All Episodes Talk: S.W.A.T.

[jhlipton]

1 hour ago, Raja said:

I see your "eater" LT Hunter and raise you Captain Cain of BJ and The Bear

I never watched that one...

[Danielg342]

I look at this episode and think there really are two parts to it:

Part 1, which gets an unequivocal, unquestionable F, and

Part 2, which gets an A.

See, Part 2, those ten heart-pounding minutes where Hondo is talking down Kevin Lynch and trying to tell him not to detonate that bomb, was really the only noteworthy scene in this entire episode. It was your classical battle of wits, though the writing was pretty substandard.

What sold it, though, was Hondo channelling his inner Derek Morgan, with wonderful, purposeful acting by Hondo's Shemar Moore and Lynch's Shane Coffey. It really did remind me of vintage Morgan from his days on Criminal Minds, because that whole scene depended on Hondo having to build rapport with Lynch (aptly named, since Criminal Minds also had a "Kevin Lynch") and get inside his head.

It was Profiling 101, and watching those two lock horns and try to get into each other's heads was riveting. It also speaks to Hondo's skills as a negotiator because Lynch knew that Hondo was just trying to build rapport with him in order to arrest him, yet Lynch still fell for the ruse.

Which leads me to think that if S.W.A.T. had been a TV show that's about "profilers with guns" it might be a more fun show.

I mean, what sold me on S.W.A.T. was the idea of Derek Morgan logically continuing his career, giving another dimension to the "tough guy" by adding in a brain. Granted, Morgan always had a brain on CM, but that seemed to get overshadowed as the series went on.

So S.W.A.T. being the place where Morgan finally gets to reveal who he really is would have been a real treat.

Furthermore, profiling would have given this show that deeper element that Part 1- which was most of the show- was sorely lacking.

Truth is, most of this episode was just random things getting blown up along with exposition to move the story along. There was no real exploration, no character depth, and what little drama we did have fell flat, as the show did little more than provide lip service to the struggles of original team leader Buck Spivey.

Spivey's return was supposed to be a big deal, but the character was barely around and didn't say much, plus Louis Ferreira seemed to mail in his performance, denying his scenes any real punch.

So too was Cortez realizing that she loved Hondo. That scene at the end where you could tell that Cortez was going to say she finally understood how hard it was to love a cop was supposed to be a pivotal moment in their relationship...but the writing was very predictable, seemingly lifted from the lines of other, better written shows.

It was also one of those rare times where Moore himself seemed to mail it in, perhaps because he realizes "Hontez" really is as predictable as we all know it will be.

Truth is, I really want to like this show, because it's readily apparent that Moore wants it to succeed. Aside from that one scene at the end, there hasn't been a scene where Moore didn't at least try to get his lines right and, while I don't think he gets there sometimes, I can sense that Moore's putting in an honest effort.

However, effort only gets you so far. Eventually, that effort has to pay off into results, and so far this show has failed to deliver on any of them.

[Sparger Springs]

This show is garbage. Its like some sad throwback to the 70s.

[webruce]

Like they are using 1975 SWAT personal names and music. I know most of the cast is gone now, but to bad someone can't guest star here.

I to thought Hondo in the not super steady copter, picking off Jesse "Cuchillo" Ramirez was quite amazing. He could have easily have taken out Ariel. Later he tells Mumford it was a lucky shot. I figured maybe he would miss, and Mumford as the other sniper would take out Cuchillo when he stumbled. Actor who plays Mumford (who seems to play bad cops, etc in other shows, per IMDB, played a short stint in the WFL, World Football League.).  He too seems to be in shape. Also like that Jesse was part of the case to help the family.

Jim Street, the new guy, we seem to find out a little more about his history, and relationship to William "Buck " Spivey. Was worried about his pairing with Chris(the female) on the stakeout of Sophia, Casper, and Cecilia. Was worried when they were bored watching or walking the dog that they were going to be taken down or at-least wounded. Also thought that the kid on the bike was a snitch. Nice that they took down Ramon Reyes by their selves. Did like that Hondo stuck with the bleeding Uncle instead of chase Cuchillo's pickup. He has team members and regular PD for that.

Also thought that Beth Morgan, Jamal Goines(sp) gf was telling a story. The show of force to Little Red, was funny. Also the ladies in the salon talking about one for each. Was interesting about the trunk lock down. Would have thought that more of a Mumford tactic. But would have been funny if he was fast asleep when the trunk opened. But him rushing them I guess made the lock-down more plausible.

