S.W.A.T. (2017–…): Season 4, Episode 9 - Next of Kin - full transcript

Previously onSWAT...
I've been looking around
for a new place.

Might be able to lock down
something swanky with a roommate

to share costs.Are you kidding?

Hell yeah!All right!

So,
housewarming.

I'll handle the
margaritas,

you handle themusic. Sure.

Hey, Hondo, you got
someone to cover for me
tomorrow?

Erika could cover for you.
Rocker's team has tomorrow
off.

She'd be down for it.HONDO: You think
this is the

white supremacist
group the Imperial
Dukes?



HICKS: That's
my worry.

These aren't just
smash-and-grabs.

HONDO: They're coordinated hate
crimes.

The guy I arrested
yesterday was wearing

the same kind of bandana.HICKS: Abel
McConnell

was spotted entering the
compound about 40 minutes
ago.

Give me
two!

CHRIS:
Shots
fired!

Coming from the
attic.

[line
ringing]

Guten Tag, Chris. What's
up?

[crying] Hey. Areyou okay?

She'sdead.
Whoa,

what are you talking
about? Who's dead?



Erika.

Erika Rogers? What
happened, Chris?

It all went down so
fast. During the raid...

...a bullet winged
Tan.

[screams]
I'm hit!

I'll cover you. Go,
go!

Erika and I brought
him out safe.

He's
okay.

HONDO: Suspect down. Clear
for entry.

[exhales]

[groans] Youokay? Hey.

I think I was hit,
too.

[Erika
grunts]

We didn't know Erika got
hit until just after.

[panting]

It was an armor-piercing
round from the shooter.

All
units...

58-David is
down.

I repeat,
58-David is
down.

We've lost Erika
Rogers.

Over.

Dear God.
Hondo,

call FID, tell 'em
we have an officer
down.

I'll call Chief
Rivera.

I have to notify Officer
Rogers's next of kin

before the press leaks
it.

Roger that,
Commander.

[helicopter blades
whirring]

Commander.

Alonso, what are you
doing?

You're gonna
tell Erika's
sister.

I want to come with
you.

You need to go
back to the scene.

This is an
officer-involved shooting.

You and the team have to
talk to FID before anyone
else.

Please,
Commander.

I'm sorry. Go
back.

That's an
order.

I'm sorry to lay this on
you, but they got us
separated.

There's no one here for
me to talk to.

I think I'm freaking
out.

No, I'm glad you called
me.

Did you tell Deac
yet?

Hondo called him right
after we finished with FID.

[sniffles] I don't know
what to do.

We've never lost
a teammate
before.

SWAT doesn't lose
officers.

Man, I wish I could be
there for you right now.

Please stay on the
phone with me.

I'm here as long as you need
me.

I'm not going
anywhere.

The chief and I
extend our deepest
sympathies

to you and your
family.

An assistance
officer will be here
shortly

to help you make
arrangements.

What's her sister's
name?

Latasha. She's
Officer Rogers's

only next of kin in the
city.

Chief Rivera, it should be
me. I should tell her.

Are you sure,
Commander?

Yes,
sir.

Okay. I'll follow your
lead.

All
right.

Ms.
Rogers...

Oh, my God.
No.

Ma'am...
No.

I regret to inform
you that your sister
died

in the line of
duty earliertoday. No, please.

[sobbing]:
No!

I'm so sorry,
Latasha.

Please... The chiefand I extend our
deepest sympathies

to you and your
family.

[continues
sobbing]

No...

♪
♪

I've gone on record
before saying that
money's going

to all the wrong
places in this city.

[knock on door] In all herinfinite wisdom...

That was quite a
service this morning,
Commander.

Glad to see Officer
Rogers's extended family

came in from
Houston.

They could
see cops
from

as far as New York
to Maryland
attended.

We're gonna have a
plaque in honor of her
memory

and service here atHQ. That's a great
gesture.

I came to tell you that
FID's finished its
investigation

of 20-Squad's
raid.

