01x04 - Burn Zone

[bunniefuu]

SAMMY: Am I benched?

Vapor lock on a real world op

is the worst thing
a SWAT operator can do.

If it happens again that someone
will no longer be on 44 Squad.

Copy that.

The job, SWAT, it's so intense. [SIGHS]

Malik getting Scout
before you even got a shot,

that's just messed up.

HONDO: Two years ago,
after Reyes died,

I exposed a cover-up and got canned.

Then Hicks brings me back.

Flimsy team, target on my back,

like someone wants to end me and SWAT.

Like that person is you.

I took this job because
I believe in reforming SWAT,

which you already know.

And hell no, I would not
have picked you to lead it.

[TENSE MUSIC PLAYING]

g*nman 1: Hurry up.
LAPD is on their way.

- CASSIDY: What's she doing here?
- HONDO: Doesn't matter.

- Secure the hostage.
- Uh-huh.

g*nman 1: You think he's seen too much?

g*nman 2:
He's blindfolded, man. Come on.

g*nman 1: Yeah, but you don't know.

[g*nman 1 GROANS]

LAPD. Drop the weapon!

[g*nf*re]

[GROANS]

[g*nf*re]

[TENSE MUSIC PLAYING]

Code Four. Three suspects down.

Blue. Blue. Blue. Blue.

Get in here!

- Secure her weapon.
- MALIK: The owner?

- Why'd you sh**t her?
- HONDO: Yeah, she had a g*n.

Ethan, pick up the g*ns
and get that kid out of here.

There is no g*n.

HONDO: She had a g*n.
It has to be in here somewhere.

Find it.

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING]

[SIGHS]

Is it hot in here? I'm sweating.

JUDE: Yeah. It's these damn uniforms.

I mean, who wears wool in Los Angeles?

It's ridiculous.

This whole thing is ridiculous.

I mean, why are we even here?

Force Review Boards convene
to examine the police actions

that result in lethal shootings.

Thank you, Officer Obvious.

We all know
what a Force Review Board is.

What I'm saying is, why are
they putting Hondo through one?

And why are they making us testify?

It's not like
this is the first time SWAT

has had a lethal sh**ting.

It's true. I mean, all I had to
do was get cleared by a shrink.

Yeah, it's probably
because we didn't find the g*n.

But Hondo said there was one.

These freaking suits, man.

They think they know
what it's like in the field.

[EXHALES] So much for "back the blue".

So what, you think,
somebody thinks Hondo lied?

[ELEVATOR DINGS]

[CLEARS THROAT]

[OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYING]

Definitely hot now.

But I appreciate
your support with us. Thanks.

OFFICER: Yes, sir.

CORRERO: Hondo. Always a pleasure.

I'm not sure
pleasure is the word I'd use.

Force Review Board for a clean sh**t?

All due respect,

but isn't this a little below
your pay grade, Deputy Chief?

Well, you're right, it's excessive.

But this SWAT pilot program,
it's important.

To the department. To me.
I need it airtight.

I've been watching what you're
doing with those kids.

It's good work, Hondo.

Don't sweat this.

I'm here to protect SWAT and you.

[FOOTSTEPS]

Guess not everyone shares your agenda.

- Commander Pike.
- Deputy Chief.

- Oh, excuse me.
- [CELLPHONE RINGING]

So you're on this board, too?

And here I was expecting a fair trial.

You're not on trial, Hondo.

No one's out to get you.
We're just after the truth.

There's a mole on my team.
You know it, and I know it.

And another word for mole?
Whistleblower.

Something's happening on your team.

This department deserves to know.

I warned you what would happen
if you didn't let this go.

[SCOFFS]

I guess I missed the part

where you said I'd be framed
for a bad shot.

Good luck.

[SOFT MUSIC PLAYING]

[SIGHS]

CORRERO: Today is June 9th, 2026.

Deputy Chief Roman Correro,
presiding officer,

please state your name for the record.

Sergeant Daniel Harrelson.

Sergeant Harrelson, we're here
to review your actions

during the operation of June 6th.

ANGELA: So let's get to it.

On the record, was there a g*n?

Yes. She had a g*n.

Commander Pike, let's not get
ahead of ourselves.

Everyone on the board
will have a chance before we...

To determine whether or not
I shot an unarmed woman.

[SCOFFS]

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS]

I'm ready.

Bring it.

Well, as you know, part of
a Force Review Board's job

is assessing state of the mind.

