the show hasn't yet committed to one being part of the main cast, which is why Nischelle is now a main character. Why, I don't know. Rochelle Aytes is a great actress who has done a marvelous job with whatever she has been handed, but if Nischelle were not Hondo's girlfriend, we wouldn't see her on the show at all.

Quite frankly, I fail to see what Nischelle adds to the overall S.W.A.T. narrative. She's not a part of the team or the Los Angeles Police force in general (with good reason) and all her stories are "side" stories that are not part of the main storyline for the episode. Aytes has already missed one episode this season (the previous one) and her absence didn't affect the episode at all.

I suppose the show will eventually entertain the storyline of Nischelle, being a member of a civilian oversight agency, having to investigate SWAT. It's too juicy to ignore. While that may make Nischelle's role within that storyline a central one, it's not going to address the main fault that she's a glorified side character at best.

What does that say about how this show treats women when its only female lead is, quite literally, a disposable character?

I'm with @SnazzyDaisy that Norah Fowler- who actually brought something unique and useful to the team- would have been the best choice to replace Christina on the team.

However, I want to go a bit into left field here.

I have said, time and again, this show lacks a true detective character. Far too often, the team gets leads that the writers literally pull out of thin air. They're also involved way too much in the investigative aspects of the job that other members of the LAPD would and should do. We've seen, time and again, how missing a true investigator on the team hampers the storylines, most prominently with Saint. Having a regular character who is a detective would go a long way to rectifying those issues.

You might think I'd call for Piper Lynch (Amy Farrington) to come back, because she usually played that role. I'm going to go off the board and go with another Amy.

Amy Davidson.

Yes, she's more known for being on Eight Simple Rules, playing the middle child on the show despite the fact she's six years older than Kaley Cuoco. However, in 2009, Davidson had a one episode role on Criminal Minds where she played criminology student Zoe Hawkes, where Davidson more than proved she could play a detective.

I won't waste any more time with a screed about how great she was and how poorly CM used her character- I wrote one here- but, I do know S.W.A.T. loves bringing back CM alums for roles on this show. Aside from the one we all know who came from that show, three other main cast members were also on CM (Aytes, David Lim and Patrick St. Esprit), plus several others who play  or have played prominent characters (Bre Blair, Timothy V. Murphy, Meredith Monroe and Bailey Chase).

So, Shemar and crew, do me a solid...bring on Davidson and revive Zoe Hawkes for this show (or a reasonable facsimile, I'm not picky). Do that, make her your lead detective and I would be the happiest person in the world. Not just because you owe me for how you treated Hawkes but because this show really could use a character like her.

...and then you wouldn't have to worry about what to do with your female leads.

*sigh*

A boy can dream, right?

[perkie1968]

How long has Hondo's girlfriend been pregnant?  Feels like 2 years and her belly switches sizes each time.  Oy.  

[mythoughtis]

Last episode Deacon was talking about his wayward youth, alcohol etc.  This episode he’s remembering his commitment to sports  in high school. 
I didn’t have a problem with his expecting his daughter to finish out the season.  I did have a problem with him reversing  Annie’s decision after she had left without discussing it.  There are situations where that is warranted for safety, legal reasons, liability, etc- this wasn’t that type of situation. 
 

SWAT playing  detective has happened since their actual detective left.  It’s not a good look since we know it’s totally unrealistic.  
 

I never know which female SWAT member is there since they are totally interchangeable. They have no real interaction with the other team members.    

 

 

Edited February 9, 2023 by mythoughtis

[Snazzy Daisy]

On 2/6/2023 at 9:55 PM, Danielg342 said:

I'm with @SnazzyDaisy that Norah Fowler- who actually brought something unique and useful to the team- would have been the best choice to replace Christina on the team.

I recently rewatched the last episode that Norma Kuhling was in (S05•E19). I think her last line to Luca is “I see you tomorrow”, assuming she isn’t leaving.

But we never know whether she takes the SWAT PFQ Test or not. Or has she decided to settle as TEMS Officer? She is completely forgotten.
 

On 2/6/2023 at 9:55 PM, Danielg342 said:

I have said, time and again, this show lacks a true detective character. Far too often, the team gets leads that the writers literally pull out of thin air.

💡💡💡

What about Archie Panjabi?

She’s a good, resourceful investigator in Departure and The Good Wife.

She might be too costly though since she’s an Emmy Award winning actress. And Shemar Moore may not comfortable with the “competition”.
 

On 2/9/2023 at 10:52 AM, mythoughtis said:

I didn’t have a problem with his expecting his daughter to finish out the season.  I did have a problem with him reversing  Annie’s decision after she had left without discussing it.  There are situations where that is warranted for safety, legal reasons, liability, etc- this wasn’t that type of situation. 