Our union rep's delivering
their report by the end of
today.

Any sense how
it's looking for
us?

I haven't heard either
way.

City Councilman
Dudley's

been criticizing
SWAT pretty hard

the past few
days.

A civilian and a
Black female officer
killed.

It's horribleoptics. I get that.

And we're examining
everything on our end.

It's a tragedy we all
feel personally.

In politics,
tragedies provide
opportunity.

Dudley's running for
mayor.

And after the
past summer's
unrest,

the mayor is in the hot
seat.

People want
reform. That
includes LAPD

and city hall.Some people
want sincere
reform,

others just
want a powergrab. Either
way,

the public may
demand a pound of
flesh.

We train the right
way.

We do things the right
way.

Let's hope the FID
report clears your
officers.

[phone
rings]

Nichelle,
hey.

Hey. You working
today?

They got us on desk duty
until the FID report comes
back.

Well, I won't keep
you.

We really don't get
to speak much these
days.

I haven't seen you stop by
the community center
lately.

Just wanted to check
in,

see how the funeral
went.

The team's taking
it pretty hard,

but we're all showing
up.

And how about
you?

I don't know, I'm,
uh...

still
processing.

Well, I know you're trying
to get better at opening
up.

If you want to talk, you
know where to find me.

I do. Thank you,
Nichelle.

Heard the FID
report's coming out
today.

Keep your head
up.

Thanks,
man.

Rocker... I am so
sorry about Erika.

She was a great team
member.

You know,
curious, great
spirit.

Constantly
asking
questions.

She admired you,
Hondo.

Looks like you're
retracing your steps fromthe raid? I'm doing what I
can.

I have no idea what that
report's gonna say, so...

I just want to make
sure that I remember

how everything went
down...

in case I got to
defend my
decisions.

[quietly]:
Here.

David, I know it's not
the best time to ask,
but...

do you need to goback? Yeah.

I'm the only member of the
squad that's cleared for field
duty,

so I have to go
back if we get a
call.

I mean, to SWAT.
Period.

Are you open to
leaving?

You mean
retiring?

Annie, I'm a year away
from collecting my
pension.

Yeah, but private
security's going so well.

You've got great
benefits.

And if you did that
full-time, you'd still have a
great job

that you love, and
you wouldn't be

in this kind of
danger all the time.

Can we talk about this
later?

What if later is too
late?

If you were
there three days
ago,

that might have been your
funeral instead of Erika's.

You don't know
that.

Where does that put
me and the kids?

I can't do all
this without you.

I don't ever want
to.

I'm sorry, this
morning at the
service,

it's just, things got too
real.

Just quit while you're
ahead.

[sighs] We'll talk
tonight.

Unless you get too
busy with work.

I got to go. I'm
sorry.

Okay.

[door opens,
closes]

♪
♪

Jim, your
backpack.

Thank
you.

You didn't say a
word the whole drive
in.

Sorry, I'm just not
feeling very talkative.

We all knew
Erika, worked
with her...

She meant a lot to all of
us.

Especially Chris. Iunderstand all that.

But there's something
else.

You've been
tossing in your
sleep.

Normally, that means
you're nervous about
something.

Look, don't
worry about me.

Okay?

See you
later?

Okay. I love
you.

Love you,
too.

Alonso. Need
a word with
you.

Listen, until the FID
report comes back,

everybody's
benched and on
desk duty.

But you personally still
haven't been cleared to returnto HQ. Why not?

Dr. Hughes hasn't signed
off on your psych eval.

Well, that's crap. I'm
fine.

She wants to see you
again.

Said she has some
reservations.

Reservations? Like
what, exactly?

I'm not the
shrink.

But maybe you living with
Erika is a factor.

And until the
issue's
resolved

to the satisfaction of the
doc,

I have to abide by her
recommendations.

Understood,
Commander.

[grunting]

Guys,
focus!

Durham, monkey grip,
man.

Why they call 'em
"monkey bars." Let's
go!

Thanks for letting
me stand in for you,

supervise the
candidates.