So, Sergeant, any emotional
or psychological factors

that might have clouded
your judgment on that day?

- No. My head was clear.
- Good. Then let's move on.

If I may.

Sergeant Harrelson,

do you recall our conversation
that morning?

I do, you questioned my focus.

I questioned your trust in your team,

and I asked you...

Commander Pike, remember
I'm leading this review.

Sergeant Harrelson,
please take us through June 6th.

[OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYING]

That morning, 44 Squad was doing
inventory and maintenance.

After you restock the med kits,
you hit the motor pool.

We doing evasive maneuvers? Pit drills?

HONDO: You think
Black Betty buffs herself?

I want her gleaming.

So some wax-on/wax-off bullshit?

CASSIDY: Heh, maybe you'll
finally learn

to block a right cross.

Wouldn't your time be better spent

running drills in the sh**t house?

Honest work is always
a good use of our time.

And right now, this team
could use a little honesty.

And focus.

And guidance.

And a leader who's not chasing shadows.

Maybe even stop looking
for that mole in your midst.

That mole put a target on my back.

I will find out who it is
and who they are reporting to.

You might not trust me,
but I am still your boss.

So I'm going to need to know
if your paranoia

is going to screw this job.

Trust has to cut both ways, Hondo.

[CLICKS TONGUE] Right.

Watch your six.

You spend all your time
looking for knives in your back,

you're going to miss one
coming straight at you.

HONDO: The operation in question

began with an anonymous 911 call.

Hostages at
a commercial cannabis farm.

The case was bumped to SWAT.

My team coordinated with patrol.

Officer Malik Anderson was Scout.

Perimeter check complete.

No visuals on hostages or hostiles.

All entry points appear secure.

Looks empty.

SAMMY: Dispatch says no one has
answered the 911 call backs.

If someone's got hostages,
they haven't called in demands.

Ethan. Thermals.
What do we got, brother?

Nothing and everything.
See that HVAC system?

Hydroponic farms run hot.

High humidity, steady temps.

From out here every inch glows the same.

No way to isolate a heat signature.

- So if we go in...
- We're blind.

What's the call, boss?

HONDO: The 911 call
gives us probable cause,

but this one is on you, Scout.

HONDO: From the outset,

we were working
with half the picture.

We had no idea
how bad it really was.

LAPD! Open up! Or we're coming in.

Hey, hey. This is a federal operation.

Back up! Back the hell up now!

You want to tell me
what the hell's going on?

Immigration
and Customs Enforcement raid.

We got reports
of undocumented workers on site.

We're not leaving until we
thoroughly clear the facility.

That's funny,
because we got a hostage call.

Must be somebody's idea of a joke.

We've got it handled.

Yeah. We'd still like
to take a look around.

Yeah, that's not going to happen.

HONDO: Off rip, these guys
were not playing by the rules.

You're gonna have to remove your mask.

State law prohibits...

Hey, homey, I don't work
for the State of California.

You're standing in a federal operation,

which takes precedence
over local jurisdiction.

- In other words...
- Get the hell out.

Glad we're on the same page.

[TENSE MUSIC PLAYING]

MALIK: Come on. We're not
getting in without a warrant.

ANGELA: Your report

says that the ICE liaison
was not helpful.

They reminded us that ICE doesn't share

operational details
with local law enforcement.

Translation. Get bent.

That's what you get
when you trust Big Brother

to solve a problem. Chaos.

All I know is real cops
don't hide behind ski masks.

If you believe in what you're
doing, you show your face.

Otherwise, you're a coward.

[CHUCKLES] Okay, so what exactly
pissed you off here?

Their masks or getting "big-leagued"?

[SCOFFS] I didn't say I was pissed.

Well, you sound pretty pissed.

I just knew something
about those guys didn't add up.

CORRERO: So, Sergeant, we're to
understand that at this point,

SWAT is the only
law enforcement on site.

That's correct.

So despite protocol requiring
you to clear out,

you chose to remain.

- That's correct.
- Why?

Because sometimes the rule book
is the problem.

[TENSE MUSIC PLAYING]

Nice of you all to stick around.

It's not like we had a choice.

What he means is,
we got your back, boss.

Cassidy, you good?

You don't look that happy to see me.

You got something to say?
You should say it.

Whatever you say behind my back,
say it to my face.

That goes for all of you.

Respectfully, sir,

that's not exactly standard
protocol

for a Force Review Board.

[SCOFFS]

Yeah, well, there's protocol,
and there's what's right.

