S01.E05: Equal & Opposite

[thewhiteowl]

Harlee and Tess intercept a heroin shipment from a local drug lord who discovers Wozniak's secret and tries to use it as leverage to get his confiscated drugs back.  Harlee fears Stahl's interest in her goes beyond the professional, believing he is invading her privacy, and resorts to spying on him with the help of an old friend.  Tess tries to use Espada to get back at her husband.

 

 

[memememe76]

I'm in for the whole season!

 

"I have large appetites. I like a full menu." I was hiding underneath my blanket. So scary!

 

And that FBI guy naming his hooker "Harlee" - Creepy!

[KaveDweller]

Are we supposed to like anyone on this show?

[Syndicate]

Another filler episode where not much happens. I'm over Tess' cheating husband drama simply because it doesn't make any sense at all that we've not been given a glimpse of this man and his take on this subplot. No Loman drama tonight either. We do know that Stahl is officially obsessed with Harlee since he referred to his escort as having the same name. I'm even more convinced that Harlee will kill him after he attempts to rape her and/or kill her.

 

Next week looks like it might be a bit more interesting. We'll see.

Edited February 5, 2016 by Syndicate

[madam magpie]

Are we supposed to like anyone on this show?

I like JLo OK. And Loman.

[Rinaldo]

Are we supposed to like anyone on this show?

That's an individual matter, I guess, but I would think not. I don't expect to like anyone in this sort of story -- which doesn't mean I can't care about them and what happens to them. But qualities I look for in a friend aren't necessarily what I want in a fictional character. MMV.

[breezy424]

It's all just a little too much  to buy even for a fictional story.  That's all I got.

[HunterHunted]

So Woz didn't poison the dog, but he did have gangsters rape another gangster. Woz is a fairly terrible person. Saving the dog does not make him better.

Stahl just ooks me out. I get the full body skin crawl.

[mommalib]

I like JLo OK. And Loman.

Those the only two I like.

[Irlandesa]

I think "like" is a relative term.  I like Saperstein.  Tufo can make me laugh.  Even though I hate the cheating subplot, Drea makes me care about Tess even though she's pathetic. 

 

Then there are the characters who are dark but intriguing like Woz and Stahl.  And Harlee to the same extent.  I do not love the way she acted with her daughter's boyfriend so I had less sympathy for her in this episode. 

 

In a way, I may not want to be friends with the characters or even sympathize with most of them but I actually like to watch all of them right now which is why I am very much "in" on this show.

I did have to crack up at J Lo's outfits in this episode.  After two weeks of Harlee wearing clothes that highlight her assets, this week she's wearing very oversized clothing that doesn't even look like it fits.

[eliza]

lmao Stahl is crazier that I though he was. Not much happened but enjoyed the episode, seem like things are getting crazy next week and finally Tess's husband is showing up, also yeah I have not much sympathy for Woz he's the worst of them all but for the rest of the crew none of them are all  bad so I guess I like some aspect of them and their bad sides made them interesting.

Edited February 5, 2016 by eliza

[omgsowicked]

OK, thank goodness the dog is safe (wasn't sure if Woz was going to kill it or what) but what he had done to Raul was incredibly upsetting.

 

So it's confirmed, Stahl is interested in/obsessed with Harlee (who looked a little disappointed that he had a "date". Don't go there, show. Don't do it). Unfortunately the FBI lead on the case is totally disinterested in taking Harlee's concerns seriously, which sucks because now she has loads of his photos of her. Just like with Raul, Harlee's a criminal but she still has rights. There's definitely a camera in her house, just maybe not in her room. Also, I don't know why Harlee let Christina get away with the car stuff. Wasn't she just at a club? I'd say a conversation is in order.

 

Cheating totally sucks but I see why Tess' husband looked elsewhere. She's so unlikable, and her thing with Espada is goofy.

 

The guy who's learning Portuguese (forgot his name)... I wonder if he'll be the first member killed off or if he'll manage to get out of it. In the promo for next week, I think he was in a shot with Stahl, wonder what that's about.

