Shades of Blue Round Table: Did Stahl Go Too Far?

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As Internal Affairs turned the screws on the team, Loman questioned his role, Wozniak pushed interrogation methods to the limit and Agent Stahl hit a new low on Shades of Blue Season 2 Episode 4

Our TV Fanatics Jasmine Peterson, Stacy Glanzman, and Christine Orlando are here to debate if someone should have stopped Woz, what’s Internal Affairs game plan, and Stahl manipulating Cristina on “Daddy’s Girl.”

Did Woz go too far in interrogation and should his team have stopped him?

Jasmine: He definitely went too far. He didn't know anything about the man or his medical background, so there was no way he could be certain of how much to give him before killing him. 

His team definitely should have stopped him. Especially with both I.A and the A.D.A there overhearing everything.

Stacy: Absolutely, he did. He could have killed him. Harlee trying to play it off as a suicide attempt didn't really help matters either because that just makes them look incompetent for letting a suspect get his hands on drugs in the middle of an interrogation.

I want to say the team should have stopped him, but that would also basically be like throwing Woz under the bus. I think they had to play it off as if he was just heatedly interrogating a suspect to keep him from being in serious trouble with IA.

Christine: Woz obviously didn’t care if he killed the guy, which may stem from losing his daughter to drugs.

His team should have tried to stop him sooner, especially with Verco and Nava in the next room! But they are all so loyal to one another that I wasn’t surprised when they let it go that far. 

Nava Comforts Harlee - Shades of Blue

Do you believe that Internal Affairs really chose not to do another drug test on Tess?

Jasmine: No way! It doesn't make sense that they'd let that go unless they had a reason. I think it's a game and they're screwing with the team to cause tension and get them to turn on each other. 

Stacy: I agree with Jasmine. I don't think Tess is a mole, like Harlee suspects, but I do think IA is trying to make it appear that way to cause tension within the team. They're setting Tess up for a fall. 

Christine: Yeah, there’s no way they just drop that drug test without an ulterior motive. I think Verco is trying to make the rest of the team believe that Tess is a rat so they’ll all turn on one another. It’s a solid plan and it just might work.

Discuss Stahl pretending to be Miguel while texting Cristina.

Jasmine: This show gets to me because I love Warren Kole but loathe Stahl with every fiber of my being. Just when I think he can't get any creepier, he takes it one step further.

This is exactly why I'm annoyed with Harlee for not telling Cristina more...for Cristina to be a daughter of a cop, child of a single mother, and latch-key kid, she's just so naive and obtuse. It annoys the hell out of me.

Also, how is it that Harlee failed to "sound" like Miguel via text but apparently Stahl is convincing without even trying? At this point, he pretty much suspects that Miguel is dead, but he's going to use this situation with Cristina to his advantage like the scumbag that he is.

Stacy: Stahl is scum. He has no limits to how low he will go. Messing with the emotions of a child and using her to get to her mother is despicable.

I'm with Jasmine, Harlee takes some of the blame for keeping Cristina completely out of the loop. She needs to have a real conversation with her, and soon.

Harlee Has No Idea - Shades of Blue Season 2 Episode 4

Christine: I agree with all of the above! Just when you think Stahl can’t go any lower, he does. Messing with Harlee is one thing, but manipulating her teenage daughter is repulsive.

Unfortunately, Harlee keeps Cristina in the dark so much that it makes her even more vulnerable and an easy mark to be played. 

For example, why not tell Cristina about the two girls her overdosed on fake Oxy? That’s the kind of story that Cristina should be aware of in order to protect herself. It’s a dangerous world, especially for teens and Cristina should know what can happen if you make stupid decisions. 

Is Woz protecting Julia out of loyalty, or fear that she could turn in Nate?

Jasmine: I think it's both. Loyalty and family seem to be one in the same for him. He values both more than anything else.

The situation with Nate definitely adds another layer to his relationship with Julia and explains just how deep their bond is, but honestly, even without the Nate cover-up, Woz would still be reluctant to turn on her. His crew is his family and his family is everything.

Stacy: I think it's probably mostly loyalty because turning in Nate would have consequences for her as well. Being involved in a cover up would not look great for one's political aspirations, no matter how she tried to spin it. 

Christine: Julia was part of Woz’s crew and helped save his son. I think Woz might go to his grave to repay that. I wouldn’t be surprised if Julia was willing to turn on Nate if she felt she needed to, but I think that would hurt her more that it would help, so I don’t see it happening. 

What was your favorite quote or scene from the episode?

Jasmine: Oh I definitely have to go with Woz sharing that moment with Nate on the doorstep. It told us so much about their relationship and their past. It got me right in the feels. Freaking Ray Liotta, man. Love him.

Stacy: I loved Woz telling Harlee the story about his daughter and learning why he's protecting Julia, and then Harlee destroying the recording. It added layers to their whole situation. Now Harlee needs to find another way to get her crew out from under Stahl. 

Christine: The scene where Wozniak showed up on Nate’s doorstep was heart-wrenching. Ray Liotta is amazing in this role. For all of the horrible things that Woz has done, scenes like this are why I can’t help but root for him. 

Don’t miss out! Check back on Sunday for our review of Shades of Blue Season 2 Episode 5, and if you still want more, you can watch Shades of Blue online here at TV Fanatic. 

C. Orlando was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.

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