Training Day - Wages of Sin - Review - "Grace"

I will admit from the start, this has been a difficult review to write, hence the delay in getting it posted. Before the episode aired I wondered how to approach it. What would I say if it were a bad episode and I had to be harsh or extremely critical? I think fans of Training Day are still reeling from star Bill Paxton’s sad and untimely death last week, and because the show has been up and down in quality, would I be adding to the pain if I had to write a bad review?

But it is my job to be open and honest in my reviews and I’m sure, after reading so much about him in the past week, that’s exactly what Paxton would expect – honesty.

The fifth episode of the young series, began with a touching photo tribute to its star, Bill Paxton. And then, honestly proceeded to air its most solid episode to date. A well-rounded effort with much improved writing including a few twists that surprised me (and I’m not usually that easily surprised), nuanced acting, more screen time for an underused character and an outstanding guest star turn.

The show seems to be settling into itself, more of the characters starting to evolve and develop and showing more potential. This episode, “Wages of Sin” definitely benefited from a less frenetic pace and understated performances. Most noticeable in this was Paxton himself. When the show started, I worried that he was being too over the top in making his character, Frank Rourke a bad-ass rogue. In this episode, more than any other, it didn’t feel like he was acting the part of Frank, he was becoming Frank, and this Frank I liked, a lot. Playing a very understated Frank this week, Paxton allowed us to begin peeling away more layers to his character. Even his partner Kyle (Justin Cornwell) noted it at the end of the episode by suggesting that Frank may be rough and gruff on the outside but inside he had a soft core and heart.

Secondly, I think by being more understated, Paxton showed the generosity as an actor that he is being remembered for. The recipient of his generosity this week was guest star Brian Van Holt, who gives a wonderful performance as prisoner, thief, killer and family man Jeff Kullen. Normally you’d consider it odd that you would feel empathy for what on paper, appears to be a very bad man, yet by the end of the episode you not only understand his motivations, but are rooting for him to succeed and even feel sorry for him a little.

The episode opens at the Pelican Bay State Prison, a correctional facility filled with a number of inmates who were sent there by Frank Rourke. In one cell we see, from the rear, Jeff Kullen, a large man, doing pull ups, the word GRACE tattooed across the back of his bare shoulders. Which is a bit ironic in that the word, in a way, describes the man perfectly. Every move he makes in the episode is done with a certain grace and style. And everything he does is this episode is motivated by Grace.

Something has spooked this large, intimidating man who was content to stay to himself and not need the protection of anyone else while in prison, to seek out the help of a white Aryan named Pike, (Jeff Fahey in another nice guest turn) who seemed to be running the cell block.

Kullen suddenly has an urgent need to get out of prison. (He was serving time for manslaughter for killing the man who had killed Kullen’s partner in crime after they’d stolen $1 million from an Indian casino). Pike says he’ll help him get out but first, he has to do a favor for him.That favor is to confess to a murder another man was accused of and who was killed by the police for, which Kullen does to the delight of the officer who came a long way to personally tape his confession, Deputy Chief Lockhart (Marie Jeanne-Baptiste). You see, Lockhart really wants him to be telling the truth.

If Kullen is telling the truth, then that means the officer responsible for killing the suspect executed an innocent man, and that officer was Frank Rourke. Lockhart then tells Det. Chavez (Christina Vidal) to order a formal Board of Review for Frank. Chavez agrees and says she’ll have Kullen moved to county lock up so he can testify before the board if needed. In the first indication that she may actually be an ally to Frank, Chavez questions Lockhart’s motives (and it is also nice to see Vidal and her character get considerable more screen time in this episode.)

Rebecca (Katrina Law) and Tommy (Drew Van Acker) are concerned about the inquiry, but Frank isn’t, choosing to represent himself, saying his shooting of the home invasion suspect who killed a young mother was justified. Again, during the hearing Chavez steps up and tries to help Frank. The board tells Frank they will give him their decision in 48 hours, if they find Kullen’s taped confession to be truthful, Frank will lose both his gun and his badge.

