Major Crimes - Shockwave: Part 2 - Review: "Another Hiatus Begins"

I’m going to break pattern and start with Rusty’s story this week because I was a bit upset. The scene I’m referring to is Rusty’s run-in with Gus’ boss.

I didn’t have a problem with the restaurant owner calling Rusty out on the selfish mistake he was making. I expected that someone was going to tell Rusty the hard truth, though, honestly, I expected that person to be Sharon. Rusty needed to hear it. It didn’t surprise me that Rusty would play the ‘you’re trying to get him away so you can have him card’.

But two things did bother me. First, why the did that restaurant owner know that Rusty used to hustle?

I wouldn’t tell anyone that kind of information about my significant other. Not even if I was upset and venting about our issues. That’s a pretty huge betrayal in my mind. Gus lost a major amount of points from me.

Second, I really wish the writer hadn’t implied that Rusty’s concern about the owner’s motives was correct.

I realize that him telling Rusty to tell Gus that was a taunt, because he realized that it would just sound petty and confirm Gus’ belief that Rusty never considered his career important, but there are some moments that I think work better when crystal clear.

By not clarifying that he was not attracted to Gus (“I’m married”, whatever) it, for me, muddied the purity of Rusty’s motives in letting Gus go. It opened the door to the possibility that Rusty let Gus go because he was backed into a corner.

Rusty is the character that got me to start watching this show, and I wanted that moment to be purely about the character growing and learning to put someone else’s happiness before his.

That’s how I’m choosing to read the scene, and the story’s conclusion, but I was disappointed in the way that was handled.

Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, let’s get back to the conclusion of the bombing story.

Watching Rusty and Andy as they sought tactile comfort from each other while waiting to find out if Sharon was okay was a nice moment.

Davis’ refusal to wait to go before the press, until the investigation was concluded, cost her. She was sent to replace Chief Howard at the leadership conference. With that it was confirmed that the show wasted the talents of Camryn Manheim this season. Darn!

It wasn’t until the Major Crimes Unit found the thrift store where the radio from the first crime scene was purchased that it became clear what that opening scene of part one was all about.

Instead of just one scene being about planting a bomb in the police evidence locker, that first scene was as well.

The Unit not only found the proof that Ortiz was innocent of the murder of his wife's boyfriend. They found where he’d been making his bombs and evidence that he had nearly 20 bombs somewhere in the city.


Unfortunately, Ortiz was one of the smarter killers Major Crimes has chased. They found a way to prevent Ortiz’ cellphone’s ability to set off the bulk of his bombs, but the bomb planted to take out his ex-wife directly wasn’t connected to the master phone number.

Raydor and Flynn were instrumental to taking down this guy once and for all. Raydor, as all good detectives, paid attention to details and realized where the bomb in her office was located.

Flynn snuck across the street to the courthouse and arrested Ortiz. He even managed not to kill the guy. I was really impressed with his restraint.

The hunt for a new chief finally ended. Raydor got a promotion but not the one she didn’t want. How gloriously evil was it that Fritz let her think she got the assistant chief promotion for those few minutes?

I still kind of hope they bring Winnie Davis back (maybe with a demotion) so she can be a thorn in Commander Raydor’s side.

I really enjoyed this episode. I always love it when I don’t fill in pieces to the mystery until the detectives figure them out. Only that one Rusty scene annoyed me. What did you think about the episode?