 

Was happy not to have much of Loman in this episode, mainly because I can tell his entire presence is going to be about hanging his face and judging everything they do, and I'd rather he just quit the force and confess, than be a sad sack the entire time.

[mtlchick]

I actually yelled out "Thank GOD the dog is alive."

 

But outside of Woz trying to cover himself about him being gay and Stahl calling the escort "Harlee" , I zoned out of this episode.  The subplot about the cheating husband is doing nothing for m.

[HunterHunted]

So it's confirmed, Stahl is interested in/obsessed with Harlee (who looked a little disappointed that he had a "date". Don't go there, show. Don't do it). Unfortunately the FBI lead on the case is totally disinterested in taking Harlee's concerns seriously, which sucks because now she has loads of his photos of her. Just like with Raul, Harlee's a criminal but she still has rights. There's definitely a camera in her house, just maybe not in her room. Also, I don't know why Harlee let Christina get away with the car stuff. Wasn't she just at a club? I'd say a conversation is in order.

I don't think they were showing that Harlee was disappointed that Stahl had a date. I think they were demonstrating that Harlee was affording Stahl the privacy and dignity that he had not allowed her to have. I also think they were showing that Harlee realizes she was wrong about her suspicions about Stahl. Unfortunately, she stopped her surveillance a couple of minutes too early.

[Rinaldo]

Well, I guess my wish for Saperstein to get more of a story is going to be fulfilled real soon now. If Woz offs him, that'll free Santino Fontana's shooting schedule for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (should it, against expectation, get renewed). But I can't imagine a commander putting himself in that position; more likely there'll be a series of confrontations and near-misses, and finally the truth will get communicated.

 

I could raise all kinds of frivolous questions about Woz's final scheme to neutralize the gang leader, but it would look like I'm trivializing such aggression in real life, so I'll pass the whole thing by.

[NorthstarATL]

I am disappointed that Stahl apparently IS obsessed with Harlee. I was hoping from the previews that she had figured a way to neutralize him by making it seem as if he was, and therefore one-upping his hold on her. This storyline is just the usual.

[saber5055]

I have to give credit to Harlee wearing tennis shoes at the beginning of this show, to run the perp down, instead of wearing high heels like all the other "women detectives." But WTH with those gaucho pants she had on for the rest of the show? The heck, Harlee!

 

I couldn't buy Harlee turning off her surveillance once the FBI guy answered the door for his date. That's when I would have enlarged the screen and turned up the volume. Yeah, I'm a perv.

 

Harlee complimenting the FBI guy in the donut shop ("You're a good looking guy") was so out-of-character. I hope she's just leading him on so he will get busted. Since he IS a perv.

 

Glad to know the dog is alive and well, and watching Woz have sex in his house now after watching him have sex in the back alley.

 

Tess and her partner link up in a motel and he's having sex with her BACK? Oh, just no to that. But hilarious that Woz broke them up and told them to get back to work. 

 

And yeah, Harlee, you and that daughter of yours aren't as close as what you think. I did like the Files Guy though, he had some good dialogue. Overall, good episode IMO. Plus the Portuguese hooker scenes were fun.

Edited February 5, 2016 by saber5055

[33kaitykaity]

I particularly liked the scenes with Caddie, Harlee's junkie electronics buddy.  The actor totally sold to me just sailing away into a haze of heroin-induced heaven.  I'm too much of a coward to try it, either needle or smoke, but boy, I really wanted to climb on-board with him.  

 

I hope that the ratings pick up for this.  They really are delving into their "shades of gray" motif and it's working for me.  Even with the ick of the rape of Mendez, they weren't shy.  It seemed like Woz tried everything else to calm the gang lord down and get some peace and nothing else was going to work.  

Edited February 5, 2016 by 33kaitykaity

[Syndicate]

This is the first episode that I wasn't drawn to. I thought there was too much goofing off amongst the characters. I'm into this show for the dramatic aspects, not comedy. Tess and Espada were just silly on top of the already dumb infidelity storyline that Tess is involved in.

