After a strong binge-watch pattern with the original series, I'm attempting a disciplined viewing of this spin off - definitely no more than 2 a day. Ha Ha! The finale of this episode pushed my buttons. In a previous episode, Special Agent Whittaker punching the totally self-centred billionaire in the face seemed well deserved, but the private crusade of Jamie Kellet was another level of Big Question Ethics for crime series altogether. She thought it was OK to toggle evidence and set up Dad as fall guy so innocent victim-murderer little sister didn't ruin her life and have to face the consequences of her actions. It was a surprise to see a character whose actions had previously been distinctly good-guy/gal, fall into a pit of personal reactions and actions at complete odds with her professional role. It was an even bigger surprise to hear the slap on the wrist comment she received from her supervisor (lover) on "alignment with moral compass", after he had watched her descent into Hades all the way! I like that these contemporary crime dramas get to explore a big grey area, but I am uncertain whether this character is now being established as a wild card for future episodes, where her opinions about the nature of justice create new entanglements, or whether the writers (and producers) have dropped the ball. Special Agent Whittaker's moralising suggests this episode got it wrong. This kind of story nuance might be right in a more noire drama (like Bosch), but for star characters here it appeared as a complete lapse in genre which has undermined the integrity and (and believability) of the characters.
Episode
After a strong binge-watch pattern with the original series, I'm attempting a disciplined viewing of this spin off - definitely no more than 2 a day. Ha Ha! The finale of this episode pushed my buttons. In a previous episode, Special Agent Whittaker punching the totally self-centred billionaire in the face seemed well deserved, but the private crusade of Jamie Kellet was another level of Big Question Ethics for crime series altogether. She thought it was OK to toggle evidence and set up Dad as fall guy so innocent victim-murderer little sister didn't ruin her life and have to face the consequences of her actions. It was a surprise to see a character whose actions had previously been distinctly good-guy/gal, fall into a pit of personal reactions and actions at complete odds with her professional role. It was an even bigger surprise to hear the slap on the wrist comment she received from her supervisor (lover) on "alignment with moral compass", after he had watched her descent into Hades all the way! I like that these contemporary crime dramas get to explore a big grey area, but I am uncertain whether this character is now being established as a wild card for future episodes, where her opinions about the nature of justice create new entanglements, or whether the writers (and producers) have dropped the ball. Special Agent Whittaker's moralising suggests this episode got it wrong. This kind of story nuance might be right in a more noire drama (like Bosch), but for star characters here it appeared as a complete lapse in genre which has undermined the integrity and (and believability) of the characters.