Did like Deacons talk to Hicks about the team and Hondo, and helping set things up. The small rivalry between Mumford's team and Hondo's is cute. just so it doesn't go over board. Seal Team had that on one episode. Setting up for a raid.

[thewhiteowl]

Swat imposters commit home invasions. Deacon and Luca assigned to bodyguard a troublemaking pro hockey player.

[Raja]

Once again the product branding when announcing your authority. not "police move" or even "L,A.P.D. move" but "L,A.P.D. Swat move".

 

So the entire police department along with a mobile command post can get to the scene but a FBI negotiator remains 15 minutes out. And nobody but a SWAT team leader who requested being fired and his replacement shooting team commander is a negotiator.

[jhlipton]

42 minutes ago, Raja said:

So the entire police department along with a mobile command post can get to the scene but a FBI negotiator remains 15 minutes out. And nobody but a SWAT team leader who requested being fired and his replacement shooting team commander is a negotiator.

That was BS, as was the fact that the FBI negotiator could use the damn phone while on the way to the scene.  A proper negotiator wouldn't need to go inside.  I don't recall Henry Goldblume meeting many of the people he negotiated with.

[transitfan]

On 11/20/2017 at 9:29 PM, jhlipton said:

The storyline was rubbish.  Once SWAQT secured the Heroin House, their job was done; the "regular" LAPD would take over.  But every show like this has to have the small department (CSI is the other main offender) do everything.  Sooooooooooooo dumb!

Hondo's boss showed him the guy's rap sheet that showed he'd been bringing in contraband to Mom's rial.

Sherilyn Fenn

Wow!  I didn't watch Twin Peaks, but I know of Sherilyn from the film "Two Moon Junction", I didn't recognize her at all.  Granted, TMJ was almost 30 years ago...

[Misslindsey]

I might be able to hand wave some of the stories and stuff if I liked the characters more and they had more depth. I really feel like I only really know Hondo and Street, with a little of Deacon and Cortez thrown in here and there. Aren't there three other people on the team? I know basically nothing about them and we are four episodes in. I feel like at least in the first three episodes Street had a decent sized subplot.  

[jhlipton]

19 hours ago, transitfan said:

Wow!  I didn't watch Twin Peaks, but I know of Sherilyn from the film "Two Moon Junction", I didn't recognize her at all.  Granted, TMJ was almost 30 years ago...

You think she looks different -- you should see Burl Ives!!!  LOL

(In my house, we knew Ives as this family-friendly folk singer.  When he went into acting, he picked completely opposite roles.  It was a shock!)

[Annber03]

On 11/25/2017 at 0:28 AM, Danielg342 said:

See, Part 2, those ten heart-pounding minutes where Hondo is talking down Kevin Lynch and trying to tell him not to detonate that bomb, was really the only noteworthy scene in this entire episode. It was your classical battle of wits, though the writing was pretty substandard.

What sold it, though, was Hondo channelling his inner Derek Morgan, with wonderful, purposeful acting by Hondo's Shemar Moore and Lynch's Shane Coffey. It really did remind me of vintage Morgan from his days on Criminal Minds, because that whole scene depended on Hondo having to build rapport with Lynch (aptly named, since Criminal Minds also had a "Kevin Lynch") and get inside his head.

It was Profiling 101, and watching those two lock horns and try to get into each other's heads was riveting. It also speaks to Hondo's skills as a negotiator because Lynch knew that Hondo was just trying to build rapport with him in order to arrest him, yet Lynch still fell for the ruse.

Yeah, I really liked the tension of that whole scene, too. Even though you knew it would end well, they still did well at showing Hondo and the kid establishing a rapport, and made you feel the fear the students in that classroom were feeling. I also liked Hondo asking a couple of the kids why they were in college, reminding the bomber that none of them wanted to be part of that "'screw the people over' 1%". 

And I liked Hondo's bit about people wanting to work hard to the point where they could just relax on a porch somewhere. It was a more realistic version of what most people strive for in this world, I think, instead of going on about the "American dream" and the fancy home and car mindset and whatnot. 

The professor was a creepy character, too, and I wished we'd gotten a little more time with him and the bomber. It would've been interesting to see more examples of how he manipulated the kid, and other ways in which he tried to covertly undermine the school. Good fake out with him falling off the ledge. 