[saber5055]

I particularly liked the scenes with Caddie, Harlee's junkie electronics buddy.  The actor totally sold to me just sailing away into a haze of heroin-induced heaven.

 

A big YES to this. That actor was fantastic, I'd like to see him every week. Everything about the actor and the character was spot on.

 

I did get a kick out of Woz saying his wife got him that magazine subscription, that was the perfect way to shut down the ribbing. And his Mary Kay car ... oh, my.

[helenamonster]

So Woz didn't poison the dog, but he did have gangsters rape another gangster. Woz is a fairly terrible person. Saving the dog does not make him better.

 

Lack of empathy for humans while being able to show empathy for animals is one of the hallmark signs of sociopathy.

 

I'm going to take Woz's line about not being ashamed of "that part of himself" and "having large appetites," as well as looking like he was enjoying the sexytimes with his wife as him being bi instead of gay. I kind of like how he was able to just joke along with the other cops about his car in order to let the whole thing blow over...I guess even if he isn't ashamed he knows how it would be taken by his subordinates and doesn't want to lose their respect.

 

I know I should hate the Tess storyline but Drea's lucky she's a good enough actor to sell it. It's silly on the surface but she at least makes some of the emotional undertones work. It is ridiculous that we haven't seen her husband yet. A story like this shouldn't be so one-sided.

 

Alright, Stahl is officially creepy. I mean I never got a good vibe from him but hiring an escort/prostitute that kind of looks like Harlee and then wanting to call her...well, Harlee is so fucking gross.

[ribboninthesky1]

Harlee complimenting the FBI guy in the donut shop ("You're a good looking guy") was so out-of-character. I hope she's just leading him on so he will get busted. Since he IS a perv.

 

Glad to know the dog is alive and well, and watching Woz have sex in his house now after watching him have sex in the back alley.

 

Ha! I'd totally forgotten about the dog from the last episode, so I assumed they had a family pet.  At first, I didn't understand why the wife was stunned.  

 

Agreed about Harlee complimenting Stahl - that seemed out of place, especially when she's feeling violated.  I'm hoping she was playing nice to throw him off her scent if he found the camera. 

 

I'm getting less invested with each episode.  Despite a solid cast, they're not giving them much to work with.  I'm here for the flirty scenes between Harlee and the ADA.  That's about it. Gino Anthony Pesi can interrogate me anytime.  Still, I remain suspicious about whether the Boy Scout is all he appears to be.     

[Medicine Crow]

Was the woman who showed up as Stahl's call girl the same gal that played Reese's "partner" in Person of Interest?  (Driving me nuts!!)

 

ETA:  No, it wasn't who I was thinking of.  Thanks anyway.

Edited February 6, 2016 by Medicine Crow

[helenamonster]

Agreed about Harlee complimenting Stahl - that seemed out of place, especially when she's feeling violated.  I'm hoping she was playing nice to throw him off her scent if he found the camera. 

 

Now that I think about it, that scene seems like it could have been one of two things, maybe a combination of both. 1) Harlee feels that Stahl's interest in her is getting creepy so she's trying to encourage him to pursue women who aren't her. 2) She's trying to gauge his interactions with other women to see how much of a creep he is.

 

I forgot to mention that I liked the actor who played Harlee's old mentor. I wouldn't mind if the character showed up again but I also get the feeling that he was really only necessary for this episode. Plus, since he's not eager to kick his heroin addiction, I'm not sure how much use he would be to the overall plot anyway. It was really sad watching Harlee watch him shoot up. I guess it's true that you can't help addicts unless they want to help themselves, which he clearly doesn't.

 

I thought this episode had a lot of good little oneliners. "I need you to write a request and expedite it." "Do I look like the team intern?" "No, you look like the only person who can spell 'expedite.'"