Each of you is going to have
to do that math for yourself.

[TENSE MUSIC PLAYING]

Don't sweat it.

- Truth's gonna come out.
- SAMMY: Exactly.

'Cause Hondo didn't do anything wrong.

Then why is he kind of acting
like he did?

Officer Callan, you're up.

Officer Callan,

what do you remember about
Sergeant Harrelson that day?

Tall.

Goatee.

Decent abs...

CORRERO:
Please spare us the jokes.

We understand that
he chose to remain on site

after the other units had cleared out.

Yeah, that didn't really
make much sense at the time.

And at what point did he share with you

his reasons for staying?

He didn't.

And do you think that stemmed from

a lack of trust in your team?

Didn't really think much about it.

Nor should you. It's not relevant.

If his lack of communication and trust

put SWAT operators in danger,
it's absolutely relevant.

That's not what happened.

Look, we all wanted to stay there.

Those ICE agents
were acting shady as hell,

and we weren't looking for a fight.

But we weren't gonna tuck tail either.

Sergeant Harrelson
didn't put us in danger.

He found us a way inside.

[CAR DOOR OPENS]

RACHEL: Who's in charge here?

Can somebody please tell me
what's going on?

Okay, ma'am. Take a breath.
Situation is under control.

I'm Sergeant Harrelson, LAPD,
and you are?

Rachel Richards, this is my business.

The security system went off.
I drove straight here.

- Was there a break-in?
- Looks like a mix-up.

But right now, ICE is conducting
a raid on your property.

Are you kidding?

This is a legal operation.

Everybody in there is documented.

They're in there right now?
They're harassing my employees?

- Unfortunately it's legal.
- It's insane.

There has to be something that I can do.

Well,

you could start
by asking to see their warrant.

We can't stop you.

But obviously, we're not gonna
let you walk in there alone.

You understand?

[DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING]

Come with me.

Whoa! Hey, hey, hey.

Didn't I tell you
to get the hell out of here?

I'm the owner of this property.
You didn't tell me sh*t.

You have no right to be here.
All my employees are legal.

- I want to see your warrant.
- You heard the woman.

Here. There it is.

You're gonna be hearing from my lawyer.

Looking forward to it.

You mind if I take a look at that?

Sure.

Whatever.

LAPD's got no authority.
Do not make me drag you...

[GROANS]

Boss.

[TENSE MUSIC PLAYING]

Holy sh*t.

[COINS JIGGLE]

- You have to hit a button.
- I know.

I just don't know what I want.

- You're quiet. Which is rare.
- [SCOFFS]

Is it because Jude's in there?

Why would that make me
nervous... Quiet. Why?

- Why would that make me quiet?
- Because he's your...

Well, I'm not sure
what he is officially.

Have you two had that conversation yet?

I guess it was only one night,
but it was all night so...

I don't know what you're talking about.

- Jude and I are just friends.
- Is that sarcasm?

I- I can't tell.
You know I live in a loft.

The walls don't even reach the ceiling.

I heard everything,
and, I mean, everything.

Okay, okay, okay.

Jude and I hooked up,
but it doesn't mean anything.

We work together. It would be so messy.

- Plus, I have a boyfriend.
- JUDE: You have a boyfriend?

I mean, not that I care.

It's not like anything happened
between us.

Save it. He knows. Thin walls.

Technically short walls.

This is awkward.

And I don't usually
notice things like that.

I'm gonna get a drink

from a different vending machine.

And by that, I mean leave,

so you two can get your story straight.

[SAMMY INHALES SHARPLY]

- [CLEARS THROAT]
- JUDE: Hmm.

Listen, he's, um,
more of a situationship

crossed with a business partnership.

He's an influencer. We collab on things.

It's all good.

Seriously.

[TENSE MUSIC PLAYING]

Friends.

[CHUCKLES]

Friends.

Ugh. Short walls.

[CHUCKLES]

[CELLPHONE VIBRATES]

It's time for the
next uncomfortable conversation.

[SIGHS]

CORRERO: Officer,
please state your name.

- Samantha Bishop.
- CORRERO: Thank you.

Today, we're looking into the actions

of Sergeant Daniel Harrelson.

For the record, I have no doubt

that everything Hondo did

was completely above board
and by the book.

Well, I would expect nothing less

from the daughter of Gary Bishop.

- [SIGHS]
- CORRERO: Will you please say hello

to your old man for me?