I'll disagree a bit on the characters thus far-yeah, I want more backstory on all of them, and hopefully we'll get that soon, and I especially want to see more of Cortez outside of her relationship with Hondo. I like her, and want to see her developing into a full-fledged character in her own right. But I think there's hints of good stuff developing here all the same. They generally work well together, occasional spats aside, and Chris and Street in particular are forming a nice little rapport and make a good duo in their own right. And the moments where they do touch on the politics of the job itself are interesting, too-Hondo coming to the defense of Buck, and the conflict that caused, was a good bit as well. So hopefully as the season goes on we'll get to see more of that side of things fleshed out. 

And the stuff with them trying to prove this wasn't a Muslim extremist, along with the racial issues that they touched on in the pilot-I like seeing those real world issue angles as well. 

[Danielg342]

John Scott...never change. Man, did he ever have a ball in this episode!

I'm a hockey guy at heart (Canadian, born and raised), so I always like seeing hockey references...but Scott was just great to watch.

I mean, don't get me wrong- I don't think we watched an Oscar-worthy performance...but I dug his enthusiasm. He could definitely play a dopey guy in some frat house comedy any day.

As for the actual case itself...I think Cortez summed it nicely at the end by wondering who turns a grudge into a home invasion mimicking SWAT and creating revenge porn?

...but the concept worked. So too did the story. The biggest reason why was that the show kept things simple and didn't waste too much time with twists and turns- the concept alone was enough to make an interesting story.

I did like, in particular, Chris developing the camaraderie with Desiree, the teenager. The two actors played their parts perfectly, and seeing Chris teach Desiree about boxing was a real treat. I also dug that Chris emphasized that it's important not to let your traumas get the better of you- there are a lot of people who could use that message.

Shemar Moore was, again, Shemar Moore. I'm a broken record at this stage remarking about how good he was, but seeing Hondo confront Laura was a real highlight.

"Your phone's at 85%. Do you have any more lies you want to tell me?"

There still were some shaky parts- the drama with the Councilwoman fell flat, and Robert Hicks just seemed to be there.

Oh, and Street did nothing...though that may actually be not so bad given that he's had a bit too much focus lately. It's still jarring.

Overall, though- it just worked. Simple, straightforward with a good concept- these are the types of episodes you eventually build the show around.

Edited December 1, 2017 by Danielg342

[Annber03]

54 minutes ago, Danielg342 said:

I did like, in particular, Chris developing the camaraderie with Desiree, the teenager. The two actors played their parts perfectly, and seeing Chris teach Desiree about boxing was a real treat. I also dug that Chris emphasized that it's important not to let your traumas get the better of you- there are a lot of people who could use that message.

I really liked that whole part of the episode, too. I'm rather liking Chris so far, she's had some good rapport with her teammates and she's a good mix of tough and gentle. 

Quote

 

Shemar Moore was, again, Shemar Moore. I'm a broken record at this stage remarking about how good he was, but seeing Hondo confront Laura was a real highlight.

"Your phone's at 85%. Do you have any more lies you want to tell me?"

 

Haha, yeah, that was good :D. That Laura was quite a piece of work. 

[threebluestars]

John Scott was hilarious. And man is he huge. When he played it was hard to get a sense of his size, so seeing him with normal sized humans really drove it home lol.

[jhlipton]

On 11/30/2017 at 8:21 PM, Danielg342 said:

There still were some shaky parts- the drama with the Councilwoman fell flat

"You want more SWAT; I guess we're going to have to raise your taxes.  You're cool with that, right? Or I could schedule a press conference in South LA, telling the residents that the City Council asked for MORE police presence.  I'm sure they'll be happy about that."  No 4reason at all for her to cave.

[Danielg342]

1 minute ago, jhlipton said:

"You want more SWAT; I guess we're going to have to raise your taxes.  You're cool with that, right? Or I could schedule a press conference in South LA, telling the residents that the City Council asked for MORE police presence.  I'm sure they'll be happy about that."  No 4reason at all for her to cave.

Yeah, the Councilwoman can't just order the police to send the SWAT to her corner just because she'd like that. SWAT serves the entire city- they can't give certain sections special favours.