Well, if you're
gonna be on desk
duty,

might as well
be of some
use.

What round are theyon? Ten.

Let's go,
Malhotra.

Get upthere.
[groaning]

[blowswhistle] Stop
this.

What are you two
doing?

Trying to be the best
versions of
ourselves.

It's a rhetorical question,
man.

You're both trying to make
it onto SWAT, okay?

You think this is hard, wait
till you get out in the
field.

It can be,
uh... it can be
rough.

And we need to
know

you can deal with
that. You guys got it?

It's not
rhetorical. You
guys got it?

Yes,sir.
Yes,
sir.

Let's
go.

Hey,
Durham,

listen, I know you're
tired.

Don't think of that as
weight.

Think of that as a
life.

All right?
It's
mental.

You get over that
wall, they survive.

Calibrate. Let's
go. You can do it.

Copy that, will do.
Thanks, Sergeant
Kay.

[blowswhistle] Let's
go.

Riding them prettyhard. Shouldn't I?

Thought we were gonna ease
up the last week of SWAT
school.

It's not that kind of
week.

Chris. I know youwanted to see me
again, but, uh,

I think I deserve to be back
in HQ with the rest of my
team.

I have
reservations.

I learned that you
personally lobbied for Erika

to fill in on 20-Squad the
day that she got killed.

I want to make
sure

you don't have any
self-condemnation

or guilt about
that.

I appreciate it,
Doc, but I'm good to
go.

I don't need another psych
eval.

You two were
roommates. I, uh, I
imagine

you were very
close.

We just moved
into that
place.

And all of her belongings
are still at your
apartment.

You see them every
time you go back home.

How does that
make you
feel?

You haven't been back
home since Erika was
killed.

Is that
right?

Does any of that really
matter?

Where have you been
spending your
nights?

At my uncle'shouse. Chris.

You need to go
home.

Why? This is
home.

And I'm here, and I
can help my team

back out in the field
once the FID report
drops.

Who's gonna pack
up Erika's
belongings?

How are you supposed to move
on?

In order to deal with
this,

you need to go
back to where you
live.

And if that means it takes
more time, so be it,

but I can't sign off on
you

until you can process
this situation.

Do you understand
what I'm telling
you?

Yeah.

I got
it.

Good.

Come talk to me
tomorrow.

I want to help you through
this.

Do you have
anything to help me
sleep?

Yo,
Deac.

Listen,
um,

I was hoping you could
help me out with
something.

Sure. What do
you need?

FID did a walk-through of the
Imperial Dukes' compound,

but I want to do one of my
own,

and I could really use a
pair of fresh eyes on it.

FID's report
comes out later
today.

What difference does it
make if you and I walk
it?

I need to know that the
team did everything right.

You, uh, you clear
this with Hicks?

Yeah. Look, we can take
two cars

just in case you get
called into the field.

Deacon, you weren't there,
man.

It was tough to
see.

And I want to make sure we
did everything right by
Erika.

Yeah, of course.
Whatever you
need.

Appreciate
you.

The way we
entered, in tight
formation,

it was our best approach
given the intel that we
had.

No, I know the four-side entry
made sense.

It gave you
cover on the
approach.

But a breach from the
front

might have prevented
McConnell from fleeing
upstairs.

You've already studied
this place on your
own.

Yeah. I read
everyone's after
action reports.

Did a virtual
walkthrough of the crime
scene.

Just to get the
facts. It's nothing
personal.

I'm not auditing your
work.

But you think I did
something wrong. No,it's...

it's not that
clear.

Deacon, when we
breached, I had to pick
between

two different
approaches based on
limited intel.

If you were team
leader,

would you have
made the other
call?

Doesn't
matter.

Neither option was 100%
safe.

The fact is another
approach could have been
utilized,

and FID might use
that against us.

Because they have the benefit
of having all the information
now.

I know it's hard waiting
on an FID decision.

But nothing you or I
do at this point

is gonna affect the
outcome of their
investigation.

