East New York Season 1 Episode 12 Review: Up in Smoke
Jack Ori
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Could Killian have been any more obnoxious?
After a marijuana dispensary was robbed on East New York Season -2 Episode 12, he didn't think it was a big deal because he disapproved of marijuana use. Did he forget that three people got locked in a safe, the owner had a gun held to his head, and the robbers trashed the place?
And if that lack of empathy wasn't enough, he had to use his position to go after George without any evidence of wrongdoing. Yes, he apologized in the end, but by then, it was too late.
Since New York legalized marijuana, cop dramas have been eager to suggest it's a terrible idea. At least East New York made an effort to show all sides of a difficult issue instead of condemning it outright!
Killian's attitude was the worst. He not only condoned robbery if the victim was a dispensary owner but concluded that Morales' dislike of the war on marijuana meant she uses it regularly and takes masking agents to avoid getting caught.
Seriously, dude? He was lucky Corinne was the only one who dumped him!
Killian had to do major mental gymnastics to connect George to the robberies. George wasn't the only investor; the only "evidence" Killian had was that his name was on the list of people backing Hayes' dispensary.
Nothing was going to shake that belief, not even that another dispensary was robbed while George was in custody.
That should have proven that George had nothing to do with the robberies; Killian should have released him with an apology, not ranted that Troy had already let him go!
Killian came off as an entitled, petty, and overly jealous person. There was nothing likable in anything he did throughout the hour.
George: There anything I can do to convince you I'm not a criminal anymore?
Killian: Probably not.
He arrested George because he didn't like him working with Corinne, sneered at everyone who thought an armed robbery at a marijuana dispensary should matter, and resented Troy for no reason whatsoever.
Troy and Killian have history, but Troy didn't deserve Killian's wrath this time. And if Killian didn't like that Troy replaced him on this case, he had no one to blame but himself. If he didn't act like an idiot, he wouldn't have been taken off the case.
It was that simple.
Regina and Morales were right that locking someone up for nearly half a decade for six ounces of weed made no sense.
Regina's concern that more kids would get high or drive while intoxicated wasn't realistic, although at least she was thinking about public safety.
Anti-weed laws weren't stopping kids from getting high or driving while stoned. The difference is that now, they won't go to jail for possessing small amounts. Plus, in New York, it's still illegal for people under 21 to buy or possess weed.
Legalization will stop cops from destroying any more lives the way Regina feels she destroyed Hayes', and that can only be a good thing.
Her guilt was understandable even though she was only following the laws of the time.
Those laws were designed to impact people of color disproportionately. By enforcing them, she contributed to the mass incarceration of Black and Brown people, and she saw those effects directly when she met Nina.
Did anyone think Nina's drawings would be more significant? I wondered if she'd sketched the robbers or something like that.
Regina also struggled in her relationships with the two most important men in her life. She's still smarting over Suarez playing politics with her attempt to supervise a bad cop, and in the meantime, she can't decide how much she wants to let Sean in.
If she keeps pulling away, eventually, Sean will give up. She needs to get it together if that's not what she wants.
Suarez's dilemma answered one question: East New York is not set in the same universe as Blue Bloods, even though they are both CBS shows set in New York.
On Blue Bloods, Frank remains commissioner no matter who the mayor is, and if this were set in the same universe, Sharpe wouldn't dare consider replacing him with Suarez.
this is a strong story anyway. And it finally gives Jimmy Smits a meatier role. Yay!
Isn't it problematic for Sharpe to promise Suarez the role if Suarez helps him get elected? That sounded like a quid pro quo to me, but it didn't seem to concern anyone in the room when Sharpe made his offer.
Suarez set firm limits from the beginning, insisting on scheduling a proper meeting with Allison instead of dropping everything to speak with her.
Setting that boundary, along with his refusal to compromise investigations to help Sharpe, shows that Suarez has integrity and will stand up for what's right -- two things that would make him a great commissioner.
If Sharpe goes elsewhere now, it proves he didn't want the best man for the job; he wanted a token Puerto Rican who would be easy to control.
Bentley's first day on the job didn't go the way he expected. Even if Lavel Schley hadn't told TV Fanatic that Bentley would suffer psychological effects after the shooting, I wouldn't have been surprised.
It's hard to come back from something like that, especially for a young cop who had been pretty idealistic before it happened.
Regina: So I didn't think I'd ever see you back on duty and now you are.
Bentley: It's good to be back.
Regina: So the police department says you're fit for duty and psych says you're fit for duty. What do you say?
Bentley's responses while on the job were among the most realistic PTSD reactions I've ever seen. Kudos to East New York for depicting this mental health issue properly!
What did you think, East New York fanatics? Hit the big, blue SHOW COMMENTS button and let us know.
Don't forget you can watch East New York online whenever you'd like.
East New York airs on CBS on Sundays at 9 PM EST / PST.
Jack Ori is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. His debut young adult novel, Reinventing Hannah, is available on Amazon. Follow him on X.