[Danielg342]

On 30/11/2017 at 4:13 PM, Annber03 said:

I'll disagree a bit on the characters thus far-yeah, I want more backstory on all of them, and hopefully we'll get that soon, and I especially want to see more of Cortez outside of her relationship with Hondo. I like her, and want to see her developing into a full-fledged character in her own right. But I think there's hints of good stuff developing here all the same. They generally work well together, occasional spats aside, and Chris and Street in particular are forming a nice little rapport and make a good duo in their own right. And the moments where they do touch on the politics of the job itself are interesting, too-Hondo coming to the defense of Buck, and the conflict that caused, was a good bit as well. So hopefully as the season goes on we'll get to see more of that side of things fleshed out. 

This episode, I don't think, did very well to develop any of the characters. They kind of just did their parts and read their lines and that was it.

Overall, I'd agree that the show's doing a decent job exploring deeper issues and developing its characters, though I feel it's a mixed bag and they could do much better.

I mean, we know Hondo pretty well, and Street. Chris too is coming into her own, and the show seems to want to ship her with Street.

We also know Luca's a bit of a pain to live with. We also know that Cortez does have a fondness for Hondo, and Hondo shares that fondness.

After that...what do we know?

Victor Tan has done nothing but recite exposition. I know nothing about him.

Deacon shows his smarts, but he's not said much about his personal life until "Imposters" where you know he was once a hockey player.

We also really don't know Cortez much outside of her relationship with Hondo.

We also don't have much differentiation among the characters, other than Hondo being the "people person" leader and Street being a bit of a reckless maverick. Which one is the weapon expert? Which one is geographic/landscape expert that knows how best to attack a certain hideout? Which one is the best at actually guarding the group's back?

Other than Chris being a woman, is there anything that tells you that Chris, Deacon, Luca and Tan are different in any way?

I fail to see it.

I grant that, four or five episodes in, these things may not have been thought out- but I do believe by season's end, none of the main cast should be ciphers at all.

[Raja]

4 hours ago, Danielg342 said:

 

We also don't have much differentiation among the characters, other than Hondo being the "people person" leader and Street being a bit of a reckless maverick. Which one is the weapon expert? Which one is geographic/landscape expert that knows how best to attack a certain hideout? Which one is the best at actually guarding the group's back?

Other than Chris being a woman, is there anything that tells you that Chris, Deacon, Luca and Tan are different in any way?

I fail to see it.

I grant that, four or five episodes in, these things may not have been thought out- but I do believe by season's end, none of the main cast should be ciphers at all.

Are SWAT teams actually task organized like that? I remember in the original show you had Deacon as the scout and McCabe as the sniper but Street and Luca were functionally just riflemen in that organization with Luca coming from an undercover assignment before SWAT.

[Raja]

4 hours ago, Danielg342 said:

Yeah, the Councilwoman can't just order the police to send the SWAT to her corner just because she'd like that. SWAT serves the entire city- they can't give certain sections special favours.

I guess that having seen real life LAPD I am wondering why she wants 5 SWAT officers in their tight t-shirts in one group rather than the Metro Division crime suppression squads that are used to flood a neighborhood rather than the basic one car a rich neighborhood would have assigned.? Our  elite bias makes for silly story telling once again

[Danielg342]

6 hours ago, Raja said:

Are SWAT teams actually task organized like that? I remember in the original show you had Deacon as the scout and McCabe as the sniper but Street and Luca were functionally just riflemen in that organization with Luca coming from an undercover assignment before SWAT.

I don't know much about actual SWAT roles and organization, but I would imagine the team is assembled with certain needs in mind (probably depending on the jurisdiction and their special needs).

Furthermore, I would expect the different teammates to offer something that the rest of the team values, even if it's just intangibles like "this one is the risk taker" and "this one empathizes better". They shouldn't have interchangeable skills, because then you essentially just have "plot robots" and makes the audience wonder why the team is so big.

[thewhiteowl]

Hondo puts aside misgivings and allows reckless newbie Street to go undercover. Also, Hondo visits Raymont Harris, the wounded teen suffering from PTSD.

[BunchOMalarkey]

I'm such a wuss. I teared up when Desiree hugged Chris. To see that sense of relief and feeling like everything is going to be all right because the calvary is here. 

[Danielg342]

Undercover Street was actually fun.

Usually I want to send Street down the um, street, never to be seen again but this was an episode where he worked. About time too, because Street was wearing on me with his reckless antics and his boyish attitude.

The Case of the Week held my attention, even though it was a bit choppy on how the team got to the conclusions they got to (particularly jarring was when they arrested a Chinese mafia guy without warning- they may have managed to explain how they found him but it was a clunky reveal).