Maybe we can do
something other than
play

Monday morning
quarterback.

The white
nationalists who
killed Erika--

the Imperial Dukes--
they're a terrorist
group

that operates
through independent
cells

made up of four
to eight
members.

Now, we've already
taken down four of
them,

but I can't shake the
feeling that there's more
out there.

And to find them, I want to
search every inch of this
place.

Maybe we can get a
lead on more members.

Possibly another
cell.

From what I've
read, the Imperial
Dukes

pervert Christian
beliefs.

They claim they're
fighting a holy race war

that's happening
everywhere in the
shadows.

With their pop
culture references,

their dog whistletactics... They see any
kind of change,

any shift in power, as a
threat.

Deacon, if we had
come from this
direction,

we would have breached the
house from the front.

And we might have been
able to keep McConnell

from going up those
stairs.

And we would have seen that
some of these shell casings

were for armor-piercing
rounds.

Hondo, it's tough to
tell from these.

You didn't know what you
were fully up against

until Erika took a
5.56 to the chest.

Anything else you learn
from your deep dive
earlier?

I get why everyone's on
edge,

but y-you don't normally
second-guess yourself like
this.

I don't normally get one
of my own killed.

It was your bullet
that hit Abel
McConnell.

You killed the
guy that killed
Erika.

You're the one
that took him
out.

That's got to
give you some
solace.

It
doesn't.

Wait a
minute.

What?

Target positions.
The cover
pattern.

The dimensions of the
alley. I know this layout.

This training course is
exactly like one at Pendleton.

It's a carbon copy,
man.

Whoever built
this might have
served

in the Marines
around the same timeI did. I'm sure the
feds

picked up on that? No, no,don't be so sure, Deac.

Pendleton updates its
courses every few years.

This is an old
layout.

Whoever built it
served when I
did.

Sounds like a lead.You're damn
straight.

Been working off Hondo's
theory.

None of the four Imperial
Dukes we took down three days
ago

served in the
Marines.

So if none of these guys
built the training
course,

our builder's still out
there.

Started a
profile on our
suspect.

Cross-checked white males in
their 40s with carpentry
skills

against Marine Corps
enrollment for L.A.
County.

That description doesn't
exactly narrow things
down.

Almost 2,000 guys fit the
bill.

But I found something
that might help us.
Look.

Erika's funeral wasn't the
only one scheduled for
today.

Abel McConnell, the Imperial
Duke who killed Erika,

his funeral's thisafternoon. The FBI is
already

staking out the small group
expected to turn out in
person,

but this funeral is also
being livestreamed.

If we can get a warrant, we
can stake it out
electronically.

Anyone who's attending
could be an Imperial
Duke

or our course
builder.

DUDLEY: I'm tired of it,
and so is the city
council.

This isn't the first time our
mayor has made Los Angeles

front-page news for all
the wrong reasons.

There was a period
of time two
year...

I just came from city
hall.

How's the mayor taking
him politicizing a
tragedy?

She didn't
say.

She does want
me to notify
her

about the FID report
as soon as it comes
in.

Well, that's an interesting
way of saying she's got our
backs.

The mayor's in a tough
spot.

Some people are
calling for her to
resign.

So SWAT's being used in a
political chess match,

and she's already thinking
about how to protect
herself?

By sacrificing one of my
pieces?

She's a politician. Erika's
death affects her, too,

in a different
way.

It takes a certain
kind of officer

to go through Erika's death
three days ago,

and then show up here the
same day of her funeral.

They're not pawns.
They're human
beings.

The mayor knows what you
all went through that
day.

She doesn't want FID's
report to be a problem

any more than you
do.

I can think of someone who
does.

[scoffs]

If you can
fast-track that
warrant,

we'll be ready to
observe from our end.

All right. Thanks,
Agent Carr.

Sergeant
Kay.

Hey, I just wanted to say
I appreciated that pep
talk

out there this morning. This
has been the toughest week
yet.

I'm glad I could
help.