Even though he did look down
on those of us

who traded in the beat
for a suit and tie.

[CHUCKLES] Dad didn't look down
on people who...

Officer Bishop, please,
remember, honesty.

Okay. Take us back to June 6th.

What happened
after you entered the facility?

Specifically, did Hondo communicate

why he engaged a hostile
in a physical altercation?

Well, he did after the fact. Yeah.

LAPD has got no authority.
Do not make me drag you...

- Boss.
- MALIK: Holy sh*t.

[GROANS]

[GRUNTS]

What did you just do?

You just assaulted a federal agent.

HONDO: Let me put you all on game.

- Sammy, what is this?
- It's 1911.

ICE agents use GL*CK 19s.
What else do you notice?

Ivory grip. It's pretty badass.

You mean it's girly? It's a girl g*n.

- That's sexist.
- SAMMY: But it's not wrong.

My dad would disown me
if he saw me packing...

Okay. The point is, it's a designer g*n.

It ain't standard issue.

He was wearing it in his waistband,

not properly holstered.

Anybody can grab it.

Hondo. It's sketch, for sure,

but these ICE agents, they're cowboys.

They play by their own set of rules.

That's why I didn't take
the dude out off jump.

- I needed to see the warrant.
- This looks legitimate.

- What judge signed off on it.
- Judge Belmont.

Belmont retired in 2024.
That warrant is fake.

Wait, what?
So what the hell does this mean?

g*nman 1: Ben? Ben, you there?

Approaching your position.

- Oh, sh*t!
- HONDO: Take cover!

[g*nf*re]

What the hell is happening?

Those ICE agents are imposters.
This ain't a raid.

It's an active hostage situation.

Form up!

He's running. Should we pursue?

Negative. We gotta regroup.

At that point,
the working theory had changed.

We had to assume that gunmen

had made entry disguised as ICE agents

and then taken the employees hostage,

which left
the obvious question of why.

HONDO: Rachel, with me. Get up.

Listen, this is a full-out robbery.

- Do you keep cash on hand?
- RACHEL: What?

No. We bank at a local credit union.

All right.
Whoever's in here wants product.

- Okay. Top shelf, fast grab.
- This is a robbery?

Okay. Hey, hey, stay with me.
You're all right.

Look, we will get your people out alive.

First, I got to get you someplace safe.

Jude, get this guy out of here.
Then call patrol.

I need units rolling in hard.
Lights on, sirens on.

Make sure they reestablish
our containment.

Ethan, stay eyes on.

Suspects, hostages, whatever is moving,

- find it, call it out.
- Got just the thing.

Good. Nobody moves until I get back.

Let's go. Come on.

So the victim actually
left the building with Hondo.

He, uh... He evacuated her
for safety. Yeah.

And you have no idea
how she got back inside?

No, sir. We were focused on the mission.

ANGELA:
Let's talk about the mission.

The one to stop these fake ICE agents.

Your commander
didn't trust anyone enough

to tell them they were fake.

Once he confirmed it, he looped us in.

But before that,

he had you engaging
a potentially armed target

without full intel.

That fair to say, Officer Bishop?

- That's one way to frame it.
- ANGELA: Okay. Here's another.

He didn't trust the team's information.

Didn't trust them to execute as trained.

So he took over the op himself.

[SIGHS]

Rachel's safe. She's in her car.

Jude's hanging back to direct
patrol once they arrive.

MALIK: Good. Ethan, status.

- Eyes up momentarily.
- MALIK: All right.

We have a confirmed hostage situation.

- Here's the plan.
- Malik, hold on.

Stakes have changed, kid.
I'm taking point.

SAMMY: Hondo was nice about it,

but the message was clear,
Daddy's running this.

[SIGHS]

I've programed them to conduct
non-piloted surveillance.

The HVAC noise will mask them,

but these things overheat fast.

We get one shot.

[BEEPS]

[WHIRRING]

All right, follow the feeds,
locate and move fast.

[TENSE MUSIC PLAYING]

SAMMY: We watched Ethan's feed.

Sweeping the place,
looking for bodies,

heat signatures.

One drone hit pay dirt.

We realized we were dealing
with five armed guys

and eight hostages.

The drone showed
it was a large room

with multiple entry points.

The plan was to secure them all.

MAN: Please, I'm sorry.

- Hold!
- MAN 2: You were warned.

All right, change of plans. We go now.

- We haven't secured the exits.
- Well, then we improvise.

Exigent circumstances.

