S08.E03: Life

[Danielg342]

From Paramount Press Express:

Quote

20-Squad faces down a prison hostage situation, only to be thrown into deeper danger when a bomb explodes, freeing maximum-security prisoners from their cells, including someone with a personal grudge against Hondo

Edited November 2 by Danielg342

[Danielg342]

"It's the journey, not the destination"...or so I'm told.

The problem is that when the journey is boring, you have nothing left.

This would have been a better season finale or series finale when "regular characters in peril" would have actually more drama and more stakes because you wouldn't know who'd survive the bloodbath, but being Episode 3 of a 22-episode season, it just falls flat.

Plus, the episode really tried to weave in far too much with a storyline about an incompetent warden, a storyline about Powell being vulnerable, a storyline about Hondo vs. the cousin of Cuchillo, a storyline about a serial killer posing as a medic, a storyline about a prison riot, a storyline about the old man and his son, and maybe a few other nuggets that I'm missing because there was just too much stuff going on.

I have to especially wonder how Cuchillo's cousin knew it was Hondo who shot his cousin...it's not like the police- or the press- report about that kind of stuff. Sure, Hondo made an unrealistic improbable shot to kill Cuchillo but that stuff doesn't make the press.

That's minor to the episode's real problem, and that's the writer just tried to do too much. Pick a storyline or two and run with that- don't try to write fifteen different stories in one episode, because you just end up with a mess.

[Raja]

1 hour ago, Danielg342 said:

That's minor to the episode's real problem, and that's the writer just tried to do too much. Pick a storyline or two and run with that- don't try to write fifteen different stories in one episode, because you just end up with a mess.

I tapped out halfway through when I saw Hondo never saw or read The Onion Field and gave up his weapons. For a broadcast version of the Mayor of Kingston they really were up against a wall since CBS gave away an edited Mayor of Kingston to drive paramount + subscriptions already. So I knew that they wouldn't go through with the implications they set up for the rapes and murders of the officers .

It has been a while since I saw this show so the team has almost turned over but they are still chocking on the elite-ness of SWAT. If the prison was supposed to be in Los Angeles, or even outside if for some TV reason they went to deal with the hostage situation then they set up an officer needs help all officers within the range of this radio converge and help, not a half hour wait for another SWAT team. 

Then the elite-ness kicker the old correction officer couldn't drive a truck in the Air Force, oh no he was a PJ like the Falcon was when he hooked up as Captain America's sidekick. Meanwhile his son is starting as a correctional officer hoping to hire on as a police officer at a later date

[Snazzy Daisy]

I have lost interest very early in the episode. It is a mess, so unfocused. But I appreciate the random mention of Street.

Talking about prison-riot episodes, “Seizure” (S01•E10) was more structured than “Life”.

Why would Deac and Devin be reminiscing about their fathers in the middle of the chaos? Can we stop talking about Devin’s criminal dad already? Geez.

Why the writers give Alfaro hand injury and not utilizing him to the fullest? Alfaro doesn’t need to be benched for Powell to shine.

Hicks behaves unprofessionally in this high pressure situation. His hostility towards the incompetent warden is uncalled for. Yes, he’s angry and  frustrated, but keep your emotions to yourself. 

Captain Cortez handled the prison riot situation way better than Hicks. She even had to deal with Annie’s brain aneurysm and made a very difficult decision to ensure the mission was completed.

 

[Quark]

I was thoroughly entertained by this episode.

[sweetandsour]

IIRC, back in season 1 after the Cuchillo shooting, Honda got some ribbing from other officers because he was on the front page of the newspaper.  LOL I think the press got some aerial shot of him in the helicopter or something.  Ostensibly, one such as Cuchillo's cousin could have found out who killed Cuchillo from the paper.  I highly doubt Cuchillo's cousin reads the newspaper, but it's relevant info to be passed onto him by someone else as intel.

I did think the alleged prisoner who ODed on the infirmary floor looked way too put together and groomed (mostly haircut) to be a prisoner.  Him being the doctor made more sense.  But I guess even well-groomed guys have early days in prison before they are not so well-groomed.

I watched the end credits hoping against hope that the octopus jerk-off guy would be credited as something worthy, like "Octopus Pervert."  But no, he was just down as some pedestrian "Porn Prisoner."  Boo. 

I still miss Street and Luca a lot.

[mojoween]

The “previously on” had Jessica and that was a cruel tidbit to dangle in front of me, show.

I love pissed off Hicks.  “You’re an incompetent moron” while Alfaro tried not to giggle. Put that shit right into my veins. 

[Danielg342]

19 hours ago, sweetandsour said:

IIRC, back in season 1 after the Cuchillo shooting, Honda got some ribbing from other officers because he was on the front page of the newspaper.  LOL I think the press got some aerial shot of him in the helicopter or something.  Ostensibly, one such as Cuchillo's cousin could have found out who killed Cuchillo from the paper.  I highly doubt Cuchillo's cousin reads the newspaper, but it's relevant info to be passed onto him by someone else as intel.

You might be right. I'm basing my assessment on an episode I watched almost eight years ago, so I may have forgotten that detail. I remember the team saying that they usually have a "show-off of the month" or something like that and then saying that Hondo won "show-off of the year" because there's just no topping what he did.

If there was a newspaper article, then I suppose it would make sense for Cuchillo's cousin to know that Hondo shot Cuchillo.