Listen, keep pushing
yourself, finish strong,

you'll be out in the field
soon.

Hey, look, I know
it's not my
place,

but I get what
happened out
there.

And I feel for what you
and your team

are going through right
now.

Thank you. It's
been tough.

I just think
that, with who
you are,

if you would've been
there,

things could've
panned out
differently.

They really missed your
leadership that day.

Appreciatethat. Yeah.

Durham's making the
strongest case so
far.

Just ahead of
Malhotra.

Yeah. Kid's got a good
heart.

He's just got to
keep his head down.

How you holding
up?

I've been organizing food
for Erika's extended
family.

I had to help them. I just
needed something positive

to put my mind to
the past few days.

Late night, been
going to the gym,

hitting the bag till
my arms give out.

It's the only way I
can get any sleep.

Sounds like you're
heading in the right
direction.

Yeah. Yeah, thanks for
checking on me, Deac.

I hope we can all get out in
the field together soon.

Pretty sure that's
what Erika would want.

Aside from
justice.

Yeah. God willing, it
works out that way, huh?

Let me know if you
need anything.

Yeah. I
will.

How many people out there--
lawyers, grocers,
mechanics--

moonlight as white
nationalists?

They just look
like regular
people.

That's what's
frightening.

Six people are
attending in person.

78 logged on
remotely.

Anything on our
anonymous attendees?

Looking at
'em.

Ten of them are using
VPNs to hide their
identities.

Now, I thought that
seemed a little too
high-tech

for our builder at
first.

It could also mean
that he's getting
help

from other Imperial
Dukes.

Okay, wait a minute.
This could be
something.

One of the client ISPs is
registered to Landon
McBride.

He's a former
Marine.

Two tours in
Afghanistan.

And he was at
Pendleton

when that same
training course was
up, Deac.

Received a
dishonorable
discharge,

and he's got a
jacket.

Prior for a felony
unlawful use of a
weapon,

and he's got an
outstanding warrant for
the assault.

Gives us a
reason to talk
to him.

That's his last known
address.

I'm still on desk duty, Deac.
I can't roll on this, just
you.

All right, I'll
grab a patrol
officer.

I'll call you from the
house.

I'll check
McBride's tax
records,

see what they turn
up.

Ma'am. I'm Sergeant
Kay,

LAPD.

Looking for Landon
McBride.

I kicked him out
four months
back.

What'd he do
now?

We've got reason to
believe that he helped
some people

murder a police
officer three days
ago.

My
God.

Does this have
anything to do with

that online group hejoined? Possibly.

Did he ever refer to it by
name?

Did he ever mention a
group called the ImperialDukes? No.

Look, I'm
sorry, I want
to help,

but I broke off all
contact with him

after he assaulted a
protester.

But it sounds
like he
escalated.

Got worse over
the last few
months.

You have any idea
where he might
be?

Any friends or
colleagues he's hanging
out with?

He leave anything
behind?

No, I tossed all his
crap.

His drafting
table, schematics.

Your boyfriend was abuilder? Ex-boyfriend.

He was all right until
he got laid off last
year.

Told me he was pushed
out in favor of other
people.

Said new hiring quotas
discriminated against
him.

I'm sure it was a bit more
complicated than that,

but Landon is a simple
man.

I'm guessing he went down
the rabbit hole afterthat? Yeah.

Wasn't long before he
found that online
group.

They fed his
anger,

forced some ugly
tattoos on him
and...

well, pushed him
down a darker
path.

That
laptop.

It's a few years
old.

You two shareit? Yeah.

His account's
password protected,
though.

I don't know
it.

[line
ringing]

Hey, Chris, what's
up?

I know it's late there. I
shouldn't have called. My bad.

You talk to Dr. Wendytoday? Yeah.

We got a path laid
out.

Gonna try it again
tomorrow.

Good. Means you're
heading in the right
direction.

Are you okay,
Chris? Where are
you?

I'm outside of my
apartment. In the hallway.

You're
stalling.

You've got to go in
and pack Erika's
stuff.