- On my go. Smoke, bang, entry.
- Shock and awe, baby.

Ethan, gate!

[BEEPS]

[TENSE MUSIC PLAYING]

Three, two, one.

[expl*si*n]

ETHAN: Sammy, bogey on the right.

- He's stunned.
- HONDO: You got it.

[g*nf*re]

Sammy, up top!

[g*nf*re]

[GROANS]

We're losing containment.

Malik, you got the room.
Get the hostages to safety.

[g*nf*re]

Move!

SAMMY: Hondo and Cassidy went
after the escaping suspects

and their hostage,

but they reported
more hostiles en route.

[g*nf*re]

[TENSE MUSIC PLAYING]

Keep moving.

Go! Go! Go! Take cover!

[g*nf*re]

Grow room is Code 4.
Three suspects down.

Sammy, get the hostages to safety.

Ethan, on me. We're moving
with Cassidy and Hondo.

Let's go.

SAMMY: That left me
to free the hostages.

You okay? Okay.

- MAN: That's Dave.
- Wait. You know him?

Yeah, he worked here.

SAMMY: The hostages said that
some of the fake ICE agents

were all employees of the farm.

Inside job.

RODRIGUEZ: I want to ask you
about one part of your story.

The escape. Two hostiles, one hostage.

The plan was to secure
all the exits before entry.

Sergeant Harrelson
chose to override that.

There were exigent circumstances.

Were there? No shots fired,
no verbal threat.

Not from what you described.

It was a judgment call.

RODRIGUEZ:
I'm questioning that judgment.

With all due respect, sir,

all of the hostages made it out alive.

Not one scratch.

CORRERO: And that's commendable.

They identified the suspects, too.

- Correct?
- Yes, sir.

CORRERO: All right, well, let's move on,

because the real matter
before the board today

is about Rachel Richards.

Exactly.

And you've no idea
how she got back inside?

No, I don't.

But you learned why.

In your report you stated,

"The farm wasn't entirely legal."

MALIK: Well, most of the workers
didn't know.

But, yes, she was moving product
off the books

and keeping under-the-table cash
locked up on site.

The crew knew
she just collected a big payout

and that she couldn't report a theft.

Hmm.

So you think she went back
inside to protect that cash?

That's my read. Yes.

Sergeant Harrelson, he didn't
know that when he fired.

All he knew was
that she was an unarmed civilian

caught in the line of fire.

Okay, so just to be clear,
what you're saying is,

when Sergeant Harrelson shot
Rachel Richards,

she was unarmed.

And you saw this.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING]

HONDO: Code Four, three suspects down.

Blue, blue, blue. Get in here.

Secure her weapon.

MALIK: The owner?

- Why'd you sh**t her?
- HONDO: Yeah, she had a g*n.

Ethan, pick up the g*ns
and get that kid out of here.

There is no g*n.

HONDO: She had a g*n.
It has to be in here somewhere.

Find it.

ANGELA: Again. Officer Anderson,
Miss Richards was unarmed

and you saw that, correct?

No, I didn't see the sh**ting.

But Officer Cassidy Reed did.

[PEOPLE CHATTERING]

Hey.

You're up soon. You good?

I don't think I can do this.

Just tell the board what you
told me after the sh**ting.

I don't want to say something
that I'm not 100% sure about.

Cassidy, you were there.

Hondo told Rachel to drop her g*n.

- There wasn't a g*n.
- No, I didn't see a g*n.

That doesn't mean there wasn't one.

It was chaos.

Maybe the g*n got kicked away,
I don't know.

You know what this could do to him?

All right.

Cops don't come back from this.

This could ruin his career or worse.

You're not ruining anything.

Cassidy, a woman's dead.

He pulled the trigger.

The truth matters.

If there was no g*n,
say there was no g*n.

I know it seems simple to you,
but it's not.

All right.

I'll tell 'em what I saw.

Nothing more, nothing less.

[SIGHS]

Hondo,

during this recess
you might want to make contact

with your union rep or a lawyer.

No recovered weapon.

Your body cam's fried and your
team's painting a picture.

A CO, doesn't follow protocol,

doesn't communicate,
doesn't trust his people.

Someone capable of making
a fatal mistake.

Sounds like they're getting
grilled by our new commander.

What is Pike doing here anyway?

- She oversees SWAT.
- She oversees me.

I tried playing nice, acting
like we were on the same team.

She's not.

She's coming for me. And you see it.

Her sitting on that side of the table?

