"Radical" is the fourth episode of the first season in the remake version of S.W.A.T. which was aired on November 23, 2017.
Summary
The S.W.A.T. team must race against the clock to find the partner of a domestic bomber who is killed in a Highland Park explosion and defuse the explosive devices. Meanwhile, Hondo reaches out for Buck who is isolating himself following his firing.
Recap
Tarek represented the group of people who became targets because of the FBI's investigation. He went out of his way to help Hondo and got nothing in return but a broken window. This kind of injustice certainly strikes a chord with viewers, and because of that, we relate more to Hondo because he's on the right side of the situation.
It was certainly not the only instance that Hondo was able to use his ability to connect with people in his favor.
In fact, Hondo was once again the knight in shining armor (who would have guessed?) when he was able to talk young Kevin out of setting off another bomb. It was Hondo's expertise and relatability that helped him save the lives of the hostages, Kevin, and himself. Rather than being overly dramatic or optimistically cliché, the negotiation between Hondo and Kevin seemed extremely genuine and had me on the edge of my seat.
Maybe it was because the actor's desperation seemed so real, or that other characters were so worried about Hondo's safety, but the tension was palpable. This "save the day" moment was certainly more believable than the helicopter scene from first season of episode two.
This jovial scene made the outrageousness of the helicopter seem more like an inside joke with viewers because the team gave Hondo just as much crap as I did when I watched the episode. Intentional or not, the nudge toward the audience was very clever.
Meeting Deacon's wife Annie was one of the highlights of the hour for me. Something about her mannerisms and her authenticity made her seem like a very real wife and mother who's doing her best to balance home life with the perils of her husband's job. When questioned about Deacon's feeling about being passed over for team leader, Annie made it clear that Jessica didn't need to worry. This was telling of Deacon's personality but also showed just how aware Annie is about the inner workings of the team. This isn't her first rodeo.
It was especially poignant when Deacon was forced to say goodbye to his kids before the team went off to catch the bomber. I think all of his future scenes will be more emotionally charged now that we know exactly what he's missing at home. Annie knows how difficult it can be to love a man with such a dangerous job -- a message that hit home for Jess later in the episode.
It was tough to watch Hondo refuse to wear the bomb gear when he went in to negotiate with Kevin against everyone's suggestions.
Jessica was forced to watch the man she clearly has feelings for come as close to death as one can -- and the only way out was his own words. Viewers faced Jessica as she faced the screen of Hondo's body cam. Literally eye to eye, we were able to see just how painful this was for her.
Cast
Main
- Shemar Moore - Daniel Harrelson
- Stephanie Sigman - Jessica Cortez
- Alex Russell - Jim Street
- Lina Esco - Christina Alonso
- Kenny Johnson - Dominic Luca
- Peter Onorati - Jack Mumford (credit only)
- Jay Harrington - David Kay
Recurring
Guest
- Shane Coffey - Kevin Lynch
- Marcus Giamatti - Professor Marc Lasky
- Michael Benyaer - Tarek
- Freda Foh Shen - Dean Hargrove
- Mandy June Turpin - FBI Agent Eileen Conley
Gallery
Trivia
- Peter Onorati is credited but does not appear in this episode.
- The battery clamp on the Improvised Explosive Device (IED), carried by Kevin, served as a dead-man switch, that is if he were let go of the switch in the event of his demise, the device would have been detonated.
- The bomber they are looking for has the same name as Shemar's "Baby Girl's" ex-boyfriend/co-worker in his previous show Criminal Minds.
Quotes
- Luca: Okay the bad news is there is no Jackass of the Month to hand out today, but the good news is there's a Jackass of the Year! This month's infraction was a doozy because one of our own was pictured very prominently in the Sunday papers, on the front page, above the fold. Ladies and Gents, it is my distinct displeasure to present Jackass of the Year to shameless media darling, Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson. Come forward to receive your punishment! Anything you'd like to say?
- Hondo: Yeah, I got something to say, yawl is fired! I would not like to thank the photographer who took this picture, and to the newspaper that published it, I curse you. And certainly, no thanks to Annie and Deacon, our ungracious hosts.
- Jessica: Hey, I know Deacon felt passed over when he wasn't made team leader. How's he holding up?
- Annie: You don't have to worry about my husband causing a problem.
- Jessica: How are you doing?
- Annie: Look, I know it's tough being a cop, but sometimes I think it's tougher loving one.