S.W.A.T. Season 1 Episode 6 Review: Octane
Kassie King
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On S.W.A.T. Season 1 Episode 6 Street goes undercover and must think on his feet so he can make it out alive.
Street's had a bit of a reckless streak since he joined the SWAT team and that was only made more evident when he rejoined an old undercover case leftover from Long Beach. It certainly didn't help that he ended up witnessing a murder.
Jessica [to Street]: Nice to see you back in one piece.
Mumford: Yeah, kid tried to get himself killed, couldn't even do that right.
Officer: Give him time.
Despite these questionable behaviors and Hondo's skepticism, Jessica trusts Street enough to move forward with the operation.
It seemed to me that Cortez was more interested in taking down the big dog, high-end car thief Jeurgen Richter, than she was in protecting Street -- but in the end, everyone got home safe, and the bad guy was taken down.
It was interesting to finally see Jessica and Hondo butt heads a bit regarding SWAT team decisions, but ultimately Hondo caved to her authority and was forced to put his trust in Street.
Although I'm thrilled that our favorite troublemaking team member made it out safely, some kind of mix-up would have made for a more exciting conversation between Hondo and Jessica.
It would have been more dramatic to see them battle out their opposing views rather than just congratulate each other on a job well done.
The only moment we saw real conflict between these two was when Richter took Street hostage. Hondo snapped at Jessica in a moment of worry, but rather than blame each other for what went wrong, they both took responsibility for Street's position, like the martyrs they both are. Sigh.
Well, damn. You bite that thing any harder, it might just bite you back.
Hondo [to Chris]
In respect to Street, I was extremely impressed with the way he was able to handle undercover work. Rather than make silly mistakes or spout off at the mouth, as you might expect from his character, he put all of his intel to use and made calculated decisions.
Street used his ability to think and act on the fly to his advantage by figuring out how to keep his cover, protect the other hostages, and help the SWAT team come to their rescue. What was once his most significant weakness proved to be an asset this time around.
It's clear that Hondo feels a sense of responsibility for everyone around him, and not just his team. This fact came to the forefront as Hondo attempted to help Raymont stay on the right track and took on the role of mentor.
I would say that Hondo felt as if he owes Raymont because of what Buck did to him, but honestly, I think he'd have helped this kid even if he was a perfect stranger -- it's just who he is.
Rather than just relating to Raymont as a "local" as we've seen him do before, Hondo took things a step further by introducing the boy to the officers' psychologist, Wendy. It was a thoughtful move on Hondo's part and also allowed him to reveal more of his history with Raymont, and us the viewers.
I was so pleased to get a backstory from Hondo about what happened with his previous partner. Although it's heartbreaking to lose someone so close to you, this experience informs Hondo as a character and helps us to understand more fully why he chooses to do the things he does.
Hondo wasn't able to save Robbie's life during a task as simple as writing tickets, and I'm sure that's part of the reason he takes his team's safety to seriously and puts most of the weight of that responsibility on himself.
But not only is Hondo this large, protective, gun-toting, ass-kicking SWAT leader, but he also exposed a softer side by admitting that he had needed professional help to get him back on track after suffering his loss. It is a valuable lesson to impart to someone like Raymont.
Wendy used to tell me that the pieces that were hurting inside worked like broken bones. If you treat them right, they'll heal. If you don't, the pain's only gonna get worse.
Hondo
Hondo didn't just spend all of his energy trying to save Street and Raymont but shared someone of his concern with Chris as well.
I particularly loved Chris' subplot this hour.
Unfortunately, prejudice against women in male-dominated fields is all too prevalent, and it was infuriating to see the climbing instructor, Cole, penalize Chris just for being a female on the SWAT team.
Hondo, as you'd expect, was itching to give this misogynistic butthead a piece of his mind, but Chris wasn't about to let that happen.
She's well aware of the hurdles she faces in her job, and it wasn't the first time she's dealt without someone like Cole, and it probably won't be the last. Of course, his actions were unfair, but she didn't want anyone else fighting her battles for her, and that's admirable.
Deacon: Look, I don't think Cole gave you a very fair shake out on that wall.
Chris: No way. Next you'll tell me there's no Santa Claus?
Hondo: Don't worry about it. I'm gonna have a little chat with him.
Chris: You mean, like, man-to-man? Tell him to stop picking on little girls, right?
Hondo: He mis-evaluated a member of my team, and I'm not having that.
Chris: How do you know? You weren't there. You think I'm not used to this game? I don't need him to tell me what I'm capable of, and the last thing I want is him thinking that I came crying to you about it.
Rather than let her boss take control of the situation, Chris just proved her climbing abilities by scaling a wall during the team's rescue mission, helping save Street and take down the bad guy. She doesn't need Cole's approval -- Chris knows her skills, and so do the people who count on her.
Ultimately, this episode of S.W.A.T. made a point about perseverance, confidence, and compassion. It's okay to ask for help, to lean on those close to you, to trust your people. Other times, your best hero is yourself.
Don't forget you can always watch S.W.A.T. online!
Kassie King was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in December 2017. Follow her on Twitter.
