Shooter Season 3 Episode 7 Review: Swing Vote
Jasmine Blu
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Everyone loves a good political conspiracy.
Shooter Season 3 Episode 7 brought us another jaw-dropper when they finally revealed Atlas' plan. The first step is taking over the Capitol, and then they take over the country. It's as diabolical as it gets, and it has been years in the making.
Atlas wants supreme power, and they're willing to do anything to get it.
It turns out the gang didn't have to strap up and go to war to rescue Nadine. She waltzed back into their meeting spot a mere four hours after being taken and not a hair was out of place. The look on everyone's faces when they realized they didn't have to spend the next hour or so bickering and formulating a plan was priceless.
While we're at it, Atlas wasn't behind taking Nadine; the DOJ was. Ugh, the party poopers. Also, a simple phone call would have sufficed, thank you very much.
Related: Shooter Season 3 Episode 6 Review: Lines Crossed
Margo was about as unpleasant as they come. She was instantly unlikable. For starters, the pesky kidnapping, but she also thought the best way to have Nadine, Bob Lee, and Isaac help the DOJ take down Atlas was by threatening to take them down.
Bob Lee: Thought you might really be gone this time.
Nadine: It crossed my mind too.
Margo, you get more bees with honey than with vinegar. Jeebus, woman!
She casually dropped their files on the table with a thump (because, you know, they're as thick as War and Peace) and threatened to have them thrown in maximum prison for the rest of their lives for all the things that they have done. As a Swagger Squad fangirl, screw Margo for that power play.
As an analytical person who likes realism, the show addressing that the squad colors outside the lines and breaks laws for a good cause and that there are repercussions is a nice touch and appreciated. But still, screw Margo.
Of course, she is also one of the reasons we had some solid gold Memphis Swagger scenes, and let me tell you, that is always quality content. Did you see how concerned Bob Lee was for Memphis? Their talk after she came back? Ugh, their friendship is everything.
Shooter could spin a wheel and land on any combination of characters, and it will always work. Nadine and Bob Lee were all the goals, but then Bob Lee and Isaac are a fantastic duo too.
Catherine couldn't get enough of them either. She was a witty one, but she was also frustrating. Isaac was at his most relatable when he was urging Catherine and Bob Lee to get to the damn point already. Bob Lee was out there asking what his father was like as if he had all the time in the world, and Isaac needed to get the facts so they could stop what Atlas was planning.
It took far too long, but she eventually and cryptically tipped them off that Atlas wanted to infiltrate the Supreme Court. Thank God the pieces are all falling into place, and we know about Atlas' plan now. The suspense was getting to be too much!
For as fractured as their relationship is, Bob Lee and Isaac work well together and perhaps that's why they are getting paired up so often. There are no complaints here. Isaac has become one of the standouts of the season.
Nadine and Carlita working together are difficult to place. It's no secret that no one trusts Carlita as far as they can throw her, but they all are going along with it for the moment. That's why Carlita and Harris' car scene was so satisfying.
Despite contributing to the team, they treat Harris like the last pick for a sports team. The poor guy called shotgun and still ended up in the backseat.
Carlita: Atlas is a lifelong commitment, but it's for something greater than oneself, and once you give yourself to it, you're in it for as long as you can be of use. Because going into each new mission there are only two acceptable outcomes: a successful mission or death. You don't stop until you reach one. That's just how it is. If you're a true believer, at least.
Harris: Guess you're not a true believer then. Otherwise, why would you be here?
The thing is, Harris is quite the observant one. He also has a way of disarming others because they underestimate him. He picked up on the fact that Carlita speaks of Atlas as if she's still a believer. When it comes down to it, Carlita only wants to come after Atlas because they're trying to kill her.
If she wasn't on an Atlas kill list would she still be a loyal soldier? Her conversation with Isaac seemed like she was pointing out how they were the same.
It doesn't help matters that Red Bama tracked everyone down because of their connection to Carlita. Red Bama came guns blazing with all of these henchmen and thought he could take on the Swagger Squad and get the decryption key? Is he daft?!
While exciting and action-packed that gunfight and all wasn't nearly as entertaining as many of the previous ones and the lighting was irksome, but everyone working together to get out was rad. Bama may detest Bob Lee and his "merry band of assholes," but I freaking adore them.
Junior: Take Swagger the money!
Sam: Why? I know where he'd tell you to put it, and ain't no spending it there.
Red Bama wasn't making very sound decisions in general though. He also thought it was smart to give Junior an assignment for grown-ups. When has Junior been useful? Never.
It's sad to hear that Sam is losing his faculties and dying, but he's spunky and refuses to go down without a fight. That is commendable. While not the most exciting part of the hour, the ongoing storyline involving Sam and Julie is important.
Related: Shooter Season 3 Episode 5 Review: A Call to Arms
I like that Julie is making her own contributions to the larger arc. Sam and Julie's relationship is heartwarming, and their scene outside the courthouse was a tearjerker.
A man is the sum of his memories. If those are gone, who am I?
Sam
Of course, all the fuzzy feelings disappeared when Junior showed up. He would choose to beat Sam bloody when he couldn't get his way. That asshole needs to catch a bullet by the end of the season.
What are your thoughts on this one, Shooter fanatics? What do you think about Atlas' plan to infiltrate the Supreme Court? Is Carlita still committed to Atlas? Hit the comments!
If you need to relive the excitement, you can watch Shooter online here via TV Fanatic.
Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is an insomniac who spends late nights and early mornings binge-watching way too many shows and binge-drinking way too much tea. Her eclectic taste makes her an unpredictable viewer with an appreciation for complex characters, diverse representation, dynamic duos, compelling stories, and guilty pleasures. You'll definitely find her obsessively live-tweeting, waxing poetic, and chatting up fellow Fanatics and readers. Follow her on X.
