Deputy Season 1 Episode 8 Review: Selfless
Carissa Pavlica
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That was a great episode.
Deputy Season 1 Episode 8 offered a more-well rounded approach to character management. It wasn't all Bill all the time, and it was better for it.
"Selfless" still spent a good portion of time on Bill, Paula, and Maggie, but also contained interactions between Cade and Bishop and a deeper exploration of them both.
The case of the week worked well as a vehicle to get to know Cade a bit better.
If you watch Deputy online, then you already know he's a good man who still questions that goodness because he grew up in the foster care system with his sister. We have known him to advocate for the downtrodden, and now we have an even deeper understanding about his motivations.
Like Roberto and Camilla, Cade and his sister got through everything together. But they didn't have the equivalent of Cade and Teresa to guide them.
As a result, they both ended up on the streets, addicted to their drugs of choice to wipe away the pain. In Cade's case, it was alcohol. It was the reminder of how close he came to being dead in the streets that urged him to find justice for Denny, the dead Marine.
I use my job as a way to escape, to manage my addiction. You know, I feel safe at burying myself at work. But now it's just reminding me of how far I came from how and how high I had to climb to escape my demons.
Cade
He felt like he had walked in Denny's shoes, and even worse, his sister might still be walking in them, if she's even alive.
There is a story that I hope unfolds about how he got off the streets and found his path, one that didn't include his sister.
She must be an incredibly stubborn woman to resist the Cade's pleas to walk the straight and narrow with him. You know he put up a fight before he ultimately left her behind.
Like Denny, Cade was a Marine. I wonder if he signed up and only gave up on his sister when he was forced away to boot camp and then to Afganistan. It's pretty obvious it tears him apart.
Guard: I didn't know he was somebody.
Cade: Everyone is somebody. Even you.
If he was gone for a length of time, it could be impossible to find his sister. But something tells me if the show goes on, we'll either meet her or find out what happened to her.
Cade's heart is so big, and it only makes sense that we get to know even more about him as time progresses. His heart is also purple, as he, too, had the Defense Meritorious Service Medal.
It was a tough couple of days for Cade, but he has a home filled with love now. Their family has changed so much in a very short time from being a couple hoping for a family to a full house.
Roberto and Camilla took the welcome they've received from Cade and Teresa and brought it full circle when they found an abandoned dog in the street and adopted him.
Is there anything better than a fluffy dog to make the heart sing? Even Roberto is now filled with so much love that he doesn't want to kill Cade anymore. Was that a cute moment or what?
Cade and Bishop interacting was also welcome. The more they interact, the more screentime both will receive, and I'm down with that.
It didn't even cross Bishop's mind that Cade's simple "how do you feel" was personal and not an extension of their conversation about Bill and the future of the sheriff's department.
But it was Cade who gave Bishop the advice she needed in the wake of her wakeup call. If she wants to be more than a glorified secretary and chauffeur, she's going to have to do something about it.
The best bosses are those who mentor you on your own time and give you the independence to reach higher. That's what Bill has been doing with Bishop. He counts on her intelligence and intuition quite a bit.
He's known from the moment they met that she was worthy of a lot more than she was doing, but he also knew that she had to see it and want it for herself. Her ask was even more than he anticipated, and it tickled him that when she got the nerve to talk about her future, she aimed high.
Of course, she'll get nowhere if Jerry takes over the department. He only wants to reward those who rewarded him first, like Charlie.
Bill was already annoyed that Jerry thought it was a done deal that Bill would back his run for sheriff and help him transition.
Just because I don't put my weight behind Jerry doesn't mean I have any grand ideas.
Bill
But when the board tried to pull that with him, he started to realize that he enjoys what he's doing, and he's making a difference in the community. Handing it over to Jerry would mean losing all of that progress.
To move forward, though, Bill has to want it as much as Bishop wanted to be an analyst in Majors. He can't be wishy-washy about it, and he has to trust that his family would tell him if they didn't want him to consider it.
While Paula admitted they weren't ready for all of the scrutiny that came with his position, she also failed to discourage him from running for a longer term in office. Even Maggie seemed encouraging.
Open communication, honest appreciation, and not pulling punches really works for the Hollisters.
Denny's death also gave Bill some ammunition because of how it turned out the corporation behind the new developments in town were connected with the deaths of the city's homeless population everywhere they raised stakes.
The councilmen hoping Jerry takes over as sheriff are too close to that land developer for Bill's taste. He can protect the homeless and make their lives more meaningful if he sticks around, but if he's no longer in office, they'll be rounded up and put into shelters.
I always thought voter fraud was a myth. But you people? No way someone would pull the lever for this clown show.
Bill
Now, I think providing shelter for the homeless is a good thing. It's not if the sole purpose is to hide them away and forget about them.
And let's be honest, a city and state that allowed the homeless population to grow exponentially doesn't have a clue how to help them. In the real world, California is considering another property tax that will likely mean landlords pass on the expense to their tenants who are already overpaying because of the market.
One bad policy after another piles up until there is no way to pull them back and thousands are living in the streets (or insert another atrocity here).
The world needs more Bills who are interested in helping the disenfranchised but still willing to punish genuine criminals.
When Bill decides to run, will that change the way Charlie is going about her business? Because I do not like her influencing Joseph. She's a shady character working against her boss for a promise predicated on something that may not even happen.
We're quickly running out of time for her rethink her poor behavior and turn over a new leaf. She even tossed out some BS argument in defense of herself by saying she believes there is some merit to the status quo and a line of succession.
It's amazing how people say things that suit them when in any other circumstance they'd denounce similar behavior. She's got her head so far up Jerry's arse that she can't recognize that it's Bill who rewards those who earn it.
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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.