And as hard as it is,
You've got to handle
it.

I know you learned some
German when you were in K-9.

You know, I've been
hanging out with these
guys

that have been teaching
me single German words

that actually mean full
sentences in English. It's
wild.

Kopf hoch.
Yeah.

It means, uh, to keep your
head held high.

That's right. It made
me think of you.

'Cause you always
keep your head up,
Chris.

Now, come
on.

You got
this.

Got McBride's tax
records.

He's a freelance
contractor.

Hired to work four
construction sites in the last
quarter.

Put out a BOLO, unis see him at
any of the sites, we'll know.

His girl's
laptop give us
anything?

FBI got us into
McBride's
account.

He's definitely
been taking
pointers

from someone who's tech
savvy.

He's tried to cover his
tracks by drafting.

Puts messages in a
folder,

allows recipients to log in
and read 'em. Look.

HONDO: Which means
there's no send
receipts.

But some of the unsent
drafts should still be
recoverable.

Like messages
from his other
job.

Building things for
the Imperial Dukes.

McBride suggested
identical building
plans

for two other training
courses.

So there's potentially two
more Imperial Duke cells out
there.

Even though none of
these messages have been
sent,

can we find
out who read
'em?

Well, there's at least
one person with a
login.

Could be the person
coordinating the
cells.

Imperial Dukesleader? Possibly.

I'll have the
Feds do a deep
dive

on the unidentified
login.

BOLO got a hit on
McBride.

Just got a call
from a patrol
unit

sitting on a site
in City of
Industry.

Saw McBride show
up, then rabbit.

You better hurry, 'cause it's
an active high-speed chase
now.

Take Rocker with you, Deac.We'll get him for you,
Hondo.

Not for me,
Deac. For Erika.

[sirens
wailing]

HONDO: Good work,
Rocker.

Forcing him
north keeps him
in

the industrial park,
away from the
freeway.

Hondo, he's heading
east

on a frontage
road.

Roger that, Deac. We
got eyes in the air.

Rocker,

there's a
switchback up
ahead.

It loops around to thesouth. Copy that.

Whoa...
Hey!

Nice work,
guys. He's
hemmed in.

DEACON: Suspect's
fleeing. We're in
foot pursuit.

ROCKER:
Freeze!
LAPD!

There's a residential
neighborhood to the
north.

You got to stop him before he
gets to any civilians.

[gunshot]

[groaning]

HONDO: He's in
the camper

up ahead. Now, he might have
barricaded

himself inside, so be
careful.

Landon
McBride, LAPD
SWAT.

Come on out, right
now. Hands in the air.

Real
slow.

Hondo, cops on the scene
found designs of the Imperial
Dukes'

training course in
McBride's truck.

That might
explain why he
thought

running from the
police was worth it.

HONDO: You guys copy
that? Loud and clear,Hondo.

Drop your phone, put
your hands behind your
head

and get on your
knees. Do it now.

Don't my rights
matter?

Doesn't mylife
matter?

DEACON:
Erika
Rogers'

life
mattered.

Oh, the Black chick
cop.

Yeah, I heard about
that.

You built a training
course for white
nationalists.

I'm proud of my
heritage. That isn't a
crime.

At least not yet. Yourfriends shot and killed
a police officer.

That's aiding and
abetting domestic
terrorism.

Face down, on the
ground,

now.

He's not saying
anything.

Because he doesn't
think he needs to.

He doesn't
need to help
himself

because, in his mind, the
Imperial Dukes are gonna win

whatever war they're
trying to fight.

He's a soldier and this is
the sacrifice he's making

for the same lost
cause.

We've got the FBI
looking to
identify

the other hidden
login from McBride's
e-mail.

Whoever this person
is,

they are
intelligent and
cautious.

If it's the Dukes'
leader organizing all
this,

then we're gonna find
him.

But let's stay in the
loop with the Feds

and be ready to make a move
as soon as they get a solid
lead.

Roger
that.

Listen,
um...