Other stuff- I thought they were fair in their dealings with Chris' troubles, avoiding long screeds about "girl power" that seem to infest such episodes. Predictable that Chris would be the one who would deal with it herself and prove herself on the field, but there was no other way the show could have credibly played that.

Then there was the stuff with Raymont Harris. Shemar Moore is really good at being "the big brother" and he shined tonight, making me invested in what was otherwise a rote, predictable story. I did like that Wendy got game, NBA 2K game, that is.

[Annber03]

Yeah, everything with Hondo and Harris was really sweet and good. I like that they came back to that story, to check up and see how Harris was doing. And Hondo's story about the guy whose death he witnessed was poignant. Especially since they didn't go for the "the guy got shot in front of me" thing, but rather had it be a horrible freak accident while doing something so routine. Good way to drive the point home for Harris. I hope they continue to peek in on him from time to time over the rest of the season, see how he's doing. 

And I liked how Hondo proved he trusted Street, and that Street took his job seriously. We have seen a bit of growth from him here and there thus far (his moment with the little boy a few episodes back, and the way he talked down that bomber in the classroom recently), and this was another nice example of that. 

[mccartygirl]

I loved watching Deacon and Luca with the hockey player. That dude was HUGE!

Anyways, Deacon (who will always be Ted ala Better Off Than Ted) is great in this role. I came for SM but staying for Deacon. Loving this show!

[Raja]

I was reminded that Luca was the undercover cop in the original version but I guess Kenny Johnson has transitioned as an actor and won't lead an episode anymore. A few episodes in and Officer Tan remains just an affirmative action check a diversity box casting. He might as well be a part of Sergeant Mumford's unseen second SWAT Team.

[Danielg342]

2 hours ago, Raja said:

A few episodes in and Officer Tan remains just an affirmative action check a diversity box casting.

Tonight I noticed he was simply a guest star. I don't know if that's always been the case but I found that development to be interesting.

[dirtydi]

On ‎12‎/‎8‎/‎2017 at 0:33 PM, Danielg342 said:

Tonight I noticed he was simply a guest star. I don't know if that's always been the case but I found that development to be interesting.

He was in the intro last week.

[Danielg342]

2 hours ago, dirtydi said:

He was in the intro last week.

Interesting. Six episodes in and they're already doing demotions. Not sure if it's a good sign.

[thewhiteowl]

Hondo's imprisoned friend asks for help, Luca struggles with a secret when his grandfather passes away.

[Danielg342]

I could watch Shemar Moore "big brother" everybody all night and I would be satisfied.

He's just that good. Moore's got this knack for being instantly relatable to everyone yet also being able to put you in your place in an instant. The lines are pure schmaltz but Moore makes it sincere- that's a true talent.

Makes me think that maybe this should have just been "The Shemar Moore Show" and they should have just forgotten the whole "ensemble" thing. Not to say that the other actors aren't good- they are- but Moore's abilities are worth the spotlight all to themselves.

He really particularly shined with Darryl and Leroy, and though his exchange with Luca was predictable, Moore just sold it. It was the only part of that subplot that I really enjoyed.

Other things:

• Street actually sounded like a cool, laid-back guy instead of some reckless jerk. He really had a good rapport with Tan and Chris.
• Tan actually had more than five lines of dialogue tonight, and very little exposition. He actually had- shocker- a personality.
• Chris in a white tank top and jeans. Wow. More of that, please. She's got that "gritty" look down pat.
• Not sure I like the "suddenly lesbian" (OK, she says she's bi but I'll withhold my judgement on that one) reveal for Chris. It's a bit of a cliche to have "tough females" turn out to be lesbians. Hollywood doesn't seem to understand that femininity doesn't have to mean "weak".
• Good to see Michael O'Neill again. He really gets around, especially on CBS- he's been on The Mentalist ("Redwood") and Criminal Minds ("About Face") as well.

[mccartygirl]

I thought this was pretty good. I know most people are here for Shemar Moore (who I think is an awesome dude), but I'm staying for the action and Deacon. This will stay on the DVR for sure! 

And I didn't even know Tan was on the team until last week or the week before. I'm glad he's getting more screen time. 

[thewhiteowl]

Hondo and the SWAT team are forced to work over their Christmas vacation when a drug cartel is out for blood after their cache of gold bars is stolen. Also, Jessica draws the attention of Michael Plank (Peter Facinelli), president of the Police Commission, when she approaches him with her ideas on how to improve the SWAT division.

