S08.E15: Hostages

[Danielg342]

Quote

SWAT's anti-terror sting operation at a bus station is thrown into chaos when volatile felons, fleeing the police, burst in and take the bus station hostage. Hondo and the team must play along, maintaining their cover as hostages while they work to ferret out the terrorist in their midst. Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Bennett redoubles her efforts to force Hicks out as SWAT's commander

 

[Danielg342]

Here's what I'll say about this episode.

It's really sad to see a show you once enjoyed so much become so bad that it's not just a shadow of itself, it's a shadow of the shadow of itself.

Long running Hollywood series are prone to this because, eventually, the writers run out of ideas, and this show is not immune to that.

This episode was an attempt at a novel idea for a hostage situation, but it flopped so badly that, like the criminals in this episode, the writers had no idea what they were doing.

At least the criminals were being honest, I'll give them that.

Compounding the stupid criminals were the stupid police officers, including Stupid Hicks and Stupid Bennett.

Right now, there's just nothing redeemable at all about the characters and the narrative at all. The only way the narrative moved forward was by Hicks being so stupid that he sabotaged his whole career by giving in to his emotions, a stark contrast to the calm, composed Commander he used to be.

I guess Hondo's hotheadedness rubbed off on Hicks in the worst possible way.

Then again, Bennett was the classical "obstructionist bureaucrat" whose own stupidity nearly blew the case wide open.

Once again...if it weren't for 20 Squad miraculously figuring things out...the case would have went sideways very quickly.

Maybe it ought to have been.

I have always complained that this show struggles with providing the team with real adversity, usually because they're too chicken to put the characters in actual peril.

This just reinforces the idea with an episode that, in real life, likely goes sideways because the cops are never this good.

Sure, there's the ongoing plot of Hicks' job now hanging by a thread...but Hicks had to be stupid to get to that point.

What would have been better was, in the show's final (?) season, to have a case blow up in 20 Squad's face and have the team deal with the fallout.

You could still wrap it all up with a nice bow at the end...but tough cases and adversity would be a real reason why officers might re-examine their career choices and thus opens the door for possible stories for the finale.

If nothing else...I would expect, eight seasons in, for the show to rock the boat a little and try things it never did before.

Instead of doing what it's doing now and just recycling the same old shows with the same old tropes, throwing in lazy twists to make us think the writers are "still trying".

Maybe it is time for the show to call it quits once we've reduced it to that.

[zoey1996]

I enjoyed this episode. It had enough suspense to keep me interested. I loved Hondo and his little "sister." They sold the relationship and stayed consistent.

Interesting how they kept misidentifying the Goliath, but finally caught him out. 

Neither Bennett nor Hicks handled the situation well, but I'm Team Hicks all the way.

[Snazzy Daisy]

I like this episode better than last week’s Santa Clara. Plus, there’s NO Powell. 👍🏻

I know Andrew is Goliath the moment he starts talking to Tan about making an escape.

I cannot stand Deputy Chief Bennett and her Daisy Duck’s mouth. UGH. 😒

I have no doubt that the bus arrest scene in S01 is way more badass than S08, thanks to Chris! 💪🏼

 

[Quark]

I was thoroughly entertained by this.