[ribboninthesky1]

Now that I think about it, that scene seems like it could have been one of two things, maybe a combination of both. 1) Harlee feels that Stahl's interest in her is getting creepy so she's trying to encourage him to pursue women who aren't her. 2) She's trying to gauge his interactions with other women to see how much of a creep he is.

 

Harlee knew that Stahl was monitoring her, and deliberately turned on the mic when she first slept with the ADA. So it feels strange to me that she'd just now be hip to his creep factor.

 

I was disappointed in the scene between Stahl's boss and Harlee.  The former seemed competent and reasonable, and is even aware that Stahl is off based on his personal and previous professional issues.  So why she'd suddenly act obtuse about Harlee's concerns didn't make much sense to me.  If nothing else, she'd presumably want any case against Wozniak to stick, so disregarding her informant's rights seems counter-productive. 

 

Matter of fact, there's quite a bit that I found rather puzzling about the episode.    

Edited February 6, 2016 by ribboninthesky1

[Syndicate]

This show has been renewed for a second season I've heard. It will be interesting to see how the premise inevitably changes.

[Texasmom1970]

I particularly liked the scenes with Caddie, Harlee's junkie electronics buddy.  The actor totally sold to me just sailing away into a haze of heroin-induced heaven.  I'm too much of a coward to try it, either needle or smoke, but boy, I really wanted to climb on-board with him.  

He was the best part of this episode to me. I know the whole premise of this show is them showing how just about everyone crosses certain points that are questionable. And I know we do not have to love every character and they do not have to be perfect.

That being said I am really struggling to find any of the regulars that I give a rats ass about. Throw the book at all of them, Loman is about the only one who seems to have any kind of conscience or redeemable qualities.

I did like that the DA, forgot his name, tried to help the kid out before Harlee came and went full on Voight on the kid. Thank heavens he was there to stop her. Yes your daughter has a boyfriend, go home and unleash some parenting interrogation on her.

I have been watching hoping I would start liking it more not happening think I have to jump ship because pretty soon I will be disliking myself for watching ☺

[eliza]

for me Harlee was playing with Stahl at the donut shop.

[Irlandesa]

I was disappointed in the scene between Stahl's boss and Harlee.  The former seemed competent and reasonable, and is even aware that Stahl is off based on his personal and previous professional issues.  So why she'd suddenly act obtuse about Harlee's concerns didn't make much sense to me.  If nothing else, she'd presumably want any case against Wozniak to stick, so disregarding her informant's rights seems counter-productive.

That scene made sense to me. Harlee isn't a colleague, she's a perp turned unwilling informant.  Given her criminal activities, she likely doesn't have tons of credibility with the feds.  And even though the boss might know Stahl's in a bad place, he likely has more credibility with her than Harlee at this point.

 

But even given that, she did ask Harlee is there was something specific she wanted to complain about which was the right move. I know I've had people complain to me who conflated a personality conflict with someone's ability to do the job.  So I get when Harlee didn't have an answer for her, she felt like it was a wate of time.

 

And as long as they don't use what they get against Harlee, it'll stick.

Edited February 6, 2016 by Irlandesa

[ribboninthesky1]

Harlee did give her specifics - she said that she felt 1) Stahl's interest went beyond professional, and 2) the surveillance might be beyond what was required.  Baker felt her timing was suspicious, and didn't believe her. It's not like Harlee found a camera in her home to show Baker as evidence of her claims. 

 

As a side note, Baker implied, if not stated, that she'd worked with Harlee in the past.  So it's not like Harlee was just some no-name corrupt cop - she knew and seemingly respected her in some regard in the past.  

 

Watching that scene again, though, it occurred to me - Harlee hasn't been cooperative most of the time, so I can see that as a reason why Baker wouldn't be pressed to consider her concerns. Not sure that's wise, but I didn't think of that the first time I watched the scene.   

Edited February 7, 2016 by ribboninthesky1

[Irlandesa]

Harlee did give her specifics - she said that she felt 1) Stahl's interest went beyond professional, and 2) the surveillance might be beyond what was required. 