This isn't a hearing.

- It's an inquiry.
- It's an inquisition.

Whatever's happening here,
it's not about me.

Well, I can't say I completely disagree.

All the more reason to protect yourself.

[ETHAN CLEARS THROAT]

Officer Cole,

can we help you?

Uh, yes, I was told I was up next.

Take a seat.

I'll be with you shortly.

Lawyer. Think about it.

[TENSE MUSIC PLAYING]

You are the team's
technology specialist.

Yes, sir, I am.

Folks.

For the record, you're the one
that programed the drone

that flew into the room
where the sh**ting occurred.

Yes, sir. A petite quadcopter,
lightweight, maneuverable,

perfect for moving
through dense vegetation.

The marijuana.

Operationally, not recreationally.

ANGELA: [CHUCKLES] We're aware.

I think that operators
like yourself are essential.

And your footage is essential
to the outcome of this case.

Thank you, um...

Unfortunately-Unfortunately,
I can't provide it.

- You're certain of that?
- Yes.

Uh, the extended flight time
compromised the memory module,

and the facility's humidity
exacerbated the damage.

So you're saying that there's
no way you can recover it?

Have CSU do another sweep.
That g*n is in there somewhere.

I'll cover the OT. Just get it done.

- [TENSE MUSIC PLAYING]
- [HONDO SIGHS]

Facial tension,

demonstrative gestures,
increased agitation.

- I can come back.
- What do you want, Ethan?

There's uncertainty about
whether Rachel,

the victim, had a g*n.

And if she did, what happened to it.

She had a g*n! I saw it!

And I might be able to prove it.

She took some damage in the op,

but I'm 90% sure
I can recover the footage.

- You haven't looked at it yet?
- Not yet.

Ethan, do you think there was a g*n?

Statistically, eyewitness memory
under stress is unreliable.

Spit it out, kid. Was there a g*n?

g*n or no g*n is not the question.

The question is one of trust.

And my time with the 44 Squad

under your command leads me
to one conclusion,

I trust you.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING]

Maybe it's time trust went both ways.

[BREATHING HEAVILY]

Hold off on fixing the drone.

I'll hang on to it for now.

- I don't understand.
- You trust me, right?

I'm gonna need one more favor.

ANGELA: And I'll ask you again,
Officer Cole,

can you recover the footage or not?

The drone was a wet wreck.
The internal drive shorted.

The footage was destroyed.

I wish I could tell you otherwise.

[SCOFFS]

JUDE: [SIGHS] Whoa.

You look like you just saw a ghost.

Worse.

[SIGHS]

I just sat across the top brass
of the LAPD and lied.

- About what?
- ETHAN: The drone footage.

- I said it was destroyed.
- It's not?

Just damaged. I could have fixed it.

- Probably.
- CASSIDY: Then why didn't you?

That footage would show
if there was a g*n.

Hondo told me not to.

He said to leave it with him,
not to fix it.

He pressured you.

You handed him over the evidence
from the sh**ting?

SAMMY: Maybe he was just
giving it to someone else to restore it.

[JUDE SIGHS]

Sorry, I just...
I don't know why he'd do that.

MALIK: So no one can see
what was on it.

To bury it, so he could hide it.

It's the only logical explanation.

- You're wrong.
- Oh, am I?

Come on, man, give me a break.

Look, we all wanted Hondo to be
who we thought he was.

- Clearly...
- No, he did not get rid of it.

It's still in his office.

Officer Reed.

[SIGHS]

I need some air.

CORRERO: The after action report

places you closest to both,
the victim and the sh**ter.

Your squad leader,
Daniel Hondo Harrelson.

Take your time, Officer Reed.
What you say here matters.

Okay. Let's not let the heady
concept of justice

interfere with the truth.

Keep it simple.

You were there, with Hondo.

- What was your objective?
- Rescue the hostage,

neutralize the two armed suspects.

Right. But there was someone else there.

- Rachel Richards.
- Did you have eyes on her?

[TENSE MUSIC PLAYING]

- Yes.
- Could you see her hands?

Yes.

Was she armed?

[SMACKS LIPS]

Did you see a weapon in either hand?

No, but she was wearing a jacket.

Pockets that could have been obstructed.

So what we have so far is a civilian

with no visible firearm.

Walk us through what
happened next, Officer Reed.

HONDO: Drop the weapon.

[TENSE MUSIC PLAYING]

It all happened really fast.

There's g*nf*re from two directions.