While Frank’s Board of Review is going on, Kullen is smoothly negotiating county lock up. He approaches a young preppy looking man dressed in civilian clothes who is going to be released that day and convinces him to swap bracelets with him. He tells him he is about to kill another inmate and needs to get away quickly, which is exactly what he does.

Rebecca and Tommy learn the inmate Kullen kills was going to turn state’s evidence and testify against the White Aryan Leader Pike. Kyle and Frank head to Pelican Bay looking for a lead on Kullen, because they have 48 hours to capture him so he can recant his testimony before the Board of Review. No Kullen, no recanting. No recanting, no Frank on the force. No Frank on the force and Kyle has no way to solve his father’s murder.
At the prison, they find Pike manipulated the whole thing to get Frank to the prison to kill him. Turns out the home invasion suspect Frank killed was Pike’s brother.

Here is where I was surprised. As Pike had his men in place to release the other prisoners, each who had a grudge against Frank, and trap Frank, Kyle and a guard in a holding area, this is where I thought the rest of the episode would involve a prison riot with them trapped. Instead, Pike ends up dead and we learn the real story is about Kullen.

An older inmate tells Frank, Kullen had kept to himself up until he saw something on TV that upset him and he became desperate to get out. What he’d seen was coverage of a wildfire that had driven some from their homes.

You learn that Kullen had seen his wife and 9-year-old daughter (whom he’d never met) on the television coverage. And if he had seen him, so had Chief Jimmy Wade (W.Earl Brown) the ruthless manager of the Indian casino Kullen and his partner had robbed. You see, the $1 million they’d stolen from the casino had never been recovered and he feared Wade would go after his family to force him to return the money.

And he was right, Wade had also seen the news report and sent his thug in search of Kullen’s wife and daughter. Only, the thug found they’d been evacuated to LA. However, Kullen was there too and dispatched Wade's hit man.

By this time, Frank and his team had learned of Kullen’s family and at first suspected he was going in search of them. Frank correctly surmises, that Kullen was the kind of man who wouldn’t go in search of his family, he’d go after the person threatening them, Wade. And as usual, Frank was right.

Kullen has managed to sneak into the casino and walks in to kill Wade only to find his wife and daughter sitting there. Wade sends him back out to get his money. He doesn’t have long before Wade has the wife and daughter killed. As he rushes out of the casino, Kullen runs head long into Frank and Kyle, who at first attempt to arrest him, but after Kullen explains he’s unarmed and Wade is threatening his family, agree to help him after Frank gives him his back up gun.

Frank drags Kullen back to Wade’s office in a ruse to rescue the woman and little girl. In typical Frank Rourke style, negotiations soon devolve into a wild west shoot out that ends up with Kullen wounded, Frank and Kyle shooting it out with Wade in a casino full of people, and Frank ultimately killing Wade.

Kullen recants his confession, clearing Frank. Before officers arrive to take Kullen back to Pelican Bay, Frank gives him a few minutes with his wife and daughter. Kullen’s wife forgives him and in a lovely scene which was among Van Holt’s best, introduces him to his daughter, Grace. You are touched by his tenderness with the little girl, especially when he tells her that Grace is something God gives you that you don’t deserve and he is going to work very hard to deserve her.

This was also perhaps one of Paxton’s best moments in the episode. When after the little girl asks if her daddy and all these people were police, he kindly tells her she’s right, that they’d all worked together. Kyle accuses him of going soft.

The episode ends with Frank’s quiet drink at the bar in his headquarters being interrupted by Lockhart’s arrival. It’s a wonderful scene between Paxton and Jeanne-Baptiste as old friends who’ve become adversaries sparring and eventually toasting to their next battle. A perfect depiction of the adage, “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”

What did you think of “Wages of Sin”? Is Chavez a friend or foe of Frank’s? Does Lockhart sincerely stand for what’s right or is she trying to get rid of Frank to cover her own duplicity? Discuss in comments below.