S02E08: Parallax

[CooperTV]

Quote

Jason and Mandy go undercover as a couple on vacation at an upscale night club in Mexico City in order to track on of Andres Doza’s cartel members.

Wednesday, Nov. 21

[sigmaforce86]

That ambush was too well put together, there has to be a leak or traitor somewhere that let Doza plan the whole thing in advance.  My money is on Lopez - at a guess I'd say before Jason found him Lopez actually did make it to Doza or one of his men and negotiated a "double agent" deal in exchange for Doza removing the death threat from him and his family.  There has to be a leak and Carla seems unlikely, she'd have to have a bug on her or something,  Rita seems all in on nailing Doza so I figure she's unlikely too, the only other choice besides Lopez is maybe Col Martinez, he seems to hate or at least disapprove of the Seal team but my money is staying on Lopez for now.

I'm all for a mix of characters on shows but they either need better actresses or better writing for their female characters.  I don't mind Stella too much but I do mind this on-going "I can handle it/I can't handle it" angst and watching Clay pine over her is not interesting.  Mandy bugs me more than Stella, there's wanting to get to your objective and there's being blind to the fact that you're working with a team but not in the field seeing what they see and therefor your second guessing them just comes off as being an ass.

As a pre-break cliff hanger goes though it wasn't too bad.   

[CooperTV]

I can't figure out who thought it'd be great idea to make SEAL Team show into S.W.A.T. show but I gotta tell you -- that was a terrible idea. DEA SWAT team should have handled it, easy, and no heavy military presence is necessary. I cannot believe that the same team that saved some Russian renegade scientist from the Alpha spetznas in freaking China is now going around undercover to strip-clubs/bars as a couple.

DGAF about Lopez and his sad floppy hair. They could've spent the time on Brock or Trent or the other Team guys. I also DGAF about Mandy and her attitude.

Clay vs the authority vs Ray? MEH. Clay's angst about his tragic personal life and him casting aspersions about other people's personal lives? Terrible and also mean. Jason and Alana had like, 25 solid years together probably (if your count the time when they were 15-year-olds) and had two kids together before Alana decided to quit. Ray is also happily married. That dude who was killed three episodes ago was happily married. Clay, stop whining and go away!

Sonny giving Clay Cosmo's advice was solid gold, though. As Sonny and Davis' banter during the 'soap'.

Of course the Team was set up. I think it's the Mexican Colonel. He's shady.

[Raja]

59 minutes ago, CooperTV said:

I can't figure out who thought it'd be great idea to make SEAL Team show into S.W.A.T. show but I gotta tell you -- that was a terrible idea. DEA SWAT team should have handled it, easy, and no heavy military presence is necessary. I cannot believe that the same team that saved some Russian renegade scientist from the Alpha spetznas in freaking China is now going around undercover to strip-clubs/bars as a couple.

DGAF about Lopez and his sad floppy hair. They could've spent the time on Brock or Trent or the other Team guys. I also DGAF about Mandy and her attitude.

Clay vs the authority vs Ray? MEH. Clay's angst about his tragic personal life and him casting aspersions about other people's personal lives? Terrible and also mean. Jason and Alana had like, 25 solid years together probably (if your count the time when they were 15-year-olds) and had two kids together before Alana decided to quit. Ray is also happily married. That dude who was killed three episodes ago was happily married. Clay, stop whining and go away!

Sonny giving Clay Cosmo's advice was solid gold, though. As Sonny and Davis' banter during the 'soap'.

Of course the Team was set up. I think it's the Mexican Colonel. He's shady.

Well DEA are cops and do we really want our police on assassination missions?

 

Serves them right for not respecting the Colonel's rank, I can't believe the Master Chief calling him by his name as if he were a private soldier nor his authority as base commander when he ordered no alcohol. It would be like sharing roast pig and bourbon with embedded Afghani allies last year while saying it is the American way, instead of going special forces native "the snake eaters" and adjusting to local customs.

[CooperTV]

1 hour ago, Raja said:

Well DEA are cops and do we really want our police on assassination missions?

That's the thing: the Team is not really assassinating anyone, more like piss the bad guys off and draw attention to themselves by Jason's and Mandy's weird tactical decisions. They could arrive later, after the Big Bad's location is already known, and assassinate him then.