[g*nf*re]

And you never saw a g*n
in Rachel Richards hands?

No.

ANGELA: Then please state
for the record,

there was no g*n.

Look, Officer Reed, I get it. We all do.

Going against your CO is not easy.

You want to be loyal.

But trust me, this is not about loyalty.

This is about the truth.

So which is it?

g*n or no g*n?

[TENSE MUSIC PLAYING]

There is no g*n.

[SOFTLY] There was no g*n.

Hondo shot an unarmed woman.

Thank you, Officer Reed. That'll be all.

Well, that's a problem.

It's her word against his.
It's not enough.

Right.

[UPBEAT SONG PLAYING]

♪ She's hell on wheels ♪

♪ She shoots to k*ll
Aims to thrill ♪

♪ And she never fails ♪

♪ La, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la ♪

MIRANDA: Have a drink.

I'm still on duty.

Of course you are.
That's why we chose you.

♪ La, la, la, la ♪

So what have you got for me, Malik?

[SIGHS]

♪ 'Cause honey
You won't let me be ♪

- This is it. The footage?
- Yeah.

Glad someone is happy,

'cause breaking into my CO's office,

stealing evidence,

that ain't me.

It's not what I signed up for.

Yeah, I know. It's not easy, but

that's why you're the one doing it.

And Hondo is dirty. We both know that.

He just shot an unarmed woman.

Yeah, I got the memo.

Thanks. It's just...

[SIGHS]

I don't know, it's just harder
than I thought it would be.

Yeah, you did a bad thing,

but for the right reason.

And that's what separates you from him.

And when Hondo is gone,

there's a place for you.

I'm not in it for me.

It's bigger than that.

Okay.

Which makes me wonder...

MIRANDA: Hmm?

What do you want from all this?

[CLEARS THROAT] What do I want?

I want to live in a city

that doesn't get sued for police
misconduct every six months.

I want women to get paid
what they're worth.

I want a female president
who serves two terms.

But right now,

right now, all I want
is for you to stay strong.

Keep your head in the game,

and remember that doing the
right thing never feels clean

when you're standing in the mud.

- [SCOFFS]
- Okay?

How are you gonna get it
to the review board?

You know, honey,
I'm the Mayor's Chief of Staff.

I'm very good
at getting dirty things exposed.

[EXHALES]

Yeah.

That's what I'm afraid of.

[TENSE MUSIC PLAYING]

There's video of the sh**ting.

Cole's drone was rolling.

He swore it was fried,

but the tech team
was able to recover the data.

They're bringing it down now.

This is bad, Hondo.

Pike's gunning for you.

She wants a scalp,
and yours will do just fine.

We need to talk about your options.

Who turned it in?

The footage? Came in anonymous.
Does it matter?

Oh, it matters to me.

Like I said before, if you
believe in what you're doing,

then you have the ba*ls
to do it out in the open.

Whoever turned it in... a coward.

Problem's not so much who turned it in,

but what's on it?

Especially if it shows
a veteran SWAT team leader

sh**ting an unarmed woman.

Look, nobody's seen it yet. Not even me.

- You have a choice.
- Oh, yeah. What's that?

Well, we could watch it all together

and live through what's probably
the worst moment

in both our careers.

- Or?
- Or what?

Department cuts me loose.
Fires me again.

[SCOFFS]

[SIGHS]

You could resign, quietly.

I'll try and keep it contained.

If I walk, what happens to SWAT?

- I don't know.
- [SCOFFS]

I know what happens if you don't.

I will do what I can to save SWAT.

But at least you could walk out
with your head held high.

[HONDO SIGHS]

- Take the out, Hondo.
- [SCOFFS]

I appreciate it, sir. Really.

But I don't run.

[SOFT MUSIC PLAYING]

CORRERO: One last time
for the record, Sergeant,

do you want counsel present?

- I do not.
- All right then.

There's only one thing left to do.

This is the, uh,
freshly restored drone footage

from Clarita Cannabis Farms, June 6th.

- g*nman 1: Give me the code.
- MAN: I don't know it. I swear.

RACHEL: He doesn't know it.

But I do.

You k*ll me, you get nothing.

If I open the safe, we split
the cash, we both walk away.

Cash bag or body bag? Your call.

g*nman 1: Fine. Move. Quickly.

- Get down!
- [GROANS]

- Hurry up! LAPD's on their way.
- Back up!

[TENSE MUSIC PLAYING]

- What's she doing here?
- It doesn't matter.