[Danielg342]

It's the Christmas episode! Time to pull at the heartstrings!

Well, it did, even if it laid it on thick at times. Overall, it really did work- I felt for Deacon and his kids, as well as for Reya. Deac and Reya really had quite the bond, and it helped move along interactions that seemed lifted from Seventh Heaven.

Of course, this wasn't just all Christmas syrup- the tag game was fun, even if it was merely a ploy to give Luca, Chris, Tan and Street some lines. I thought Luca was going to lose his ticket at the last minute- you always see that gag in comedies- but, thankfully for him, he's going to meet his Bey.

As for the case itself- again, a bit "paint by the numbers" that was only lifted by the quality of the acting of Shemar Moore. Moore's got this rare gift to sound menacing and warm at the same time, which allows him to basically "big brother" his way to anyone.

I mean- as it's kind of standard for this show, it seems- the case was awfully straightforward, with lots of clues seemingly coming from "connections" we've never met before and often don't actually meet. You get a mixture of clues and clueless leads before the final showdown where lots of things blow up and the bad guys get caught.

I get it's not supposed to be "deep" but I get the sense that, at some point, the writing for these cases needs to get better. I mean, I don't need Colombo or even Closeau, but having some mystery and actually seeing the clues get put together would be nice.

That said, Hondo and Deacon playing "good cop/bad cop" was fun, and I appreciated the "damsel in distress" storyline since it appears that Hollywood is afraid to use it nowadays (this one came complete with a bloodied lip, another shot at political correctness). Reya and her interactions were great too.

I also appreciated the look into the casita lifestyle, although it's predictable that Reya says she wants to leave it. I mean, understandable- but every character of her type says that. Just once I'd like a character that actually enjoys that lifestyle and doesn't want to leave (and have that character appear in a "morally upright" show like this one and not one about anti-heroes like Dexter).

I also believe they didn't really delve too much into the casitas, and they telegraphed a bit too much in the opening scene that "this place is pretty shady". Mystery, guys, mystery- learn how to build it.

Finally...Cortez's storyline was lame, though I appreciate the effort. She also has more chemistry in five milliseconds with Commissioner Plank than she ever did with Hondo. Could that be the pairing the show will pursue in the interim? Should it be the pairing the show pursues?

(Oh, A+ to that dress...there aren't enough synonyms for "wow" that I can use to describe how effortlessly beautiful Cortez looked)

[BooksRule]

The episode was pretty good (I liked the game of tag), but one detail that did distract me was the way they handled those gold bars.  I know that a bar of gold that size would be really heavy (not that I've ever held one), but they picked them up like they were made of feathers. 

ETA:  And the thieves were running pretty easily with those bags of multiple bars. 

Edited December 22, 2017 by BooksRule

[Netfoot]

26 minutes ago, BooksRule said:

one detail that did distract me was the way they handled those gold bars.

I had that too.  A regular bar of gold weight 27 pounds or something like that. Sure, you c an pick it up, but not easy. Bad enough that they were twiddling heavy bars between their fingers like they were chocolate eclairs. But when they were passing around a bag of gold bars with one hand?  No.

Then the fake-gold was so good a fake, the only way to tell it wasn't real was with an ultrasound?    Gee, I didn't know Archimedes had one of those in his bathtub...

[Danielg342]

2 hours ago, Netfoot said:

Then the fake-gold was so good a fake, the only way to tell it wasn't real was with an ultrasound?

I thought it would have been a funny plot twist if the bad guys had an ultrasound machine...but then the episode would not have ended when it did.

[TrixieTrue]

Does anyone know who sings "White Christmas" at the end of the show? Tunefind tells me it's Rod Stewart, but it doesn't sound like him. 

[Xantar]

I could see chemistry between Cortez and the Commissioner, but no, just no. She made a big deal out of keeping her relationship with Honda a secret because he's in her chain of command. It would completely undermine her character if she started sleeping with her boss.

I was wondering how they made those fake bars. I could maybe see it if they grabbed some lead and painted them, but how did they get those so quickly? As @Danielg342, it just seems lazy.

[jhlipton]

19 hours ago, BooksRule said:

The episode was pretty good (I liked the game of tag), but one detail that did distract me was the way they handled those gold bars.  I know that a bar of gold that size would be really heavy (not that I've ever held one), but they picked them up like they were made of feathers.

All the stuff at that casita and the thieves steal gold?  Just didn't make sense, especially since the paperwork to get it across the border would be in someone else's name.

