Tommy “To Take a Hostage” was written by Lucy Teitler, whose other credits include
Mr Robot, and was directed by Brendan Walsh, whose other credits include
Royal Pains, and Edie Falco’s last project,
Nurse Jackie. The episode takes a twist on a story that could have been ripped from the Hollywood headlines – Music festival fraudster eludes police on a car chase, ending up taking hostages in a fast food restaurant. That’s sensational enough, but the case becomes even more complicated… This was another pretty fast paced episode with more of the great dialogue this show has impressed me with since the first episode.
The episode begins with a typical OJ-style, LA car chase. Tommy (Edie Falco) gives Kate (Olivia Lucy Phillip) some relationship advice before leaving for work. She tells her to tell Henry (Lukek Jones) how she feels. On her way in, she is informed of the car chase. She tells them to stop chasing him – he’s a non-violent offender and the chase is more dangerous to the general public! Connor (Russell G Jones) tells her they can’t – it’s national news now! And Diaz (Vladimir Caamano) insists that its lifestyle week and it will send the wrong message. I loved how they were concerned about the Hollywood spin and Tommy is completely oblivious – and doesn’t care – which makes her a terrific character.
Tommy’s day ends up split between taking care of the car chase which turns into a hostage situation and trying to secure the votes she needs to get 500 new police officers. We learn that Connor had seven years experience as a hostage negotiator, so Tommy puts him in charge of that situation. She sends Diaz to back him up because he seems to know so much about Blaine (Matthew Daddario).
Tommy goes to meet with the Mayor, but is met by the Deputy Mayor Doug (Joseph Lyle Taylor) who gives her the bad news about the 500 officers – she’s not getting them. Clearly, Buddy is ghosting her. It’s clear that Doug dislikes her and is gunning for her. Tommy points out that she can’t change the department if she can’t bring in new people – more diverse people. She’s worried about her legacy. It’s a veiled threat when Doug tells her that it’s too early for her to worry about her legacy – essentially hinting that she won’t be around long enough to have one. Tommy is just more determined, and she sets about getting the two votes that she needs. Ken (Michael Chrenus) offers to take on Cordero (Jessica Leccia), insisting that he can get her to come around. He tells Tommy that Cordero is running for re-election. Her motives are clearly political and he can speak to that. Naturally, in their first meeting, she completely shuts him down.
Tommy takes on Peet (Asa Somers) and doesn’t do any better. Mrs Gates (Tonye Patano) gets completely blocked in trying to get Tommy a meeting with him. In the end, she has a boot stuck on his car to force him to meet with her. It turns out that Peet used to be a cop and is staunchly loyal to Milt Leakey (Corbin Bernsen). Peet tells her that if she gets new officers where Milt failed, it will be a slap in his fact. Peet refuses to budge unless Milt tells him to.
Meanwhile, Ken gets the idea of offering Cordero a seat on the Police Commission. Cordero is perhaps more impressed by the fact that Ken has come to see her twice in one day. Up until then, no one in the LAPD had ever asked for her support for anything. She pledges her support.
Tommy meets with Leakey, and he tells her that he’ll let Peet vote yes, but he wants an office and a title. He wants his reputation back. Finally, once the bill passes, he wants a say in how it works out. He insists that the diversity initiatives are bad. Tommy refuses to give in to his demands. A nd ultimately the bill fails.
Meanwhile, it turns out that Blaine isn’t the one holding hostages and he is a hostage himself. He’s being held – along with a handful of staff – in a fast food restaurant by Fred (Marcus Giamatti). Fred was a vendor for the failed music festival who lost his business over it. We meet Decker’s replacement – Ashley Kim (Sasha Diamond) who tells Tommy that Blaine called his parents right before the chase started. Tommy sends Diaz to talk to Blaine’s parents.
At the hostage site, we get to see Blake (Adelaide Clemens) in media control mode. She also catches a blogger, Lydia (Ashley Austin Morris) talking to one of the hostages. I did like the scene in which she confronts Lydia, even though Connor has to step in to really threaten her with legal action and get her phone.
Diaz goes to see Blaine’s parents and they deny that Blaine called them – but then the mother breaks down and admits that Blaine told them he was being held at gunpoint. They were heading to his parents when the car chase started. Diaz realizes that Blaine might have been hiding cash assets from the music festival in his parents’ house… and finds the cash hidden in the pool table!
Fred does let the hostages out, but Connor starts to worry when Fred stops asking for a vehicle to get out with. They bring in Fred’s wife Lora (Arija Bareikis) and she tells them that Fred wouldn’t have gone bankrupt except that he helped a bunch of the other vendors. He’s clearly the good guy in this scenario. Tommy insists on going in to talk with Fred face-to-face. She tells them that they found the money and that while he won’t get any of it, it will go into a fund to help those who were defrauded. She tells him that his wife wants to see him alive – and convinces him to come out.
Tommy calls Ken to thank him for a job well done with Cordero. She makes him pretty happy be telling him that he can do more than write speeches. He asks what happens next – they didn’t win. Tommy tells him that they just keep working and that the failure wasn’t his fault.
Blake is approached at the scene as things are getting finished up by Vincent (Matt Dellapina), who’s been digging into the Arturo incident. He tells her he went to see one of the families and they’re living in a new home. There’s clearly something nefarious going on, and he’s telling Blake in case something happens to him… which it now inevitably will!
The episode ends with Tommy on a date with Kiley (Katrina Lenk). While they are having dinner, Tommy sees Doug having dinner with Leakey. It’s clear that Milt is going to continue to be an obstacle for Tommy. As the two leave the restaurant, Tommy tells Kiley she had a nice time but just wants to be friends. They have nothing in common and no chemistry. Kiley kisses her to prove that they do have chemistry, but Tommy still isn’t convinced. It certainly felt like Kiley had an agenda of some kind… I had to agree with Tommy – there wasn’t a lot of chemistry there.
Tommy arrives home to find Kate and Henry having sex in the kitchen! It seems her advice to tell Henry the truth worked – but in a surprising outcome! Kate tells Tommy that she loves her – but I think Henry is still a jerk!
This was another great episode with some great lines. I like that we are slowly getting to see more of the characters. It’s clear that Doug and Milt are up to something – but is the Mayor really involved? What did you think of the episode? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