That's not the specific I think she was looking for.  Or I believe the word used was "hard."  I think the specific would be something like finding a camera to prove her surveillance point or "he kissed me" to prove the "his interest is more than professional" point.  Harlee had neither of those.  

 

As a side note, Baker implied, if not stated, that she'd worked with Harlee in the past.  So it's not like Harlee was just some no-name corrupt cop - she knew and seemingly respected her in some regard in the past.

Yes.  I think she knew Harlee when Harlee first started.  But sometimes that's even worse to learn that someone you've respected has been corrupt for years.  And it can lead to you questioning your judgment.

[helenamonster]

Yeah, the thing is Harlee only has a feeling that Stahl's surveillance is crossing the line and doesn't have hard proof. Even when she checked her room for cameras at the end of the episode, she still didn't find any. I can see Baker not wanting to believe the unsubstantiated claims of an uncooperative informant.

[Syndicate]

I wonder what the two shockers in the next episode will be? The promo says there will be two at the end of the next show. I think one of them is that someone dies. Not sure about the other one.

Edited February 7, 2016 by Syndicate

[ribboninthesky1]

Yes.  I think she knew Harlee when Harlee first started.  But sometimes that's even worse to learn that someone you've respected has been corrupt for years.  And it can lead to you questioning your judgment.

 

True, it can be disappointing to know someone you respected was corrupt.  However, I interpreted "Harlee isn't a colleague, she's a perp turned unwilling informant.  Given her criminal activities, she likely doesn't have tons of credibility with the feds" as your perception of why Baker wouldn't take Harlee seriously, as if Harlee was someone she hadn't known before.   Harlee apparently was a colleague once upon a time. 

 

That's not the specific I think she was looking for.  Or I believe the word used was "hard."  I think the specific would be something like finding a camera to prove her surveillance point or "he kissed me" to prove the "his interest is more than professional" point.  Harlee had neither of those.

 

Baker asked if she had a legitimate complaint against Stahl.  "Hard" was never used. To me, improper use of surveillance IS a legitimate, specific complaint and would warrant investigation.  As I mentioned before, though, after watching that scene again, I remembered how obstinate Harlee has been most of the time and I could understand Baker's resistance. Baker assumed she was trying to get out of being an informant, and given Harlee's previous behavior, I get her point of view. 

Edited February 7, 2016 by ribboninthesky1

[thuganomics85]

Woz basically setting up Raul to get raped was creepy as hell.  It made me bring up comparisons again to The Shield, who also had it's own forced rape story-line. Woz is clearly just a bad guy, who will destroy anyone that gets in his way.  No one is safe.  I think he would even hurt Christina if he felt it would help him on any level.

 

Speaking of Christina, the whole plot about her having a secret boyfriend, although I guess Harlee flipping her lid shows that it isn't just fathers who can be old-fashion, over-protective parents.  Kind of have a feeling any potential or future boyfriend of hers is going to be meeting Harlee at the door, complete with the shotgun and "get your grubby hands off my daughter!" schick from her.

 

So, the whole thing with Tess and Carlos seem to be mainly be a set-up for Woz briefly thinking she was the traitor.  And now he thinks it is Saperstein due him secretly meeting up with that prostitute.  HIs paranoia will get someone killed eventually.

 

Pretty sure Lomen was only in one scene.

 

No surprise, Stahl is creepy enough that he is hiring prostitutes to pretend to be Harlee.  Oh, Stahl, you creepy motherfucker.

[Jazz42]

I don't know what you all are talking about. Stahl and his Ho...HarleeHo? are precious. I mean it's just like Pretty Woman. She could have a heart of gold, and he promises to pay her 5,00 for the week. Then he will take her to the track (instead of Polo) and to a Jay Z concert ( instead of the Opera). And then after she gets backhanded by George Constanza he will realize he loves HarleeHo. Then she will save him right back. It's a love story as old as time really.