S07.E03: Good For Nothing

[DanaK]

Quote

20-Squad must leap into action when Yakuza assassins descend on L.A., targeting a number of mysterious Japanese ex-pats. Meanwhile, Nichelle finds her job on the line at the inspector general's office when a colleague accuses her of taking bribes, on S.W.A.T., Friday, March 1 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+

 

[Danielg342]

OK, so the positives:

• Ken Narasaki, who played the grizzled Japanese mob enforcer turned gardener, was pretty good. I especially liked his poetic style of delivery
• The whole Yakuza plot was an interesting concept
• Seeing Nichelle getting one up on her scheming co-worker was fun, even if Hondo did all the real work.

That's it.

I could complain about many things about this episode (including that horrendous storyline about SWAT Pasta Night. That sounds like a plot a kid's show wouldn't use) but I'll instead take a longer view, which I think is appropriate since this season is all about wrapping up S.W.A.T.

The main issue S.W.A.T. seems to have is that the show is caught somewhere between wanting to be a story about Hondo and being a true ensemble, and it's clear it really only gets the mixture right some of the time. In the earlier seasons, when the main characters were consistent, it was easier to develop the characters and their association with Hondo.

Over three or four seasons, we really got to know not just Hondo, but Deacon, Luca, Tan, Street, Alonso, Hicks, Cortez and even people like Mumford, Buck and Nate. Even Nichelle had a hint of a personality and undeniable chemistry with Hondo, despite the fact Nichelle was- and still is- barely little more than a walking and talking plot device.

Then the show killed off Erika and everything started to change. Hollywood ensembles have always been volatile, but this show has largely avoided that until that very moment. Perhaps the writers didn't intend for it, but Erika's death served as a reminder that, in Hollywood, ensembles are almost always seen as interchangeable, simply parts of "the machine" that can be replaced at a moment's notice.

That's where I think the show started going off the rails. The tone shifted from really developing characters to having interchangeable robots whose development is token and do little more than recite lines like "if we don't hurry, they'll get away."

In short, this show has gone from having characters I care about to having characters that I don't, and that makes the episodes quite the slog.

Granted, with just 13 episodes left, there's not a lot of room to develop really long storylines, and I get that this show still wants to have an "episode of the week" format to keep these episodes suitable for syndication.

It's just that I had hoped the writers would have done more this season than simply hash out robotic plots. We should have some longer form stories where we can get to say goodbye to our heroes.

Because, at this stage in the show's run, we care more about Hondo et all than some effectively nameless and faceless Yakuza crime lords.

[Snazzy Daisy]

My favorite part is the Timoki takedown by Tan. Yeah! 💪🏼🔥

Deacon looks tired in this episode. 

Pasta Night? Seriously? SWAT and carbs? Who wrote this?

Is Powell supposed to be eating while doing surveillance??!

Nichelle’s story…😴😴😴

Powell, Alfaro & Cabrera can never replace the OGs. I do NOT care about these 3 knuckleheads. The way they talkback to Deacon is somewhat off-putting. The “Old vs New” conflict is getting lame. Do the writers forget that SWAT is family?

[Xantar]

I keep getting distracted by LA’s dumbest civilians. Such as the woman in the opening scene who decided to run right out into the open during a gun fight, thus forcing Hondo to tackle her away from the getaway car. And the boyfriend who wanted to move in with her after six months despite not even knowing what her job is. 

[callie lee 29]

I still like Cabrera vastly more than Powell. Glad to know she's not gone. 

 

I couldn't remember who Alafaro was. Still not 100% sure.

 

The Nichelle storyline would have been a lot more interesting if she had signed it by accident. Didn't mean to, did not participate in a kickback, just made a mistake. 

[Danielg342]

44 minutes ago, callie lee 29 said:

The Nichelle storyline would have been a lot more interesting if she had signed it by accident. Didn't mean to, did not participate in a kickback, just made a mistake. 

Good point.

My guess is that if the writers went in that route- even though a scenario where an overworked, overstressed (and likely underpaid) Nichelle one time hurriedly signed a contract with only a cursory look at it is an entirely believable scenario- they thought it would make Nichelle look bad at her job.

Maybe, too, they were worried that if Nichelle had actually signed that contract there would be no way out from a legal standpoint from being connected to the kickbacks. Or, there wouldn't have been an easy way out for Nichelle because I doubt the writers were committed to fleshing out that story.

[KeithJ]

On 3/2/2024 at 6:51 PM, Xantar said:

I keep getting distracted by LA’s dumbest civilians. Such as the woman in the opening scene who decided to run right out into the open during a gun fight, thus forcing Hondo to tackle her away from the getaway car.

This episode was full of dumb civilians in the opening scene and the cemetery scene.  So many of them running right through gunfire for no reason except to get in the way of SWAT.

[JH Lipton]

On 3/2/2024 at 5:57 PM, callie lee 29 said:

The storyline would have been a lot more interesting if she had signed it by accident. Didn't mean to, did not participate in a kickback, just made a mistake. 

Don’t be silly.  Mrs. Hondo doesn’t make mistakes (unless she’s disagreeing with Mr. Always-Right).