Sneaky, SWAT. Make me suspicious of Rick, standing off to the side watching Juli, when actually the threat to her life came from elsewhere. I was side-eying the wrong person, and now look what’s happened!
But, dammit, Rick, you had one job. Literally, one. job. Epic fail, dude.
It’s the kind of case that emotionally affects Deacon because someone’s child in danger. Poor Deacon’s going to have to speak with Juliette’s parents. I don’t envy him.
You want cool scenes? Check out the camera work as SWAT breaches the front door of the ex-boyfriend's place; the entire scene inside the house; Hondo rolling down the steps with a suspect.
Not even five minutes in and already I’m salivating over this episode.
Mumford is awesome. He’s getting married (again), this time to a woman he met a month prior. Sounds like he’s been taken advantage of in the past by his wives. I hope this one works out for him. Deacon’s hoping the same. He’s not convinced this is going to be a positive experience for Mumford and suggests he slow things down. That’s not advice Mumford will accept though.
At a motel, Tan, Street, and Chris find the men responsible for kidnapping Juli. They escape with Juli in their car, allowing an epic car chase as Street pursues. Show, I love you for more than just Street behind the wheel, but please never, ever stop letting this man drive. It’s beautiful. Well, it’s
beautiful until he hits another car who pulls into the lane.
“Oh my parents are going to kill me,” the poor teen laments.
Juli managed to get her hands on one of the kidnapper’s cellphones earlier, and she calls Rick from the trunk she’s been thrown into. He keeps her on the line so they can track the car, guiding her through ways she might be able to escape.
“Keep trying,” he tells her. “I want you back with me.” Perhaps Rick’s more than just her bodyguard? Even Hondo gives him a look after hearing those words. Despite his determination to keep things professional, he’s definitely more emotionally invested than he should be.
Jessica doesn’t get to go out into the field with the team much, but she’s always very present in the episodes, helping them remotely. This week is no different. She’s one of my favorite characters (I say, like they’re not all my favorites), and her role never feels diminished even when her personal storyline takes a week off.
It’s Jessica who phones Hondo with the information that Tom Russell, who sued the man providing security for Juliette’s family, is near Juliette’s last known location.
As always, we get that scene where SWAT keeps it light-hearted before the drama ensues. Riding to the possible location where Juli’s being kept, they gossip about Mumford and his three previous failed marriages - and his upcoming fourth to Nikki.
“We should do a background check on this one, make sure he’s not getting played again,” Chris suggests. Mumford’s a smart man, he should be doing this himself by this point.
The team bursts into the home of Tom’s ex-partner. Tom’s not there but, while the team are questioning her on his whereabouts, Deacon steps in and calms the crying baby.
“Kids love me.”
I think everyone loves Deacon.
We’re not done with the cool scenes yet. The team switches to night-vision as they enter the halfway house where Juli might be. Tan eases a camera under a door and communicates with the team via hand signals as to who’s inside the room and where. He is then the one who stays with Juli and reassures her Rick is fine. Broken record here reminding you I love all these characters, but I love Tan a lot and I’m ready for him to get a juicy emotional storyline again.
Everything SWAT does, every op, is a team effort. Even when Hondo is negotiating on his own he has help from the air, and his own team waiting in the wings, ready to step in the moment he needs them to.
On the rooftop, while Tom speaks of what he did out of desperation to help his fellow vets, his family, Hondo connects with him.
Deacon was the right person to send to Juli’s parents, Tan kept Juli calm and helped her after her ordeal, and here Hondo is the right person to talk Tom down.
It’s one hell of an emotional scene as Tom brings the gun to his temple, as Hondo reminds him of all the reasons he needs to live, and then afterwards as Hondo tells him he isn’t a coward.
This show makes my eyes leak.
Can Rick come back next season? He was pretty great.
And Nikki? She actually seems genuine. Looks like it’s forth time lucky for Mumford.