I'm sorry about
earlier, at the
compound.

I undermined you by
double-checking theraid. No, Deac.

You didn't. It's your duty
as a sergeant

to see if you could have done
it better three days ago.

Or at least know
better for the next
raid.

It kills me that I
was on that school
tour

and not with you and the
team.

Everyone's dealing with
this in their own way, man.

No one's
exempt.

[phones
dinging]

FID report's
in.

Hey, Ed, what do we
got?

Commander. I supposed you
want to read their
ruling?

"In regards to the
events in question,

"Force Investigation
Division finds 20-Squad's
actions

"to have been within
policy.

"It hereby gives no
recommendation for
discipline

"in the planning or
execution of the raid

"resulting in the deaths
of suspect Abel
McConnell

and Officer Erika
Rogers."

All right, so we're
approved for field duty
again?

Well, Alonso still
needs to earn clearance

from Dr. Hughes,
but the rest of
you

are officially on
call.

What is it,Commander? There's
more.

"It is, however, our
opinion that other
strategies

"could have been
utilized in the raid.

"Alternative
actions may have
produced

different results, and loss of
life may have been averted."

You got to be kidding
me.

They're leaving
us in a gray
area.

Sir, even with other
strategiesavailable, [phone
vibrating]

they know that
there was
nothing

that could have
guaranteed
success.

Hondo's right,
Commander.

This clears the
team.

Lieutenant Lynch is on her
way.

We may have been
cleared
technically,

but according to the
mayor, not politically. Sowhat happens now?

I think another
shoe's about to drop.

STREET:
Honestly,

even with FID clearing
us,

it doesn't make Erika's
death any easier.

Or maybe it's not supposed
to.

It finally hit
me.

She's gone,
man. Forever.

Part of me still
doesn't want to accept
it.

Listen...

after I lost
Nate, it was
brutal.

I found out that
grief doesn't go
away.

It
stays.

Some days it's
heavier than
others.

But hopefully, on
those heavy days

you got people beside you that
can help lighten the load.

Shockingly
insightful for a guy
like you.

Well, Dr. Hughes
said that last
part.

I'm just filling you
in.

I guess we should be
thankful we can keep doing
our jobs.

Tell the people we care
about how important they
are.

Yeah. Allright.

♪
♪

[sighs]

Although SWAT was
cleared,

the possibility the team
could have done things
differently

and avoided two
people getting killed

is enough to increase
pressure on the mayor.

Hondo made the best of
two imperfect choices.

There was no risk-free
option.

Doesn't
matter. Not
now.

The death of one of our
few African-American

female officers is
not a good look.

Is that what this is all
about?

How it
looks?

We just lost a
colleague. A friend.

I'm sorry, but the mayor
wants a scalp.

[scoffs]

And it needs to be
someone on the
team

or someone in command that
suggests accountability.

I'm not happy
delivering the
message.

But you agree with
it.

No. But that's the
message.

And I'll leave it up to you to
decide who it is, Commander.

I'm not giving you
anyone from the team.

So...

...I guess the scalp
will have to be
mine.

[knocking on
door]

What's going on in
here?

Sounds like I have to
resign.

[scoffs] Like
hell you do.

Hondo, this is
political fallout we're
facing.

The mayor's
hand is beingforced.
Lieutenant,

Commander Hicks isn't
responsible for anything

that happened three days
ago.

No offense, but this is way
above your pay grade,
Sergeant.

Is
it?

Let me tell you
something, Lieutenant.

The men and women who take
risks in the field--

we live in a
completely different
world

than the
politicians who
criticize us.

We are constantly
thrown into situations

where there is a
one percent chance

of things going horriblywrong. That's duly noted.

Well, you put us in
those situations often
enough,

that one percent
is gonna come
up,

and it came up three days
ago.

The mayor can
pretend all she
wants

that it's a
problem with
leadership,

but I promise you,
on everything I
am,

that game could
backfire on herass. Excuse me?

Hicks stays or I
go.

