An activist-turned-terrorist is on the run and 20-Squad is on their tail.
Not only that, but Deacon and Annie catch a break in the Eduardo Ortiz case in S.W.A.T. Season 5 Episode 17. And it’s not someone that anyone would suspect, at least not at first.
Put on your thinking caps because there is a lot to dig into.
One thing that I have loved about S.W.A.T. Season 5 has been getting to see more of the S.W.A.T. Academy, especially with 20-Squad doing a lot of the training.
The beginning of the episode has Luca and Street teaching recruits when an oil derrick explodes nearby. This is when we get to see some of the potential S.W.A.T. officers in action.
One of them even takes off on her own to save a resident in an apartment building that took most of the hit.
While it was against orders, and she didn’t wait for backup, she managed to save the resident and look badass while doing it.
On S.W.A.T. Season 5 Episode 15, we got to see the candidates open up with the talent show, see what their personalities are like.
It focused on one candidate, while this episode focuses on another and what they are capable of out in the field.
Candidate Zoe Powell goes all daredevil trying to save a resident in an apartment building after the explosion. This causes her to be disciplined by Luca and Hicks.
Street, however, can’t help but see the comparisons, as she is him when he was a rookie on S.W.A.T.
I’m just here to do what my team did for me. Stick around long enough for you to realize that S.W.A.T. is not a list of tactics and regulations. It’s a family. And we make each other better.
Street
Knowing how he went from daredevil to model officer, Street tried to talk to Zoe, even opening up to her about his (very) complicated childhood.
It doesn’t get her to open up, but she does give in and asks him for help in the armory. I’m interested to see if we’ll get more of them. It would be nice to see Street sort of mentor someone, especially someone that is like how he was.
This episode also included a major breakthrough in the Eduardo Ortiz case.
Annie has been taking the lead on it for the last few episodes, and I have loved it because while she was only a law student and dropped out, she’s starting to realize that this is what she’s meant to be doing.
I did my job, too. I put the cuffs on Ortiz six years ago. Doesn’t mean we got it right.
Deacon
While digging more into the case, Annie met with Cora, the estranged wife of one of Maria’s coworkers, Scott. Annie questioned her about Scott, and Cora went off the deep end.
Cora told Annie about Maria’s body being stuffed in the pantry.
And that was not in any released report. So how did she know?
This is where the audience can also start putting the pieces together.
Scott might have had an affair with Maria while married to Cora. It’s possible that Cora knew, considering Scott would come home smelling like perfume.
With that knowledge, Cora may have had enough and gotten rid of Maria, framing Ortiz. No one questioned her initially since the affair wasn’t known.
It’s a human system and it’s flawed. Justice is seeing that and making it right.
Deacon
When we first got wind of the case, it was clear that they weren’t going to have Ortiz be guilty; it was clear that he was innocent. The question was who was really behind it and why.
Now that case may finally have a lead, it’s only a matter of when they’re going to get enough evidence to put it through the system.
This case is only just beginning, and I have become so attached to it already.
Seeing Deacon and Annie working on it together is also really nice because we haven’t seen Annie doing her own thing throughout the show.
Now we get to see what she’s capable of, possibly going for her dream career.
I’m curious to see how long they will be able to keep this storyline going. It seems like Deacon and Annie have a pretty good case against Cora, but the lawyer seems adamant that they don’t have enough evidence.
Hopefully, the end result will favor Ortiz, and he is finally set free. Perhaps he could play a big part in S.W.A.T. Season 6 somehow?
Meanwhile, at the end of the episode, Annie contemplated going back to law school, and she has Deacon’s full support.
She may have dropped out of law school, but this case brought back old feelings she never knew she had. And I’m excited to see whether she goes through with it or not.
As for the case, 20-Squad found themselves trying to track down an activist-turned-terrorist responsible for the explosions.
Setting off explosives is a funny way of keeping the neighborhood safe.
Hondo
Hondo tries to work with a councilwoman to do something about the oil derricks causing problems in underprivileged communities.
Something that I love about Hondo that he genuinely cares about helping others.
When it’s revealed that the councilwoman’s play was more political, he wants to do something about it.
I’m hoping that that passion continues in the remaining episodes of the season.
Maybe he’ll start an initiative of some sort, since he would be the right guy for it.
Remaining Thoughts
- I need more of Luca and Nora because they are just too cute
- Zoe being set up as Street 2.0 is a great way for Street to become like Buck
- Annie would make an A+ lawyer
- Hondo needs to do something involving politics because he could win anyone over
Did you catch on to what the Ortiz case was pointing towards? Could Annie and Deacon finally have made a real breakthrough?
Who is the next lucky S.W.A.T. Academy candidate that we’ll see who will have a connection to someone on 20-Squad?
And will the oil derricks push Hondo to make changes in his community?
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Megan Behnke is a staff writer for TV Fanatic, who you can follow on Twitter.