18 hours ago, Netfoot said:

Then the fake-gold was so good a fake, the only way to tell it wasn't real was with an ultrasound?    Gee, I didn't know Archimedes had one of those in his bathtub...

As @Xantar, said, gold-plated lead (which is heavier than gold) would work.  Maybe they keep some bars next to the fake cocaine they use for stings.

[mythoughtis]

Kenny Johnson was a nice surprise. Haven’t seen him on a show since Saving Grace. 

[hookedontv]

Ok, I'm not buying that Luca is a fanboy for Beyoncé. Every time he said her name I cringed. That's just me I guess...

[webruce]

I didn't recognize Peter Facinelli as Micheal Plank, loved him in " Fastlane" in the early 2000's. Think he has ulterior motives toward Jess. Either that or Hicks will be upset with her, and she will loose that way. Hondo I believe is wondering what is up? Jess did look good.

I either think Luca would like Metal music, or Classic Rock. I liked how he opened the house door with the truck, lol.

Liked the connection between Deacon and Reya Montana. The praying and that it didn't just take Hondo to solve the trust problem. I was so worried when her and Ori? were heading for the car after the gold was given to the kidnappers. Also thought when Deacon plugged the 2 guys that he would get in trouble. Liked that she didn't get killed. Maybe they could some how have her give a tip in the future, or somehow stay in as Deacons friend. Hate when they say we will keep in touch, and the person disappears. But I know, to much stuff like that ,confuses story lines. I did think the 2 guys at the bar that finally stole the gold, were actually undercover. That was wrong.

 Was nice to that Deacon called Annie Kay after he was shot. Also later he held her at home. Being a firefighter, I know like Police, that some times you have close calls and are grateful for your families. Thought Hondo shouldn't have been so alone when he tracked down El Mayo and his guy in the cemetery.

Was surprised that Enrigues Flores(the guy Mumford brought in) gave up info. so easily. But Reya was scared to.

Edited December 31, 2017 by webruce
added thought.

[thewhiteowl]

When a misconduct complaint filed against Hondo gets him taken off active duty, Deacon steps up to lead the team in finding a robbery crew that is hitting marijuana dispensaries. Also, when Tan notices a similarity between the current robberies and a case from his time with Hollywood LAPD, he asks for help from an informant with whom he has a complicated history.

[BooksRule]

Quote

I didn't recognize Peter Facinelli as Micheal Plank, loved him in " Fastlane" in the early 2000's.

If I hadn't seen his name in the opening credits, I would have spent most of the episode trying to place the face.  I think I only know him as Carlyle from the 'Twilight' movies. 

[Danielg342]

16 hours ago, webruce said:

Hate when they say we will keep in touch, and the person disappears. But I know, to much stuff like that ,confuses story lines.

It irks me, because all it takes is a simple line with the phone at their ear (or on speaker) where the character says to the other character, "congrats on that 'A'" or "congrats on your kid" or something along those lines before saying goodbye.

Or even a bouquet of flowers left on their doorstep with a "thank you" note.

I get that you don't want too many characters clouding the storyline, but I also think sometimes writers forget the characters don't operate in a vacuum- the people they save have lives too. It'd be nice if we heard from them every now and then, and not because they're in peril again.

[Danielg342]

Good to see Deacon get to take the lead for once. Jay Harrington has been a revelation this series.

I also hope we're not getting a Weinstein-esque misconduct case against Hondo. It might be a bit "too soon" in the series for that.

[jhlipton]

On 1/1/2018 at 1:31 AM, Danielg342 said:

the people they save have lives too. It'd be nice if we heard from them every now and then, and not because they're in peril again.

To that end, I'm glad that the boy who was shot in the first episode is a recurring, but not regular, character.

[Danielg342]

20 hours ago, jhlipton said:

To that end, I'm glad that the boy who was shot in the first episode is a recurring, but not regular, character.

True...though it would be nice to hear from them and there isn't a storyline about them. It's a start, though.

[Xantar]

Tan's storyline was a standard trope, but it was good to have him get some character development. David Lim is no Philip Seymour Hoffman, but he played the part believably enough.

It's refreshing how much Deacon and Hondo support each other. It's a little weird how the coolest action scene was the beginning one that had nothing to do with the rest of the episode, but it was fun to watch anyway. Just one question, though: why were the SWAT people ordering around the detectives and telling them where to find evidence?