That's what you call an underground pilot. 

While Major Crimes Season 3 Episode 7 wasn't touted as an official "backdoor" pilot, there was hardly any mystery that we were being prepped to welcome FBI Agent Fritz Howard into the strong, warm arms of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Watch Major Crimes Season 3 Episode 7 Online

We've already battered around the possibility that he and Chuck Cooper would jump off to a series of their own, but now we've met Commander Ann McGinnis with the Special Operations Bureau. As she's played by badass Laurie Holden, formerly roughing things up with the Governor on The Walking Dead, it seems like we have ourselves a fairly solid set of leads.

We even met a couple of the SWAT team who happened to hop into the investigation just by being in the area. They were played by men I didn't recognize, but they were affable and engaging. 

Taylor offered to Fritz the position of Deputy Chief of the Special Operations Bureau. McGinnis even asked Sharon if Fritz was a good guy or a bureaucrat -- that means she has been in on the decision making process and knew Taylor was going to make the offer. Fritz and McGinnis seemed to hit it off just fine. 

Finally, Fritz revealed that Brenda was probably being promoted to a spot in Washington, DC, which would make his sticking around the office without her ever paying a visit a lot easier to pull off. Given the series is three years gone and McGinnis lost her husband and children to a car accident last year, there could be more to their future than Deputy Chief and Commander.

Unfortunately, with all good news, there has to come some bad. If Gloria Lim wasn't a version of version of DDA Rios in another job I'll eat my hat. She was rude, inappropriate and unlikable. I suggest they choose another route with that character before moving forward on the series.

Other than that, the case was interesting, the team was on their best behavior and we even had a close call with Sanchez getting shot. Of course he was shot saving children, that's his thing!

And you really have to hand it to Fritz for stepping up -- shooting the father between the eyes while he was still carrying his daughter and then catching the girl before he fell was pretty sharp stuff.

As always, you can watch Major Crimes online via TV Fanatic and talk about the show in the comments.

Did you like Ann McGinnis?

Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.