And the first place I'm gonna
go is to the L.A. Times

and I'm-a talk about the
real systemic problems

within the LAPD that
she,

the commission and the
union still ignore.

And I imagine they
might even want

to run my picture with
it.

I imagine this'll be a
tough conversation with the
mayor.

Maybe we need to have
more tough
conversations.

I know we haven't
always seen eye to
eye,

but I admire the
stances you've both
taken here.

It's
admirable.

And
frustrating.

You didn't have to do
that.

Yes, I
did.

♪
♪

[sniffles]

[knocking on
door]

Hang on a second,
Latasha.

[sniffles]

[sighs]

Thought you were Erika's
sister.

Can I come
in?

Just wanted to
check up on you.

See how you were
doing.

I'm, uh... I'm
dealing.

I just keep
thinking
it's...

it's not fair, Erika
dying.

I know. I
hate it.

And I've hated
myself the past
three days.

Been tossing and
turning in my
sleep.

It's been weighing on
me.

What
has?

When Erika went
down,

initially I didn't
feel shock or
sadness.

I was just
relieved

that it wasn't
you.

Chris, if you
took that
bullet

and I lost
you...

I wouldn't have
recovered.

I know our
situation

is
impossible.

I was on my way home to
Molly when I came here
instead.

But being with her feels
wrong.

Stop.

'Cause all I think
about is being with
you.

Why are you telling me
this?

Just...

Please
leave.

Chris...

Leave.
Now.

Chris.Please
go.

Hi.

Hi.

I love you.
You know
that.

Of course I
do.

You and the
kids--

you're everything to
me.

What happened
today?

Well, we grabbed another
one of the Imperial Dukes.

Well, that's
great. Right?

Yeah.

But,
uh...

...my team is
broken.

I don't know if we're
gonna be okay

until we... we
grab every last
one

of this
crew.

So you don't want to
retire.

I can't leave my
team.

Not like
this.

Annie...

...you're my
family.

And so are
they.

And I think God put me
here

so I can help
them.

Hey.Hey.

I just thought I'd drop
by for a surprise
visit,

if that's
okay.

It was an open
invitation.

Hm.

What is
it?

Nichelle,
uh...

I haven't been as
open with you as I
should.

I want to tell
you something
that...

I probably wouldn't
tell anyone else.

I'd be lying if I
said these past three
days

haven't been some of
the toughest.

You lost a friend.
That can't be
easy.

It's just, this past
year, with...

with police
misconduct,

Black folks getting
killed on camera...

...and losing an
officer in the field,
it just,

it cuts
deep.

And now I got doubts
about whether the
fight

to change things
is even worth
it.

It's natural to have
doubts

when you're trying to make a
difference in people's lives.

I get it,
Hondo.

But this-- I
mean,

it's got me wondering
about myself as a police
officer,

as a
leader

and as a Black man
in this damn
world.

I threatened to resign
today.

To protect someone
else.

I was willing to lose
SWAT.

And they don't know
it, but I was not
bluffing.

So what
happened?

The mayor backed
down.

So the heat's off of
us, for now.

You felt like you had to
sacrifice yourself

to make a
difference?

Yeah.

Yeah, because if we're all
out there trying to change
things

for the better, then why
did Erika Rogers

have to pay a bigger
price?

Hondo, you can't
let that eat at
you.

It'll only wear you
down.

How do you manage to push
through all the noise?

Or maybe it's just looking
fearless just comes
naturally.

[both
chuckle]

Maybe I feel the same
things you feel.

I just try to get it
out, talk it through,

like we're doing right
now.

Do you hear
that?

No. I don't hear
anything.

That's what I'm talking
about.

See? You're pushing
through the noise already.

[both
chuckle]

A good leader has
self-awareness

and the desire to do
better, be better.

Insecurities don't make
anyone less of a leader,
Hondo.

They make 'em
human.

[short
chuckle]

This is good,
talking it
through.

Yeah, you should
try it moreoften. [chuckles]

Well, you available for any
more surprise visits?

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