Secure the hostage.

g*nman 1: You think he's seen too much?

- He's blindfolded.
- g*nman 1: Yeah.

- g*nman 1: You never know.
- g*nman 2: Yeah. Come on.

- [GROANS]
- g*nman 1: Wait!

[RACHEL BREATHING HEAVILY]

LAPD. Drop the weapon.

[g*nf*re]

RODRIGUEZ: It seems like
Rachel Richards was in on it,

and she was trying
to take out the witness.

CORRERO: I think we've seen enough.

Richards was armed.

She took a g*n off
one of the suspects

and clearly was trying
to sh**t one of the hostages

so he couldn't ID her.

And after she went down,
he took back his g*n

so he could get back in the fight.

That only makes her part of the crime.

- Not a victim anymore.
- An active participant.

Any objections, Commander Pike?

All I was after is the truth.
Looks like we got it.

What we got was
a damn waste of time,

stain on the department,

you dragged a good cop through the mud.

All right. In the matter of the
fatal sh**ting of Rachel Richards,

this committee finds

Sergeant Harrelson's actions
to be justified.

He will be reinstated,
effective immediately.

- We'll see you out there.
- Yes, you will.

Hey. Sorry it got so ugly.

I wish you hadn't gone so damn sideways.

It's part of the job, right?

Truth's out. That's what matters.

[SIGHS]

Let me guess.

This is where you say I told you so.

It's not my style.

Well, maybe it is,

but the Deputy Chief stole
my thunder on that one.

Hmm. I stand by what I said.

You keep chasing ghosts,

you're going to make a mistake
you can't walk back.

Well, you really need to work
on your apologies.

Oh, look, I'm relieved
that you didn't mess up.

Truly.

I don't want the bureaucratic
hassle of having to replace you.

Careful, Commander. Now you
sound like you're starting to like me.

Just hate paperwork.

But one thing is still bothering me.

You absolutely knew
that footage would clear you.

- So what else is going on here?
- It's like you said.

You wanted the truth and you got it.

I got what I needed. Win, win.

Oh, yeah. What'd you win?

I'll let you know.

[MELLOW MUSIC PLAYING]

[CELLPHONES RINGING AND VIBRATING]

SAMMY: Memo from Pike.

"In regard to the events."
Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

Okay.

"The board found
that Officer Harrelson..."

Hondo is cleared.

sh**ting was justified.

This says there's definitive
video proof.

Rachel was armed.

I was wrong.

Should we get drinks? Celebrate.

I need something from the gear bay.

It's boring. Don't follow me.

I swear he gets weirder every day.

- You in?
- JUDE: I don't know.

Is your boyfriend gonna be there?

'Cause boyfriends don't like me
very much, you know.

Yeah. We broke up.

Of course you did.

- It wasn't about you.
- Of course not.

[CHUCKLES] Okay. You're an idiot.

[BREATHING HEAVILY]

Cass?

You okay?

I threw him under the bus, Malik.

How do you think that makes me look?

You saw what you saw.

- You told the truth.
- And I was wrong.

Cass?

[SIGHS]

- Doesn't it bother you, though?
- Doesn't what bother me?

Why would Hondo hide the video

if he knew it'd exonerate him?

[DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING]

HONDO: You trust me, right?

I'm gonna need one more favor.

Ethan, what I say next is between us.

- No one else can know.
- Confidential. No problem.

HONDO: Someone on 44 Squad
is spying on me,

questioning my calls

and likely feeding information
on the rest of the team.

What, like... Like a mole?

No. No, not this team.

[SINGER VOCALIZING]

What do you need?

[UPBEAT SONG PLAYING]

♪ No matter where you go
No matter who you find ♪

♪ There's always
Something wrong ♪

♪ A million reasons why ♪

♪ I can't remember a time ♪

♪ There was a disappointment
In your eyes ♪

♪ Staring down ♪

Shut the door.

♪ ...In my side ♪

♪ But I don't miss the ways ♪

♪ Till the chase is on ♪

♪ No place to run ♪

- ♪ The chase is on ♪
- Who is it?

You sure you want to know?

♪ You're gone, you're gone
To reach the dawn ♪

♪ The chase is on ♪

Malik is the mole.

You must be angry.

HONDO: I'm not angry. I'm relieved.

I got clarity.

And...

someone I can rely on.

[SIGHS]

Now we just got to come up with a plan.

[MUSIC FADES]

[TENSE MUSIC PLAYING]