Deputy Season 1 Episode 5 Review: Black & Blue
Carissa Pavlica
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Bill is settling in nicely to his role as Sheriff of Los Angeles County.
On Deputy Season 1 Episode 5, Bill uses his new position to help his deputy and godson when Joseph finds himself in another jam.
Is it really nepotism when you admit to it every step of the way?
This hour wasn't nearly as heavy handed as some of the others have been even with a title like "Black & Blue."
The title refers to Joseph's latest predicament as he finds himself both caught up in a murder investigation from the wrong side as well as using his badge to help an old friend get out of it.
While we have no concrete proof that Charlie hasn't had a talk with Bill about what she's getting from Jerry, her actions with him still make it impossible to get on board with her. That's a shame since she's responsible for Joseph's training.
As Joseph struggled with the disrespect he gets from white cops when he's out of uniform and fellow black men when he's in it, she said something very interesting.
When he's not in uniform, all people see is the color of his skin, and when he's in it, nobody sees the color of his skin; all they see is the uniform.
That goes a long way to explaining why black men and women have such a tough time on the job.
They are driven by a desire to do everything they can for others like themselves who find themselves wrongfully accused or treated unjustly, but they cannot drive it home to their friends and family that being on their side is a good thing.
For so long, the culture has created an air of distrust between the African-American community and the authorities that even when it's someone they otherwise know and trust in uniform, they're still skeptical.
This badge means I protect you, you, and you. If you think that makes me any less of a black man, then you're the one who's confused.
Joseph
Only by doing their jobs and turning tables on both sides of the discussion can the black cops in uniform make a difference. It's not an easy road, but it's well worth the effort.
Nothing about being in law enforcement is easy, so proving yourself to your community won't be, either. That doesn't mean you turn on them.
That's essentially what Detective Johnson did. He let everyone down from the fellow officers with whom he shared investigations and had a camaraderie to the bad guys he used for his own purposes. If ever there was a guy who would have a rough time behind bars, Johnson is it.
He was getting innocent men convicted and killed by using them and his badge to do it. Sure, he pulled down the occasional bad guy too, but at what price?
Justice isn't just a word. It's consistent action on both sides of the law.
Bill
Bill stood up for his godson and stepped on the toes of the LAPD to ensure a good man didn't go down for something he didn't do, but his cost could be a more difficult relationship with other jurisdictions across the board, just as his dad warned.
At least one man thanked him for a job well done, but it will be interesting to see how this all plays out for he deputy as the election begins to ramp up.
Because, yes, Jerry has decided to run against Bill for the position, and he has a lot more political clout and impressive connections than Bill.
But Bill comes from a family of law enforcement, and his actions on the job are not suspect. Every step of the way, he's truthful about what he's doing even if it's not to the liking of others.
Bill: Your honor. If I may approach.
Judge: You may not!
Bill: Well, the bailiff won't stop me. He works for me.
His actions in the courtroom, while probably laughable in real life, probably earned him a modicum of respect from the judge. I know a judge, and she doesn't want to be shackled with making poor calls because other people aren't doing their jobs.
Jacking up innocent men who have paid for their past crimes in the hope that they'll cave and accept a plea to increase the percentage of convictions for the DA's office is disgusting. But we all know it happens.
It's no better tying an attorney's future to their number of wins than it is tying a doctor's to the amount of time he spends with a patient, how many extra services she does or doesn’t incorporate into the care routine, or how many people die on their watch.
All of that is relative to the types of cases and the evidence provided at hand. Too many different hands are in those pots and that means there will always be someone hoping to convict the innocent or keep alive someone who should be allowed to die with dignity.
Yes, I'm talking about about Deputy and The Resident because there are a lot of parallels.
What I don't need, and I'm very sorry to Bill's lovely wife, Paula, but what I don't need is for Deputy to get all up in The Resident's business. This is a show about law enforcement.
We're already in neck deep with the corruption and Bill's desire to save the world with a badge that fell into his lap and a plethora of snappy comebacks. Paula running the same marathon at the hospital seems a bit much.
Yes, she should have a story in her own right, but let's tie it somehow to crime without her climbing the same obstacles that Bill does at the Sheriff's office.
We and the they have enough on our plates.
The remainder of Bill's story revolved around his father whose dementia gives him good and bad days. Until now, there wasn't much to enjoy with their relationship as dad seemed a bit hard nosed and bordered on mean.
But a deeper dive into his dementia and his slip with Bill that Bill probably gives as good as he gets but dad's still damned proud of his son helped a lot.
Dad: Can you believe they made my son a sheriff? [laughs] Boy, I always knew he had it. Hey, could you do me a favor and tell him I said hi? Ask him to stop being so cocky around me. I don't know why he does that. Will you remember that?
Bill: I'll do that, sir.
And if that final scene of Bill giving his dad a ride on horseback just like the story dad had told him only moments before didn't get you, then wait until you get a little older. It will catch up.
Cade and Teresa are still struggling with the adoption process for Roberto and Camilla.
Cade cannot shake that he had no role model after who he can frame his fatherhood experience and the more difficult challenge of wondering whether the children will ever see him as anything other than the killer of their father.
Kids are resilient, and the better their parents, the better people they'll grow to be. It seems to me that the better the kids live, they easier it will be to realize that their father did them no favors with his criminal ways.
Even if it was horrendous what happened, Cade didn't do anything maliciously but only because of the circumstances their father found himself in for likely years before Cade made their acquaintance.
What did surprise me was that we never got to see the results of the pregnancy test. What a cruel tease. Cade and Teresa's stories need a little more time.
The same can be said for Bishop. It was very clear that whatever Brianna towed across the country from Washington D.C., in one box caused her some distress.
Not in a million years would I have expected to see the photos that came from the box. Looking traditionally pretty in old photos might have been appealing to Genevieve. I wonder if Brianna has changed a lot over a short time and doesn't like to revisit that part of her past.
Or maybe she's concerned that if Genevieve sees her like that she might want her to change and be someone that makes her uncomfortable. It's a fun detour away from Brianna's life as a deputy, though, and I'd like to see more.
If you watch Deputy online, you know this episode was an improvement over Deputy Season 1 Episode 4, and that gives me hope we're in for a fun ride with the show.
It's taken a little longer than I would have liked to settle, though, and it's possible it won't grow enough in viewers to earn a renewal.
What did you think about "Black & Blue"?
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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.