[mythoughtis]

I’m pretty sure Mandy is CIA. She doesn’t report to Jason and doesn’t have to appease his hurt feelings. She has a job to do and that includes his and his teams’ well-being.  Some  of his team members are also questioning Jasons readiness. It was pretty lame of Ray to be questioning Clay’s attitude  without also questioning Jason’s. Jason’s proven over and over he doesn’t know his limitations and has put his team at risk in the past.  

Edited November 26, 2018 by mythoughtis

[VinceW]

7 hours ago, mythoughtis said:

I’m pretty sure Mandy is CIA. She doesn’t report to Jason and doesn’t have to appease his hurt feelings. She has a job to do and that includes his and his teams’ well-being.  Some  of his team members are also questioning Jasons readiness. It was pretty lame of Ray to be questioning Clay’s attitude  without also questioning Jason’s. Jason’s proven over and over he doesn’t know his limitations and has put his team at risk in the past.  

 

Agree. Mandy is the intelligence operative for the team and she does not plan the actual logistics for the missions. She provides  the demographics on the targets for the most part.  Jason's current attitude towards Mandy is overdone including calling her a liar over her motives. IMO. Jason's recent decisions on the ground have put the team at risk including the predictable ambush upcoming in the next episode.

Edited November 26, 2018 by VinceW

[Lunula]

On 11/22/2018 at 7:36 AM, sigmaforce86 said:

I'm all for a mix of characters on shows but they either need better actresses or better writing for their female characters.  I don't mind Stella too much but I do mind this on-going "I can handle it/I can't handle it" angst and watching Clay pine over her is not interesting.  Mandy bugs me more than Stella, there's wanting to get to your objective and there's being blind to the fact that you're working with a team but not in the field seeing what they see and therefor your second guessing them just comes off as being an ass.

AMEN. I'm on board with Naima and Davis, but Mandy was not cast well and isn't acted well or written well. The more serious she tries to be, the funnier it is - I actually did laugh out loud a couple times during the episode when she tried her tough-talkin'. Not believable whatsoever. And please...do not make Mandy a love interest for Jason. Ever. Period. PLEASE. 

Though I understand the Stella angst - I'm puzzled by how breaking it off with Clay helps her. She still loves him and he's still in danger, she still worries about him and he could still die at any moment because his job is uber dangerous. The only difference is now she misses him because she isn't with him AND he could die and then she'll kick herself for not being with him when she could. How does that help her deal with it? If this is the only issue - then it makes zero sense to me. Worse yet, was this an ultimatum? Did she really think telling Clay she couldn't handle his job would make him say, "Okay, I'll quit so you will stay with me"? If he sucks as a boyfriend, you fight and can't get along AND his job sucks - then okay. But madly in love and breaking it off? Don't get it. 

Edited November 27, 2018 by Lunula
Spelling

[Chas411]

On 27 November 2018 at 11:10 PM, Lunula said:

The more serious she tries to be, the funnier it is - I actually did laugh out loud a couple times during the episode when she tried her tough-talkin'. Not believable whatsoever. And please...do not make Mandy a love interest for Jason. Ever. Period. PLEASE. 

Ugh I just can't with Mandy. She's so miscast, the actress is awful and the writing is awful. It's obvious in every scene with Jason and her that both actors are trying to generate chemistry. also the actress's facial expressions in every scene are so distracting. It's like she's trying to play it sexy but can't pull it off at all.

Edited December 3, 2018 by Chas411

[Lonesome Rhodes]

Not buying that Jason's kids aren't in contact with him.  Not even acknowledging messages he left?  No way.  Unless, of course, Doza got to them.

How obvious were Bravo tailing Lazo?  Bulls in china shops are less noticeable.

I do like that they were made and that they are trapped.  This is the peril TPTB set-up for us at the beginning.  

Doza is totally reminding me of the villain Tavo on The Last Ship.  Indiscriminate murder of even loyal folks?  Not good for the long game.  

The drinking game with the telenovela was a good and fun scene.  I did have a major ewwwwwwwwwwww moment when Sonny described his perfect lady.  Good stuff.