Deputy Season 1 Episode 13 Review: Bulletproof
Carissa Pavlica
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What a difference a day makes!
All of the candidates for Sheriff of Los Angeles County were at each other’s throats before Deputy Season 1 Episode 13, but things took a sharp turn in the finale.
Don’t you just love a happy ending?
Nobody wants to see their criminal informants killed. Even we had gotten to know some of them fairly well during the short freshman season of this FOX series.
But the deputies are going to have to cultivate some new recruits if they want skin in the game after four of them were killed.
It was terrible timing in addition to just all-around terrible.
After spending 15 years preparing for his daughter’s quinceanera, Bill was pulled in a bunch of different directions trying to end the mystery and save Curtis’ life after he got kidnapped.
The race was on to ensure that another CI didn’t die at the hands of whoever was responsible.
It’s probably not possible for District Attorney Carol Riley’s plan to use Detective Johnson as her beacon of hope in the race for Sheriff to fail any more spectacularly than it did.
She placed her bet on a situation that couldn’t win, and by backing Johnson, she got involved with people who were willing to do pretty much anything.
No, she didn’t make the call to use Johnson’s information that ultimately got the CIs killed, but since she was placing a lot of blame at Bill’s feet for not having control over his people and using it as the basis of her campaign, she was toast when one of her staff went rogue.
I appreciated her indignation at discovering one of her people had caused so much death and destruction, but it was hardly enough.
Jerry’s reaction bought him some goodwill, though.
He’s been pretty uncool about the whole situation with Bill, and it’s easy to understand how frustrated he must have been that a 150-year-old rule left him high and dry and promoted Bill to Sheriff.
When Deputy Season 1 began, I offered many different scenarios of how his storyline might go down.
While he lived up to the nastier predictions, it never crossed my mind that he could still fight for the position as a man who deserved some respect for his desire to do so. It seemed like the chip on his shoulder was firmly planted.
Even Jerry couldn’t have predicted a situation as destructive as what occurred with Riley via the Johnson case. It was enough to tip his hand to the side of good.
His demand for Riley to withdraw from the race and resign her position as D.A. was done all on his own, and it was one of the best moved he’d made all season.
The second best move was to shred the documents he’d accumulated on Bill and run the race on merit alone.
That means that Bill has earned Jerry’s respect. No matter how the race ends, they’ll be able to work together, and the department can always use veterans familiar with procedure.
Everyone worked together very well when people they’d come to care about were threatened, and even if they were once criminals, it was very obvious that the deputies cared about their CIs even if they didn’t always like them (we’re lookin’ at you pawn shop lady).
Curtis means a lot to the whole department, and thankfully, he was the wildcard still alive when the hunt began to put an end to the madness.
And can we talk about that fancy horsemanship that Bill used to get the jump on that SUV when he gallantly rescued Curtis? Where else on television can we see anything even close to that stunt?
Just like the bad guys, I was wondering what in the heck that horse was doing running through an oil or gas field. That was one of the best things I’ve seen on television in a while. It was a real WOW moment!
I've been waiting 15 years for this, Mags. I wouldn't have missed it for the world.
Bill
Bill even managed to save the day and still get to Maggie’s party just in time to help her grow up to the next stage of her life. Paula never lost faith, even while her parents huffed their dissatisfaction at Bill’s absence.
Bill: You've grown into a beautiful, smart, and fierce woman. In other words, a Hollister -- and a Reyes. I'm so proud to be your father, Maggie. I love you.
Maggie: I love you, too, Daddy. Thank you.
In addition to saving Curtis and being father of the year, Bill rounded out his good works by propping his friend, Cade, when he needed the support.
Cade: I haven't touched it yet.
Bill: But you walked your ass in here, sat down and ordered. I'd say you're half in the bag.
Cade’s heart was broken and the dead CIs only piled more unhappiness to his already aching heart as a result of losing the appeal to hold onto Roberto and Camilla.
If Deputy gets a second season, that story needs to turn around. Bill is right that Cade has everything he ever dreamed about within his grasp, but their little family had swelled to brimming with Roberto and Camilla, and saying goodbye doesn’t feel like an option for them.
The only other outlier for the season is with Joseph. Thank goodness, he chose to turn his back on Carter and his pack of lions. Did you see the look on that guy’s face when Joseph told him to take a hike?
He can pretend to be a nice guy, but the grimace he shot at Joseph was almost scary. He seems like such a dufus. Why on earth do the other deputies treat him like a leader?
Things have the potential to take off with Charlie, especially after he revealed his new tattoo. Unless I’m wrong, that was a St. Christopher’s medal, wasn’t it? And wasn’t that the item that tied Charlie to Luna?
If not, well, then, I am in the dark. Yes, I can admit it!
What did you think of the finale? If we don’t get another chance with these new friends, I’m happy with how it ended.
Drop your thoughts below, and watch Deputy online if you were too scared to give it a try already. it’s fun and worth the time spent!
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.