My opinions re everything Deacon are somewhat biased since I like the actor.

I saw some comments on Reddit about Deacon being too saintly. The character gets lucky because it’s played by a likeable actor.

 

Edited February 14, 2023 by SnazzyDaisy
Spelling! 😣

[Danielg342]

On 2/13/2023 at 12:31 AM, SnazzyDaisy said:

I recently rewatched the last episode that Norma Kuhling was in (S05•E19). I think her last line to Luca is “I see you tomorrow”, assuming she isn’t leaving.

But we never know whether she takes the SWAT PFQ Test or not. Or has she decided to settle as TEMS Officer? She is completely forgotten.

Perhaps Norma herself didn't want to commit to it, so they wrote in the ear problem to give them an out. It's the only way that ear storyline makes sense because it came so out of left field.

On 2/13/2023 at 12:31 AM, SnazzyDaisy said:

💡💡💡

What about Archie Panjabi?

She’s a good, resourceful investigator in Departure and The Good Wife.

She might be too costly thou since she’s an Emmy Award winning actress. And Shemar Moore may not comfortable with the “competition”.

I'm sure Archie is an excellent actress. I'm just still salty about what CM did to Zoe Hawkes that I really want her back on my screen. :(

On 2/13/2023 at 12:31 AM, SnazzyDaisy said:

My opinions re everything Deacon are somewhat biased since I like the actor.

I saw some comments on Reddit about Deacon being too saintly. The character gets lucky because it’s played by a likeable actor.

I don't get a "sanctimonious" vibe from Deacon. I feel like those who say that about him might be projecting their own feelings about religion on to the character.

If anything, I feel Deacon's religiosity has been poorly referenced and developed. Aside from maybe a line or two here and there, you wouldn't know if he was religious if he never declared that he was. If anything Deacon is far more, um, religious about upholding the law and the honour of the badge, since he's far more vocal about illegal immigrants and people who want to defund the police.

Maybe this, too, was stylistic choice to keep the character likable. There probably are a lot of fans who still haven't forgiven Annie for coming down hard on Christina Alonso being in the "throuple"- imagine the pushback if it was Deacon who raised those objections, as you figured he would.

On this end, it's a double-edged sword: by toning down Deacon's religiousness, you don't risk alienating members of your audience. However, I also think there's a huge missed opportunity here. Exploring how a religious person navigates a 21st century world that has, largely, abandoned the traditional religions of the past would be very interesting, and I believe it could be done without sacrificing the character's sympathy.

Deacon could have been the proverbial "fish out of water" much like Hondo is being a Black man in a police uniform. The show has crafted a nice story between Hondo Sr. and Jr. where the two clash about their opinions of the police, and you get the sense that sometimes Jr. feels his father is actually right, even though it makes him uncomfortable. A similar story could have played out with the religious angle with Deacon.

[Sweet Tooth]

On 2/14/2023 at 4:49 AM, Danielg342 said:

On this end, it's a double-edged sword: by toning down Deacon's religiousness, you don't risk alienating members of your audience. However, I also think there's a huge missed opportunity here. Exploring how a religious person navigates a 21st century world that has, largely, abandoned the traditional religions of the past would be very interesting, and I believe it could be done without sacrificing the character's sympathy.

Or if not with society at large, at least within the confines of his job.

You know, with him wrestling about how he has to kill people and whether he's justified in doing it, etc. 

But I also agree that the line they'd be walking would be a tenuous one, in that if Deacon was constantly in a state of agitation about hard choices he has to make, it would get really, REALLY tiring. 

I think the Chris situation is a good example of how they handle his beliefs that may come into conflict with the world today, and understanding that times change. Rather than being rigid and almost playing judge and jury, as Annie did, he seeks a balance between his religious teachings, the realities of his job, and society as a whole. He didn't talk to Chris from on high, like Annie did, but from a human perspective, asking her to look inside herself. I think this is actually a better interpretation of a religious person that proves he walks the walk.

I think the way they've handled it up until now is pretty good. An even slightly preachy, rigid Deacon, I believe, would be a disservice to the character and alienate him from the team. I do agree that at some point he had to make a choice between being overly rigid about his beliefs and the reality of the job he had to do, and putting his service to the job first, while maintaining his core beliefs and using them to better himself and those around him.

I did like at the end how he took Nichelle's words to heart and realized his motivation for being so hard on Lila. I got the feeling that even though we didn't see it onscreen, he'd be apologizing to Lila and letting her off the hook. Both Annie and Deacon admitting they made mistakes shows a lovely maturity in their marriage and their respect for each other.